Daytonablue

long time reader, first time writer. Just bought a '64 327 4 spd coupe. Not perfect but a great place to start plus the price was right. The car does not have a radio. I was told it was a radio delete car, an option that was available with manual steering and brakes from the factory. Can anyone tell me if this was an option or if I was given a line? I would appreciate the insight.

magicv8

Yes there was. On some cars it was a mandatory option - L88 for example. Most cars bought for racing were radio delete to make them lighter.

PS: Congratulations on your Corvette purchase. Welcome to the Corvette Forum board. Ask us anything - we're easy. And according to 62fulie it did not have an option code. I have only seen a few without the radio - only one that was not a Vintage Racer.


[Modified by magicv8, 10:06 PM 5/17/2003]

62fuelie

What you were told was a half truth. Back in days of yore, radios, heaters and the like were options, not standard equipment. The term "radio delete" is a misnomer. It just simply wasn't ordered with a radio. Some options, such as L88, could not be ordered with a radio or heater, though apparently some slipped by with heaters.

67's

Right, but the government made them ad heaters and defrosters after 1967.


Tom

Daytonablue

Thankd for the info. I don't have a lot of history on the car past 1987 so I'm trying to figure out what I have.

396 RAT

I was the 2nd owner of a 65, and the radio was not ordered due the fact
that there was poor to no reception in the area this fellow lived!
BTW, it did have a hi-po in it, but thats what I was told.
He was from Bishop as I recall.
Anyone know about radio reception in Bishop - 1965? :lol:

L79vette

You could go without a radio and yet still get other creature comforts. We had a car at our regional NCRS judging that had powerglide, power windows, power steering, A/C, and radio delete!

If the car has no noise suppression capacitors and no ignition shielding, it might be a real radio delete car. Or someone could have removed the radio, ala owner-delete. Get the assembly manual, available from Corvette Central and other vendors. It tells you what all other stuff should be missing from an original radio delete car. Unfortunately you can't really document these cars very well pre-67, and 67-75 documentation depends on finding the sticker glued to the fuel tank, and on its survival all these years, unless you find the original owner.

valrico_stingray

I have a 64 convertible with radiio, heater, and A/C, no other frills. (one of only 919 convs with a/c, i think)

wallyknoch

A heater was standard equipment starting in 1961 :cheers:

SWCDuke

As stated, "radio delete" is a misnomer for a C1 or C2. If either has no radio it is simply a "no radio" car since all radio equipment was an option. A heater was standard on C-2s, but there was a "heater delete" option RPO C-48 for serious racers, and you got about a hundred dollar credit. C-48 was mandatory for the '67 L-88.

The new FMVSS for a windshield defroster caused C-48 to be deleted as an option for the '68 model year so all Corvettes got a heater whether you wanted it or not. At some point in the early seventies a radio became standard equipment, and at that point there WAS a "radio delete" option, RPO UL5.

According to the NCRS Spec Guide and Corvette Black Book a heater was optional in '61; '62 had a standard heater but it could be deleted by ordering RPO 610 "export option".

Duke

Duke

427435

I didn't order my '67 with a radio, partly because of the price and partly because I wanted an 8-track (remember them). So I planned on putting an 8-track in under the dash that also had a radio---which is what I did. By the way, I did order the PS and PB. As Duke said, the radio was just another option in 1967.

Daytonablue

My car has an antenna and I have paper work stating the radio and A/C were removed in '88, I want to assume to return the car to original. Would the factory still install an antenna on the car or is this left over from the mod made at some point in history?

Vetterodder

Unless I've misunderstood your post, I think you've answered your own question. If the radio wasn't removed until `88, it would make sense that it would have an antenna unless it had been removed also.

MikeM

In the Louisville, Ky area I come from, the dealers had a habit of ordering cars in for stock sale with no radio. They would then add the radio to the car for the full option price but without the engine shielding and the capacitors and ground straps that went with the package. This gave them an extra boot on the option. Never mind the radio had poor reception and static. I have one of these cars. A no option 65 coupe with a dealer installed radio. Only option.

Mike :)