Viking427

Gonna start looking for an original AM/FM stereo to return the 71 back to original and have some tech ?'s.
1) Its my understanding I should be looking for;
a) green letters
b) "stereo" script
c) yellow rectangular light, upper right corner
d) smooth black & chrome ***** (is this correct ?)
e) what can I expect to pay for one (without splitter/mux boxes)

2)
I have access to AM/FM stereos and monos out of Chevelles and Camaros. Will these fit into the Corvette (same chassis size, faceplate dimensions, shaft distance) ? It's my understanding Corvette had to break out the Splitter and Mux functions into TWO seperate external boxes in order to fit an AM/FM/Stereo into the C3 dash, but I believe GM did that with the A/F/B body AM/FM/Stereos as well, implying they may all share the same chassis dimensions. I don't require the external splitter or mux boxes since I plan on just rigging up a small aftermarket amp to affix on top of the radio anyway.

3)
Does the OEM AM/FM/Stereo divide the stereo signal PRIOR to leaving the radio. ie. so I can simply add an amp and have stereo signal...or does the signal splitting occur at the external MUX box (thus rendering my plan to mono only) ?

4) If the A/F/B body AM/FM/Stereos will not interchange because of larger chassis dimensions (onboard splitter/Mux functions ?), does the AM/FM/Mono radio interchange. My thinking is these should be the same chassis since there are no extra internal splitter/mux functions to accomodate.

5)
My dash has two speakers top dash left and right. Did all radio optioned C3's come with these or only when the stereo option was chosen ?

6) finally, my lighter is missing. What **** is required... smooth black/chrome, or "flame" icon rubber ?

Thank you

71coupe

71 is the last year for the "green" indicators. The ***** are smooth with black centers with chrome knurled section. Mine just has the Delco script as it is not stereo. The service model # on the side label is 11VFP1, & product # is 7302721.
As far as the MUX & other question, don't know. The price on these vary, but it seems that the ***** are generally hard to find.
:cheers:

72vetteman

Viking, I can help you on your questions. I have a radio refurbishing business that exclusively works on 68-76 Corvette radios.
1a) 71 mono and stereo radios came with green numbers
b) correct
c) correct
d) correct
e) I sell the complete 71 radio with amps for $349.00 with a full 90 day warranty
2) Corvette radios are unique to Corvettes and will not interchange with anything else. Corvettes used two seperate external amps(actually called a convector for the smaller of the two and a multiplexer). You can not just add amps to the head unit for these radios.
3) See #2
4) The multiplexer and convectors will not interchange with anything else.
5) All 68-76 Corvettes that were ordered with either the mono or stereo option came with only two speakers in the dash.
6) Sorry, but I cant answer the lighter question but I think its similar to the radio *****.
Let me know if I can help you with your project. I have sold several original radios on this forum over the years if you require referances. Thanks, Scott

A72COUPEDT

Scott's the MAN !! I bought my radio from him for my 1972. He knows the deal. Buy your stuff from him and save the headaches. He even bought my "old' radio from me. Dave T. Jupiter, Fl. :hurray:

72vetteman

Thanks for the kind words Dave :D

Map63Vette

I just ordered some aftermarket ***** off of a site for my 71 and had an interesting issue. The back dials (tone and spacer since I have a mono radio) are sort of weird. The the tone **** fits fine without and trouble, but the spacer for the other **** (normally balance, but blank for mono) is really strange because it looks more or less like the tone ****, but has a long shaft off the back of it as well. Is this normal? I can take a picture and post it if it would help. I almost feel like it's extra plastic from the casting that I could just cut off, but didn't want to cut anything just yet. The radio that I put in the car is actually out of a 73, so would this make any difference? If someone coudl post pictures of original ***** / dials for a 71 that would be awesome! Thanks for any help you can provide.

Alan 71

Hi M63,
Both the chrome inner rings are the same on their back side on my 71 am/fm radio. There is a difference that you don't mention... the one for tone has a little grooved 'finger' that that sticks out about 1/2" so you can grasp it with your fingers to regulate the tone, the other is just a plain chrome ring.
The 71 lighter **** is shiny black plastic with an inset white ring (like a smoke ring). It's about 1/2 the size of the radio *****.
Regards,
Alan

7T1vette

The stereo radio for '71 had a round [stereo ON] light at the top-right of the tuner bezel. Whenever a stereo station was tuned in (and had an adequate signal level) that light would come on. If the head unit does not have that light, it isn't a stereo receiver.

If you must have a '71 radio [for NCRS or proper date code purposes], dandy. But, any stereo unit from '68 thru '76 will fit in your dash bezel. The '68-71 radios had the 'correct' greenish tint to the turner numbering. '68 & '69 stereo units command a high premium; so I would recommend that you stay with a '70-'76 group for proper fit and '70-'71 if you must have the green-tinted numbering. The convector systems can be different from year to year; but if the head unit and convector are matched (from the same year/configuration), any of them will work just fine.

I am 'toying' with the idea of replacing the convector amp with a newer, solid state stereo amp that will produce about 100 W output and will accept either pre-amp inputs or speaker-level inputs. I believe it will hook up to the output of the Delco head unit just fine and give more power and better sound quality. That is on my 'To-Do list' for early this spring. I would highly recommend that you install speakers in each kickpanel to hook up with the dash speakers. The kickpanels were used in '68-69, but only used those chintzy 4"x6" speakers and the sound was very weak. Putting them in the dash [so they could reflect off the windshield glass] was an improvement for volume and better hi-frequency response; but the small, chintzy speakers were still very weak for bass/mid-range response. Better 5"x7" or 5-1/4" round speakers located in the kickpanels...and hooked-up with the [mid-range/tweeter] speakers in the dash...make for a fuller and better equalized sound in the car. For those nay-sayers: I've done it and it works 10 times better than the original radio/speaker system. Along with an new aftermarket solid-state stereo amp replacing the convector {which, by the way, really was a very poor quality way to amplify music} and better quality speakers that are more responsive and handle more power, the original Delco head should provide pretty good sound. {P.S. The rest of the stereo system can't be seen, so it really won't matter to any judging group that it isn't really 'stock'.}

Do what you will....but that's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

Map63Vette

You know, it's kind of funny when you mention sound quality on the old radios. When I first got my car someone had cut a square hole through the original console to put in a modern radio which I replaced with a new console and retrofit radio (a custom autosound piece). For anyone who might be considering this route I would recommend against it. I got a cheaper radio, but the sound was total junk and had no tone. I eventually mounted a new radio in the rear of the car that had a remote and made up a little speaker box since I had some speakers lying around to add to the sound. It worked pretty well, but then I decided to see if the old 73 radio we had lying around worked. Fortunately we had a convector too (though it was a stereo one I just wired into one of the transistors) and put the whole system in. I was totally amazed. The original radio blew away all of my previous radios in quality. The sound is very full and quite nice. The front speakers are aftermarket (Polk something or others), and they are likely being slightly overdriven by the old stereo (lower impedence than originals), but they sound so much better than before. Plus, I just love those pushbutton presets =P

7T1vette

There was nothing 'wrong' with the Delco head unit. It did a pretty good job of tuning and getting a clean signal...plus doing the pre-amplification work. But, it was not designed to lock onto the signal, so as the unit heats up the station "creeps" around. The convector was a really basic, single power-transistor system and was not all that good for sound quality. But, I believe that your original sound 'problem' was due to the chitty speakers in the car...not to mention that they were over 30 years old. New, high-quality speakers would make a world of difference in the sound--regardless of what radio/amp unit you had in the car. That's why I'm recommending the change in speakers and swapping out the convector for a decent amp unit.

Map63Vette

Yeah, I agree with you. The new speakers were in there for every radio that I had in the car, the retrofit one was just junk and I don't think the other one I put it was too much more powerful, it just offered better tone control options. I've wondered for a while if there was some kind of replacement for the stock convector that I could use. It's a little odd, the radio is a mono radio, but the convector I had lying around was a stereo one, not sure what it's out of, but it works. I thought about taking a single transistor out of if and drilling a hole in a computer processor heatsink and mounting it in that to cut down the size, but haven't really worried about it for now since it's all working fine.

Eric Romanov

Scott,

I'm looking for an AM/FM unit for a 69' we're just about restoring. Please let me know if you have anything.

E-mail, eric@kengrodyford.com

Terry L Hoffner

I am working on a 1971 corvette. The radio is not working in it. I have another with the same problem. Does anybody know someone that rebuilds them. I'm in dire need of a factory radio for this car.

GTOCheese

72vetteman: I have an original 72 radio that needs to be resorted. Do you have a number I can reach you at? Thanks

kodpkd

Probably dead by now.

vettebuyer6369

Trying to contact a NSV who posted almost 19 years ago.