Bench testing the radio

[vorpal]

excellent... it's definitely a bit of an acquired skill to heat the console, lay down the paint and gently heat the paint until it makes a consistent texture... looks good!

I found if it really fails, a spray chemical stripper will soften the VHT and you can scrape it off and start over... tedious, but not that bad in the grand scheme of things.

[Linda]

I rough sanded the paint off the speaker, with 60 grit then some 220, then used Rust Reformer, then 220 to smooth out some runs.
Let it cure for about 18 hrs ( instructions say 24). Then heated the box with a heat gun, though it is warm outside already. Shot a couple of coats 10 min apart, gently on low setting used the heat gun on each coat for about a minute each, on low setting, keeping it moving.
Turned out good enough with a fine pinpoint-like texture

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Linda

[Linda]

Unfortunately the speaker itself is toast with a big rip so I have to get a speaker to actually test the radio, which is where this all started...lol
Linda

[RustBucket]

When I redid my speaker box I got a pair of these JBL GT7-6 speakers. The holes lines up exact to the speaker box and were relatively inexpensive.

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Rustbucket

[Linda]

Thx. Looks like those are 270 watts, on Ebay, meaning you need an amp for them? I just want to run the AM radio and do not want to stress the wiring at all. So anything that matches stock and / or stock mounting would be fine. Just the reverse of everyone on here lol

Linda

[Linda]

I managed to finish the clean up, except for a few touch ups, on the radio console parts, I painted everything and cleaned the switches. Everything looks much better I think. Still needs final assembly.
That is the good news, bad news is I tested the radio and still get static. But it is the nicest looking non-working radio around though.
I ohmed the antenna to the end of the plug-in and that was good. I checked where the radio end of the antenna to where it solders into the radio, all good. So it appears it is something with the radio itself. I will have to shelve this for awhile as I have other things to finish.
The speaker box was recently painted too with wrinkle paint and I added a speaker, so I am ready to go for AM one day, lol

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flasher switch

Linda

[redroadster]

Whats the transformer power supply output ? It doesnt run on 12 v much higher. To the reciever
You can solder a redundant part to the original like capacitors . try a ear piece to the speaker leads to see if any stations come thru you can tweak the adjust screws on the veriable potemeters. See if that gets any stations


Might be a solution hidden in the original radio

[Linda]

Beyond my skill set , redroadster.
Linda

[TurboRagtop]

I love the “irrationally “ comment. Been there, done that.
lol

[Linda]

Have to be a little irrational to have this hobby in the first place. Know what I mean, Karl? Haha
Linda

[Linda]

What does the little screw right next to the radio antenna do? Should I be adjusting that?

Linda

[notoptoy]

Typically a screw like that is used to set the antenna “trim”. There are some instructions out there, but off the top of my head I think you find a station somewhere near 1400, and then use the trim adjustment to get the strongest signal possible. But again that’s from a fading memory

[redroadster]

Yes at 1400 the stations are weak its easier to see your setting it correctly
You say just static ? That increases with volume ? That should mean the amplification is working just not able to tune a station. Providing the speaker system is good
Got to be a electrictronics hobbyist out in LA. with free time now

[todd lorber]

Linda, i might have a spare radio up at my warehouse. Of course it won't be as clean as yours, but it may have parts that do not work on yours.
Do you want me to checkK

[70-1600]

Linda:

I have a working radio and re-furnished speaker out of my 70 high windshield car that you could swap right into yours. It works great (could use some of your cleaner in the volume control, it needs cleaning to resolve a “static” sound when you turn it). PM me if interested and we can talk a fair price. I recently replaced it with a stock unit I had “modified” with an AM/FM + aux input and line level outputs. So I have no use for the stock unit I pulled out.

-jt