Alternative AM Radio Source

[54blackhornet]

Was wondering if other GM vehicles have the correct size to fit our radio location. I have an old private yard by me that has a lot of older GM vehicles just sitting for decades. Thought I would approach the owner to see if I could find one that might fit. Just trying to fill the empty hole..thanks

[dmjlambert]

It would be easier to get an old 67-72 truck radio from eBay or this forum, but then I'm taking the easy way. It's hard enough to get things right when working around in those tight places under the dash. If you enjoy that kind of tinkering you could probably just measure the face plate hole and distance between the knobs, and then go looking in the junk yard. You will probably need to do some fabrication on the mounting as mentioned by our friend body bolt in that recent thread about the bowtie radios. In any case you may want to get a small can of Deoxit D5 from Guitar Center or online, so you can get the old crusty radio working, that's what worked for me on my eBay radio. That is if you want it working. My goal is to get everything working, and even if I would rarely turn on the AM radio I want it to at least work when I turn it on. This week I spent getting the windshield washer working again after probably 40 years of broken.

[54blackhornet]

I don’t listen to the radio in my daily driver much less this pickup, just want to fill the space. Right now I have the radio missing along with both the lighter and heater controls.

[Getter-Done]

What about a Radio Delete plate?

['68OrangeSunshine]

With the unreal high prices for Radio Delete Plates, that's probably the economy option.
When I bought my Orange Stepside in 1973, the PO had popped in an AM radio from an earlier GM vehicle. I don't recall if it had pushbuttons for stations, but it worked -- sort of. The antenna coax was draped around the dash. A sheetmetal screw held the pot metal radio in place -- if somewhat cockeyed. Speaker was crap. For a long cross country run back home from Cherry Point, NC to Tucson, I splurged on a big speaker from Radio Shack.
In '77, after getting out of the military, I had a dude [supposed expert] install a Sanyo AM/FM/Cassette Recorder in the dash. Also 5'' Jensen speakers in the doors.

[1970cstblazer]

Originally Posted by 54blackhornet

Was wondering if other GM vehicles have the correct size to fit our radio location. I have an old private yard by me that has a lot of older GM vehicles just sitting for decades. Thought I would approach the owner to see if I could find one that might fit. Just trying to fill the empty hole..thanks

Look for:

Obviously 1967-72 trucks, Blazers Suburbans

1967-77 GM vans

1961-64 Full-size Chevrolets

[OregonNed]

Not the purist approach, but I made a delete plate to match my bed wood. Dash was already cut, so I made this to fit a billet radio mount frame.

[Rust_never_sleeps]

I posted a link in that Bowtie radio thread that shows dimensions of various GM radios, so you might be able to match the hole you're trying to fill to some year+model combinations using that reference.
Hope this helps

[special-K]

There's been a non-original AM radio in the dash of my '72 K2500 since I've owned it. It had chrome knobs and says Sonomatic in script. Those were in Buicks