Another Radio Question

zombiebrew · Sep 27, 2011

So i have a 66 coupe with the original AM radio. It looks like this but way nicer.

http://i.ebayimg.com/19/!B7Lb0Y!EWk~...YD!~~-1_35.JPG

I want to keep the vintage look but with added functionality of at least iPod. I don't even necessarily need FM and there is no need for XM.

So the way i see it i have a couple of options.

1. leave the unit dead in the dash and install an aftermarket unit in the glove box. I want this as a last resort. I despise the idea of having a non functioning radio in the dash.

2. Custom Audio - I've read forum after forum where people bash the overall ****ty nature of these radios. I still think it would be a big step up from the AM unit i have and they seem pretty easy to install.

USA - 230 or USA - 66
Custom Autosound Radio Models

3. Retrosound seems to have their own classic version which is supposed to have a better quality than the Custom Audio version.

RetroSoundUSA.com - RETRO CLASSIC RADIO FOR 1964-66 MUSTANG

4. Option #4 is really a bandaid fix. The Redi Rad. This little gizmo is installed in the back of the existing radio and will allow for an MP3 hookup through the radio antenna? I've tried similar products with cars that didn't have iPod jacks and was not really happy with the result. I imagine this will be more of the same. Plus i don't think the existing radio will be able to support the two 6 1/2 speakers i'm puttin in the doors or the two 6X9s i'm putting in the back.

RediRad Classic Car AM and FM radio adapter- MP3/Satellite Radio to AM or FM band

5. Send my unit out to get new guts put in it. This was i keep the face and get a professional radio guy to put in the right parts. problem $$$

I know i'm asking for the world here but is there away to get a high power radio with awesome sound and still have the retro look???? I'm open to all ideas.

2+2GT · Sep 27, 2011

With a 66 coupe you can do pretty well with the Custom Autosound. I've seen more than a few of these cars with that radio, and they worked fine. The best way to hook up speakers in a coupe is to use a 4x10 dual voicecoil in the front, and a 6x9 dual voicecoil in the rear. These are the stock speaker sizes for these two spots, you can even get the stock speaker grille for the rear. It paints to match the color of the package tray. Connect the two left channels of the radio to the front speaker, and the two right channels to the rear. The sound will be far better than any stock 66 radio, yet the unit looks identical to the stock 65-66 AM/FM radio. It has multiple inputs for various media, and the pushbuttons, on originals for tuning, are controls for an optional CD changer. I've seen these at Glazier/Nolan, why don't you call and ask them how these radios hold up. Since they sell and install them, they ought to know.

Here's one in a car they restored:

Realmongo · Sep 27, 2011

Check out this site if you want to keep the stock radio but add features such as MP3 jack and FM.

Ward's Classic Car Radio Repair

zombiebrew · Sep 27, 2011

Thank you! That looks like what i need. $400 hurts but i doubt it's something i could do myself.

skywalker · Sep 27, 2011

2+2GT said:
With a 66 coupe you can do pretty well with the Custom Autosound. I've seen more than a few of these cars with that radio, and they worked fine. The best way to hook up speakers in a coupe is to use a 4x10 dual voicecoil in the front, and a 6x9 dual voicecoil in the rear. These are the stock speaker sizes for these two spots, you can even get the stock speaker grille for the rear. It paints to match the color of the package tray. Connect the two left channels of the radio to the front speaker, and the two right channels to the rear. The sound will be far better than any stock 66 radio, yet the unit looks identical to the stock 65-66 AM/FM radio. It has multiple inputs for various media, and the pushbuttons, on originals for tuning, are controls for an optional CD changer. I've seen these at Glazier/Nolan, why don't you call and ask them how these radios hold up. Since they sell and install them, they ought to know.

Here's one in a car they restored:

As for the CAS radios - there was one in my car when I bought it. After I finished my restoration, I had to drive it down to Florida from Atlanta. I couldn't tune a single station for the entire drive down AM or FM. I barely had reception of AM 750 when I was in Atlanta (a clear channel station! - not the network, but the type of station) The sound quality was atrocious too boot. CAS has some nice designs, but their quality is utter crap. I have one of their dash speaker's too. I'm not an audiophile and the tinny sound makes me cringe. I'm about to give a Retrosound radio a shot based on some reviews. Here's hoping.

2+2GT · Sep 27, 2011

skywalker said:
As for the CAS radios - there was one in my car when I bought it. After I finished my restoration, I had to drive it down to Florida from Atlanta. I couldn't tune a single station for the entire drive down AM or FM. I barely had reception of AM 750 when I was in Atlanta (a clear channel station! - not the network, but the type of station) The sound quality was atrocious too boot. CAS has some nice designs, but their quality is utter crap. I have one of their dash speaker's too. I'm not an audiophile and the tinny sound makes me cringe. I'm about to give a Retrosound radio a shot based on some reviews. Here's hoping.

I drove three Mustangs with the USA-66 last summer. None of them performed as you describe. Sounds like the one you had was fried or defective.

skywalker · Sep 27, 2011

2+2GT said:
I drove three Mustangs with the USA-66 last summer. None of them performed as you describe. Sounds like the one you had was fried or defective.

I've seen a few others - painful I tell you. You are, to date, the only person I've heard say he thought they sounded even OKAY.

robbz28 · Sep 27, 2011

I bought the retrosound radio, and i like the way it has a universal mounting system...the "shafts" of the radio are actually on wires, so you can set them in any dash, but come with the proper settings for your application. The actual radio unit itself is very compact too, maybe 5" deep by 4" wide by 2.5" thick. They also have front and rear MP3 jacks and remote and lots of preamp outputs. The sound quality is decent....sounds a lot better than the factory radio in my toyota tundra sounded. I added an amplified hidden antenna and it picks up AWESOME...i live out in the sticks and can pick up stations from 100 miles away. Just my .02

skywalker · Sep 28, 2011

robbz28 said:
I bought the retrosound radio, and i like the way it has a universal mounting system...the "shafts" of the radio are actually on wires, so you can set them in any dash, but come with the proper settings for your application. The actual radio unit itself is very compact too, maybe 5" deep by 4" wide by 2.5" thick. They also have front and rear MP3 jacks and remote and lots of preamp outputs. The sound quality is decent....sounds a lot better than the factory radio in my toyota tundra sounded. I added an amplified hidden antenna and it picks up AWESOME...i live out in the sticks and can pick up stations from 100 miles away. Just my .02

What antenna did you use?

robbz28 · Sep 28, 2011

Custom Autosound amplified hidden antenna....i actually put mine up in the top passenger corner of my windshield...you can barely see it from the inside and its hidden by the smoked part of the glass on the outside.

Custom Autosound Hidden Antenna

skywalker · Sep 29, 2011

And on that note - the Retrosound radio (Technically mine is a retro classic or RC-900C but it's the same head unit as the Model One, just doesn't include the USB/SD card port though it has the read panel connection for it) sounds pretty decent. It's a lot better then the CAS that was in my car before. Reception equals my 2009 GT's stock unit.

diablopony · Jun 16, 2013

I just installed the Retrosound RC-900C unit in my 68. It doesn't sound bad after you get all the settings adjusted. There is a connection on the back for USB, but I not sure abut the connection. What type of adapter cable does this use? Thanks,

diablopony · Jun 17, 2013

In case anyone else was interested in the mystery plug on this unit. Here's the response I got from RetroSound:
The Retro Classic does not have the internal components that operate the digital inputs. The cable was a carryover from the Model One. It cost us less to produce the unit with the cable than to remove it for this series.

tx65coupe · Jul 3, 2013

I'm using the stock center rear speaker grille for a pair of 6x9s in the package tray along with one of those front center speaker upgrades.

Someone hacked mine up for a crappy tape deck. I ended up just hacking it more for a DIN unit. This works very well, but doesn't have the look I want.

I'd really like to get the newer Retro Sound unit, but I'll have to repair the dash first. I do have the patch panel.

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