Factory am/fm Radio

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A/FX
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Factory am/fm Radio

Post by A/FX »

I have seen some recent discussion here about an am/fm radio. As I mentioned in an earlier post the Comet radio is the same as a big Mercury radio, only the face plates differ.
I saw this today https://autopartsobsolete.com/1964-merc ... f4tbm.html
I have contacted the seller and he still has the radio so if one of you need one this maybe something to jump on. These are extremely rare, I think the price is not out of line.
Remember the face plates for a Comet are different for the am and am/fm, so if you have an am face plate it will need to be changed or possibly modified for this radio to fit your dashboard.
I have an am/fm for my Cyclone so I do not need this one.
Jim
‘64 Cyclone/ Boss 302,quads,4spd, Winters 9”

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poboyjo65
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Re: Factory am/fm Radio

Post by poboyjo65 »

I could see it the other day on the link but it seems to be gone now. one of the knobs,(volume) looked closer to the dial than the other. didnt seem right for comet. Did you notice that? 65 has a one year only am & for the am/fm one year only too. the long stems are what make them both unique. they even have little tubes to stabilize the stems because of their extended length.

this is a 65 fm unit;

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this one for a 65/66 mustang is very similar ,but shorter knob stems. & they are harder to find than a comet fm

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someone should post up pics of 64 radios,I know 64 fm's are even more hard to find than any of them. Seems like they had part of the buttons for am & part for fm???? been a while cant remember.
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A/FX
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Re: Factory am/fm Radio

Post by A/FX »

For some reason the link to that radio is not active, maybe it sold. The ‘64 am/fm is different compared to the ‘65 you have pictured, no slide bar, the preset buttons change between am and fm. I do not have a picture of my radio handy but can shoot one tomorrow and post it, in the mean time I found a photo on line of a radio exactly like mine.
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As I mentioned previously the faceplate is different between an am and an am/fm radio in a Comet, but the radio itself is the same as used in the 1964 big Mercury’s. These are not stereo radios, they monaural.
‘64 Cyclone/ Boss 302,quads,4spd, Winters 9”

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poboyjo65
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Re: Factory am/fm Radio

Post by poboyjo65 »

Jim those 2 little triangles between numbers on the dial,,, where to tune in case of nuclear attack right? some had a circle around it in some cars?

ok did a search;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CONELRAD
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Groover
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Re: Factory am/fm Radio

Post by Groover »

poboyjo65 wrote:
Thu Nov 18, 2021 1:05 am
Jim those 2 little triangles between numbers on the dial,,, where to tune in case of nuclear attack right? some had a circle around it in some cars?

ok did a search;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CONELRAD
Yep, mine has the triangles. I leave it tuned there, just in case :shock:
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Re: Factory am/fm Radio

Post by comethead »

poboyjo65 wrote:
Thu Nov 18, 2021 1:05 am
Jim those 2 little triangles between numbers on the dial,,, where to tune in case of nuclear attack right? some had a circle around it in some cars?

ok did a search;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CONELRAD
Pretty cool. I never knew 8)
1965 Caliente HT- 289/4 speed
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A/FX
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Re: Factory am/fm Radio

Post by A/FX »

I finally remembered to take a picture of my radio. I do not have it installed in the Comet, I decided for this build that the “music” would come from under the hood instead of the radio so I fabricated a block off panel for the dash. I also did not want to spoil the look of the car with a mast antenna.
Jim
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‘64 Cyclone/ Boss 302,quads,4spd, Winters 9”

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Jims65cyclone
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Re: Factory am/fm Radio

Post by Jims65cyclone »

Jim...I see your radio has the CD triangles on the dial. According to the wiki thing that John posted, they stopped doing that in 63. Was your car an early 64 model?

Jim
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Re: Factory am/fm Radio

Post by A/FX »

Jims65cyclone wrote:
Sat Nov 20, 2021 10:42 pm
Jim...I see your radio has the CD triangles on the dial. According to the wiki thing that John posted, they stopped doing that in 63. Was your car an early 64 model?

Jim
Being that my car is a Cyclone it would have been a mid year model, introduced in January of ‘64. Also the radio fits any “64 big model Mercury so it was probably part of existing inventory.
Jim
‘64 Cyclone/ Boss 302,quads,4spd, Winters 9”

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poboyjo65
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Re: Factory am/fm Radio

Post by poboyjo65 »

Jim65 just like everything else they didnt waste stuff back then so I'm sure if there were dials made up they were used even in later years. as I did that search I read where it was not uncommon to see them on 64 & later cars, I think this is the one that I read it on ,& even says a 69 had them;
https://www.autoweek.com/car-life/class ... rmegeddon/
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Joe Travers
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Re: Factory am/fm Radio

Post by Joe Travers »

Not going off tangent but AM radio frequencies are still the most far-reaching land based means of communication today, besides ham radio.
If satellite transmissions are interrupted, public communications are still widely available through AM radio waves, especially @ night.
Still catch a little mariachi from time to time from south of the border.

Joe
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