Technical Bluetooth for original radios

Found a couple working radios for my Mercury Breezeway sedan and in my area there is no music on am radio,not wanting to adapt a modern stereo to this car or add a hidden system so does anyone know if there is some kind of Bluetooth adapter that would work like those old fm converters which this car might get too. Wanting to do, this cheaper then having the radio converted to am/fm with Bluetooth.

 

@junkyardjeff
Just see a Blue Tooth on two guy garage
Tv show
To day , episode was installing a converter Boss Hog like a 2018 camaro.
Can not remember manufacturers name
Of The Device looked like the size of the cigarette pack No radio required.
Rc jacks or wedge screw hook up .
The device plugs in between
Speaker out put Radio to speakers
On a No radio device to speakers .
No Non modern radio needed
Just a smart phone

 

Don’t know if anyone does that anymore. Get a designated Bluetooth amplifier, hide it and play music from your phone.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IBI518Y/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

Here is a thread of how I converted my 49 Buick Radio to AM/FM/Bluetooth, using the stock push ****ons for the stations.
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/retrosound-in-my-49-buick-radio.1313541/#post-15190777

 

I’m sending the one out of my woodie to get converted from a company that advertises in Hemmings.

 

https://www.retroradioshop.com/prod...m-adapter-for-retro-vintage-or-antique-radios

Or you can buy the Bluetooth board and figure out how to wire it into your radio.

Upgrading speakers and an amp would be next on my list.

 

I have used this one. Works far better than you would think, especially for the price.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08G1NZF3Y/?tag=atomicindus08-20

This is an older thread
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...all-non-invasive.1155455/page-2#post-14566749
I made this box to try it out, sounds real nice with 2 4" & 1 6 1/2" speakers. You could stash it in most any car. (not the box, the amp & speakers)

I like it.

 

I could use this one and put speakers in the optional C pillar locations and have sound,I think I will get one of the working radios and along with a fm converter for when I want to listen to a radio.

 

I just stumbled on a YouTube video a couple days ago about this very thing. The guy does a nice job showing and explaining the simple process
This is the small Bluetooth device he installs in his radio. Looks to be super simple and cheap from Amazon.

 

If you do hook up an FM convertor, there are FM transmitters available to plug in to your music player-MP3 player/ipod) and transmit the signal to a certain frequency on the FM dial, to play the music from the player.

 

I need to find that fm converter,I last seen it 25 years ago when I had it in a 68 Chrysler.

 

I hear you, I think I still have one, somewhere in the attic, maybe?

 

Found two in the garage so here is the plan,going to get one of the working radios I found and add the converter then get one of those Bluetooth amps to power speakers in the C pillars where the optional rear speakers go and do have speakers. This way it will have a working radio and then can also use my phone for music.

 

I have a working radio on the way and one of these will be going in. Ordering the Bluetooth amp before I get off the computer. This project will be part old school and part new school

 

I recently had the opportunity to view another post on the tube of a fellow updating an old rambler radio to accept a simple blue tooth adapter to play his song lists from his phone.Looked so simple ,I had to try it for myself.
So only 20$ and 2 days later it was on my doorstep.
This little device works great,exactly as expected...who new it could be so easy.
Yeah ,I know it’s not traditional, but it can be if you only listen to oldies
Check out ..Rusthoardergarage for the video. Same device as posted earlier.

 

There is a cheap no brainer solution. Bluetooth speaker. Toss it in the back seat and listen away. No mods to the car no expensive conversions. It's also good if you have multiple cars.

 

@surestar I saw his video as well. Works great with a little bit of bench work, and "looks" like the original radio still works.
All depends on what the person wants, and the sounds he's looking for. I guess you could stream a radio station, through your phone, to the Bluetooth player.

 

I do want a original radio that works and can have music if I forget my phone,with using that Bluetooth amp I can have sound coming from the car making it seem like its coming from the radio. The original radio will come through the speaker in the dash and the BT amp will come through the speakers in the C pillars.

 

I will need help later getting something like this in the Tiger

 

You can also gut one of the originals and place a more modern radio (think 70s-90s) inside. Using the volume/tuner arms and the original push ****ons to work the more modern ones. A friend did this on his 1950 Mercury.

The place I posted above also has a build your own kit:
https://www.retroradioshop.com/coll...-bluetooth-upgrade-kit?variant=43043155181756


Or for plugging your phone to an aux port:
https://redirad.com/

 

I remember Dad having an FM converter that he got from Radio Shack back in the 1970's because he refused to pay extra for an optional AM/FM radio.

 

I just threw a retrosounds head unit in. Plenty of power for 4 speakers, has modern innerds with BT, and looks old.... But if you truly want the old school stereo, adding Bluetooth to it is a cool thing. Personally I can't stand the fm tuner things. They work, kinda.... But they can have issues for sure.

 

"You can tell by the static that I have a Sparkomatic" I would have an original radio converted. The Aurora guys seem to have a good product although I have not had one done myself. Came very close to doing it on an early Mustang but in the end the dash was already cut so I put an older shaft style aftermarket radio in it.

Radio conversions for cl***ic vehicles | Aurora Design

Carrying a Bluetooth speaker as suggested above is also not a bad idea as it is easily moved around.

 

I do have a Bluetooth speaker that I use but wanting something a little more permanent in this car.

 

I compromised on mine. I went with RetroSound, amps and an old iPod (I didn't want to put a 100 gigs of music on my phone).

You want to go for broke......very close to a 100% stock looking but pricey.

https://www.antiqueautomobileradio.com/

 

i simply use an aux port wired into the potentiometer.



good video i used as a walkthrough, you will need to replace your caps and hope your tubes still work

 

Besides everyone saying just use a blue tooth speaker. Wire in the radio light to go with the rest of the instrument clusters at night. Most of them are wires so that the light only comes on when it's ON.

 

There’s a pretty slick plug-in that I’ve had installed in mine. Not sure what it is exactly, but had the same thing installed in a turntable and an OT Torino stock radio. Tune it to a specific frequency of your choice and play whatever you want. My soldering iron has been cold for years, so can’t tell you how to put it in.

 

I gutted the radio in my 57 Ford and put a Bluetooth amp in it . Works good on the bench . I need to put it back in the car . I posted pictures on the off topic