Looking for ideas of how any of you took out the non-working stock radio and filled the hole with something else besides a new radio/CD player that would take away from the traditional look. Like maybe gauges or just sheet metal that looks like it's from the factory.
I used to order my cars without a radio. They came with a factory provided cover unit that matched the dash color and configuration. I still see those covers at swap meets. Try going online and ask some of the old cars parts suppliers if they have any or have a hint as to where to start looking. Normbc9
when my Dad and i were building the '59 Ford that Toucan has now, it originally came with a radio delete plate that matched the Fairlane level dash trim. i found a radio in another '59 and installed it, but kept that plate with the car. a radio was an expensive option in those days, but radio delete plates often went missing when the owner finally decided to add some tunes. my '52 Plymouth had a factory radio, though.... it gave off a 60cycle hum when turned on, that's all! it would depend entirely on the car and style of dash trim whether i'd go to any length to conceal or remove the radio.
My Willys had a radio that some one replaced with a GM AM radio, butched the dash pretty bad. I covered the hole with some diamond embosed stainless and put my gauges in there. If you cannot find a radio delete plate sometime you can fab a piece of sheet metal that resembles one. If it looks good and you are not winning any points for it being a perfect restoration you are golden.
I know a '59 Olds you're pretty much stuck with the radio, they're well integrated into the dash design. My late model beater van is getting a cubbyhole covered by the stock plate, I put the radio elsewhere. It pretty much depends on how much fabricating you want to do -
I found a radio delete plate for my 61 Dodge, you just need to keep looking, eventually one will show up on ebay.
Any chance Oldsmobile supplied ch***is to he**** builders that year? I've seen '50s Cadillac professional cars with radio delete plates, so it's possible they exist for Buick and Oldsmobile too. -Dave
I will prob leave my radio in the '60, and mount another one somewhere like the glovebox. IDK There's a place in MI that rebuilds our radio to AM/FM with RCA outs for amps, CD changers, etc.
I bought a 57 chevy with no radio..working at a salvage yard, I had access to many different radios and found an am-fm ****og radio marked "69 chrysler" that bolted in the hole and the weird curve of the face plate even fit with the curve of the 57's dash..looked factory using the 57 knobs!
Good suggestion. In '60, Cotner-Bevington (CB) was building on Olds platform, Flxible on Buick. Here's a factory (Comet) '59 blank off plate: There are out there. Now you know what brand junker to look for -CB.
well, a hum and nothin' else.... put it that way! looking at that Olds delete plate, if i couldn't find a real one, i'd make one up from trim from the same style car, and add an emblem like that. there's precious little worth hearing on the radio these days anyway.... hide a CD player.
I purchased a sheet of engine turned aluminum from Speedway Motors and reworked the dish panel to do away with the clock. This is what I ended up with. HRP
Brushed stainless plate with some gauges added. I'll admit, it's not as nice as some of the pics you other guys have posted...
I had a hole in my 51 ford and put a gene Winfield casting over the hole its really neat and fills the hole and it a nice purple color will have to buy another I n case I need one
back in the old days probably up to the mid 50's depending on what car you are talking about they all came from the factory with radio delete plates. radios were dealer installed. several years ago I bought 60 radio deletes for 1949 and 1950 Chevrolets. some dealer threw them in a box when they installed the radios, then stored them for 60 years so I could buy them and sell them on ebay.
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