WA fb special

[Errol62]

And that fascia could well be EJ EH


FB ute fixer upper, EK van on rotisserie

[Blacky]

I have a couple at home , you can have a look at them on Friday

[ehsv6]

Not EH similar but facia was more sculptured. BMC - British Motor Corporation Radio for Morris, Austin, MG same era.

[rosco]

The radio in my bus is original.. the only thing the old chap had fitted when he purchased it. It does have the cut away corner.

I see with my beady little eyes that the radio fascia you have in your hand has "BMC" on it.... British Motor Corporation... maybe out of one of the big English three.. Austin, Morris, Wolsely... and their siblings......

frats,
Rosco

[mph]

Interesting fellas, I grabbed some pics and the ali facia doesn't line up either.

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[Harv]

Looks to be a BMC 8 radio:
http://www.amvcnsw.com.au/austin1800/WS ... 0radio.pdf

Cheers,
Harv

[gpi]

this is the one you want

[ardiesse]

Your radio was made by Astor (who made radios under the "Air-Chief" label for Holden). It looks the same basic model as was fitted to EJ/EH, but with BMC-specific knobs, buttons and escutcheon. I thought the FB/EK radios were hybrid valve/transistor radios - gpi's in-dash shot is of one of those. Interestingly, the knobs were carried over from the FC.

Rob

[Errol62]

this is the one you want

Where'd you get that photo Patrick? Looks familiar.

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[Errol62]

"It's an Astor, that's the difference"

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[Harv]

Background info on original FB/EK radios:
http://www.fbekholden.com/forum/viewtop ... =28&t=8935

Cheers,
Harv

[rosco]

I thought the FB/EK radios were hybrid valve/transistor radios

Yes Rob, mine is exactly like the Holden one in the pic - and yes, there are four valve in there plus a power transistor.
There is a delay of about 5 seconds from turning one until sound comes out of the speaker... as far as I know, this is due to the valves "warming up".
With the BMC Astor shown - it is "all transistor" ....

I have the valve numbers if anyone wants them... PM me. From memory, when I checked - all of them are still available, but one was getting very scarce.

My radio works just as good today as ever it did... There was an oval speaker under the dash grille - my original was a "Rola" speaker, I think it was a 6" x 9" -when that blew (stupid me as a teenager wanted plenty of bass and as loud as the radio would put out)... I fitted a "Plessey" one.. I don't believe there was any noted difference... but the magnet on the Plessey was smaller and the depth of the cone shallower.

I fitted a rheostat to mine and fitted a 6" rear speaker... in the cut-out which simple pressed out.
The rheostat simply took the +ve speaker output into the centre terminal.... "wiper"... and you could adjust the balance from front to rear...

When I later fitted a Eurovox Cassette player... it had a radio - I removed both the front and rear speakers and removed the original radio.

Years later, I re-fitted it when I fitted a CD unit below dash..... that radio spot in the dash is just screaming for one of these original radios.

From memory, you could get the upmarket push-button radio... I remember seeing a pic of one in an EK "Air Chief" booklet somewhere...

frats,
Rosco

[Errol62]

Non PB Deluxe radio suit 215, 219,2104, 2106. Cut corners like Harv said. Vic club got a run of the dial face done few years ago, came with the radio I got from Thommo. Got the blue dot from eBay.

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[rosco]

That's the one, Clay.. I picked up the station perspex when I was a member of the club, but have not fitted it yet.

One word of warning - when mounting the radio to the dash... make absolutely certain the spacers are fitted correctly -"through" the holes of the perspex.
I cracked my original perspex by tightening up the two brass nuts with one of the spacers sitting "on" the perspex... make certain they pass through the two holes in it.. and make direct contact metal to metal with the dash holes.. then you can nip them up to your heart's content....
The knob on the left is a one-piece.. it is station tuning - on the right is two piece.. smaller outer is on/off volume, larger inner is "tone".... as it was called back then (bass/treble for our younger readers).

frats,
Rosco

[gpi]

these repro lenses:

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=13991