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By junkyardjeff - 8 Years Ago
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My dad bought the sunliner new so I have the invoice and the radio was 87 dollars and it was the black button 6 tube radio not the 8 tube with the chrome buttons.,I got thinking on how I would have ordered it and I probably would have ordered it without a radio and put a aftermarket radio in which I know were made. Was the factory radios superior to what was available in the aftermarket back then,I just can not imagine spending that money on a AM radio and I know that is all they had but that seems like alot of money for a radio.
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By slumlord444 - 8 Years Ago
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I don't recall after market radios until 8 tracks came out in the '80's.
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By miker - 8 Years Ago
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Slumlords remarks got me thinking. I've had some early radios, 1930's-40's or so, that had the radio and speaker in an under dash enclosure and a cable operated dial and tuning knobs. Mostly Motorola. But they seemed to have disappeared until the 8 tracks. I'd guess that the aftermarket radios were under dash units, probably Sears or Montgomery Ward. Or JC Whitney.
Might try looking on eBay for "vintage auto radio". You'll get a lot of later stuff, but you might find some 50's examples. Don't know if you'll find any cost back in the day.
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By Bobwanna - 8 Years Ago
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Jeff, The 55 car radio is round and such a unique piece on the dash you might want to have someone upgrade the internals with AM/FM and keep original looks. There is a guy at the early bird site that will do this upgrade but I have no idea of cost. If this interest you I will look up his contact info - Bob
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By junkyardjeff - 8 Years Ago
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It has a stereo in it now in a gutted 8 track player under the dash but 87 dollars seemed high for a radio back then. 
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By junkyardjeff - 8 Years Ago
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I have seen some aftermarket 55 radios but was wondering if they were any better then what the factory had offered,I probably would have spent that 87 dollars on something else and gotten a cheaper aftermarket radio but I am thinking in a 2016 frame of mind where the radios are much better then what was available in 55.
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By Cliff - 8 Years Ago
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An under dash tissue dispenser is the thing to use to hide a radio, it fits the year of the car and Ford offered them through the parts dept. 4 or 8 tracks were a 60's thing not 50's.
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By junkyardjeff - 8 Years Ago
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Never could find a Ford tissue dispenser that the front folded down or I would have used one,I do have one for a Buick that does so I used a 8 track player until I find one that does.
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By Ol Ford Guy - 8 Years Ago
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My dad ordered a new 55 Customline 2 Door Sedan. It was pretty basic, but I talked him into the big 8 tube radio with chrome knobs and white walls. It was a stick I Block 6, aquatone blue. I remember the radio sounded good. In the later 50's and early 60's aftermarket radios became popular. Many dealers ordered cars without radios and installed aftermarket radios for another way to make a little more money on the cars. When we picked up the new car, my dad stopped half way home and asked me if I wanted to drive it the rest of the way...great dad.
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By junkyardjeff - 8 Years Ago
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I wonder what the sound differences between the 6 and 8 tube radios were.
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By BamaBob - 8 Years Ago
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In my experience, the only difference in sound of the 6 versus 8 tube radio was the clarity of stations that were further away. Close stations were alike in sound, while the 8 tube pulled in the signals from more distant stations more clearly.
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