ricks327

Bill,
Yeah, I hear ya on the price of a core but at $300 plus a ball park figure of $200-250 for Jerry, I think most of us old folks who only want to hear the song and don't care for super quality, we would have a radio guaranteed to work. Plus, we wouldn't have to worry about our old bones & muscles working overtime on the removal and re-installation of the AAR radio. Just my .02. But for $600, it sounds like a lot of folks are not getting "new and improved".
Rick

jimmies63

What really sucks is the only value I am getting out of my AAR is warning people not to buy one. Not much of a consolation for $600. With the stories here I think I will just yank it out and see if keen's will take it back.

Frankie the Fink

As I said, if you want to use the original chassis then go with this option:
http://www.garytayman.com/
With the Aurora internals and bluetooth option.

ricks327

FTF,
I know there can be a lot of options to the Tayman radio conversion but what would be an approximate cost for a midyear?

Rick

Gary's '66

I used Greg Thompson @ S+M Electro-Tech. He does conversions and input jacks. He also has vintage style speakers. Good communication and customer service. Cost was around $400.00.

Frankie the Fink

It was up there close to the cost of the AAR repro radio IIRC...
Not cheap but the quality is supposed to be up there.

61 Roadster

Just finished installing the AAR unit into my '61. So far the basic functions are working with the FM radio and aux input. Here's hoping I have the same luck and Frankie the Fink. If not, I'll reinstall my Retrosound model which was quite reliable but had a modern digital readout.

Will post any updates as time, temperature and vibrations take their toll...

jimmies63

UPDATE: with a little nudge from Keen Parts (they sold me the radio) AAR swapped it out for a complete replacement in Dec.

I finally got it in the car today. After 10 minutes of idling and another 10 minutes running the car out the road, there were no problems with the radio.

The dial worked full range, the buttons work and the funny practice of cutting out constantly once warm did not reappear. Pretty sure it wasn't the car wiring or issue, just something with the radio.

With this version of the radio I noticed the red and green LED on the dial. It wasn't there on the last one - at least it wasn't working.

In the end, great looking radio. The new one appears to be fine. I am optimistic it will work as promised. Might not have needed Keen to get involved but I am sure it helped. The only thing I would do different in the future is lean on them a little harder and a little earlier. In the end they came through.

Frankie the Fink

I also had to get my AAR radio repaired in the split window. Got it back in several weeks ago and it seems fine now. I added bluetooth with the upgraded dual voice coil speaker but that's all -- no amp, no other speakers, no bazooka bass. Sounds fine in the quiet little 250hp coupe for now so I'll stay pat for the foreseeable future.

65hihp

My original had several issues when I got my car. Learned of Jerry Rudbeck back then, so sent the unit to him for repairs and update to Ipod jack. Put it back in and it works perfectly with no problems. Only turn it on for OPS judging in meets. Also have my Greg Thompson restored power antenna that only goes up and down for meets. With side exhaust and my focus on driving to avoid other idiots on the highway, music is just a distraction.

jimmies63

Please, tell me more about this Bluetooth. It is something you plugged into the input jack?

Frankie the Fink

Well it got a little complicated; the new AAR radios only have a pin jack AUX input (no more RCA jacks) and the bluetooth adapter I wanted had RCA jacks so i had to get a little adapter cable, and male-to-male RCA adapter plugs - I also wired the bluetooth adapter into constant power (so no cigarette lighter charging BS). When I got it all done it worked great with the AAR radio and my iPhone Pandora except for an unacceptable whine when the motor was running. Soooo I got an inline filter for the pin jack connection and that went away. These are the products I bought; about $65 total:

Bluetooth components from Crutchfield, and, Noise filter: http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-5mm-noise-...E:L:OC:US:3160

327carguy

Interesting posts.

I've always had my fun with my early 63 at the Friday night show by playing the AM only radio next to the Honda or import crowd. I invite them over to hear my radio after seeing all their amps in their trunks.

I don't think they understand my humor.

Frankie the Fink

AM is fine IF you have all the shielding and noise suppression capacitors, you don't get more than 20 miles from a station and you like Spanish-only and religious broadcasts.

jimmies63

....where you live....

sounds too complicated. I think I will stick to plugging my iphone into the cable peeking out of the console.

327carguy

I have to ask the same question. Where do you live? Plenty of music and sport stations here in the shadow of NYC.

Frankie the Fink

Really ? A power wire, a ground wire, and, the rest is just plugging things together.

I live in Northern South America - Orlando to most of you....

jkuzzy

Anybody used this guy?
http://www.doctordons.com/

irwiny

My 66 that I bought came with a AAR radio already installed. Currently I have speakers in the front near the cow vents (after market kit with crappy 4x6 speaker MIC) and between rear window / door windows (good quality but bad installation).

Here are my issues:
I didn't get any instructions guide so I have no idea how to operate it correctly.
1) no fader, bass / treble adjustments.
2) iPod connector w/cable is attached, instructions ??
3) Poor sound performance (could be due to speakers)
4) AM / FM were reversed !!!!

To fix #4 I called them and they told me that I needed to send the radio in to fix and there would be fee. So I removed the radio and removed the outside cover to see the guts. I did my review how the AM/FM toggle worked and it looked like one of the wires were incorrectly soldered in the wrong pin! A quick move of one wire and the issue resolved.

So were is the QC when the radio was rebuilt? I would rate my radio's features about $50 special with regards to the features of the upgraded radio and yes I spoiled with my factory late model Bluetooth entertainment system on Toyota van.

I'm thinking of putting a radio in the glove box and new speakers either in a box in the rear. Speakers are an art where the sealed box / air makes a big difference. I personally think the car was not built to hear the radio but more the RPMs....

62Jeff

So the lesson is to allocate lots of time and wasted energy if an AAR product is in your future.