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There is a 3rd option.. There are shops that can gut your Wunderbar and convert it to modern (AM/FM/USB/Bluetooth).
There are varying degrees of Wunderbar copies.... ranging from $200 to $700+..
I went with a $200 Retrosound.. no regrets.. Looks OK and I don't listen to the radio too much!
Keeping an original Wunderbar radio in good working order is going to be very challenging unless you can repair it yourself.
Most of the guys who do that work are retired or gone.
FM appeared part way through the 63 production year. There are services that will gut your original radio and install solid state components and support Bluetooth, etc.. Nobody will know it was done unless you tell them..
Thanks for the help.
Next iten .....which speaker to order!Classic Car Stereos 1338 Rocky Point Drive
Oceanside, CA 92056
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USPayment MethodShipping MethodShipping: Free ShippingItemQtyPriceTotal1958-1962 Corvette Radio USA-630
CAM-CVVE-630
That's the speaker I got as well. Since modern radios have stereo output, and our old cars only have space for 1 speaker, you need one with dual voice coils.
Not many choices... but it does a fair job.
Any recommendations of who rebuilds wonderbar would be appreciated. Mine is a ‘61
Greg Thompson S&M Electro-Tech, Inc. Jerry Rudbeck used to be the Wonderbar radio master restorer but he retired. I have made friends with Jerry and he highly recommended Greg to restore my 59 Wonderbar. I wrestled with converting my Wonderbar radio to AM/FM Blue tooth, which Greg also does the conversion, but I decided that I want everything original in my car. He replaced six capacitors and cleaned, oiled and tuned the radio. I also bought from Greg his 6x9 speaker with correct Delco load coil to match the radio. I have already installed the radio and the speaker and it work like new. Of course only AM. I have a different system for listening music.
The car when I bough it last year had an old Pioneer radio which I removed. It had a plate but luckily it did not damaged the console. The seller had replaced the Wonderbar with the Pioneer in the early 80's and stored the original Wonderbar which was in very good condition.
Robert repaired the Wonderbar radio for my 62, he added an 1/8" jack that allowed me to play music from my I-Phone. Pricing is very fair and he ships when he promises. I couldn't be more satisfied.
I wonder (pun intended) how the sound compares between one of the smaller aftermarket solid state Wonderbar replacements and the original Wonderbar, that has been modified to AM/FM and more? I need to do this as well, but sitting on the fence.
I bought a new speaker for my 62 stock Wonderbar, to see if it would work, that didn't "fix it"!
So I fell off the fence and went with the CCS and their speaker and it sounds great with the top down and in the city
but higher speeds it is questionable but I like the sound
Now do I sell the stock radio and new speaker or ???
I wonder (pun intended) how the sound compares between one of the smaller aftermarket solid state Wonderbar replacements and the original Wonderbar, that has been modified to AM/FM and more? I need to do this as well, but sitting on the fence.
BH
I've had both -- in my 63 I had the AAR Wonderbar solid state clone which I sold to a forum member and had my original 63 AM/FM internally converted to the Aurora solid state setup... There was no discernible difference in sound IMO (both setups used the 140W dual voice cone 6x9 dash speaker)...
The advantage of the clone radio is that it is only 2" deep so MUCH easier to remove/install and if you have aftermarket A/C (Vintage Air) it allows plenty of room for the ductwork...
The advantage with the internal conversion of the original radio is that it will pass judging and the push buttons and bar has the heft and feel of an original - the repro radio buttons feel light and cheap. It will also have the Conelrad symbols on the dial (if it had them originally) - the repro does not.
Now - on a C1 radio - pretty much the same, however an original conversion will retain the small red sensitivity slide button on the dial, the clone radio doesn't have it.