63-64 AM/FM radios

[Wayne M.]

Re: 63-64 AM/FM radios

Is there a different part number in the AIM for the 65 radio than the one shown for 66-67's? The number in the 66 AIM is 7290631.

Michael -- now that you've quoted the '66 AIM "receiver assembly" #, I can make out that my '65 AIM is the same.

The '65 TIM&JG is confusing in this area, IMO. It seems to imply that early cars (up to VIN 4300; sporadic thereafter) have red and green FM/AM indicators, (like the '63/4's ) [no mention of color appearing only on back illumination]. My early (sort of) '65, is VIN 14xx [completed 1st day the strike was over, so body parts could be considered installed up to 25th Sept '64]. It has radio tag 81FSA-2623, which I believe to be original (owned the car for 29 years). Its DS-501 is dated 435 [1st week of Sept '64]. Its dial has the same AM/FM indicators as the '66-7 radios. Must confess I have not checked when illuminated from behind -- radio is not currently in car.

I have all the service and shop manuals for Chevrolet Radios from '63 thru '67 (except the '63 supplement for mid-year introduction of AM/FM's). The dial window on models # 986281 is item #18 in the tuner section (except for '67, it's called item 17), and is part # 7291181. All '65 thru '67 SERVICE part #s are the same; description: "Dial Window (includes AM and FM indicators)". My '65 Manual is dated 1964 (no month shown). The part # for same item is different for 1964; # 7285156, "Dial, glass, clear". There's an asterisk beside the part # which means this part is new for 1964.

Jerry (the other JR ) -- thanks for the other late #(s).

To the rest of you -- so are these filters urban legend ? I'm not in the mood to dismantle mine to check .

[Michael H.]

Re: 63-64 AM/FM radios

Michael -- now that you've quoted the '66 AIM "receiver assembly" #, I can make out that my '65 AIM is the same.

Ok, thanks Wayne. So the 65 AIM shows the same 7290631 receiver? Was there a change some time during the year?

The reason I'm curious about all of this is because, about 25 years ago, I noticed in a Delco radio book that their part number for the 65 receiver was different than the one for 66 and 67. (for most 65's)
Of interest was the fact the radio package for 65 with 396 showed the later 66-67 receiver part number.
I always wondered if the later receiver was used in 396 cars because the package was assembled near the end of 65 production.

I don't have that radio book here but I would sure like to see that again. If you have one, look up the package by the Delco code number shown in the front of the book. It will be a three digit number, such as 120, or at least in that range.

[Wayne M.]

Re: 63-64 AM/FM radios

Ok, thanks Wayne. So the 65 AIM shows the same 7290631 receiver? Was there a change some time during the year

Yes, '65 AIM is same as the '66 AIM number 7290631 you quoted. My U69 sheet. A2 has a revision record at 8-24-64 (torque revision on screw -- that's all).

The reason I'm curious about all of this is because, about 25 years ago, I noticed in a Delco radio book that their part number for the 65 receiver was different than the one for 66 and 67. (for most 65's)
Of interest was the fact the radio package for 65 with 396 showed the later 66-67 receiver part number.
I always wondered if the later receiver was used in 396 cars because the package was assembled near the end of 65 production.

I don't have that radio book here but I would sure like to see that again. If you have one, look up the package by the Delco code number shown in the front of the book. It will be a three digit number, such as 120, or at least in that range.

Sorry, Michael, I don't have that radio book. Was it perhaps the GM P&A5B (Chevrolet Radio Parrts Catalog -- which I believe listed the receiver, antenna , P/A switches, speakers and shielding packages, and parts -- I wish I had one of those). Both my '65s (014xx and 23564) have the same model # sticker 986281.

Related: the last '65 [an L78] has radio serial 81FSC-0896 with DS-501 transistor dated 6517 (first week of May '65). I'm now wondering if maybe this is NOT the original radio as it would have to be another 2000 units later to be lock-step with my early car's numbers, mentioned above, in another post. Then again, inventory handling practices may account for this discrepancy (FILO, LIFO).

[Jerry R.]

Re: 63-64 AM/FM radios

Either this will help or just add confusion Wayne but... from the P&A 5B index:

The radio set number for all 65-67 Corvettes is (as you know) 986281.
The code number for those radios is 128.

The unit number for the 65 is 986280.
The unit number for the 66 - 327 is 986476.
The unit number for the 66 - 427 is 986478.
The unit number for the 67 - 327 is 986890.
The unit number for the 67 - 427 is 986889.

Section 9.650 (Radio, Receiver) in that manual gives no information on Corvette receivers prior to 69.

That got me curious so I went to section 9.650 in GMC manual 14A - 53 thru 82 Corvette Parts and Illustration Catalog. No receivers prior to 78 were listed although "associated parts - antennas - etc" for the prior years were shown. Just 78 thru 82 receivers were listed.

I'll dig the radio for my 67 427/435 out of storage and, if the tags are on it, I'll pass the numbers along. Tag numbers were never something I paid attention to as sets crossed the bench over the years unfortunately.

If more info shows up, I'll pass it along.

Jerry

[Michael H.]

Re: 63-64 AM/FM radios

Either this will help or just add confusion Wayne but... from the P&A 5B index:

The radio set number for all 65-67 Corvettes is (as you know) 986281.
The code number for those radios is 128.

The unit number for the 65 is 986280.
The unit number for the 66 - 327 is 986476.
The unit number for the 66 - 427 is 986478.
The unit number for the 67 - 327 is 986890.
The unit number for the 67 - 427 is 986889.

Section 9.650 (Radio, Receiver) in that manual gives no information on Corvette receivers prior to 69.

That got me curious so I went to section 9.650 in GMC manual 14A - 53 thru 82 Corvette Parts and Illustration Catalog. No receivers prior to 78 were listed although "associated parts - antennas - etc" for the prior years were shown. Just 78 thru 82 receivers were listed.

I'll dig the radio for my 67 427/435 out of storage and, if the tags are on it, I'll pass the numbers along. Tag numbers were never something I paid attention to as sets crossed the bench over the years unfortunately.

If more info shows up, I'll pass it along.

Jerry

Thanks Jerry. Does the radio book break it down further and show the actual number for just the receiver? I think the 6 digit number would be a number for the receiver and it's installation package, minus antenna??

I seen to remember looking deeper into the radio book under the radio code number (128) and seeing a breakdown?

[Jerry R.]

Re: 63-64 AM/FM radios

The easiest way I can think of to explain it Michael is:

for instance - to select a speaker you go to the speaker section and look for the code number for your radio year (128 for 65-67). That yields the speaker part number to order. The same applies for bezels, brackets, knobs, capacitors, etc.

The radio unit number I mentioned is used to select the correct type of antenna and undoubtedly other options (it doesn't say).

Why the 327's and 427's have different unit numbers is not clear as they are listed as using the same types of antennas for a given year (66 or 67 or 68). Perhaps the filtering parts exterior to the radio entered into it somehow - maybe via the AIM. I haven't dug out a 65, 66, 67 AIM yet to look for more clues.

I think there are other radio parts manuals here from other years and will check Michael. The P&A 5B referenced here was the July, 73 edition. There is no other sections in it describing just the radio and code numbers other than the index.

It looks like there's a big info gap on the C2 radios.

Jerry

[Loren L.]

Re: 63-64 AM/FM radios

Michael,

All the 65-67 radios are listed as model 986281 in the Delco Radio Service manuals. As JR mentioned, the red and green filters were changed to pieces of plastic on the 65 (earlier models used some horrible type of theatrical gel) and moved to the back of the plastic face lens. Thus they are no longer obviously visible like the 63/64 models. The 66/67 model simply had the red lens changed to green - thus two greens. The service schematics are identical.

I've worked on a few hundred of those models and the only variations I see regularly will be a component change, usually a volume control that has only one set of switch contacts instead of two. I've seen that occur on 58-62's also. My guess, as it was clear they were originally installed parts, was that the shop ran out of the correct control and borrowed from a different GM model until restocking occurred. The wiper values were always the same so performance was not affected - just the dial lamp function.

I didn't have time to look up the 7290631 number (which sounds like an escutcheon assembly number). Perhaps the variation you are referring to is something like the 63-67 speakers. All of the speakers had the same part number for those years but there were at least 3 different "code" numbers. Maybe Wayne is familiar with what you mentioned.

Wayne, since you follow these things, I have a model 986281 with SN 81FSJ-7295 here and another one within a few digits of that SN (buried somewhere). They came off a dealers shelf and did not appear to be used. That was sure close to the numbers you mentioned.

Jerry (the other JR)

Curiosity aroused, so I dug out my Sept '73 "Radio Parts Catalog and it an interesting bag:

1965 Unit # 986280 Antenna # 986305 Radio set # 986281

1966 " #986476 " # 986305 " # 986281
(327)

1966 " #986478 " #986305 " # 986281
(427)

1967 " #986890 " #986888 " # 986281
(327)

1967 " #986889 " #986888 " #986281
(427)

And No, I do NOT know what a "Unit #" is or what the difference is between 327 and 427 (but please note: only for '66 & '67, NOT '65). Going back in my coma now.

[Michael H.]

Re: 63-64 AM/FM radios

Curiosity aroused, so I dug out my Sept '73 "Radio Parts Catalog and it an interesting bag:

1965 Unit # 986280 Antenna # 986305 Radio set # 986281

1966 " #986476 " # 986305 " # 986281
(327)

1966 " #986478 " #986305 " # 986281
(427)

1967 " #986890 " #986888 " # 986281
(327)

1967 " #986889 " #986888 " #986281
(427)

And No, I do NOT know what a "Unit #" is or what the difference is between 327 and 427 (but please note: only for '66 & '67, NOT '65). Going back in my coma now.

Going only on memory on this (from 25 years ago) but I definitely remember a different radio number for 65 with 327 as opposed to 65 with 396. I was quite surprised to see a different number and that's why I remembered this for all these years.
My book was printed in, and ends with, the 65 model year. I have to wonder if later printings just eliminated the early 65 number and replaced it with the 66 number.
Hopefully, I'll be able to dig out this info.

[Stuart F.]

Re: 63-64 AM/FM radios

I'm sure glad we were able to solve/answer Bill's question about 63/64 Radios early on in this thread. In was nice also to dig out my old boat anchor for one more look and to record the numbers down in my records as I had never done that. Thanks bill.

Stu Fox