wonder bar radio wiring

[Robert T.]

Help
Trying to hook up wonder bar radio on 64, keep getting different info on wireing tell me what wire goes to top radio connection, middle and bottom. not wire color but dash light, hot and ground.
Thanks,

[Jack H.]

Re: wonder bar radio wiring

Out of curiousity, why are you putting a Wonderbar radio into a '64? The factory original was non-signal seeking AM/FM.

On the power connector, I can't remember the exact sequence, but the center terminal is ground. On the bench, it's easy to determine which of the outer connectors are dial light vs. main power... Simply connect power to one of the outer leads and turn the switch. If the dial light comes on and the radio is silent, that's the dial light input!

[Jerry R.]

Re: wonder bar radio wiring

Top contact is the dial lamp, center is the ground and bottom is power to the radio circuitry Bob.

[Robert T.]

Re: wonder bar radio wiring

Thanks, Radio is AM/FM push button, I always heard these refered to as Wonderbar.
Radio is now working great.
Thanks, ALL

[David K.]

Re: wonder bar radio wiring

For what it is worth. The Wonderbar radios in Corvettes were AM only with a bar that was pushed to search for stations. As the years went buy, people would many time "Wonder" what the bar was for, since it failed to work now. Wonderbar radios were used into the '63 model year, but I am not familiar when in that model year they went to AM/FM only.

[Doug F.]

Re: wonder bar radio wiring

Bob, they were called wonderbar radios in the early vets and chevys because you wondered if they would work, you wondered if the static would be louder than the station you were trying to listen to, you wondered why it never scanned properly and mostly, you wondered why you needed to listen to a radio while cruising 90 mph with the top down,

[Jack H.]

Re: wonder bar radio wiring

I am not familiar when in that model year they went to AM/FM only...

It's complicated. The general thought is the AM/FM radio became 'available' after approximately VIN 12000. But, for orders already in the pipeline, but unbuilt/unshipped there are stories of dealers contacting buyers to switch orders to AM/FM from the AM Wonderbar and other reports of the factory substituting the AM/FM for the AM Wonderbar.

So, the 'exact' point of cross-over is a 'fuzzy' issue. Noland Adams comments on this (dealers contacting buyers) in his Volume 2 Restoration book. The AM/FM version of the radio was a slightly higher priced radio option (about $37).

As to performance, the '63 Wonderbar was transistorized while the earlier Corvette Wonderbar was essentially vacuum tube based (except for the speaker drive transistor). Beyond Corvette applications, GM/Delco continued to supply AM Wonderbar radios (all SS) on other car lines at least through 1965. Some sported a 'neat' footswitch feature to make it easier for the driver to scan the dial!

[John H.]

Re: wonder bar radio wiring

Some sported a 'neat' footswitch feature to make it easier for the driver to scan the dial!

Jack -

Remember the Olds "pull it out and take it to the beach" radio? My mother-in-law had a new '58 Olds 98 convertible with one. It had a flip-up chrome handle, and when you pulled the handle, the whole radio pulled right out of the dash and became a portable - it had an internal battery that was charged when the radio was installed in the dash. Lots of weird one-year-only stuff in '58 (like Air-Ride suspension....).

[Jack H.]

Re: wonder bar radio wiring

Now, that's a new one on me, John ('58 Olds with removable radio). Gee, I was in a yard yesterday where there was a rather untouched '58 Olds. Guess I'll have to start looking for this...

I DO remember 'portable' vacuum tube based radios though. They used a pretty beefy 90 VDC battery in 'em which could give you a real KICK if you weren't careful during replacement!