Radio "delete"

[patrick66]

Radios were an option on all '50s, '60s, and '70s Mopars that I can think of. Even a heater was an option in most car and truck lines for many years. Push-button automatic cars were available with a three-speed column shifter as standard, in most cases; or a three-speed floor shifter.

Point being, the block-off plate for those features really should be referred to as a "fill plate", IMO. It would be dumb to refer to the transmission fill plate as a "transmission-delete plate", right?

What are your thoughts?

 

[57fury440]

I know that on 1957-58 Plymouths the pushbuttons were in a "pod" on the left side of the dash. If you got the standard 3 speed transmission, then there would be no pod so a plate or cover would not be needed. Maybe calling them a pushbutton delete plate would make sense.

 

[patrick66]

A cool "delete plate" is if you ordered a '66 or '67 Charger with a three-on-the-tree, you still got the console, but there was a block-off plate where the shifter would've been. That's a rare piece, if you ever come across one, grab it.

 

[Ross Wooldridge]

65 and 66 non AC Fury/VIP/CDN Monaco/Polara have a specific "no radio" dash plate with ornamentation. There is a little clock delete plate that goes in the clock opening when no clock is ordered...

However, there were enough variables (unplanned perhaps) that they also had to create a lay-over block-off plate for cars ordered with AC and no radio - but interestingly the plate still allowed one to see the Volume and Tune script.

Who would order AC and no radio?? I know of one Fury I so equipped. It also had a manual trans.

 

[57fury440]

There were people who would not order a factory radio because they would have an aftermarket one installed. The same goes for the dog dish hub caps that are popular now. People would get the cheapest rims available because they would end up putting Keystones or Cragars, etc. on.

 

[MrMoparCHP]

The radio "delete" cover is a consumer term applied to this item after the fact, not something Chrysler did.
The parts book refer to these as Trim Plates.


Alan

 

[Ross Wooldridge]

There were people who would not order a factory radio because they would have an aftermarket one installed. The same goes for the dog dish hub caps that are popular now. People would get the cheapest rims available because they would end up putting Keystones or Cragars, etc. on.

My 66 Monaco owner ordered radio delete and installed a Chrysler search tuner in the dash. The shaft spacing for the Chrysler search tuner is wider, so they used great big hole saws to cut through both the radio delete trim plate and the dash behind it!

The trim plate had a unique decoration on it

 

[MoPar~Man]

My dad bought my '67 Monaco from the dealer show room. It had the AM radio, which was listed as a $150 (CAD) option. My dad told them to take the radio out (and cut $150 off the price). It could be that the car was ordered by someone, with the radio, but they backed out of the purchase? Otherwise it was ordered by the dealer with the radio.

They took the radio out, replaced the bezel with a non-radio bezel, they left the antenna in the fender. I've long since obtained a perfect NOS radio bezel, and used AM radio from a swap meet. The fender tag does indicate AM radio. So I have an available "radio delete" 1967 bezel (in perfect shape because I got it rechromed along with the other dash bezels at the time).

Would there have been aftermarket radios back in the 60's ? Was that "a thing" ?

 

[57fury440]

Aftermarket radios were available in the sixties. There were actually quite a few.

 

[MoPar~Man]

I get the sense from reading this that aftermarket audio for cars in the 60's was mostly under-dash tape players, not necessarily replacement in-dash radios.

The Glory Years Of Car Audio

Seems there's enough interest for a dedicated thread highlighting the best manufacturers had to offer beginning in the late 60's to present. I'll post a few photos, next week, of some of my old 70's to present car audio. And, perhaps, scan a few of my original brochures. I've collected all the...

www.tapeheads.net

 

[Ross Wooldridge]

Here's the dash on my 66 Monaco showing the radio delete trim plate with the Chrysler search tuner radio and the holes.

 

[Ross Wooldridge]

@fury1 - can you post a pic or two of your dash, showing the radio trim plate with its cover and the AC controls?

 

[fury1]

‘66 fury 1 2dr sedan. Slant 6 three on the tree with factory a/c here is the “delete” panel.

 

[commando1]

Gotta be a 1 of 1.

 

[Ross Wooldridge]

Agreed - if not 1 of 1, 1 of less than 5.

There was another 66 Fury with 3 speed column shift manual trans and AC I came across just recently. 4 door - 383 car if I recall correctly.