XM Radio in a '60 Caddy Convertible

[Joe Sinkovits]

I'm seriously considering buying a 1960 Series 62 Caddy that's undergoing a total restoration.  I'd like to be able to add XM satellite radio and the ability to connect an iPod to the car's sound system, but WITHOUT remove the original factory unit so as not to alter the car's instrument panel.  One sale associate at Fry's Electronics told me to try to order an RF 12-volt radio, which they could then install for me.  I've never heard of this kind of unit, and when I tried searching for it on the Internet, I came up empty.  Does anyone if this guy knows what he's talking about?  Does anyone have any other suggestions?  Can a '60 Caddy even be fitted with a satellite radio unit? Any advice would be much appreciated!

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

G'day Joe,

Doing a total Restoration would only be possible if you don't install anything but the original parts.

But, what you plan is relatively easy to do, but it means that your total restoration won't be that.

Youi simply need to disconnect the original Radio from the wirin g circuit and install an XM radio either in the Glove Box or somewhere out of sight.   Then wire it up to the original wiring, and don't forget to replace the Speakers with ones of the correct rating for the new radio.

Bruce.

[Doug Houston]

It is possible to have an audio input jack insrtalled on the set for your IPOD. It would be necessary to go into the circuitry of the set and put a changeover switch somewhere where you could get to it to switch over to the external input.

Further, depending on the character of the satellite radio, it may be possible to integrate it with your existing set. It all depends on what outputs are available on these devices you want to use.

Whatever you want to do is dependent on the circuitry in the set and the circuitry of the gadget you want to hook up to it. Without having these things in front of me to examine, I'd never make a conclusive statement of how easy it would be. It would possibly be messy to have extra controls somewhere on the dash.

I acknowledge that AM radio has degenerated into a tightly packed package of trash in the last few decades. The broadcasters have fine tuned their operations to the degree that programming is minimized, and advertising is the principal product put out on the air. Finding a decent program is  like looking for a diamond ring in a septic tank.

I know that you want a better answer than this, but you have a vintage car, and it has a radio that  was designed to receive programs on the AM broadcast band. You can jockey circuitry around, and possibly get some of the results you want, but my feeling is to try to be satisfied with the operation of the set as it was built, for the time you're driving the car.

There are shops around that will rip the chassis out of the case, and replace it with a circuit board with an AM-FM stereo circuitry, and a lot of people are happy with it. But, if a future owner wishes the radio to be restored to its original configuration, even if he can't hear his favorite FM broadcasts, the radio has been destroyed, and can never be returned to its original form. While I haven't judged in car meets for a long time, if I came across one of those FM conversions, the owner would lose points for authenticity.

I suppose that, to summarize, anyone who wants all of the conveniences of today's driving is driving the wrong car if it's a vintage model. 

[Joe Manna]

Hi Joe,I think you have a good idea.I did that with my 51 Chevy.Kept the original radio in the dash,while my AM/FM Cassette is mounted in the glove box.Because to be honest with everyone,how in the world can you drive a vintage car,and listen to AM radio.Especially with all the great oldies stations on satellite radio.

So Joe,continue on your ground up resto on your '60 and in the mean time you will figure out a way to install your XM radio.

Good Luck with the car and Kruz'em easy.

Joe

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Here are some pictures of the set-up I put in my '60 CDV.

I fabricated the mounting so that I utilised the screws that attach the Glove Box opening limiters to hold the complete unit in place.

Plus, when the Glove Box lid was open, the controls were easy to access from the driver's seat.

Once it is set up, close the lid, and nobody would be the wiser.

The Electric Antenae switch on the original radio still operated as normal as well.

Bruce.

[Joe Manna]

Good morning Bruce.It looks as if the unit is mounted directly to the glove box door.That is pretty neat.What I did in my Chevy was,mounted the radio inside.Which leaves me no room for anything.How about some exterior pics of your '60.Joe

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

G'day Joe,

I am afraid to say that the car isn't in my care any more, as I sold it to finance the purchase of my '72 Eldorado Convertible in my Avitar.

But, with the permission of the new carer, Lee Mulvey of Albany, Western Australia, here are a couple.

Bruce.

[Chris Conklin]

There are a few companies that advertise in Hemmings that sell new units that, at first glance, look like the old stereo and you can keep your dash intact. They have a digital LCD band that mimics the old analogue band on the radio. It can connect to a trunk mount CD changer and you can run a USB connection to the glove box for your iPod (but the iPod connectivity will probably make the CD changer obsolete). I believe you can also keep the power antennae in working order as well. Don't know about satellite radio on them, though. Soundmove.com is one place to start.

I'm considering going with this set up but haven't gotten serious about it yet. Seems to me to be a very discreet and unobtrusive way to update the system. But then again, I'm not an absolute purist either. Disc brakes are on my upgrade list also.

[76eldo]

I would buy a spare radio, and send it to one of the companies that offers the service of changing the boards inside to accommodate the MP3 player, possible a cd changer, and leave the original radio stock and put it on a shelf somewhere.

You could make up a harness and mount a cd changer in the trunk, and unplug it and take it out if you show the car.

It can be done.  There is nothing like enjoying your favorite tunes in your ride.

Brian