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Welcome to the Agenta Audio Blog …
We’re excited about starting this blog as it coincides with launching the new Agenta Audio webshop. If you’re curious about what we have to offer in the webshop, click on the image below to take a look.
But do come back and read on, because there’s lots to see here too!
We hope you’ll be a regular visitor to our shop and also to this blog because it’s here that we’ll share information about what we love to do most: help you bring the dash of your cherished classic back to life with great sounds from a period correct radio.
Although we specialise in period correct car radio and audio gear, we love all things classic car and we’re passionate about how we can help you to get the most enjoyment out of your driving experience.
Here’s what you can look forward to in the Agenta Audio Blog
We’ll introduce you to what we do and the many wonderful radios we’ve had the pleasure of working on.
We’ll share information about the products and upgrade services we sell; radios, accessories, aerials, speakers and more. That includes history and knowledge about the products, how to select the correct radio for your car, how to install it and choose the best speakers, what to do about issues that might arise and how to care for the radio and get the best out of it.
We’ll answer your questions and show you how other classic car enthusiasts have solved issues that you may be experiencing.
Rules of engagement
We invite you to join us in this conversation as we explore how to choose and enjoy the best audio in your classic car. To create the best possible forum for discussion, we have developed the following guidelines for posting comments.
- We welcome your thoughts, comments, suggestions, and questions. When you leave comments, please make sure they are of general interest to most readers. Profanity, racial and ethnic slurs, and rude behaviour won’t be tolerated and we will quickly remove any comments that are offensive, disrespectful or irrelevant.
- We discourage anonymous comments as they don’t facilitate conversation.
- We promise to keep posts interesting, diverse and informative. We care deeply about classic car audio and also about the cars themselves and we commit to sharing that passion in every article. Be aware, though, that the views expressed in these articles represent individual perspectives.
- We sincerely want to engage in a conversation with you, but also ask that you be patient for a response. We’re always very busy and may take a few days to respond.
- Remember this blog is a public forum – don’t post anything confidential or private. Also, these are the personal views of the individuals posting here, and not necessarily those of the Company.
- And, lastly, this is not the place to submit specific customer service questions or technical support inquiries. For specific customer issues, please contact us directly with as much information as possible.
Thank you for reading, visiting, commenting and contributing. We’re excited to have you here!
Salvage Hunters Classic Cars
1972 Continental Edison R43 upgrade
We were thrilled to meet the Salvage Hunters Classic Cars team, and had huge fun helping them out with their 1972 Citroen DS Continental Edison R43 radio.
Watch the episode when it’s aired on QUEST 6th Jan 2021 at 9 pm and also available on Discovery + from Wednesday 23 Dec 2020.
The Citroen DS is an iconic motor and when Salvage Hunters Drew and Paul find a 1972 example that looks like a complete wreck, they’re convinced there’s a decent car underneath. So they decide to sort it out.
The Citroen DS factory fitted radio option in 1970 through ’72 was a Continental Edison. The top of the range model at the time, was the R43 with FM, Medium and Long wave bands and a very unusual horizontal volume control. It was installed in a custom opening in the dash of the DS and there’s no other radio that really fits.
The push buttons on the radio marked PO GO and MF, refer to Medium Wave, Long Wave and FM bands. Thankfully, this is marked on the radio dial to help out those of us that don’t speak French.
The Salvage Hunters DS still had its R43 fitted. The good news was that the original radio hadn’t been removed and lost years ago. The bad news, of course, was that it wasn’t working.
Because it was the original radio, it was important that it was retained as part of the build. It needed some attention. Paul wanted it to work, but needed it to deliver more than it did back in 1972.
So he got in touch with us here at Agenta Audio and asked if we could help with an upgrade and some extra features.
To provide the performance Paul was hoping for, we used the Aurora FMR-2.7 AM/FM 4 x 45W RMS stereo radio unit. Bluetooth connectivity for fully legal hands free telephony, voice control and audio streaming was provided by the Aurora BT-2.6 bluetooth upgrade unit.
The Continental Edison R43 radio is physically very small, and fitting upgraded electronics inside it is a challenge, particularly when we needed to retain all the original controls including the internal push button/tuning mechanism which occupies most of the space.
The Bluetooth board was installed next to the radio upgrade and the three sockets were brought out at the side of the radio case. These allow for the connection of an external Microphone, wired AUX input and an optional push button control if required by the user.
Because the radio has a built-in Microphone, wireless connectivity through bluetooth and control of all telephony functions through the tuning control, these inputs aren’t really needed under normal circumstances, but they’re there if required. The external microphone is often connected and used as it offers much better quality than the tiny 5mm internal mic.
The finished radio looks and operates just like it did back in 1972, with all the controls working as they should. However, the performance, features and reliability are everything you would expect of a car radio in 2020.
It’s the perfect blend of form and functionality, to entertain and delight the next owner of the restored Salvage Hunters Citroen DS Super 5 for many years to come.
The Salvage Hunters Classic Cars team are great fun and it was a pleasure to host them at are workshop here in Ilkley. We’re delighted to have been able to help Paul with this project and to play a small part in getting the DS back into top form again.
Paul says that nothing finishes a car off like having the right radio for the year and we couldn’t agree more! If you want to find the right radio for your car or have your own radio restored and upgraded, take a look at our retail website at agentaaudio.com
BMW Isetta 300 Radio Console
The gorgeous little Isetta 300 is a car that just makes everyone smile.
Built in Brighton by Isetta of Great Britain in 1961, this beautifully restored example needed just one finishing touch, a period correct radio that would look perfectly at home in the cosy interior. A radio that would provide the quality and power of a modern set without detracting from the ’60’s ambiance that wraps itself around the passengers when that front-opening door is closed.
This Isetta was first registered in Blackburn in June 1961 and cost £329 19s 6d. It had a bare metal restoration started in September 2003 and it’s been back on the road and in regular use since August 2008.
Developing 13 bhp from its BMW single-cylinder, 295cc, four stroke, air cooled engine, the car is capable of 52 mph and is comfortable cruising at 45 mph. There are four forward gears and one reverse.
The owner had very specific ideas about how the radio should look and be installed in the car. He sourced a reproduction console from Isettamania in Buenos Aires and had it sprayed in the UK to match the colour of the car.
He then brought the console, chrome speaker surround and a Blaupunkt Emblem to Agenta Audio for us to build and fit the radio.
An early ’60’s Blaupunkt Bremen was chosen and this was restored and upgraded with an Aurora FMR-2.7 AM/FM 4 x 45W RMS Stereo Radio unit with Automatic AUX input. The cosmetics included a new old stock winged chrome faceplate and reproduction aluminium knobs finished in ivory to match the push buttons.
The radio was to be fitted in the console along with a single Audison Prima APX 5 speaker. The APX 5 was the perfect fit, would handle the power of the radio effortlessly and would provide the high quality sound required.
With the speaker and chrome grille in place, the radio was fitted sitting almost vertically in the console.
The wiring was arranged so that installation simply required connecting power and ground and plugging in the aerial.
In testing, the radio in the console sounded superb and became a much admired item in the Agenta workshop until it was collected by the owner.
These wonderful little cars are loved and enjoyed by enthusiasts all over the world and this one is no exception.
Go to the UK based Micro Maniacs Club for lots of information about the Isetta and many other amazing micro cars.
See this very Isetta and some of its friends, on the TV show Bangers and Cash in February 2021.
1972 Philips Radio Cassette Stereo De Luxe RN22712
The Philips RN22712, produced between 1971 and 1973, was the best car radio/cassette combination produced by Philips at the time. It has a Stereo FM (104MHz) radio with Mono AM (MW/LW), six pre-sets using the wonderful TURNOLOCK mechanism (3 x FM, 2 X MW & 1 X LW) and a stereo cassette player.
However, what really sets this unit apart is the Mono recording feature that will allow the user to record from the radio or make voice memo’s using the microphone. Very cool indeed back in the early ’70’s.
Finished in black crackle paint and with lovely chromed plastic volume and tuning knobs, this unit is very smart indeed. Even the speaker connectors are marked up Left and Right.
This example was sourced by Agenta Audio for a customer to fit in his concours 1971 Lotus Elite.
The RN22712 was fully repaired, serviced and restored before being shipped to the Lotus Specialist for fitting. The system was finished off with a pair of Audison PRIMA APX4 4″ full range co-axial speakers and by all accounts it sounds superb!
The image above is from an early ’70’s car magazine advert for the Philips RN22712. We’ve added it here, not only because it shows how good the radio looks in the dash, but also to show the Microphone fitted in its special bracket bottom left in the picture.
We’re looking forward to pictures of our unit fitted in the dash and we’ll post them here when they arrive.
The Philips RN22712 is a very rare radio and difficult to find. Unfortunately, the Microphone and fitting bracket are usually missing. The example we were able to source did have the microphone, but not the bracket, so a fitting was fabricated by the Lotus specialist installation engineer.
It would be a shame to have this unit installed in the car and not be able to show off by making voice memo’s on cassette tape, so the tape drive was removed and fully serviced while it was in our workshop to make sure it all worked properly.
All the rubber components were replaced and as the original drive belt had turned into black super sticky goo (hard to believe just how sticky this stuff is), a lot of time and care was taken with cleaning it off the mechanism.
It’s great to be able to rescue one of these iconic and super rare radios and get it back into the cockpit of an iconic Lotus where it belongs.
If you need a particular model of period correct classic radio or audio technology to complete your restoration, please do get in touch with us here at Agenta Audio. We’re happy to source and restore on request.
1937 Philips 248B Car & Motorboat Vintage Radio
This beautiful 1937 Philips 248B vintage radio was designed for use in both Cars and Motorboats according to the installation instructions accompanying it.
Supplied in both 6V and 12V versions it comprised a very solid chassis with internal speaker and a separate steering or dash mounted control unit. Volume and tuning controls operated by a pair of Bowden Cables connect the control unit to the chassis.
This lovely example of the Philips 248B is complete and amazingly still has its tiny key in the control unit switch.
Although this vintage radio is 83 years old, the paintwork is still fresh and the chrome speaker grille fashioned with the famous Philips logo, is still as stylish as it ever was.
The main body of the radio is heavy, solid and beautifully made. The rear fixing bolt would do justice to a steam engine!
The detail is exquisite and even extends to access panels on the top being styled in the form of miniature car bonnet panels with tiny louvres to let the heat of the valves escape.
This lovely vintage radio really needs to find a 1930’s car or motorboat to live in. It is perfect for restoration to original working specification.
However, if you require we could upgrade it to incorporate AM/FM 4 x 45W RMS Stereo radio. We could also add DAB/DAB+ and a USB port for device charging and playing music from a memory stick/thumb drive. The addition of Bluetooth would enable fully legal hands free telephony and audio streaming.
Interested? Contact us here at Agenta Audio for more information.
Radiomobile 1070
The Radiomobile 1070 was a very popular car radio in the early 1970’s. Designed and built by S. Smith & Sons of London from 1971 through 1972 it was great value for money and was fitted to many British cars of the time.
The 1070 is AM only, tuning both MW and LW bands. It’s a Mono radio with around 7 Watts output into a single 4 ohm speaker. That doesn’t compare with the power of modern car radios, but nevertheless, it can give a good account of itself and was plenty loud enough for most listeners at the time.
It has five station pre-set push buttons, four for MW and one for LW. If you want to know how to set them, the process is at the end of this post.
The radio has a switch on the bottom of the case for the user to set the polarity to Positive or Negative as required, making this a very versatile set.
These radios are still very popular today and here at Agenta we sell lots of them into the UK classic car market. We do a full cosmetic restoration, service them internally and give a 12 month warranty. We can supply the Radiomobile 1070 in standard configuration with a wired AUX socket as the only upgrade, but many customers prefer to have the Aurora FM converter fitted so they can tune the full FM band from 88 to 108MHz. They sound great.
If you want more power and true stereo, we can also supply the Radiomobile 1070 fully upgraded with an Aurora FMR-2 AM/FM 4 x 45W RMS Stereo radio unit which replaces all the original electronics and delivers superior power and sound quality. They really do sound superb!
We also often fit a Bluetooth unit to these radios to stream music wirelessly from a phone or other bluetooth enabled device. Due to space restrictions in the standard radio, we usually fit the Bluetooth unit as an external module via a short flexible cable.
However, if you go for the fully upgraded model, we can install an internal Aurora BT-2.6 Bluetooth unit as part of the upgrade.
How to set the pre-set push buttons on the Radiomobile 1070
- Stations may be set up in any order. However, for convenience in remembering, it is recommended that stations be selected in frequency sequence.
- Switch radio on and ensure that the aerial is fully extended.
Depress the first, extreme left, push button. This will select the medium waveband. - Use the manual tuning knob to tune to the station which is to be selected by the first push-button. Having carefully tuned in the station, pull the push-button out towards you until a click is felt. This action releases the locking mechanism. Now press the button down as far as it will go to lock it on to the station.
- The same setting procedure is used for the remaining push-buttons, the last, extreme right, push-button selecting a long wave station. The procedure is simply select the station manually, pull out the push- button and then push it right in.
1953 Becker Monaco upgrade
This Becker Monaco valve radio lives in a 1952 Mercedes W187 Type 220 saloon which is currently under restoration.
The owner wanted to retain the original radio as it forms the striking centrepiece of the dashboard, but needed modern functionality and performance as he intended to use and enjoy the car, rather than keep it safely tucked away in the garage.
That meant upgrading the internals of the radio with modern AM/FM 4 x 45W Stereo radio and Bluetooth with full handsfree telephony, voice control and audio streaming.
The radio is beautifully made in a die-cast aluminium case that also forms the chassis for the 7 valve radio head. The power unit is no longer required when we upgrade these radios and this creates a bit more space behind the dash when re-installed.
With the chrome and the wood front panel sent away for specialist attention the radio was dismantled in preparation for the restoration.
This radio is beautifully put together and is a testament to the engineers who designed and built it 67 years ago. The Monaco works well when restored to original specification, and we do this from time to time, but the performance really doesn’t come anywhere close to the upgrade being installed here. By bringing the performance right up to date, it can be fully enjoyed and appreciated once again.
The build quality shows in every detail of this Becker radio. Every part is solid and beautifully made and it’s a pleasure to work on.
The old electronics are removed but the controls are retained so we can connect them to the new electronics after they’ve been cleaned and tested.
One critical component in the Becker Monaco is the coil pack, which can be seen at the centre front of the radio. This is used to control the station pre-set switching so favourite stations can be easily set and selected on those beautiful chrome switches.
In order to get this function to work with the new AM/FM bands it’s necessary to modify the coils on this unit. This is delicate and time consuming, but it’s essential for the correct functioning of the pre-set switches. It would be a tragedy if they didn’t work in the upgraded radio as they just cry out to be pressed.
The detail is important in this kind of restoration. The mechanical components at the front of the radio all need to be dismantled and cleaned before re-assembly. This makes the radio function smoothly and reliably.
We use a micro-crystalline wax on the exposed metal which forms a durable protective layer and stops corrosion.
HMV Smiths Radiomobile 100 – Restore & Upgrade
This 1947 HMV Smiths Radiomobile 100 was restored and upgraded to modern standards with an Aurora FMR2.7 AM/FM 4 x 45W Stereo radio and an Aurora HPC-1 high power positive earth converter unit.
It lives in a beautiful 1947 Bentley MK VI. The owner wanted it to function perfectly and look lovely, but return to the car with just the same connections and no more. That meant a single power cable and an aerial socket. We did sneak in an AUX input socket, tucked away discretely at the top rear of the case, but nothing more.
All the controls function as expected and the radio even takes around 20 seconds to ‘warm up’, accompanied by the ‘vibrator buzzing’ exactly as the original did.
The first challenge with a Radiomobile 100 restoration is to build the chassis of the radio and fit all the restored controls and switches.
This includes re-stringing the dial and tuning capacitor. It’s one of the most challenging jobs in classic car radio restoration, with at least 8 hands required, but we always fit a new cable. The original is invariably frayed and will almost certainly break when it’s put back into regular use, so a replacement is essential.
Of course replacement Radiomobile 100 dial cables aren’t available off the shelf these days. We make our own up using 0.8mm 7 strand cable which has a breaking strain of 24lbs. Much stronger than the original.
This upgrade included an Aurora HPC-1 high power positive earth converter which was fitted to a custom aluminium heat sink inside the case. As this upgrade only used a single speaker this was a bit more than required, but a future owner may want to use all four speakers and demand more power from the converter, so we built the radio to cope with any possible future requirement.
The Aurora FMR-2.7 AM/FM 4 x 45W RMS stereo radio unit was also fitted on a suitable heat sink in the upper part of the radio case. Note the high quality Audison PRIMA APX4 4″ 50W speaker fitted inside the case too. Space inside the case is very tight and this speaker is tricky to fit, but it’s well worth the effort as with only one speaker this radio needs a really good one to sound great.
The Audison APX4 is fitted securely using four 2BA bolts. The original fixing bolts are too far apart and won’t fit the new speaker. It would be easy to drill new holes in the front of the case, but that would just look wrong, so we fabricate special fixings that allow us to fit the new speaker on the old bolts. It takes time and effort, but the results are worth it.
Finally, it’s essential to get the details right, and so a period correct bakelite fuse holder was fitted to complete the restoration.
The finished radio will provide entertainment for many years to come and we always enjoy returning a beautiful and fully functional radio to the owner.
This one has been fully restored and looks like new, as this was what the owner wanted. However, we also restore many of these radios with the patina of their age totally retained. They simply look like they’ve been well cared for and are totally original … on the outside!
Becker Grand Prix for 1972 DeTomaso Pantera
This Becker Grand Prix was fully serviced and fitted with a custom pinstripe fascia for use in a 1972 DeTomaso Pantera where the radio is installed vertically in the centre console.
1954 Cadillac radio case mod and upgrade
This 1954 Cadillac Radio came in for an AM/FM 4 x 45W Stereo Radio upgrade with Bluetooth and USB.
However, it also needed the case re-modelling to accommodate a new air conditioning unit behind the dash. As the new electronics were much smaller than the original it was possible to remove a section of the case to make it fit in the original position in the dash even when the new air-conditioning unit had been fitted.
Autovox Piper RA312A
This has to be the smallest radio that we’ve ever upgraded. The little Autovox Piper RA312A measures just 110mm x 40mm x 140mm (4.3″ x 1.6″ x 5.5″) but we managed to squeeze an Aurora FMR-2.7 AM/FM 4 x 45W RMS Stereo Radio with AUX input into it and also an Aurora BT-2.6 bluetooth unit with full hands free telephony, audio streaming and voice control.
The Autovox Piper RA312A was made in the mid to late ’60’s and early ’70’s by Autovox SPA in Rome. It was designed for smaller city cars like the Fiat 500.
This one can certainly give a good account of itself now!
