Aston Martin DB6 radio console rebuild …
A rather tired Aston Martin DB6 radio console arrived last week. Sporting a dead Motorola 727, a duff speaker and the wrong 7″ x 4″ speaker grille, it was in need of some love and attention. The electric aerial needed re-wiring to operate from the console toggle switch.
We restored, repaired and fully serviced the radio and added an AUX input and an electric aerial trigger wire. Then it was the turn of the console. The original leather cloth was removed and would be re-fitted once the console had been tidied up.
We removed the rust and repaired all rough edges and damage. Then we carefully replaced the leather cloth to retain originality.
The DB6 and the DB5 consoles are the same, but the DB4 console is unique to the DB4, so be careful if you’re looking for one for your car.
To improve sound quality from the new 7″ x 4″ speaker, we lined the console with a flexible, bituminous-elastomer damping layer. This eliminates internal cabinet panel resonance.
First we fitted the 7″ x 4″ full range speaker and then a custom wiring loom, aerial toggle switch, replacement balance control and new chrome grille. Finally, the restored radio was installed.
We modified the wiring in the electric aerial to operate from the console toggle switch, because the owner wanted to keep things as original as possible.
A good polish and it’s ready to pop back into the DB6 …
1949 Austin A90 Atlantic -EKCO CR-61 restoration and upgrade …
1949 Austin A90 Atlantic – EKCO CR-61 Radio.
The Austin A90 Atlantic is a British car that was produced by the Austin Motor Company from 1949 to 1952. It was launched initially as a four-seat convertible, but due to poor sales in the UK and Europe, most of them were shipped to Australia for sale there.
This EKCO CR-61 radio has a base unit that sits under the bonnet in a tray and three control cables connect through the bulkhead to the head unit which is fitted in the dash.
This particular example is now fully restored and upgraded with an AM/FM 4 x 45W RMS Stereo Radio and 6 to 12V power unit. An underbody antenna and a pair of Audison PRIMA APX5 speakers complete the installation.
Do not despair …
There are some poor radios that really do need a visit to the mender … We’re going to have to give this 1951 HMV Smiths Radiomobile 4200 lots of love and kindness.
But, do not despair, we can save it … come back in a little while.
Seriously, you’d be surprised at what can be done with what seems to be a total basket case, so don’t be put off by looks! Keep that original radio with the car, don’t bin it, have it restored and upgraded.
In fact … look here to see how it came out!
Autovox RA-106
This lovely little 1960 Autovox RA-106 Tube/Transistor Hybrid has been a delight to restore. It’s working beautifully now and has been upgraded with a Bluetooth dongle which is that small black ABS box you can see in the pictures. There wasn’t any room to fit the BT unit inside the case. It’s a small radio.
This little radio was made for the Fiat 500, 600, Autobianchi Bianchina, Alfa Romeo Dauphine, (Alfa Romeo built the Dauphine Alfa Romeo under licence from Renault between 1959 and 1964 in Portello, Milan).
On the bench …
Every radio we restore has had its own journey. They arrive, carrying with them their history, some obviously cherished others not so much. As they go through our process and we restore and re-engineer them, we’ll show you what we’re up to in this regular post. You’ll see the beginning, the middle and the end of the process, so you understand exactly what goes into the re-vitalisation of your own radio when you send it along to Agenta Audio.
1976 Cadillac Eldorado GM/Delco 66CFMT2 AM/FM Radio & 8-Track player
With an AM/FM 4 x 45W RMS Stereo upgrade, this Radio and 8-Track player now has the performance to really bring the Caddy to life!
1951 HMV Smiths Radiomobile 4200 …
Here’s a lovely restored and upgraded 1951 HMV Smiths Radiomobile 4200. The cream knobs and push buttons really look beautiful, contrasting with the chrome trim and black powder coating on the case.
It’s just as nice on the inside too, with AM/FM 4 x 45W RMS Stereo Radio, DAB/DAB+, Bluetooth with full hands free telephony, audio streaming and voice control and a USB port for device charging and playing digital music files from a USB memory stick. Oh, and there’s a Positive earth converter in there too …
This lovely radio was built for a 1951 XK120 Fixed Head Coupe … perfect!
1951 HMV Smiths Radiomobile 4200 – before & after …
Here’s a rather sad 1951 Radiomobile 4200 starting out on its restoration and upgrade journey. Over the next few days it will be completely transformed and given a new lease of life. Soon it’ll be back in the dash and providing wonderful entertainment on these brisk country drives.
And here’s the finished radio ….
Featured
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!