Question about '68 Monaco/Polara AM radio PN 2649965

[MoPar~Man]

Someone on FB (in Canada) is selling what looks like an NOS radio PN 2649965, right on the box it says "All 1968 Dodge Polara and Monaco". I was wondering why it wouldn't say 1967 - 1968 since the radio's are physically the same. ?

Asking price is $300 (CAD). They don't want to take it out of the box to show a picture of it, the box is apparently still factory sealed (with staples it looks like):

 

[ayilar]

@Fratzog

 

[CBODY67]

Have you checked that "Chryco" part number in the normal Chrysler parts book?

Reason I ask that is that with the "Custom Radio" on the box, it probably came through the "Factory Accessories" chain as something that came through the normal Chrysler Parts chain would not have that designation, typically.

There was a separate catalog for those radios, from what I've seen online and suspicion from back then. Maybe even from a different supplier?

In the normal scheme of things, if one part is carried-over into the next model year's vehicles, no part number changes unless the supplier changed. In this aftermarket-style factory accessory packaging, there might be some "one thing" that is different for the 1968 model year and THAT one thing could be the reason it is not also listed for the 1967 model year vehicles. Or perhaps the supplier prototyped the fit and function for a 1968 model and has no knowledge about it fitting other model years?

Personally, I've never seen a Chrysler factory part termed "ChryCo" down here "south of the border". Perhaps that's normal "north of the border"?

Your money, your risks,
Enjoy!
CBODY67

 

[MoPar~Man]

I have a radio, I'm not interested in this one. I was curious if there was a different P/N for '67 vs '68, but then you go down the rabbit hole of the 2.5 watt vs 5 watt versions (for driving a rear speaker yes?). The dashboard bezels for '67 - '68 are identical so I assumed that the radios would be identical. I can't imagine what would be different inside the radio that would qualify it as '68-only.

I probably would pay $300 if it were an AM/FM radio for '67-68 Monaco/Polara - I've never seen one, don't know if they actually exist.

===================

"For whatever reason, Chrysler Canada didn't adopt the name "MoPar" when the US-based Chrysler Motor Parts Corporation did; instead, they trademarked CHRYCO (in all caps) in Canada, on March 29, 1939. The trademark was renewed and updated until Chrysler Canada abandoned it in 2014."

Chryco and autopar: Canadian Mopars

www.allpar.com

 

[413]

these aftermarket Chryco radios sometimes have different numbers and writing on the face of than the assembly line radio. This guy may know that and not want to open the box

There are sellers that won't open boxes. Are we buying the box or what is inside? I won't play with a seller like that. I want to see the merchandise.

 

[CBODY67]

If a seller will not open the box for inspection or display of what's in it, that's their choice. It's also my or somebody else's choice as to buy it and take our chances.

Well before Dale Earnhart's wreck, I bought one of the diecast versions of that car, which was bright silver metallic. I left it in the box when I got it as I didn't plan on displaying it. Several weeks after the wreck, I gently unboxed it and unwrapped the tissue paper it was wrapped in. When I did, the rh front wheel fell off of the underbody of the car. I was surprised as that had never happened with any other diecast I had ever bought or sold at the dealership parts dept.

I shook my head at not having looked at it sooner. Then carefully put the wheel back into place as I re-wrapped it back up. Putting it back into its carrier and the box it came in. Placing it back on the shelf I had it stored on. The box had no evidence of damage to justify the wheel situation. And it stays on my shelf now as then.

IF the particular radio box was younger and had different tape on it, it might be possible to carefully open it without cutting the tape, but I consider that not an option at this time.

The possibility of different graphics on the radial face/dial can be operative too. Might need to dig up one of those accessory catalogs online (possibly at www.mymopar.com ?) and compare the pictures in that accessory catalog to the OEM production units.

Just some thoughts,
CBODY67

 

[MoPar~Man]

Why would this radio be an "aftermarket" radio? To me, an aftermarket car radio is a radio that can be installed in the correct dashboard location and without hacking up the dash bezel. Now, today and for the past what - 30 years? - radio openings and mountings have been standardized to have a rectangular opening (DIN standard?) so it's easy to make an "aftermarket" radio to fit any car. But who was making car radios in the 60's that would fit correctly in the dash of a given car, other than the car maker itself?

So I'm wondering why its come up here that this "Chryco" radio might not be exactly like the radio that would have come with a '68 Monaco from the factory?

 

[CBODY67]

NOT "ChryCo", but the "Custom Radio" designation.

Being that this is a Chrysler Corp part, it would not be like any of the current aftermarket-style radios, but would fit the dash as if it came that way from the factory instead.

This could be a "factory aftermarket" radio, not unlike various accessory packages the OEMs built to add particular items to cars which the dealer didn't order them and the customer wanted them added to a particular vehicle they liked. No matter the OEM. Which is why finding the catalog for the "aftermarket installation at the dealership" parts catalog. Then compare that to the section in the front of the Chrysler Parts Manual for "parts kits", to see which of them has that particular part number.

In the OEM aftermarket kit for dealer-installed items, THAT kit would probably have all of the needed items to install the radio where there was no radio installed at the assy plant, other than the radio antenna and related lead-in cable.

As I understand it, the import DIN radio faceplate size standard did not happen until in the 1970s or later, so forget about those things in these discussions. What mattered, back then, was the opening size for the "dial" and related faceplate and the spacing of the shafts (on-off/volume and tuning) to each other. A universal fit radio would have had a blank plate that covered the hole in the instrument panel and matched the shaft widths. I suspect the "Custom Radio" designation means it will fit the instrument panel exactly?

Regards,
CBODY67

 

[MoPar~Man]

I've asked the seller why is there no photo of the actual radio, he says he doesn't want to open the box (yes, I'm rolling my eyes too) but he sends me a link to a photo of the dash-installed radio (not an under-dash mounted radio).

Looking at the 1967 Chrysler parts catalog, radio group 1-87-1, Dodge, I see these:

Model 241, Economy, 2820 633 (edit: corrected this one)
Model 377, Deluxe, AM, 2820 634
Model 378, AM, FM, 2820 641

Looking at the 1968 catalog, I see these:

Model 253, AM, Motorola, 2884 067
Model 395, Deluxe, AM (Motorola), 2884 068
Model (?) AM, FM, 2932 706

Looking at the numerical index for 1968, I don't see the P/N in question - 2649 965.

I'm looking at an ebay ad for "1968 Dodge Polara, Monaco ~ MoPar 253 p/n 2864 884". There's a photo of a dusty radio, showing the top where "Model 253" and "2864 884" can clearly be seen. I can't find that P/N in the 1968 parts catalog. What gives?

Huh. Maybe there is a physical difference between '67 and '68:

1968 has a bit of a frame around the dial, with a hood.

 

[CBODY67]

Here's ONE thing, you are seeking to find a Canadian Chrysler part number in a USA Chrysler parts book. A "ChryCo" part in a "Mopar" parts book. In many cases in other OEMs, Canadian numbers MIGHT be the same, but usually were not, for whatever reason.

The "Accessory Parts" catalog can be found in the Library section of www.hamtramck-historical.clom. On the spreadsheet-format chart, top line under both 1967 and 1968 model years. Click on which ever one you might desire and then look at the Dodge radio section pages. OEM Accessory radios are illustrated with a parts listing. Only thing is that this is a USA catalog and not a Canadian catalog. The bulk of the radio part numbers begin with "28" rather than "26".

Yes, there was an AM-FM radio listed in the Accessories Catalog for the 1968 Polara/Monaco cars.

Good day.

Regards,
CBODY67

 

[413]

It's Chryco, it is not Chrysler corporation. Let's just say it is not an assembly line radio. It's different.

Look at the example below. 1967 Ply Belvedere/Satellite radios.
First is the parts dept radio.
Second is an assembly line radio.
Third is the speedometer.

See the differences in the dial face between 1 and 2?
Notice the numbers on the second radio? They match the numbers on the speedometer, same font.

I have a strong suspicion the radio in the sealed box will not match and assembly line radio. Why? Because I've seen this more than a few times over the years.

 

[MoPar~Man]

By the way (I just stumbled across this, not related to this radio) - what did the radio foot control switch do?

 

[Big_John]

By the way (I just stumbled across this, not related to this radio) - what did the radio foot control switch do?

View attachment 673959

It was used in the "signal seeking" radios. Basically, you pressed it and a little motor in the radio drove the tuner from low to higher frequencies until a radio station was found. If you didn't like the station, press it again and it went to the next one "up the dial". If it hit the end of the dial, it traversed back to the low frequencies and repeated the process until it found a station. It worked on both AM and FM.

I have one in my '70 300. Even with the Aurora conversion, this feature still works well. BTW, these were Delco radios.

 

[CBODY67]

Agreed, it's a little-known fact that Chrysler search-tune radios were built by Delco Radio for Chrysler to Chrysler's specs.

The Delco "Wonder Bar" radio was supposed to be a "wonder" of mechanical excellence, as others "wondered" if the radio would find a station it liked when the "search" function was used.

Enjoy!
CBODY67

 

[3175375]

Agreed, it's a little-known fact that Chrysler search-tune radios were built by Delco Radio for Chrysler to Chrysler's specs.

The Delco "Wonder Bar" radio was supposed to be a "wonder" of mechanical excellence, as others "wondered" if the radio would find a station it liked when the "search" function was used.

Enjoy!
CBODY67

A guy that went to high school with me had an old Cadillac with the wonder bar and it sounded like a machine gun when you pressed the search button…

 

[CBODY67]

"Wonder Bar" was probably one of the first things to decrease driver distractions, back then. Had to physically reach to the tuning knob to change the station on non-pushbutton radios. With WB, just hit the other "dimmer switch" and things happened. Hopefully.

Some of the earlier Ford search tuners had "Town" and "Country" bars instead of just the one "Wonder Bar". "Town" was probably for the strongest stations and "Country" was for more distant/weaker stations the search tuner would stop on?

Enjoy!
CBODY67

 

[Big_John]

Some of the earlier Ford search tuners had "Town" and "Country" bars instead of just the one "Wonder Bar". "Town" was probably for the strongest stations and "Country" was for more distant/weaker stations the search tuner would stop on?

The Signal Seeking radio in my '70 300 also has "local and distant" switches. I have no idea if that makes a difference now that it has the Aurora conversion.

Out of curiosity, I had to look for a signal seeking Ford radio. I was wondering if that was also a Delco radio, but it seems to be a Ford unit.

 

[cbarge]

I am late chiming in but I have both 67 abd 68 CANADIAN parts catalogues.
I will look up the radio part # tonight.
Chryco is the Canadian Chrysler Parts Department.
Radios were always an option and some were dealer installed.
The radio you are inquiring about more than likely sat on a dealer's shelf waiting for an upsell on a radio delete car.

 

[MoPar~Man]

The 1967 catalog P/N for a basic AM radio is 2820633. Web searches for that turns up nothing.

When you look for 1967 Dodge radio, one hit on ebay gives a used (and rusted) radio with 2771 298 stamped in ink on the side of the radio (the seller in this case is in Canada). Does 2771298 show up in the '67 parts catalog?

Why would a dealer replacement (or boxed) radio have a different P/N vs whats stamped on a factory installed radio?

Why aren't boxed radio P/N's listed in the parts catalog?

 

[CBODY67]

Reason? The OEM replacement radios ONLY came with the radio in the box. As it was replacing a radio that was already there, in the car.

The OEM accessory radios were for installation where a radio had not been previously installed. So it would come with, most probably, the necessary support brackets (especially for the back and chassis ground of the radio), nuts, bolts, washers, and probably a short wiring harness to power the radio, in the ONE box. PLUS installation instructions. Same thing on either side of the border, as you'll find the "add-on" kits in the front of each year's parts manual, with a listing of the "items in the box".

As previously noted in the images above, they were not the same exact radio, but with enough differences they both "looked factory", but with some minor differences which made then different to the discerning eye. Might have even been made by a different supplier, too!

Enjoy!
CBODY67