Early '50s Buick rear speaker accessory

[krinkov58]

Does anybody have a photo or illustration of the early '50s rear package shelf speaker accessory sold by GM/Buick?  My '51 I had years ago came with a brochure for the accessories that year and I am 99% sure a speaker was one of them.  Trying to track one down but I want to know exactly what I'm looking for, to be correct as an actual Buick accessory.

 

Thanks all!

[1953mack]

You are probably looking for a typical 6" x 9" oval speaker similar to what is pictured in Mr. Earl's #14 Post accessory brochure in the following link:

http://forums.aaca.org/topic/168329-1954-buick-special-convertible/?hl=%2B1954+%2Bbuick+%2Baccessories#entry836607

An added reverb would also be kool.

Al Malachowski

BCA #8965

"500 Miles West of Flint"

[krinkov58]

Thanks Al, that's how I remember the speaker grill looking...and I do see them popping up on eBay from time to time.  There was a control knob that mounted under the dash that controlled the front-to-read fade, correct?

[1953mack]

You might have to spend a few bucks to get all the specifics unless you can read the fine print here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1951-1952-1953-BUICK-ROADMASTER-SUPER-DELCO-RADIO-REAR-SPEAKER-SERVICE-MANUAL/231656077505?_trksid=p2045573.c100033.m2042&_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D33026%26meid%3Db8c46658456c4c23985635129b68f38c%26pid%3D100033%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D331613941345

I'm thinking that you are correct for the pre-1954 control switch location being on the underside of the instrument panel's front lip rather than in the face of the instrument panel with an escutcheon plate to match the radio buttons as discussed in this link: http://forums.aaca.org/topic/155588-1957-buick-rear-seat-speaker/

 

Al Malachowski

BCA #8965

"500 Miles West of Flint"

 

 

 

 

 

[beerczar1976]

Your question piqued my interest as I have a '50 Special and would also like to put in a rear speaker someday...I found the following link to be perhaps helpful.  It's out of the 1951 Chevrolet Radio Shop and Service Manual, but it's got to be pretty close in concept to the Buick.  http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/radios/51rs/51rs34.htm.  The speaker was made by United Motors Service which was a division of GM.  The first page of this Service Bulletin also details the speaker set-up a bit as well.  http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/radios/pdf/6D652ums.pdf.  It mentions a 4-way switch and a 5"x7" speaker being used.  However, now that I look at 1953mack's eBay link...The schematic on the ebay listing looks VERY much like the schematic shown in the 1955 Chevrolet Service Bulletin which uses a "fader" instead of a 4-way switch and possibly a 6"x9" speaker.  In some cases of styling and accoutrements, Cadillac and Buick were typically a few years ahead of what was offered in the Chevys.

[krinkov58]

Thanks for your replies all...looking at the diagram on the eBay auction, it does say "speaker selector" which may indeed be a fader.  I seem to recall a knob (and a distinctly un-Buick looking one at that) with an escutcheon mounted under the dash for '51-'53.  I already found the correct speaker and grill so now I guess I'm going to have to find the Delco part # for the switch and scour eBay (probably would be in the red Delco box for early '50s if I recall correctly) and try to find a pic of the escutcheon.  But again I have a vague memory of seeing a dealer-installed switch setup and it didn't look very Buick.  

[55 SURVIVOR]

This is what mine looks like in my 55 Buick,  Dealer install when the car was new,the fader is A shade of brown.It has "front,middle(both speakers)back".  Mark

[krinkov58]

Thanks Mark, looks nice!  Never have seen that type of speaker grill before with the 2 bars...how does the whole rig sound?  Are you still using the stock AM radio?  I rebuilt mine but put a RediRad in while it was out and ran a 1/8" cable under the carpet and up to a MP3 player I hide in the seat.  Wondering if it's worth the trouble to track these components down.  I like my driving music.

[55 SURVIVOR]

It is bone stock,sounds good,AM only.I had to replace the rear speaker but used the same grill,the paper was toast.I think I got it from A company called electromotive,out of California,I think.They also do old radio to modern conversion,try googling it.I'm using and leaving it stock,it is what was in it when new,the radio works excellent as well.Hope I helped you,good luck Mark

[1953mack]

This shop is well-worth considering out of Northeast Minneapolis, Minnesota.

 

Check out all the pages and info:  http://www.turnswitch.com/index.htm

 

 

Al Malachowski

BCA #8965

"500 Miles West of Flint"

Edited August 29, 2015 by 1953mack (see edit history)

[krinkov58]

Mine is bone-stock and I got it working perfectly but I live in the country so AM stations aren't too great, hence the RediRad.  It mounts outside the radio and plugs into the antenna socket.  Glad to hear yours sounds good, my radio could use a new speaker although the original does work fine.  It handles old mono recordings better than later stereo recordings...I have a small home recording studio at my house and have wondered about running newer songs through it to a single mono channel and making mp3's out of that.  

[krinkov58]

Does anybody have a photo of the escutcheon used up until 1953?  Still working on this....