Machine Gun Posted September 1, 2019 Share Posted September 1, 2019 I want to do away with the unsightly FM converter under the dash of my Skylark. I'm familiar with the Retrosound and similar modern radios that will fit the dash cutout but I don't want to go that route because I don't like their looks, and a radio that provides a four speaker stereo setup is overkill for me. All I want is a plain old mono FM radio, but most of all I want the original look, i.e. a factory stock radio. There are shops out there that will convert the innards of a stock AM radio to operate AM/FM, but they're goofy to operate and they charge a king's ransom for the conversion. Did Buick offer an AM/FM radio option for the Skylark in 1964? I've not been able to find one, or any information for that matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney Eaton Posted September 1, 2019 Share Posted September 1, 2019 AM-FM was not shown as an option on the Skylark in the showroom brochure..........it might have become available during the model run. The 1965 brochure shows a AM-FM available for the Skylark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted September 1, 2019 Share Posted September 1, 2019 You might want to take a look at the factory 1965 radio. The only difference might be the knobs. I have a '65 AM-FM in my '64 Riviera, just different knobs to change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machine Gun Posted September 1, 2019 Author Share Posted September 1, 2019 Thanx guys for your responses. Now I know why I haven't been able to find any information on a '64 AM/FM for the Skylark. I hadn't thought to check into the '65 radios, it was a good suggestion considering the similarity between the two model years. Based on what I can see from images of the '65 radio, the faceplate is taller on the AM/FM radios so it won't fit into my dash opening. The GM radios of the day had a slide switch above the frequency display for selecting AM and FM, and that seems to be the reason for the taller faceplate. I guess I'll eventually buy one of the modern radios from Custom Autosound or RetroSound. As to which brand to buy, I'll search the forums for opinions and recommendations. I'm sure this topic has been batted around quite a bit, so no need to start a redundant thread. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted September 2, 2019 Share Posted September 2, 2019 Why not simply move the converter out of sight (e.g., the glovebox)? Antenna cable extensions are available. https://www.amazon.com/Car-Antenna-Cable-Extension-Wire/dp/B00K7KB1GU 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machine Gun Posted September 2, 2019 Author Share Posted September 2, 2019 2 hours ago, EmTee said: Why not simply move the converter out of sight (e.g., the glovebox)? Antenna cable extensions are available. https://www.amazon.com/Car-Antenna-Cable-Extension-Wire/dp/B00K7KB1GU Good idea, but then station selection becomes an issue. I often travel outside my local area and have to change stations along the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene Brink Posted September 7, 2019 Share Posted September 7, 2019 You are right about the slide switch for AM/FM so if you find something ('65 dash is quite different than '64 BUT the radio appears to be very close in size in both '65 & '66 so if you can find something to look at and measure it might work after a bit of cutting on the dash face. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machine Gun Posted September 7, 2019 Author Share Posted September 7, 2019 6 hours ago, Gene Brink said: You are right about the slide switch for AM/FM so if you find something ('65 dash is quite different than '64 BUT the radio appears to be very close in size in both '65 & '66 so if you can find something to look at and measure it might work after a bit of cutting on the dash face. Good luck. I'll bet you're right about the radio size. I'm confident that the AM-FM chassis would fit in the available space behind the dash, but there's no way I could bring myself to cut the dash. It's become obvious that there's no single option that will get me everything I want, so I've decided that the best compromise is a modern aftermarket radio that will fit into the dash opening without modification. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g-g-g0 Posted September 7, 2019 Share Posted September 7, 2019 There are folks that can “update” a standard radio by installing modern components and you have AM/FM as well as blue tooth capabilities. I believe the last one I had converted was around $700 and now has all of the modern bells and whistles. Looks like an original radio! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted September 7, 2019 Share Posted September 7, 2019 3 hours ago, Machine Gun said: It's become obvious that there's no single option that will get me everything I want, More cars and a bigger garage. Ooops! That's two options. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ol' yeller Posted September 7, 2019 Share Posted September 7, 2019 I'm sure you could find a second dash radio surround for the 1964 Skylark. Once you have that you can experiment with trimming it to fit a Buick radio. If it were me, I'd prefer to have a second radio converted to AM/FM as well for internet or cell phone music. I'd keep the original working radio in case it was important for the next owner to have. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machine Gun Posted September 8, 2019 Author Share Posted September 8, 2019 Guys, thanx for all your suggestions. I've considered each one of them and have decided to go with a modern aftermarket radio. My reasoning: Conversion of my AM radio: Goofy operation (no FM display, method of selecting AM-FM, etc.) Requires the destruction of a perfectly good AM radio Very pricey compared to other options Modifying the dash: Not a reversible modification unless I buy a second overlay and destroy it (I hate to destroy original parts). Relocating the FM converter: Puts it out of reach for tuning around. Yeah, I'm fussy. I've already removed the FM converter and installed a gauge set in its place. I'm going to have only AM radio until I pick up a new radio. I'll most likely do the installation in the Spring. Driving season is coming to an end this year, so no point in rushing to get it done right now. That'll give me time to decide on make, model, and speaker options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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