Discussion Forum - Northstar Chevelle Club

Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
NCC Forum Home Page -> NCC - General Discussion -> Has anyone converted a Impala AM/FM to fit a Chevelle
Post Info TOPIC: Has anyone converted a Impala AM/FM to fit a Chevelle
jim larson


2K+ Club

Status: Offline
Posts: 2734
Date:
Has anyone converted a Impala AM/FM to fit a Chevelle
Permalink  
 

A few years back I had an impala radio for a 66 and a chevelle radio for a 66 that was no good.  My son in-law took the impala radio and replaced the push button mechanism and tuning shaft with the corresponding parts from the chevelle radio.  Then he transferred the face plate of the chevelle radio to the impala radio.  He also took the part of the metal box that had the chevelle radio number sticker and replaced that.  All has been working good except it's an AM push button radio and not an AM/FM.

 

The reason I ask, it looks like this could be done with an Impala AM/FM push button and a Chevelle AM push button.  A guy has an Impala radio for sale for around $400, says if he had a chevelle radio he would want $1200.  If I had an Impala am/fm to look at I think I could tell; but don't want to spend the $400 to have him ship it to me and then find out it won't work.



__________________

Jim L

Lake City
BB502


Active Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 188
Date:
Permalink  
 

I have a AM/FM in my 67 impala for you to look at if you want, I also have 68 impala AM/FM's.



__________________

Roger Blad Burnsville, MN
jim larson


2K+ Club

Status: Offline
Posts: 2734
Date:
Permalink  
 

BB502 wrote:

I have a AM/FM in my 67 impala for you to look at if you want, I also have 68 impala AM/FM's.

 Thanks for the offer Roger.  Think you are also looking for the 67 AM/FM.  Kind of a hassel to take it out of a car.  So I was kind of looking for one lying around loose. I think the only difference between the 66 and 67 radios are that the push buttons are a little more rounded in 67 than on the 66.  And the little knob on the AM/FM? slider bar is a little different.

 The radio would have to  removed from the car, to see if the face plates would interchanged.  And then the part that contains the slide bar and dial of the impala would have to fit into the face place of the chevelle.  If the number cast into the face plate is the same for both, it should be just a matter of taking out the the AM dial and replacing it with the AM/FM dial and slide???.

If face plate needs to be rechomed, the place in forest lake can do that I think.

Then, pretty sure all you would have to do is swap the push button mechanism,  as it sits in a different location than on the chevelle and replace it with the corresponding chevelle radio parts as that is what I did before.  You also have to do the turner shaft and mechanism at the same time as this matches up with the push button stuff. This what I did with the 66 impala and chevelle radio.



-- Edited by jim larson on Friday 15th of July 2011 12:14:21 PM



-- Edited by jim larson on Friday 15th of July 2011 12:15:55 PM



-- Edited by jim larson on Friday 15th of July 2011 06:02:01 PM

__________________

Jim L

Lake City
Chris R


2K+ Club

Status: Offline
Posts: 2745
Date:
Permalink  
 

This is probably best asked on Team Chevelle. Im sure someone out there has tried it. I dont think even Karl has or had a 66 AM-FM. And he has had everything at one time.

I looked into doing the same thing many many years ago. I found that you still needed the cosmetic 66 AM-FM parts like the switch to move AM to FM and the actual face itself anyways, and they werent reproduced. Which mean you still needed an 800 dollar plus radio just for parts. Meaning you might as well just restore the one you had. They may reproduce the parts for it now.

Quite frankly, you would probably have the same or more money in the project as you would just finding a real one.

Dont forget, these AM/FM units also had a reverb unit that came with the AM-FM option. So if your going after a stock look. You still need that reverb unit. It was all part of what was called the AM/FM multiplex option. I remember asking Karl if he had any of these when he first showed us his stock pile of 66 parts. Picture is shown at the bottom, article doesnt describe it as a reverb unit but thats what I always remember people calling it. These arent as expensive but are even harder to find without the radio with it.



-- Edited by Chris R on Friday 15th of July 2011 09:43:37 PM

__________________

Chris - Ramsey, MN.

Dear Optimist, Pessimist, and Realist.

While you guys were busy arguing about the glass of water. I drank it!

Sincerly,

The opportunist.
jim larson


2K+ Club

Status: Offline
Posts: 2734
Date:
Permalink  
 

Link doesn't work Chris. Are you sure about the reverb unit. Thought that was an option. Thought You could get the radio without the reverb unit. From checking it looks like $1000 or more for the chevelle am/fm, if your lucky. If the conversion would work, you can take the push button guts and dial guts (if done this and it works) and the face plate off a non working chevelle AM push button radio that can be bought for around $50.

Looks like the impala radio am/fm can be bought for around $400. The big question is the chrome face plate of the impala af/fm radio. I am thinking it is the same as the standard chevelle pushbutton am radio. And you could take the dial plate/slider bar out of the impala face plate and put it into the chevelle face plate. A saving of $400-$600.

__________________

Jim L

Lake City
Chris R


2K+ Club

Status: Offline
Posts: 2745
Date:
Permalink  
 

I have no idea how the wrong link got inserted. This is the actual link that was supposed to be there.

http://www.chevelles.com/radiotech/radiopics_66.html



__________________

Chris - Ramsey, MN.

Dear Optimist, Pessimist, and Realist.

While you guys were busy arguing about the glass of water. I drank it!

Sincerly,

The opportunist.
jim larson


2K+ Club

Status: Offline
Posts: 2734
Date:
Permalink  
 

Chris R wrote:

I have no idea how the wrong link got inserted. This is the actual link that was supposed to be there.

http://www.chevelles.com/radiotech/radiopics_66.html

 Thanks, got it.



__________________

Jim L

Lake City
Page 1 of 1  sorted by
 
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.
NCC Forum Home Page -> NCC - General Discussion -> Has anyone converted a Impala AM/FM to fit a Chevelle
Chatbox
Please log in to join the chat!