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New Signal Seeking Radio for the De Soto Moderators: Lancer Mike Jump to page : 1 Now viewing page 1 [50 messages per page] | View previous thread :: View next thread |
Forward Look Local Regions -> Rocky Mountain Region | Message format |
Lancer Mike |
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Location: The Mile High City | I installed the new-to-me Model 923 in the De Soto. It seems to work pretty well. The radio function is pretty good - the antenna needs to be up. The signal seeking function works when the dial goes right. It does not work when the dial goes left. Here are the before and afters (Before Dash reduced.jpg) (after dash reduced.jpg) Attachments ---------------- Before Dash reduced.jpg (228KB - 394 downloads) after dash reduced.jpg (232KB - 385 downloads) | ||
Doctor DeSoto |
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Location: Parts Unknown | If I owned a Firedome, I'd be removing all the bling and options to emphasize it's low-bucks model status. Paint it all black with the sweep removed (upper bar only), rubber floor mats, no clock, no radio .... OK, maybe leave the radio so you can justify the rear antennas dog dishies, blackwalls, and bare fender tops. | ||
jimntempe |
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Expert Posts: 2312 Location: Arizona | That would be crazy. | ||
Doctor DeSoto |
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Location: Parts Unknown | Hey, ... everyone always thinks more-more-more ... why not do one as the base-base model just to be different ? Honestly, it would really stand out against all the others ! | ||
jimntempe |
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Expert Posts: 2312 Location: Arizona | You have to keep it as it left the factory!! No Exceptions!!! Keine!! | ||
Doctor DeSoto |
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Location: Parts Unknown | Well then, clearly Mikey has violated The Code with his high falootin', uppity, look-at-me, Mr. Gotbucks fancy pants seeker radio ! I vote we turn him in to the authorities ! | ||
wizard |
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Board Moderator & Exner Expert 10K+ Posts: 13050 Location: Southern Sweden - Sturkö island | Mike, never mind all the fuzz above My guess is that the amplifier should be mounted up on the cowl behind or by the side of the glove compartment. | ||
firedome |
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Expert Posts: 3155 Location: NY & VT | Interesting stitched dash pad - was it custom made by an upholstery shop? I think the Swedes repop those now, I got one for my '58 Olds and it's darn near perfect. http://www.autoline.se | ||
Doctor DeSoto |
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Location: Parts Unknown | .... what's all the excitement over the radio for ? This car has the Buzzy Bee rearview mirror ! When was the last time we saw one of those ??? ! | ||
Lancer Mike |
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Location: The Mile High City | Thanks, fellas: Yeah, I wonder about adding extra bling to the old 'Dome, but I couldn't resist with this radio. I did not put in the foot controller switch because that is irreversible (and my radio repair guy couldn't find out where that switch would hook up). I will put the original radio safe and sound in a box and save it for when this one breaks. The signal seeker is such a cool gadget! Now I want to work on installing the steering wheel watch! Thanks for the clue on the amp location Greg Leggatt thinks it might go on the back of the hood hinge bolts, which would be up behind the glove box. I will check that out. It seems awfully crowded up there! Blanche Jones, the second owner, hand stitched the dash pad with a baseball stitch. I know they make the super cool molded ones, but that is now part of the car. I knew Blanche and Ivan so I wouldn't have it any other way. Doc, those buzzy bees are from the Golden B bar at the BroAdmoor in Colorado Springs. If any of you are ever in that neck of the woods, it is a must see. I was just there last Friday and had a yard of black and tan with lunch. Magnificent in every way. I have buzzy bees on the rear-view mirrors of all my cars. | ||
Lancer Mike |
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Location: The Mile High City | Doc, even for a Fancypants Fireflite, yours is going ultra-bling bling! But you have rights - it is fan-cy to the TNT to the Highest Degree! Is there any option you do not have in there? | ||
Doctor DeSoto |
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Location: Parts Unknown | You know, I started out "possessed" to own a 58 Adventurer. I had the typical attitude that all the go-fast possible was King, and one could never have too many options or chrome bits. The Adventurer bling and go-fast overruled any negatives. Then I met Leslie Howard. Leslie had an equal fascination with the "googie" interiors as he did for the uniquely pastel period paint colors. He pointed out how BROWN the interiors are in an Adventurer and how patently THE SAME they all are. I began to think that maybe knocking it down a notch might be a better way to go. When the Fireflite came up, I made the switch and sold the Adventurer. And as time goes by, the less and less I am interested in the over-blinged Fireflite and wish the Firesweep had been built on the long wheelbase, so I could do a bare bones stripper convertible ! But I guess I have the Plaza to express my low budget fantasies with. The Fireflite will have to do. Besides, I just love power windows ! It is pretty loaded. Some was there. Some I added. It has no A/C or EFI. Probably a couple other things it doesn't have. | ||
Powerflite |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9674 Location: So. Cal | I like a lot of the bling and I like your new radio. Pretty cool option. But I don't like the steering wheel clocks. I prefer the original wheel ornament, especially with the dash clock in place, it would just be tacky in my opinion. And the dash clock is so much better looking than the steering wheel version. If you were to put a Tachometer in your steering wheel it would serve a good purpose, but it would probably look just as Tach-y. | ||
wizard |
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Board Moderator & Exner Expert 10K+ Posts: 13050 Location: Southern Sweden - Sturkö island | Actually, it would be totally cool to have a tachometer in the steering wheel center naturally with the same appearance as the clock as for the design, i don't think that would look tach-y at all | ||
ttotired |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 8443 Location: Perth Australia | Sounds like a cool "wizard" project Must be cold in you neck of the woods now wiz Hey Doc, why not find a roof and a "B" pillar to put on that desoto? | ||
wizard |
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Board Moderator & Exner Expert 10K+ Posts: 13050 Location: Southern Sweden - Sturkö island | With todays equiment and gadgets it would not be too difficult Mick! Actually, this morning we have +12 degrees C here and I have been working everyday with the garage door open since I had to wash off the old undercoating with paint thinner Very strange indeed - a friend has been working way up North in Sweden and there's still no snow, only ground frost...... | ||
Doctor DeSoto |
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Location: Parts Unknown | ttotired - 2015-11-11 9:04 PM Hey Doc, why not find a roof and a "B" pillar to put on that desoto? ============================================= To be honest, I truly believe the side profile of a 57 Fireflite coupe is the ultimate Forward Look expression of speed while standing still. The way the side sweep and roof mimic the same forward thrusting arc. It just never got any better. But there is something to be said for the mile-long straight line of fin that sweeps backward in an uninterrupted line from the vent frame on a ragtop. And until one experiences Forward Look fins with the open sky above them, it just remains some- thing that cannot be explained. There is no experience like it. And then there is the "oh sh!t !" factor. Like the guy in Colorado who chased me down in the early morning hours as I was leaving town, he had lusted after a ragtop DeSoto since they were new and claimed to have never seen one in 50 years. You just do not see these cars outside of Sweden anymore. Coupes are rare enough. Is there another Fireflite convertible known to still be in the U.S. ? I like stuff one never sees. I get my hard roof jollies with the Plaza. Another car you almost never see. | ||
RICKYMOPAR |
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Veteran Posts: 292 Location: Colorful Colorado skier on the license plate | Just a some fun facts.. My parents 58 Fire sweep was optioned very well.. 350 four barrel, Torqueflite, Fine carpet with chrome trim. Molded cardboard headliner was fastened in with chrome bow strips, sun glass visors. Foil door panel inserts with compass emblem, full wheel covers. Two tone steering wheel, I still have hanging on my garage wall. Edited by RICKYMOPAR 2015-11-26 9:44 AM | ||
Lancer Mike |
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Location: The Mile High City | I finally gave some attention to that off-color gold steering wheel. I was going to buy Rick's wheel, but it was way too nice for me to mess around with. I repainted my wheel with a better-matching gray and faked a two-tone white top. I actually cut a thin groove between the white and gray to make it look like a real two-tone wheel. (repainted wheel 1.jpg) (repainted wheel 2.jpg) Attachments ---------------- repainted wheel 1.jpg (150KB - 304 downloads) repainted wheel 2.jpg (181KB - 295 downloads) | ||
Powerflite |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9674 Location: So. Cal | That came out really nice Mike! Good job. | ||
Lancer Mike |
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Location: The Mile High City | Thanks, Nathan! It looks better in images than it does in person, but by all means better than it was. I appreciate your '58 Dodge thread inspiring me forward on that little project! | ||
Powerflite |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9674 Location: So. Cal | I picked up this NOS radio foot switch. Where would this mount, I assume near the hi-beam switch somewhere? Does this look like it has the right connection on it? ('58FootSwitch.jpg) Attachments ---------------- '58FootSwitch.jpg (16KB - 299 downloads) | ||
Lancer Mike |
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Location: The Mile High City | Cool, Nathan! My De Soto signal seeker does not have a jack for the foot control. The imperials had it, I think. Maybe the Chryslers too. The foot control button goes near the high beam button - above it, I think. I bet the firewall had a indentation where it goes. | ||
Powerflite |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9674 Location: So. Cal | I'll have to check my DeSoto version to see if it has one. But I just checked the NY radio and it does have it in the center. Sweet. I like this accessory. Like magic from 1957. (57NYRadio Foot Switch.jpg) Attachments ---------------- 57NYRadio Foot Switch.jpg (245KB - 296 downloads) | ||
Lancer Mike |
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Location: The Mile High City | Totally, Nathan! Beautiful, beautiful magic! Please let me know if your De Soto radio has it! | ||
hemidenis |
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Expert Posts: 3888 Location: Northen Virginia | I converted one of theses radios for Tom in Germany and his radio was not equipped with the connector. | ||
Powerflite |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9674 Location: So. Cal | Denis, when you convert these, can you retain that button's functionality? | ||
hemidenis |
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Expert Posts: 3888 Location: Northen Virginia | Yes Nathan, it is a standard of all my radio to maintain knobs and pushbutton functionality. Typically they control the radio Mode, the screen ON/OFF, FM auto search, Skip or in Mp3 they are used for Play, Stop Pause etc. This is the video of Tom's 1957 DeSoto Fireflite Wagon Radio Conversion https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=Rv6WvZkD6eI | ||
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