What is this radio?

[RustyRodder]

I was given this radio over the weekend- I know it is from an AMC-era something or other, but what?  Looks like at least late-70s, if not 80's.  Any ideas? Not sure if theres any way to get it to work in an MJ though!

[Pete M]

old is what that is.   

 

 

 

though I'd wager that Minuit could adapt in an AUX port    

[Minuit]

What you've got there looks like the very last of the shaft style radios made by AMC before going to the single DIN style used by most of the AMC lineup from 1985 on. I've seen an identical radio in a 1984 XJ, but that's not an XJ bracket. Those connectors were also used in the 1985 single DIN radios, so I would date it between 1983ish-1985.

 

Getting it to work in an MJ should be very simple. Mounting it might be a little more difficult. The radio ought to turn on with 12V applied at (I think) the purple/white wire and ground applied to the chassis (or the black wire on the 3-pin plug) If one wire has a fuse that'll be it. The speaker wires should be the same colors as the later AMC radios (I have a pic in the factory radio guide in my sig). The speaker wires are weird. If I remember correctly the front left and front right are conventional stereo +/-, but I want to say the rear speakers get the same signal.

[RustyRodder]

20 hours ago, Minuit said:

What you've got there looks like the very last of the shaft style radios made by AMC before going to the single DIN style used by most of the AMC lineup from 1985 on. I've seen an identical radio in a 1984 XJ, but that's not an XJ bracket. Those connectors were also used in the 1985 single DIN radios, so I would date it between 1983ish-1985.

 

Getting it to work in an MJ should be very simple. Mounting it might be a little more difficult. The radio ought to turn on with 12V applied at (I think) the purple/white wire and ground applied to the chassis (or the black wire on the 3-pin plug) If one wire has a fuse that'll be it. The speaker wires should be the same colors as the later AMC radios (I have a pic in the factory radio guide in my sig). The speaker wires are weird. If I remember correctly the front left and front right are conventional stereo +/-, but I want to say the rear speakers get the same signal.

 

Interesting- is it worth doing anything with? I have a 171 that I was going to send to you, but I will say this looks cooler.

[Minuit]

48 minutes ago, RustyRodder said:

 

Interesting- is it worth doing anything with? I have a 171 that I was going to send to you, but I will say this looks cooler.

 

First of all, you're going to have a hell of a time finding the connectors for it to plug into an MJ. I don't make them. I have them for every other kind of radio except those. Other than that, the sound quality won't really be up to modern standards. The best of the single DIN AMC radios don't sound bad at all, the RX-171 and later sound about as good as any aftermarket I've heard, but I wouldn't expect that one to keep up. Without knowing for sure, you're probably playing with less than 15 watts across all 4 speakers. 

 

Also, the wiring for the rear speakers is gonna be weird. Also, finding a way to properly mount it might be weird. The typical XJ brackets might line up, but they might not. I don't know. Adding aux input will be a matter of "pay me straight time while I figure out how to do it" rather than "I do the thing I've done on 30 other radios and turn it around in a weekend with a 6 month warranty" on an RX-171.

 

TL;DR - it's possible to get working in an MJ, but there are things to figure out and lots of sacrifices to make.

[RustyRodder]

22 hours ago, Minuit said:

 

First of all, you're going to have a hell of a time finding the connectors for it to plug into an MJ. I don't make them. I have them for every other kind of radio except those. Other than that, the sound quality won't really be up to modern standards. The best of the single DIN AMC radios don't sound bad at all, the RX-171 and later sound about as good as any aftermarket I've heard, but I wouldn't expect that one to keep up. Without knowing for sure, you're probably playing with less than 15 watts across all 4 speakers. 

 

Also, the wiring for the rear speakers is gonna be weird. Also, finding a way to properly mount it might be weird. The typical XJ brackets might line up, but they might not. I don't know. Adding aux input will be a matter of "pay me straight time while I figure out how to do it" rather than "I do the thing I've done on 30 other radios and turn it around in a weekend with a 6 month warranty" on an RX-171.

 

TL;DR - it's possible to get working in an MJ, but there are things to figure out and lots of sacrifices to make.

 

So fix the 171 and let this sit on a shelf until I do what my uncle did and pass it along to another family member- got it! haha

[Minuit]

I'd be willing to bribe you slightly if you threw it in a box and sent it to me... for experimentation purposes.

[RustyRodder]

22 hours ago, Minuit said:

I'd be willing to bribe you slightly if you threw it in a box and sent it to me... for experimentation purposes.

 

That could be arranged... Ill just send both to you at once