Taechnology has come a long way since the AM radios of the 1960s. If you're like many Mustang owners, you enjoy the nostalgia of your original AM radio but despise the choice of stations, which today is mostly talk radio. Thankfully, with a little bit of today's technology, you can adapt your original AM radio to work with modern music players.
The RediRad from Brew City Engineering is an adaptor that easily connects to your AM radio to allow you to play your favorite music from an iPod, portable CD player, or other device, including satellite radio. It works through the radio's antenna connection; the RediRad automatically detects the player's signal and routes it to the radio through the antenna jack. Setting the radio to about "10" (1000 kHz) on the dial picks up the signal. When the player is turned off, the RediRad returns to normal antenna reception.
We installed a RediRad in my '66 GT hardtop that is currently undergoing a restoration at Classic Creations of Central Florida. The original AM radio was recently refurbished by Ward's Classic Car Radio Repair, so it's ready to play some vintage tunes through a vintage-sounding AM radio and single dash speaker. I've already created an iPod playlist of songs that were in the Top 40 when my grandfather bought the Mustang in early 1966. Now, if I could only find some 1966 DJ patter and commercials . . .
The RediRad AM radio converter...
The RediRad AM radio converter from Brew City Engineering allows you to play your iPod, CD player, or any other portable MP3 device through your vintage Mustang's unmodified AM radio. The small unit mounts behind the instrument panel and uses only five connections-power, ground, audio cable with 1/8-inch male plug for portable devices, male coaxial cable for the radio's antenna in, and a female coaxial plug for the antenna cable.
The RediRad's male coaxial...
The RediRad's male coaxial goes into the radio's antenna plug.
You don't have to remove the...
You don't have to remove the radio to install the RediRad. Start by unplugging the factory antenna cable from the radio. Then connect the RediRad male coaxial to the radio's antenna jack.
Next, plug the antenna lead...
Next, plug the antenna lead into the RediRad's female coaxial cable. If you don't have an antenna, the RediRad will work without it.
The RediRad comes with a brass...
The RediRad comes with a brass fuse tap adaptor that allows you to get power directly from a fuse. Be sure to use a fuse that's energized by the ignition switch in the "On" position. We used the 30-amp fuse for the heater blower motor. The ground wire can be attached to an existing screw behind the dash.
Here's the RediRad power wire...
Here's the RediRad power wire attached to the fuse at the fuse box. You can also use an available tab or connect directly to the ignition switch.
There's actually a lot of...
There's actually a lot of room behind the instrument panel of a '65-'66 Mustang, but finding a place to locate the RediRad can be tough. Distance from the radio is limited by the short antenna cable leads. We chose to mount our RediRad to the side of the glovebox with industrial strength Velcro. Double-sticky tape, or even small screws with nuts, can also be used. On convertibles, you can mount to the underdash brace with the supplied wire-ties.
The audio cable is approximately...
The audio cable is approximately five feet long and can be tucked under the dash when not in use. However, we drilled a small hole in the back of our ashtray to attach the cable to our iPod's headphone jack.
The ashtray in '65-'66 Mustangs...
The ashtray in '65-'66 Mustangs is a convenient spot for an iPod or other small MP3 players. You can read the display when propped up or stash the unit inside the closed ashtray.