I have a NOS am/fm if you are interested

The radio may be Ok! I put a cheap antenna on and I had reception on several channels on both AM and FM. IT was not acceptable rception but you could hear it. With the key on but motor off it still had a lot of static. I'm thinking that the ground on the fender is probably bad. Once I can get a stock looking telescopic antenna, I will make sure the ground surface is really clean(area on fender under the hole where the antenna makes its ground). Hopefully I will have a working radio! Now I just need to find a decent antenna.

A very common issue with vintage radios is dirt in the controls. Find an electronics contact cleaner (DeoxIT is the best) and spray it into the volume and tone pots, and the band selector switch. Then turn the pots lock-to-lock a few times and operate the switches. The cleaner loosens the oxidation, the movement displaces it. Avoid the frequency tuning capacitor, it does not have contacts and it does not like chemicals.

Most electronics are repairable. If your radio crackles when switched on thats a big positive. Here are some budget repair techniques. Warm up the radio using a hairdryer if it comes back to life its possibly a minor fault such as a capacitor. A common fault is the capacitors, replace them ensuring you put them back in the right way. Another fault may be transistors - read the transistor model number and get the specifications, then check its operation using a voltage meter capable of checking transistors. Otherwise perhaps track down a circuit diagram and manual and get someone else to repair it.

Most electronics are repairable. A common fault is the capacitors, replace them. Another fault may be transistors - check these using a HFE meter. Otherwise perhaps track down a circuit diagram and manual or get someone to repair it.

I recall my dad had to repair the factory Blaupunkt quite often. He would do it himself. Just hangin' out in the workshop, with the stereo opened up. He was a Heathkit kinda guy.

Anyway, the antenna does sound likely if "loud static" is the issue, as a failed amplifier would emit either nothing, or a loud hum.... a failed tuner section may well be the case but it's far more likely to emit no sound at all, than to emit static. Static isn't just the sound of failed electronics; static is an actual (if random) signal that is being picked up and amplified properly...

So I think you're onto something with the antenna. Check the wiring to your antenna before you do anything drastic. Pick up a spare antenna and plug it directly into the back of the radio, and see what happens, before you go yanking your radio and paying someone to tear into it. And if they do tear into it, don't be too surprised if all they find is a broken internal antenna connection, or a single failed component that throws off its tuning frequency. Something pretty simple.

My older brother tore out the Blaupunkt in the 1980s to install a cassette deck. Remember those? They might go a year between failures. My car went through a bunch of 'em. I remember having a dream once where I took her into the shop and asked for the usual maintenance: a tune-up, oil change, and a new stereo.

I eventually gave up and installed a modern CD player with HD radio in the dash. Yes, I cut the dash for a standard sized CD player. The amount of originality lost is trivial compared to the amount of awesome music I have now, and I haven't missed the old Blaupunkt, not even the cool mechanical push buttons. Okay, maybe a little. But I respect you all the more if you've got the urge to fix the Blaupunkt. Go man.

Hello,

There are radio repair shops.

They usually like to specialize in certain brands, so you need to determine what you have.

IIRC, Blaupunkt, Motorola and Bendix were brands of radio used by Volvo.

There are also radio repair shops that can install a modern electronic tuner, most with external inputs for CD players and ipods type devices inside your old radio chassis.

--
Eric
Hi Performance Automotive Service (formerly OVO or Old Volvos Only)
Torrance, CA 90502