Trying to locate a period correct AM or later model AM/FM radio that would match my '63 544. I know I'll also need at least one speaker and would prefer not to cut or drill holes in the doorcards.

Has anyone seen the center speaker that was a Volvo option back in the day? I'd love to pick one up but if it's not possible, would any standard speakers fit into the slot? Any suggestions?

thanks,

tommy

I have an original radio set up on my '64 544, with the original (working, I might add) Bendix AM radio and speaker which is up under the glove box.

I'm happy to take some photos for you when I get home today.

The original radio is wonderfully wide-band, it sounds great. If you listen to AM, I would encourage you to track down a working original radio and stick with it. It sounds MUCH better than modern AM radios do.
--

I'd really appreciate that, Dylan. I'm really hoping to find a working AM/FM from a mid-60s/late 60s Volvo that fits but I'm very interested to see how you mounted that speaker. I see a lot of people cutting holes in their hatshelf (I understand that is the true placement of the speaker) and using the kickplates to mount side speakers. I'd like to see what I could do without cutting anything and keep my girl in as solid a state as possible.

I do listen to AM quite a bit for talk radio but I think for long trips I'd like to be able to rock some FM tunes and listen to my favourite CBC shows. I've seen a few really nice AM examples on eBay--hopefully an AM/FM will appear soon.

My 444 had the original speaker, or a very old replacement, when I got it. I've removed it (as two 6x9s were already mounted next to the original one at the time), but may still have it.

I'll measure it for you and see if it has any additional info (ohms, power rating, etc.) to provide info. I do believe it's a standard 6x9, though, with a HUGE magnet on it.

I've since replaced the two other speakers with modern 6x9s, put shallow 6" rounds in the kick panels up front, and added a Retrosound Zuma to the dash, which looks original until you get up close and realize it's digital, modern, and actually makes sound :P

This is excellent. I'd love to see some pictures of your setup to get some ideas. That Zuma looks like a great product.

Is there a bracket that's needed for the center speaker? In my head it's a bit fuzzy as to where everything goes without actually seeing a successful setup.

Thanks again!

I looked for the speaker in my basement, but it may be in the garage. I'll check tonight after work (we had a deluge of rain here yesterday, so I wimped out from my garage trip).

Here is a pic of the Zuma installed, with a glimpse of the passenger kick panel speaker. The faceplace modification could've been better.

>

This is the 6x9 setup in the back.

>

Not actually stock and I may have done it differently or more discretely than the previous owners did. Luckily, the hat shelf needs to be replaced when I redo the interior, so I'm going to try to find another of those low profile 6x9 covers you see in the middle of the hat shelf. That's where the original speaker was, and yes, that's an original Volvo speaker cover!! Though I would have to build some sort of 6x9 "tube" (out of MDF) to set the new speakers below the deck in order to use those covers.

The Retrosound Zuma is a nice unit. Plenty of power with great installation options and expandable features (CD changer, Aux input for MP3 or satellite, etc.), but the knob stalks are a bit delicate. I've had to replace one already, and I think another was failing as I put the car away for the winter. They usually send me another one free with an exchange.

Thanks for the pics.

Does that radio fit the same slot as the 544? I can't remember if the 444 has the same dimensions. I also tried to use the Retrosound site to see what's compatible but it looks like an email is in order to be sure.

At this given time I'm hesitating doing any cutting or modifying of my interior, whether on the kickplates or hatshelf.

Is there a harness used to house a single speaker below the radio?

That radio looks much wider than the knockout in my 544 dash. What's the center to center distance between the shafts?

Do you have any idea if / where / how a front speaker was originally mounted in a 544?
I can't recall seeing a factory set-up. Always figured they must have used a radio that had an integral speaker on the bottom of the radio chassis. I do have one of those (AM only) but it doesn't work very well. Maybe it's a 12V radio in my 6V car.
--
"Differences of opinions should be tolerated, but not if they're too different' - Sharon Craig

I could be wrong about the 544, but the original 6V AM radio was still in my 444 when I got it, and it had no speaker built into it. The original optional "loudspeaker" location was centrally on the hat shelf, at least it appears that way from the literature I have. There was no option for front speakers in the 444, from what I could tell. Again, 544 may be different.

The Retrosound Zuma has adjustable mounting points for the side knobs, so mounting one to an existing "side by side" faceplate is easy enough, unless you have a really custom stock setup, like the older Corvettes, for example. The 444 radio has knobs that were below and slightly off the side, which required some minor modification to the stock faceplate.