I am looking for the radio installation parts for my MK2. The car was purchased without the radio or installation bits.

I am looking for a radio and face plate but I am uncertain what size radio or face plate will fit.

I appreciate any information provided. Thanks

Bob

 

Mine has a Radiomobile 50T in it, if you look them up you can see what size they are. I assume that the radio plate is pre cut out, does yours have some kind of blank covering the radio space?

 

if a US car, most likely it would have had a BMCD am radio unless it was ordered with a Radiomobile am radio. The US distributor installed the BMCD radios, at least in California they did.

if a European or Australian car, most likely it had a Radiomobile am radio.

I have both. They are normally POSITIVE GROUND radios and only AM reception. The Radiomobiles can be changed to NEGATIVE GROUND. It is a pita to disassemble those radios but they come with a label inside explaining how to reverse the grounding.

I also have the Radio Delete faceplate assembly. It is how they came from the factory without a radio. Consists of a metal backing plate screwed to the wood, with a vinyl cover in front without the holes for the Radio, but the holes are pre-marked specifically for a Radiomobile radio.

Both period radios are hard to find in perfect cosmetic and working condition.
I have a working pristine 1965 Radiomobile (comes with another 1964 Radiomobile for spare parts), and a 1964 BMCD in pristine cosmetic and working condition.

I also have the two side support mounting brackets for mounting the radio but they are from a S type, not MK-2. i am not familiar with the MK-2 radio PANEL. In the S type it is wood. My guess is the mountings are the same

 

Jose
Thank you for your detailed response. My car came without a radio. When most cars become "derelict" the radio is removed. Could be that people consider it of value. My Mk2 was purchased new in Belgium by a man from California. It had a radio as the holes for the knob shafts have been butchered. What size radio will fit? Single DIN?

Bob

 

Bob,
a din radio is a modern radio, it has a larger face and usually does not have Knobs on either side.

what these 1960s cars came with., was a Standard sized radio. AM frequency because there was no FM in those days. Some Becker radios came with the ability to receive Short Wave frequencies but those are usually useless HAM radio. I think the Becker radios were Swedish or German.

Has the square opening of your radio panel opening been cut wider? or does it look original? Post a picture of the radio panel.

Yes an original Radiomobile in working condition is not cheap. I have seen them for up to $600.00. I am selling the two Radiomobile radios I have for $335.00 (price includes delivery in continental USA).
positive or negative ground.

The BMCD radio is $260.00 (price includes delivery in continental USA). Positive ground only.

If you want a DIN sized radio you have to cut/widen the panel opening if not already done.

You can also purchase a replica AUTO SOUND kit for around $250.00 which has FM. Those are sold on eBay. However, I believe they are NEGATIVE GROUND ONLY.

I have a brand new DIN sized digital radio with a faux wood face, AM-FM-CASSETTE.
Negative ground only.
Very nice but it does not fit my S type radio panel without widening the panel and I don't want to butcher the original wood panel.

 

Bob, here's pictures. These are Jaguar period radios as fitted by the factory or the distributor.

 

Radio support brackets for the Radiomobile factory radio. These are used in the S type, not sure about the MK-2.

 

Jose,
so this Motorola was a dealer install into my '60 MK2?

 

it sure looks like a period radio. Whether it was dealer installed who knows.

First time I see an empty MK-2 radio panel.
are the cutouts original?

what size is the speaker?

 

Jose,
I'll look closer at the cutouts. I don't think they are tampered with, as they match the speaker grill. I'll also measure the speaker. 4x6 is a guess. Four tabs on the speaker are marked made in England.

 

I looked closely at the round cutouts for the radio knobs and they look factory or "dye" cuts. Most likely original.

So there is no "wood" finisher that goes in front of the panel? (look at my radio pictures).

 

It's all I have - no wood finisher.
Car had a universal antenna.

 

Looking at Clyde's panel I must amend my past evaluation. My opening and knob cutouts are factory. I have seen other panels with different cut outs. Also factory. I will attempt to download some photos
Bob





NOS radio I purchased years ago. Apparently not single DIN. Not '60's period. I will confirm it fits.

Radio box.

 

Some of the after-market radios from the 1960s and '70a had moveable shafts on the volume/tone and tuning controls so they could be adapted to fit various manufacturer control shaft cut outs. DIN openings were used by Mercedes in the late '60s and Becker radios were fit with an adapter unit on the front that allowed for the slide-in DIN installation, BTW.

Dealers back in that era did all sorts of things that would make the purist cringe these days. I had a 1966 Volvo P1800 (the "Saint" car) and the dealer installed a Ford/Philco radio in it from new. The radio cutout was in the dash and the installer butchered the dash to make the radio fit; the radio's face plate covered the butchery, which was not discovered until an AM-FM unit was being installed in 1969.

Good luck with your search for a suitable unit! Be patient...

 

Jose, Bob, all
The Motorola is a 500x. Looking it up it appears to be period correct. radiomuseum.org One line on this site credits the schematic to 1961. The radio has a polarity switch. The mounting panel knob punch holes were slotted and dressed. There are two cut and dressed notches at the top of the mounthing bracket.
Speaker is 4" x 6" . The four small speaker brackets are stamped "ENGLAND", not made in England as I previously noted.

Cheers

First picture has the model number and serial number.
Second picture shows the polarity switch.
Third picture is the polarity switch instructions, but not very legible.

 

those were the days. Have you connected it? does it work?

 

Jose,
It weighs enough to work, but time has been consumed with the build of my MK2.

 

Jaguar Cars has unveiled a "classic radio" loaded with gimmicks like gps, blue tooth, mp3, and maybe it has radar too.

the cost is $1,400.00 plus labor plus tax plus shop supplies plus who knows what else.

Someone forgot that smart phones already have these gimmicks and then some.
Do you see a line forming to buy this system?