Drive the Best for the Price

A classic look with the latest sound -- Photo credit: Hemmings.com

Classic cars have their own unique charm including simplicity, much chrome and a pure driving experience.  Many such vehicle are equipped with radios that include chrome knobs, a horizontal glass face, white numbers 55, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14,and 16, and a red vertical dial.

A real classic car collector will tell you that modifying a classic will lower a car’s price. Thus, keeping a classic as close to factory specifications is best.

What if you own a classic and you occasionally drive it on a road trip, to a concourse, or car show?  Having modern music in a classic during the long drives is enjoyable but not changing the factory look is highly important.

If this is your situation (dilemma), there is a solution that will not hack up the dash or use the glove box to add modern tunes.  As a matter of fact, can be no visible sign of any change to the classic car.

Retro Radio Restoration is a company that specializes in restoring classic car radios.  They can add modern updates like converting an old head unit into a high quality four-speaker sound system that is XM satiate and iPod capable.

The company can repair and modify radios built between 1932 and 1982 and they tend to concentrate on domestic units.

Mike and Chris Frenchek run the Retro Radio Restoration out of their home located in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, which is not too far from the state capital of Harrisburg.

The work is not just simply a hobby for Mike as he began working on radios in 1965.  By trade, he is an electrical engineer with degrees from the Pittsburgh Institute of Electronics and the University of Pittsburgh.  His wife Chris helps him run the business side of things.

The company did work on the radio from a 50’s Edsel.  When the radio was finished, it had modern dual-cone speakers hidden in the dash, kick panels, and under the rear seats.  There was no trace of the changes except for the radio’s great sound.

One advantage of classic cars is that they usually have plenty of hidden space that can be used to install speakers and other equipment.  Thus, the original look is retained but great music is available which makes driving a classic even more enjoyable.

And the price of a classic radio upgrade?  It depends on the application but in most instances it costs a couple hundred dollars.

For more information on the company, the phone number is: 717 367-1428 and the web site is: Retro Radio Restoration.  

Here’s to great classic driving and great sound all the way!

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Since 2008, Kyle Busch has been an automotive writer for the San Francisco Examiner.
To see his recent articles at the Examiner visit: Car Articles.
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