Good thing Buick's had plenty of internal dash room!
I refer to these as the "side by side" set-up, just like some Pontiacs. The output/high voltage supply section is mounted right by the tuner mechanism. Chevy did a lot of "remote" stuff, where the tuner was in the dash, and the output electronics were mounted by the speaker "over yonder" due to space constraints.
I've got one of those that I extracted from the '57 Super before it went to the scarp yard. I mounted it to a plywood board so my brother could hang it in his 1968 (??) Jeep CJ5. When the Jeep was going to a new owner I extracted the radio again.
That is a 1957-'58 Buick standard Sonomatic radio. The output tubes, rectifier and vibrator were in the little "extra" part, hung on the side of the tuner chassis. The interesting part is that the tubes hung upside down in the radio. If you were on a rough road, the screeching-hot output tubes could fall out. This can cause great concern if a hot output tube should fall on your date's legs, melting her nylons. Don't ask how I know this. I used to kluge up a screen to put over the tubes so they wouldn't fall out if they came loose. This radio was Delco Radio's first model used in a Buick with printed circuit boards and they were not their best. In fairness, the radios were no worse than the cars they were mounted into. There was plenty of room in the instrument panel. The radio chassis was the same size as the glove box. The glove box would have to be removed in order to remove the radio.
I haven't failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.....Thomas Alva Edison
Looks like the cadillac amplifier. They were mounted with the tubes and vibratory that way so you could replace them from below. TPITA to remove one of these. I always said step one in the shop manual should be: "remove windshield"
electra225 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 23, 2023 1:58 am
That is a 1957-'58 Buick standard Sonomatic radio. The output tubes, rectifier and vibrator were in the little "extra" part, hung on the side of the tuner chassis. The interesting part is that the tubes hung upside down in the radio. If you were on a rough road, the screeching-hot output tubes could fall out. This can cause great concern if a hot output tube should fall on your date's legs, melting her nylons. Don't ask how I know this. I used to kluge up a screen to put over the tubes so they wouldn't fall out if they came loose. This radio was Delco Radio's first model used in a Buick with printed circuit boards and they were not their best. In fairness, the radios were no worse than the cars they were mounted into. There was plenty of room in the instrument panel. The radio chassis was the same size as the glove box. The glove box would have to be removed in order to remove the radio.
I remember your story about the burnt stockings.
I'm surprised Delco pulled such a cost-saving move with no tube restraints.
What was the top-of-the-heap radio option for '57 Greg? The Wonderbar with p-p outputs? Or hybrid with solid state output transistor?
The top radio in '57 and '58 was the Wonderbar Sonomatic. 12V6GT push-pull output just like the regular radios. Transistor output came with the horrible 1959 Buicks, lasting thru mid-1962. No FM in Buick until 1963. No, my '63 Buicks does not have FM. They were not very good radios and to find an original '63 FM radio that still works is a rare find indeed. Mine has a regular old AM Wonderbar, with the foot switch on the floor, an option.
I haven't failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.....Thomas Alva Edison
I hope I don't offend anyone, but I do not like the exterior styling of the 1959 Buicks at all. To me, when the other divisions were trying to create something over the top for the end of the decade, Buick was using the winged body style and trying to just "put something together". Chevy had the cool cat's eyes tail lights. What did Buick do? Boring dual round lights....looks like Ford parts.
Front end looks kinda sinister and odd...reminds me of a Mopar!
The one thing I'll say, is I do like the '59 Buick dash instrumentation. The verical in-dash automatic shift indicator is unique. They were big on symmetry as well. I almost like it better then the '59 Chevy dash instrumentation.
(Remember I'm the Chevy guy here).
I think its cool your '63 has a wonderbar. By that time, it seems like it was starting to be a passing 1950s fad. Chrysler and Cadillac radios produced by Delco kept the wonderbars going into the '70s.
The beyond-horrible '59 Buicks would make a topic all its own. '59 was the last year for full instrumentation in a Buick. The vastly-improved 1960 models got idiot lights all around.
I haven't failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.....Thomas Alva Edison
