What is this guy smokin'???????

[69chargerboy]

This is a AM/FM radio this person is selling on Ebay for $999.99. Was there an option for an AM/FM radio back then?  I thought the best model radio you could have was a 8-track. I could be wrong. Did Chrysler make an AM/FM radio back then? And if so, are they worth that much? Thanks.


Click on link below:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MOPAR-AM-FM-1968-1969-B-BODY-RADIO-ROAD-RUNNER-CHARGER_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ34204QQihZ010QQitemZ200024726815QQrdZ1

[dodge freak]

I seen them go for $175-$250 before but that is in nice shape. It was a rare option back then. Most cars cam with just AM which was ok because they used to play good music on AM now its talk on AM and music on FM.

That price is high, I think $500 would be pushing it but $1,000 ? If somebody does buy it 

[REDNECK]

i hope he shares

[twilt]

maybe  the seller researched completed auctions and looked at these items

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mopar-1968-1969-Charger-GTX-68-69-B-body-AM-FM-radio_W0QQitemZ120024634472QQihZ002QQcategoryZ80741QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

a even more expensive 70 radio
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/70-charger-AM-FM-RADIO-gtx-mopar-RT-roadrunner-cuda-440_W0QQitemZ160023255511QQihZ006QQcategoryZ80741QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


another expensive 68/69 radio
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/mopar-am-fm-b-body-radio-68-69-charger-daytona-WORKS_W0QQitemZ330025980158QQihZ014QQcategoryZ80741QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[dodge freak]

WOW and to think I could have found these in a junk yard 25 years ago for $20 or so. I get sick some times about the stuff I threw away or walk on by at those junk yards I used to vist.

[Shakey]

I thought FM wasn't invented until 1979.   

[Chris G.]

maybe  the seller researched completed auctions and looked at these items

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mopar-1968-1969-Charger-GTX-68-69-B-body-AM-FM-radio_W0QQitemZ120024634472QQihZ002QQcategoryZ80741QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

a even more expensive 70 radio
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/70-charger-AM-FM-RADIO-gtx-mopar-RT-roadrunner-cuda-440_W0QQitemZ160023255511QQihZ006QQcategoryZ80741QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


another expensive 68/69 radio
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/mopar-am-fm-b-body-radio-68-69-charger-daytona-WORKS_W0QQitemZ330025980158QQihZ014QQcategoryZ80741QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Thanks for the links Twilt. Now I don't feel so bad about what I paid for my AM/FM radio a couple years ago.

I also needed one for my Hang Twizzle, and those radios range between $150-$350, and the same radio was used for many years.

[Chargen69]

I thought FM wasn't invented until 1979.   

military had it in the 40's but it was abandoned, but here is a clip from an article on the web...

"By the late 1960s FM had been adopted by fans of "alternative rock" music, but it wasn't until 1978 (the first year that listenership to FM stations exceeded that of AM stations) that FM became mainstream"

[Lord Warlock]

FM was popular much earlier than 78, I remember that noone listened to AM anymore in 73 in the Washington DC area.  I imagine it was making inroads much earlier than that, but I was in Japan in the late 60s so wouldn't know.  As for the AM/FM yes it was an option, I have one (I even have a rear speaker for mine..lol.....stereo dash/rear.  Only had one speaker in dash and one in rear deck though.  I remember seeing an AM/8 Track in a salvage yard back in the 80s - didn't buy it though since I didn't like either of those. 

[BrianShaughnessy]

Thumbwheel am/fm's were going for $200 + 15 years ago.  5 years ago they were $400 +.

I paid $400ish to have my am converted to am/fm with 40 watts.    These originals got about 5 watts or so.   For what it's worth,   I should have left the dead am in the dash and hidden something else... or just cut the dashplate and put in $100 Pioneer and had better sound.

I think $999 is a bit much but that's somebody trying to make a big profit - do yourself a favor and don't buy it. 

[dodgecharger-fan]

That's about double what it should be, in my opinion. (It's about double what I paid.  )

If the numbers matter to you, it's for a 68 but would fit and work fine in a 69.

[Ghoste]

I thought the 68's came to a point in front or something like that?

[sunfire69]

I have to laugh, this makes me feel so old. FM radio was alive and well, and listened too in the 60s. My first FM radio was in 67. FM had Stereo sound and was much clearer than AM plus you didn't lose in going under a bridge. At the time you could get an AM/FM STEREO radio or just an AM/FM. When my father ordered his 69 SE he ordered it with the AM/FM stereo.
Jerry

[hemigeno]

My guess (and that's all it is - just a guess) is that AM/FM's in '68 are much less common than they were in '69+.     I don't know who would have any info on how common the '68 AM/FM is, but I suspect it's less than later years. 

I honestly hadn't noticed the differences between the '68 and '69 radios before, but that is definitely not the same P/N as in the '69 book.

I saw a really nice (restored) '69 AM/FM sell for $600, and that was 2 years ago. 

[Shakey]

I thought FM wasn't invented until 1979.   

I was only kiddin' 'round!  I guess I should have used this    instead of this   

But in reality - I like AM radio as I have become quite acustomed to it.  You see, over in the shop at the farm is an old AM radio and the only stations it gets are an oldies station and a classic country station.  I listen for hours at a time while working on the car.  I find there is just too much talk and commercials on the FM dial.

I like Brian's suggestion, keep the old AM thumbwheel in the dash and stash a decent system elsewhere in the car for when I want to listen to some classic rock.  I am even starting to wonder about having an ipod that I can simply plug into the cars speakers.

I picture the sound of the engine drowning out the old tinny AM radio.

I am a long ways away from worrying about what music I'll be listening to in the car.

[Ghoste]

Shakey that's a couple or three times lately that people didn't know you were joking.  You're just way too dry man.

[6pkrunner]

Parts are ridiculous as everyone knows. The unfortunate part is that what you think is an insane price, and then you triple it for a nutso price - well double that again for what things are going for now.
How many of those AM/FMs did we tear out and throw away to put a **real nice Craig** stereo in. And all those factory cast iron intakes and exhaust manifold we turfed.......


** - turn sarcasm detector off as it'll blow up. The sad part is at the time the Craig stuff was considered good.

[Charger_Fan]

Shakey that's a couple or three times lately that people didn't know you were joking.  You're just way too dry man.

He even had me! 
I was all ready to day "dayumm Man, how young are you??"

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

R21 is the option code for the AM/FM radio

Out of the 1000 Chargers I have registered I only have 48 AM/FM's in the registry

[Chatt69chgr]

The service that fixed my AM thumbwheel paid me $300 for the AM/FM thumbwheel I had.  It didn't come out of my car.  Got it out of a junker.  I figured it was rare if he was willing to pay me that much for it.  But the thing had been exposed to the heat and cold for 30 plus years and insides were actually sticky.  I knew he could fix it but the real question I had was how long would it stay fixed.  It was pretty complicated inside--tuner section was not solid state then--just the output transistors.  The AM thumbwheels are pretty simple.  So I decided to have my virtually perfect AM fixed.  There are services that will build FM into your AM thumbwheel.  Of you can just hide a tuner and operate it remotely----if having that in your car is important.  With MP3 files now, even CD's are becoming blase'.  The only real reason to pay a lot for one of these would be to put it in a rare high option car that you were going to sell.  Not sure you would recoupe your money though.  But who knows-----the prices that MOPAR parts are bringing these days are just astounding.  And with all the baby boomers getting ready to flood the market and look for the car of their youth (oftentimes a MOPAR) and the dwindling availability of cars, prices will probably stay high----leastways, until the baby boomers get tired of them.  Not sure what will happen after that.  Prices will probably drop since everyone will be looking for used 2005+ vintage challengers, mustangs, and camaro's.  

[dodge freak]

Thats what I have been thinking-the prices are going to start dropping but noooo they just keep going up it seems like.

[bull]

I thought FM wasn't invented until 1979.   

I was only kiddin' 'round!  I guess I should have used this    instead of this   

Or this...

[Nacho-RT74]

just for your records THERE WAS ALSO 69 AM/FM 8 TRACKS... somebody show me that recently when I was searching somebody to help me on 3rd gens radio diagrams.

I think was KAB69440 who gave me the info, and in fact I think HE HAS ONE...

and ppl here told me I was crazy when I posted that once on board HA!!!

[BigBlockSam]

wow! I've seen them go for 500 or $600. but that's alot of money . if we could only predict the future. Rene

[Ghoste]

Well, it hasn't sold yet and he says he doesn't care if he sells it or not so even he knows that's a pie in the sky price.  I notice he isn't risking taking bids on it and letting people find out what others are actually willing to pay so he will no doubt find some sucker out there.