- Home
- About Us
- Join/Renew
- Member Benefits
- Member Pages
- Log In
- Help
- Museum Store
Hi all,
I was cruising the net and came across this online site called Hi bid.com. They have a section for classic cars. In this section, there is a 1929 Pierce Arrow sedan up for auction. Current bid is 12k. This sedan even has a factory radio in it.
Richard is this car is AZ? I have made a deposit on this car. as i type this the auction has ended and I plan to pick up car in mid March. what car you tell me about the radio?
Pierce Arrow did not have radios in 1929. First radio option for Pierce was late 1930. The Philco Tranzitone was the “authorized†unit for Pierce with a locking key that had Pierce as part of thr key blank. Studebaker also used the same unit, at the same time. I have several early radios, but am down south so I can’t post photos. Please post photos of your new purchase. The site doesn’t show the car when ai do a search for it. Good luck with your new car, Best, Ed.
Accessory catalog #51 dated March 1930 includes the radio. I was not able to post the scanned page. I will gladly send this to someone who can. Please advise.
Paul, send me the scanned image and I will post the image for you.
Craig
Thanks Craig, the scan has been sent.
Eric,
Welcome to PAS!
When you get the car, please do NOT try to fire up the radio without at least putting a fuse (probably 20 amp will do, although those with a radio should say if it is less) in the power feed to the radio. If the car has been sitting quite a while, the electrolytic capacitors are likely dried out, and shorted. You should send it to one of the guys who restore radios to get it checked out.
Please send pics of the car, and especially the engine compartment, when available.
Bob
Paul, I haven’t seen that catalog. The first dated factory bulletin I have come across was dated 10/30. Did it list a price? Must have been from 75 to 125 dollars.
The reprint date is 2000 and I believe that Rex Gosnell was selling them. The price of the radio was $200 at a time when a new Ford could be bought for $500.
well thank you all
I did not expect to get this much response. i thank you all! i am posting only photos i have at this point of the car. the radio does not look like the one the one Paul sent me info about. (thank you Paul) this is the only photo i have at this point of the dash
Er
p.s.
Bob and Melanie are correct. When I found my radio, I brought it to an antique radio restorer. He refused to light it up. He said the bulbs and fuses are so old that they could blow and ruin the entire thing.
Im glad I did not try to attach power to it myself. I would have never guessed it could be a time bomb waiting to happen.
The radio guy did a great job. He restored it cosmetically as well as mechanically. New tubes, fuses etc….
Once I picked it up, he fired it up. It reminded me of the Transistor radios from the 1960s. Sounded like crap but better than nothing. It was kinda cool at the same time.
I will post pics of the radio and brochure once I figure out how to load them now lololo
.
.
.
.
.
$87.50 holy crap!!!!
The car has been deleted off the HIBID auction site.
The Radio in that car is not the one in the 30 catalog. However, it might have been installed by the dealership. The volume and station control is mounted into the dash. The speaker is dead center behind the stick shift.
The Radio I have for my 29 is from 29-32..The restorer thought it was on the earlier end because the tubes are much larger. He told me that 29 was the last year of the large tubes. They became smaller. (still big) after 29.
I even have the original sales brochure for it. The radio mounts onto the firewall. This sucker must weigh all of 15lbs. The volume and station adjuster mounts on the steering column. Unfortunately, the on and off switch is on the radio box that sits high for passengers foot room.
just got a photo from seller
ER
The Majestic Twin Six was being advertised in June of 1933 for 45.00, identicle “airplane†reading head, but the main box looked a little newer. It common to have “mixed Year†heads and receivers. I have several complete 1930 and 1931 Philco sets, but have purchased the later 1938 and 1939 receivers and speakers, as they work with the earlier head, but are ten times better at reception and sound. Almost no one can tell the difference as the boxes are virtually Identicle. Several people have installed new modern radios in the boxes along with a rechargeable battery that will run the unit for hours. Works great, you get am or fm, and the sound is perfect. Some also have them connect to their Apple phone and play music through them. Factory radios are the only accessories that I like to put on my cars, otherwise I like the “factory showroom stock lookâ€. I’m restoring a car now that had a very early dealer installed unit, and it is 24 volt in 1930. So in addition to the head, box, and speaker, there is another box with batteries that attaches to the under side of the car that bolts to the frame. You have to change out the dry cell batteries for a power source. This set up was large, bulky around the feet, and used up the batteries fast, not to mention the unit was just plain difficult to tune. Such is the joy of trying to keep a car stock and period correct.