VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Radios, Tools, Accessories Seeking 1941 Master Deluxe radio and options

My father in law has a 41 master deluxe that is 100% a family car and all original, trying to help restore and/or outfit it each year. I started looking at radio options and found a few threads here about the 5-6 models that are available for the car. I suppose my main problem is neither he nor I go to swap meets and have vintage chevy contacts so I registered here and have been poking around the internet.

I also have no experience with restoring period radios or tube radios in general- I can solder and follow along instructions just fine, but I feel like just buying a random radio off ebay may get me in trouble. I found a guy in Ohio with a "6 tube radio" that has been "restored" by an electrical engineer a year ago, but don't know enough to be able to verify- its the radio with 5 pushbuttons and two dials on either side, it looks like AM (or shortwave?) markers (55, 60, 70, 85, 110, 140, 155).

My inclination is, its not crazy expensive and its supposedly guaranteed to work, I'd like to wire in a secret input eventually so he can play whatever he wants over the original speaker, but here's my general questions for you all:

1) Where can I find an electrically-restored 1941 chevy radio, do any members offer that?
2) Once I find one, are there period installation manuals either for the radio or the car generally, to install these options? Forgive the incredibly dumb question but it sounds like most of the optional equipment requires a lil modification of the car itself? I'm happy to do it I just don't want to ruin anything about the car.

Lastly, the other thing he's missing is a splash pan, which is the painted piece that's flat and between the chrome bumper and boot. Any ideas where to find?

Chevy radios for that year ad model numbers 985694;985695 s/n prefix C41;985697 the shortwave mode s/n prefix E-41l; and Motorola 36C and 36C2
Ray Hollad would have bee the perfect person to help but he's retired at 88.
The 41 is one of the tuffest ones to find especially intact and working. A lot of vintage radioguys don't want to fix them anymore except for doing conversions on them because they become too troublesome nearing 80 for parts or problems such as bad IFtransformers or other obsolete parts. Itr's a bummer after the caps resistors and electrolytics have been replaced and the radio doesn't work!! Well
Basically it's a 6 volt negative ground radio and if the car has been redone electrically to 12 volt. Well again!!
Pretty straight forward installing; Usually a bolt hole on each side with mounting screws on the dash; battery souurce (some may require a bayonet mount fuse holder as well as the same for antenna. Some antennas run under the running board.

If he guarantees it to work you might want to buy it.
I get people sometimes asking me for that radio and hesitate at the pricess when doing a coversion.

Feel free to contact me billtheradioguy@gmail.com Website : BillTheRadioGuy.com

Thank you bill- I see you're in shelton! Hiya. I will probably buy it and see how it goes- the car is original 6V, everything is original on the car, no conversions or aftermarket etc. Hence wanting to find an original radio (I know its hard)

The 41-48 radio will fit. Some have the side mount or support to share the load of the radio while the heavier ones used a rear bracket..

The buttons on most 41s have not held up very well. I think there are vendors who sell replacement push buttons available for the five tube and short wave. Look pretty good for the short wave but not so much for the 5 tube.

The shortwave and the 8-tube were heavy and used a support on the rear that connects to the firewall.

There was a cheapest one just stuck through the dash with blanks to fill the holes where the knobs would be on the others. It didn't do much for the overall looks of the dash. Neither did the 8-tube with its black buttons.

I would get a 47/48 and put it in because most folks wouldn't know the difference. They are the same size as the 5-tube. And, what's more there are a plethora of them out there.

Good luck finding a good 41 radio. I have a couple decent looking 47/48s that would have to be gone through. Usually a vibrator and OZ4 tube is all they need to play.

Best,

Charlie

I hauled an 8-tube and a shortwave to Carlisle and Hershey. Both were in super nice, show-shape with good buttons and knobs, etc.. Not a bite on either one at either location. Go figure. They're back in the garage now where they'll sit again for another right good spell. To heavy to ship or lug around. Are too! They're not for sale any more.

There is a '41 radio on eBay with a buyitnow price of $3000 :).
Just wait a little bit and you'll find a decent priced radio that you can send off to get restored. I got mine "bluetoothed" (but that's just me) and the buttons aren't great (and the available replacement buttons suck)

Charlie (and others). I'm sorry this young guy couldn't make it to Carlisle/Hershey this year. Kids are still small and it's just harder. I hope to get a few visits with you guys before you can't make It any more (I met you a few years ago when I picked up some transmissions). I'm curious to see what you have. The buttons on my radio aren't the best. Someone should re-pro some decent buttons.

IScott,

I saw the one on eBay. It's a short wave. Looks pretty good but mine are much better but like I said, no one showed any interest. Nary an inquiry or anything. Go figure.

I you get to come up next year and that the weather is much better then.

Best,

Charlie

I did find that 41 radio from a gentleman on here for my father in law's 41 master deluxe so I'm going with it and will report back! Its electrically sound, apparently gone over a year ago so might just check connections and tubes when I get it. It does come with some repro buttons too.

Send a picture once you have it installed please. I have a 1941 that I plan on installing a radio in. Unfortunately mine does not work. On top of that there are only 2 reliable AM stations in my area. I am just going to mount the radio and place a blue tooth speaker into it. At least that is what we plan to do, one of many items on the to do list.

Here's a slide from a '41 Chevrolet accessories film showing the different models offerred