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I got this radio in the collection of parts I just bought. According to the previous owner it came on and hummed before he removed it to replace it with a modern radio. It came out of a 39 Super 8 but does not have the same dial face as the one currently in my 39 Super 8. Does anyone have an idea as to the difference or if this is out of a different model or year?

My Super 8 radio dial is horizontal and this one appears like it should be mounted vertically.

I can provide additional pictures if it helps with identification. The Packard part number is PA 326531 on the side of the radio.

Gene

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Gene,

This site may help in the identification:

http://www.antiquecarradios.com/pb/wp_3f2dff78.html?0.43777253577447206

Dave

Nice site but they do not list that number and they do not list anything older than the 40s. They do have a good listing of the late 40s and 50s though. Thanks, I'll bookmark it. Gene

Is that the extent of the control section -- No levers under or anything outward of the knobs?

As far as I can tell there is an OFF/ON volume control and the station control knobs and that is it for controls. Here is another picture. Maybe I am missing something. With the 105 temps I have not been out there much. I've been trying to finish the house so I can concentrate totally on the cars. Plus, it is a LOT cooler under the house and doing drywall.
I can take additional pictures if someone would like for me to.

Gene

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Here is a picture of one that is currently on eBay for $750 and has been repeatedly on there but never sold. You can easily see the difference in the dial. The dial on the existing one in my 39 Super 8 is like the one shown below and being sold by this person. Gee, I'd take half the price this guy is asking and mine (the one in question, not the one in the car) does not have the rust.

Gene

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Was wondering if there is any chance it could have come from a custom install -- perhaps as a rear seat radio. Another question might be if the person who had the radio collected more than one mfg and units might have been mixed up.

Don't have all the catalogs but from what I have, 38 seems to be the only year where that small horizontal 2 knob only format was used on the dash. That unit has levers on the same shafts as the knobs but as you mention, the dial is wrong. The knobs also don't resemble any Packard knobs I have pictures of.

The back seat radio seems to have mostly had the small 2 knob horizontal format and the control/electronics seem to be modular on most of those two piece units. Perhaps something designed for some other car was picked for it's particular look.

Here is an example of one combination as shown from a schematic for a different model. Both Packard and Lincoln numbers referencing the same radio with the control box schematic saying Packard and the head information for Lincoln. There were probably several other combinations since it was Philco built. No pictures of any of the controls, so just speculation at this point.

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I don't know. The radio and the speaker are identical, in appearance, to the ones currently in the car and these are supposed to be original. The only difference is the vertical rather than horizontal alignment of the numbers.
AH! Zee knobs, Zee knobs! That is the big difference. I've pictured mine, in the car below. The knobs are quite different. The ones on the other radio look like regular replacement now to me but with some age on them.
Gene

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Unless covers are missing, one thing that really seems odd with that unknown control is that it looks crude or thrown together as compared to known Packard or Lincoln heads.

The way the on-off switch appears to just hang on the side and the exposed flex cable to drive the numeral dial instead of the typical gear train strikes me as being something designed in a hurry.

The finish and workmanship on this head (which may be the same one you have in your 39) is so much better.

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I don't know. Is it possible that it is from an earlier, less advanced, car? It seems odd that it would have the correct radio and speaker and a completely "crude or thrown together" dial control. The dial, itself, came out of something but I do not have enough knowledge of the early 30s cars to find it. I did find the Radio number PA351099 for the 1940 model Packard. The number PA326531 should but it close to the 36-37 range based on the way the numbers were running. I wonder if anyone has information about radios from the mid-1930s? I changed the Subject to try to draw more people into this discussion.

Thanks for your continuing interest in solving this little puzzle.

Gene