These sets are notorious for intermittent problems - hit a bump and reception fades, hit another bump and it returns. The late 50's Bendix AM sets were okay at the time, but the components go bad over time. They were used in late 50's Fords and Mopars, and AM/FM sets from about 1962-66 on Fords, Mopars, and a few others (except 1966 Lincoln, when they got smart and switched to Delco. To elaborate a little more on my former comments, Bendix radios from about 1955 through the mid 60's are awful sets. The reverb option disables the fader if equipped, and adds a switch/control under the dash to control the echo through the rear speaker. Radio model is F4TBS for 64, or TOB5TBS for 65. The third option was the AM/FM radio, which includes a fader control and a rear speaker. Radio model is 4TMS/F, or 5TMS/F, signifying the radio has a fader control behind the tuning knob., If you have the louvers, the car has a rear speaker option. If you look at the back seat, the bird emblem above the center armrest has louvers around it. Radio model was 4TMS, or 5TMS for the 65. Standard was a Motorola AM radio, with a single 4x10 speaker in the center of the dash. On the 64, and 65 for that matter, you had three radio options (not counting the reverb). Surprisingly it looks brand new and the buttons work better than any one I've seen. It so happens I came across a 1965 radio in pristine condition. This mechanism was greatly improved for 66. The buttons work, but they don't always switch to AM or FM properly. They are also known for power transistors blowing ($50 part if you can find one).Īlso the flipover buttons on the 65 can get sloppy. These sets are notorious for intermittent reception - hit a bump and the radio station goes away. Possibly they didn't offer the fader AM version in 66? The four-pin connectors are the same, but plug in the wrong set and you can't adjust front to back properly.Īlso, be careful. Since the 65 and 66 AM sets are the same, I've often wondered if they actually had two different wiring harnesses for an AM vs/ AM/FM set. They are wired differently on the 66 as compared to the 65. The 66 is better, but still quite lousy compared to the Motorola AM set. Reception and audio quality are disappointing. The 1965 radio is about the worst radio out there, in terms of what you pay and what you get for it. The 1965 (TOB5TBS) has a single power transistor on the side of the radio. They look identical from the front of the dash, but they are quite different. (2) If somebody has one, definitely verify that it's a 1966 instead of a 1965. (1) Have deep pockets, as these sets go for around $600-800 in any condition. That being said, there are three things you need to be aware of when shopping for one of these. Your best place to look for one of these would be a parts house that's parting out used Thunderbirds.
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