Retrofitting Wonderbar into non-wonderbar '66

[Twilight Fenrir]

Okay, so I bought a wonderbar for my '66 that only had an AM radio. I hot-wired it to a battery and speaker and it works! Fabulous... but it won't go into my dash...

The threaded shanks, and the shanks the knobs go onto is about 1/4-3/8 too short! I popped open my AM radio (Start with the junk) and the threaded parts were reasonably accessable, so I took a look inside my wonderbar.... and I'm not messing with that, way too much going on in that thing.

Is there something I'm overlooking? Or did I get sent the wrong radio?

[69W34]

Okay, so I bought a wonderbar for my '66 that only had an AM radio. I hot-wired it to a battery and speaker and it works! Fabulous... but it won't go into my dash...

The threaded shanks, and the shanks the knobs go onto is about 1/4-3/8 too short! I popped open my AM radio (Start with the junk) and the threaded parts were reasonably accessable, so I took a look inside my wonderbar.... and I'm not messing with that, way too much going on in that thing.

Is there something I'm overlooking? Or did I get sent the wrong radio?

Did the wonderbar come out of a 66-7 toro? ... then .... If I understand correctly the AM is out, set the two side by side and compare the shank and dial stems, if the WB is shorter then it has come from different application, if they are the same, have all of the retainer nuts been removed from the unit? In not then do so it shouldn't fall apart keep in mind the tapered escutcheon must be installed before the nut thus sandwiching the escutcheon between the nut and dash face. A nut behind the escutcheon upsets positioning the main function is to cover the threaded shanks and provide a backing for the dials.

[Twilight Fenrir]

Did the wonderbar come out of a 66-7 toro? ... then .... If I understand correctly the AM is out, set the two side by side and compare the shank and dial stems, if the WB is shorter then it has come from different application, if they are the same, have all of the retainer nuts been removed from the unit? In not then do so it shouldn't fall apart keep in mind the tapered escutcheon must be installed before the nut thus sandwiching the escutcheon between the nut and dash face. A nut behind the escutcheon upsets positioning the main function is to cover the threaded shanks and provide a backing for the dials.

It's supposed to have come from a '66-7 Toro... I had already compared the two, and the AM is definitely longer than the Wonderbar. So he sent me the wrong radio.... Well, conveniently there is one on eBay at the moment I can pick up if I have to.

Thanks for the confirmation.

[Twilight Fenrir]

Well... it's supposed to be out of a '67.... But the shafts are definitely different lengths... Thankfully he has one directly from a '66 as well, and he will check lengths for me. Here it is next to my old AM-only... AM on the right, Wonderbar on the left.

[69W34]

Ok ...just for grins stack the radios and take a picture so we can see the fronts Oh one last question were the knobs with the wonderbar? If so show them as well.

[Twilight Fenrir]

Ok ...just for grins stack the radios and take a picture so we can see the fronts Oh one last question were the knobs with the wonderbar? If so show them as well.

Well, the studs on it makes it difficult to stack, so I set them side by side instead

It did come with the knobs shown, but I knew the main knob was not original. The back disc-knobs were identical to my AM's.

[69W34]

Ok Looking at push buttons and tuner /volume nob of the wonderbar it would appear to be out of a 67 other than the obvious visual appearance (and all things being equal) there would be no reason not the use 67 nobs.

[Twilight Fenrir]

Ok Looking at push buttons and tuner /volume nob of the wonderbar it would appear to be out of a 67 other than the obvious visual appearance (and all things being equal) there would be no reason not the use 67 nobs.

Right, except that it doesn't fit

My original AM knobs should be the same as the 66 wonderbar knobs by the looks of it. He double-checked, and the '66 one he has on hand does have the 2" shaft-length. So he's sending it to me, and I get to piece together what I need to make it work, and send him back whatever is left over.

I thought the '66 and '67 had the same instrument cluster, and... pretty much everything except interior fabric, grille, and lack of eyebrows over the headlights...

[69W34]

As I look at that larger 67 knob ( not the fader dial) it look as though it has a pointer in it, does it? If so that could be the rear defrost knob and not a radio knob an no wonder it didn't fit, there is no pointers on the radio knobs at all.

Anyway it would appear that you'll have what you need wrap it up ... its to long of a list but there are a number of thing that changed in 67 from the 66, apparently we could add the radio to that list too.

[Twilight Fenrir]

As I look at that larger 67 knob ( not the fader dial) it look as though it has a pointer in it, does it? If so that could be the rear defrost knob and not a radio knob an no wonder it didn't fit, there is no pointers on the radio knobs at all.

Anyway it would appear that you'll have what you need wrap it up ... its to long of a list but there are a number of thing that changed in 67 from the 66, apparently we could add the radio to that list too.

lol, yeah, the volume knob has a pointer on it. I thought it was kinda cool, that's why I was planning to use it even though it didn't match. Oh well

But, the pointer isn't the issue in this case, when the shafts are fully tightened into the dash, then the fader knobs are added, only about 1/4" of the central shaft sticks through, which isn't enough to engage any of the 3 types of knobs I have.

I can't believe this hasn't come up before, lol. I'd have thought alot of people would have been stuck with AM only... Oh well, live and learn, I knew what I was getting into when I fell in love with such an irregular car.