• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Last vehicle with an AM-only radio?

K

kevtronics

I know some GM models came standard with an AM radio until at least 1990, while I think all Chrysler radios were AM/FM beginning in 1988, perhaps even earlier.

Ford was the last holdout I can find of AM-only radios, in the 1996 (1996!) F-series pickup trucks. The Special and XL trim levels list "electronic AM radio with digital clock" as a standard feature:

The redesigned 1997 model finally made an AM/FM radio standard.

As of 1989, Ford still touted the fact that the F-150 came with an AM radio as standard as an advantage over the Chevrolet pickups:
books.google.com

Popular Mechanics

Popular Mechanics inspires, instructs and influences readers to help them master the modern world. Whether it’s practical DIY home-improvement tips, gadgets and digital technology, information on the newest cars or the latest breakthroughs in science -- PM is the ultimate guide to our high-tech...
books.google.com

I believe this is Ford's last AM-only radio:
s-l1600.jpg
 
Hm...

I'd think that maybe some foreign makes (perhaps Asian, stripped down models) could be in that general era as well.
 
My first thought was maybe one of the 90s era GM economy cars, like the Saturn SL1, Geo Metro, or Chevy Cavalier. Upon research, all of them had a Radio Delete available, but the basic radio was an AM/FM unit.

It looks like the last year for an AM-only tuner on the Cavalier was 1987.

KenoGuy said:
I can definitely say that 1991 Chevrolet S-10/GMC Sonoma had AM-only standard on base models (which were REALLY base).
Click to expand...
While I was looking through Chevy brochures, I found that the 1994 S-10 was the last year which had an AM only tuner standard. For model year 1995, the Chevrolet Cheyenne (full size truck), Blazer, and Suburban had also lost their AM only tuner.

Chevrolet, Oldsmobile and Cadillac have a very cool archive of their option sheets, going back more than 100 years. Site Maintenance
 
Speaking of AM radios, my 2018 Buick Encore does OK (depending on the night) with AM DX. But there's just so much noise on various channels, and the signal strength between 1200 and 1500khz is often attenuated. I could have KRVN-880 blasting in, but I barely hear a peep from KEJB-1480 in Eureka, which is a hidden gem. KEJB usually dominates at S7-S9 on other radios.

Any way to adjust a shark fin antenna and the infotainment to increase AM signal strength? Like with an aftermarket preamp or something? Or am I stuck the way that it is?
 
kevtronics said:
1988 appears to be the last year for an AM-only radio in Chrysler vehicles, even in the archaic Ram Van whose body dated back to the early 1970s:

Instrument Panel Radio & Antenna - 1989 Dodge Ram Van

MoparPartsGiant.com offers genuine Instrument Panel Radio & Antenna for 1989 Dodge Ram Van with great price and fast delivery.
www.moparpartsgiant.com www.moparpartsgiant.com
s-l1600.jpg
Click to expand...

That makes sense. My first car was a 1989 Dodge with basic everything. It had a standard AM/FM radio, including… AM Stereo! It sounded really good too. The only AM stereo stations in my area then were oldies and adult standards, but the channel separation was outstanding. It sounded just as good as FM. Unfortunately that’s the only good thing I can say about that car! 🤣
 
I wonder if they still use a manually adjustable antenna trimmer on the radio itself?

That '96 Ford radio was RARE. I was doing a lot of work for a very large dealer at the time and rode in many of their vehicles and don't recall ever seeing that one. I do know that FoMoCo would do some odd penny-pinching, like a chrome front bumper/painted rear (but if you went to buy a replacement chrome was CHEAPER) and even the nicest of the XLT Lariats rarely came through with a shaded windshield.
 
kevtronics said:
I know some GM models came standard with an AM radio until at least 1990, while I think all Chrysler radios were AM/FM beginning in 1988, perhaps even earlier.

Ford was the last holdout I can find of AM-only radios, in the 1996 (1996!) F-series pickup trucks. The Special and XL trim levels list "electronic AM radio with digital clock" as a standard feature:

The redesigned 1997 model finally made an AM/FM radio standard.

As of 1989, Ford still touted the fact that the F-150 came with an AM radio as standard as an advantage over the Chevrolet pickups:
books.google.com

Popular Mechanics

Popular Mechanics inspires, instructs and influences readers to help them master the modern world. Whether it’s practical DIY home-improvement tips, gadgets and digital technology, information on the newest cars or the latest breakthroughs in science -- PM is the ultimate guide to our high-tech...
books.google.com

I believe this is Ford's last AM-only radio:
s-l1600.jpg
Click to expand...
I drove some 1990s Ford AM only utility vans for various jobs. I never understood why they went and gave it a digital display, but couldn't add FM to this thing.
 
kevtronics said:
I know some GM models came standard with an AM radio until at least 1990, while I think all Chrysler radios were AM/FM beginning in 1988, perhaps even earlier.

Ford was the last holdout I can find of AM-only radios, in the 1996 (1996!) F-series pickup trucks. The Special and XL trim levels list "electronic AM radio with digital clock" as a standard feature:

The redesigned 1997 model finally made an AM/FM radio standard.

As of 1989, Ford still touted the fact that the F-150 came with an AM radio as standard as an advantage over the Chevrolet pickups:
books.google.com

Popular Mechanics

Popular Mechanics inspires, instructs and influences readers to help them master the modern world. Whether it’s practical DIY home-improvement tips, gadgets and digital technology, information on the newest cars or the latest breakthroughs in science -- PM is the ultimate guide to our high-tech...
books.google.com

I believe this is Ford's last AM-only radio:
s-l1600.jpg
Click to expand...
That's the one that came in my parents 1993 F-150, we all couldn't believe it didn't have FM!
 
crainbebo said:
And weren't the Ford AM radios *really good* in those days? High-gain antennas and range?
Click to expand...

I have a Chevy Lumina 95 with a Delco Electronics radio. I am shocked at how good that AM receiver is. It can hear WBAL 1090 at high noon clear as a bell from Baltimore to Philadelphia. High gain - yet minimal car noise. Until one of those EVs passes me by, of course.

The FM receiver leaves much to be desired though.
 
It's very surprising that any car maker would have AM only past the early 80s when many markets lost music stations. It's shocking that Ford made an F150 with AM only in the 1990s. Who would have tolerated that?
 
In 1977 there was proposed legislation to force all car radios to be "all-channel" (AM/FM), as well as an antitrust hearing of why automakers were charging so much more for AM/FM radios than AM radios, when the cost differential in non-automotive radios wasn't nearly as much.
www.google.com

AM/FM/stereo Radio Receivers in Automobiles

www.google.com

"An auto company charging $70 for an AM radio just doubles it to $140 for the combined AM/FM. It goes up to $210 for AM/FM/stereo."
 
RMarino said:
That makes sense. My first car was a 1989 Dodge with basic everything. It had a standard AM/FM radio, including… AM Stereo! It sounded really good too. The only AM stereo stations in my area then were oldies and adult standards, but the channel separation was outstanding. It sounded just as good as FM. Unfortunately that’s the only good thing I can say about that car! 🤣
Click to expand...
There's an oldies station in my area that is (or was) AM stereo. I haven't heard the stereo lately, but some of the music on some songs would come from one speaker and some from the other.

I've only heard that on one other station, which was FM but also oldies.
 
kevtronics said:
In 1977 there was proposed legislation to force all car radios to be "all-channel" (AM/FM), as well as an antitrust hearing of why automakers were charging so much more for AM/FM radios than AM radios, when the cost differential in non-automotive radios wasn't nearly as much.
www.google.com

AM/FM/stereo Radio Receivers in Automobiles

www.google.com

"An auto company charging $70 for an AM radio just doubles it to $140 for the combined AM/FM. It goes up to $210 for AM/FM/stereo."
Click to expand...
What's funny is how that has flipped. Now the radio industry is pushing legislation that would mandate inclusion of AM capability in all vehicles.
 
kwthom said:
Hm...

I'd think that maybe some foreign makes (perhaps Asian, stripped down models) could be in that general era as well.
Click to expand...
Nope. Toyota, Nissan, Mazda and Mitsubishi were among the first brands to offer AM/FM as standard equipment, which helped them conquer 30-something buyers.

Honda was late to the party, but only because they held onto radios being dealer-installed options until ‘86. My understanding is that the take rate for dealer-installed AM radios was close to zero and many of us (I bought a new ‘84 Civic) took the opportunity to have higher-end aftermarket units installed (I went with an Alpine 7256).
 


Back
Top Bottom