ORIGINAL RADIO SERVICE
Keep your antique vehicle 100% original
It seems most car enthusiasts prefer to either install a modern stereo in the car, or convert their original radio to modern stereo. This is our specialty of course, but we still respect those who prefer to keep their vehicles 100% original -- drum brakes, 6 volt electrical, points/condenser ignition, and AM tube radio, simply because that's exactly how the vehicle left the factory.
Original car radio repair is getting increasingly tougher as time goes by. Not only are original parts getting tougher to obtain, but the radios themselves require more parts than ever to keep them playing reliably. As an example, an old car needs a lot of extra parts just because it's old -- things like tires, hoses, belts, fuel lines, brake parts, and numerous other parts that can go bad simply from sitting. Same with the radio; parts that are 60-70 years old should be replaced without question. Parts such as electrolytic filters, which dry out over time, and can explode and destroy a power transformer.
Also, as time goes by it seems there are fewer and fewer technicians who know and understand vacuum tube technology. Modern repair shops simply don't have the expertise, the literature, nor the parts to cover even the simplest repair of such a set.
Never fear; not only have we been servicing tube radios for many years, we stock the parts most often needed, and we have literature covering most every set dating back to the early 1920's!
Of course some older radios are simply too far gone to be repaired reliably. Badly weathered chassis, missing or severely damaged power supplies, specialized components with no available replacements, not to mention shoddy service by rogue technicians in the past, can render a set unrepairable, at least at a reasonable price. We will provide you with as honest an opinion as we can, suggesting alternatives if such need arises.
Prices: This is something we simply cannot predict until we see the radio, and there's no telling what surprises may be encountered as we actually do the service. But, as a guideline, you can expect tube radios to be around $200-250, hybrids $150-200, and transistor sets $100-150. Typical turnaround is 30-60 days, but is not guaranteed -- as special parts may need to be ordered, or surprise problems appear, etc.
We'll be happy to warranty our work for a year; however common sense applies here. If a year and a day later the radio fails from a workmanship error, we'll cover it, but if components go bad that are outside the realm of what was serviced, or if failure is due to damage from bad external wiring, additional charges may apply.