[71gp]

I did a quick search on the topic, and the latest responses are from 2021 ?

I have an original AM/FM Delco radio in my 71 GP that was upgraded in 2017 by Gary Tayman down in Florida. He did the Aurora Designs FMR-2 conversion. but I went cheap and left off the Bluetooth option. Could always add Bluetooth now, but I was never crazy about the sound the radio produced, Only slightly better than stock. They now have better EQ controls, but a full rebuild to the latest version may be required and thus cost prohibitive. I'll call and find out.

Flash forward to 2024 and would like to get something with good sound and Bluetooth that will fit the stock uncut dash opening. The Custom Autosound 740 and 850 have the right look and seemingly better Tone control options.
I've read that Retrosound units sound good, but can be tricky to install and usually require a little "tweaking" to get the right fit.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[JSchmitz]

I had my '64 AM radio upgraded to AM/FM w/Bluetooth recently. It sounds amazing! My wife talked me into Bluetooth. I'm very glad she did. I use it a lot. Wasn't cheap! About $600. Worth every penny. Looks like mine is Aurora 3.0/BTU-3.1. Hooked to Kenwood 6x9's and a couple of small speakers in the dash (custom mount).

[Tarl]

I am happy with the retrosound in my firebird for the last 3 years, A few buddies of mine have them with no issues, but I have talked and heard from others that they break easy. I had to replace my friends retrosound with a new one that crapped out, but it was in a CJ5 jeep with no top that went through a car wash and he installed the radio upside down so the cooling vents were at the top.

[HoovDaddy]

I installed and returned RetroSound and Retro Manufacturing radios 2 years ago in our Firebird. The other car has a Custom Autosound from 8 years ago and I don't like it either. All of the radios try to get too many functions from 4 knobs (hard to remember). None of them sound very good for what they cost, and they look crappy except for the $800 Retro Mfg, radio which nails the look perfectly, but falls short on sound and ease of controls. Also, the radio knobs never match. In my opinion, Bluetooth just isn't practical in an old car without a digital display if you want to change things while driving.

I went a completely different direction on our Firebird. I ended up cutting the front of the stock radio off and remounting it in the dash with a light. I purchased a marine radio which is mounted under the front seat with the control head hidden in the console. All inputs and outputs are RCA making it plug and play and expandable. Most marine radios like this one have AM/FM stereo, XM, weather band, Bluetooth, and USB or an AUX. I have a USB stick that I put about 5000 songs on in several genre folders. The folders and song names show in the display. I just let it play non-stop, it’s all of my favorite stuff from my music collection. I like that I can operate most functions by feel, without looking. This winter I am going to add an equalizer and amp under the rear seat as well as better rear speakers and sub to make road trips more enjoyable.

[65madgoat]

The only one I would go with is Antique Automobile Radio. Looks 100% stock for the most part:

https://www.radiosforoldcars.com/

[71gp]

I appreciate your input
I'm leaning towards using what I've already got, it's original to the car, and I know it works pretty well. If an upgrade, or even full rebuild is needed to get the sound I want, so be it.
Looking at the aftermarket stuff, especially the AAR products, I'm not saving that much. But it is nice to have a plan B...or C !
I'll give Gary Tayman (Original re-builder) a call and see if any of the previous conversion is compatible with the latest tech they have - maybe save a few bucks !
Again, thanks for all your responses. Much appreciated !