Gm Delco Radio

[Mette Florida]

Delco Electronics Corporation was the automotive electronics design and manufacturing subsidiary of General Motors based in Kokomo, Indiana, that manufactured Delco Automobile radios and other electric products found in GM cars. In 1972, General Motors merged it with the AC Electronics division and it continued to operate as part of the Delco Electronics division of General Motors. When the corporation acquired the Hughes Aircraft Company, Delco was merged with it to form Hughes Electronics as an independent subsidiary.

The name "Delco" came from the "Dayton Engineering Laboratories Co.", founded in Dayton, Ohio, by Charles Kettering and Edward A. Deeds in 1909.[1] Delco was responsible for several innovations in automobile electric systems, including the first reliable battery ignition system and the first practical automobile self-starter.

Initially Kettering and Deeds were co-workers at National Cash Register Company (NCR). Kettering and Deeds had a lifelong professional relationship and friendship. In 1904, Deeds hired Kettering at NCR to motorize the cash register.

Around 1908, Deeds asked for help with a car he was building from a kit. Working in one of Deeds' barns with spare-time help from William A. Chryst and other NCR friends, Kettering developed a high-energy spark ignition system to replace the weak-spark model supplied with the kit. Leaving NCR in 1909, Kettering focused on final development of this ignition set and demonstrations were favorably received. In 1909, when Henry Leland of Cadillac ordered 5,000 ignition sets, Deeds and Kettering formed the Dayton Engineering Laboratories company. The ignition system was introduced on the 1910 Cadillac.

In 1911, Kettering invented and filed for U.S. patent 1,150,523 for the first useful electric starter, adapted from a cash register motor.[2] The starters were first installed by Cadillac on production models in 1912.

In 1915, Deeds left NCR to devote himself full-time to Delco. At the time, one of Kettering's widely known inventions was the Delco-Light, a small internal combustion generator with battery intended to provide a source of electric illumination and mechanical power to rural residents (mostly farmers) who were yet to be connected to the nascent electrical grid system.[3] The "Delco" brand name was associated with original production units of the company such as 'Delco Light', 'Delco Products', 'Delco Moraine' and others.

During World War I, the Delco plant in Moraine, Ohio, was expanded to manufacture the Airco DH.4 bomber, the only American-built airplane to see action in World War I. More than 3,000 were built in Moraine for the Dayton-Wright Airplane Company. Delco was also one of the manufacturers that produced the Liberty aircraft engine.

In 1918, General Motors (GM) acquired the United Motors Company which had been formed several years earlier by William C Durant to house several prominent parts manufacturers, including Delco, Dayton-Wright, and the Dayton Metal Products Company.[4] All of these latter companies were associated with Charles Kettering, Edward A. Deeds, and Harold E. Talbott. Kettering became vice president of General Motors Research Corporation in 1920. He held the position as head of research for GM for 27 years.

In 1930, Delco Products researched and developed a new type of auto carburetion system called the Cold Carburetion System which was a cross of the standard carburetor of that era and the future fuel injection system. While Delco Products promised a lot with their invention, it never became an option on GM autos either as production or an addon.[5]

In 1936, Delco began producing the first dashboard-installed car radios. By the early 1970s, Delco had become a major supplier of automotive electronics equipment. Based in Kokomo, Indiana, Delco Electronics employed more than 30,000 at its peak. In early 1956, Delco produced a transistorized hybrid signal-seeking car radio, which used both vacuum tubes and transistors in its radio's circuitry. Transistors were used to replace the radio's audio output vacuum tubes and also the vibrator. This transistorized hybrid radio was available as an option on the 1956 Chevrolet Corvette car models.[6] In 1957, Delco produced an all-transistor signal-seeking car radio that was available for the 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham car models.[7][8]

In 1962, GM created the General Motors Research Laboratories, based in Santa Barbara, California, to conduct research and development activities on defense systems. This organization was eventually merged into Delco Electronics and renamed "Delco Systems Operations".

In 1974, Donald J. Atwood Jr. was appointed General Manager. The division was transformed in the following years as it grew to meet the needs of General Motors for engine and powertrain control modules to meet the U.S. government's strict 1981 Clean Air Act and other improved vehicle safety items including anti-skid brake system controllers and inflatable restraint (airbag) systems.

In 1993, Gary W Dickinson was appointed CEO of Delco Electronics. Gary Dickinson used Delco Electronics' involvement in the Development of electronics for GM auto racing as major promotional opportunity sponsoring an Indy 500 team and the Indy 500 Festival Parade from 1993 to 1997.

In 1997, all of the aerospace and defense businesses of Hughes Electronics (Hughes Aircraft and Delco Systems Operations) merged with defense contractor Raytheon; the Hughes Network Systems portion of Hughes Communications became DirecTV; and the commercial portion of Delco Electronics was transferred to GM's Delphi Automotive business.

In 2009, as a result of Delphi Corporation's and General Motors' bankruptcy filings and realignment, it was agreed that GM would take back some of the Delphi plants it had previously owned as they manufactured key components necessary for GM, and organized into a new subsidiary, GM Components Holdings.[9] This included all of the former Delco Electronics' plants in Kokomo, Indiana, where only a fraction of the previous manufacturing remains.

In 2020, in response to a growing shortage of ventilators due to the COVID-19 pandemic, General Motors announced a partnership with Ventec Life Systems to assist in increasing production of ventilators at their Kokomo facility.[10]

All the boards are hard-wired to each other, which makes it impossible to lay them all flat on a table. Additionally, the connecting wires are short, stiff, and lack stress relief, which puts a lot of stress on the solder joints. A few of the joints broke while I was reassembling the stereo, requiring me to resolder every connection wire.

I added JST-XH connectors and a few extra inches of wire to all the board-to-board connections. This made debugging and determining pinouts much easier. It also allows me to easily inject a bluetooth audio signal into the radio.

i drive a 1988 nova with the same radio. it has a short and is draining the battery. I would like to keep the radio. delco model #16131355.i think it may be one of the capacitors. what are your thoughts?

I agree, a faulty capacitor would be a likely culprit. If the battery is draining even when the radio is switched off, then it is likely one of the capacitors connected to the 12V input has failed and has shorted.

Would you be able help out on how and what is needed? Really trying to keep it all stock without drilling anything as the AC Delco unit is in perfect condition. I know I will most likely need to put a button somewhere to pair the Bluetooth.

The AC Delco radio that appeared in your blue tooth explanation is the same radio that is in my 1991 chevy S10 pickup truck. Do you repair radios? Presently, mine does not work. I checked the fuse and connections. All were good. When I power the radio I do hear crackling sounds out of the speaker.

Richard, I don't have any pic's handy but I'm sure someone will. There are 3 types...standard AM....AM/FM....and Radio with built in 8 track (not sure if the are AM or AM/FM)....which one do you want or does it matter....Dave...

Any or all. Most of the radios in that era are basically the same looking Delco wonderbar, from what I can tell. I was wondering if the radios in '71 had the stupid looking knobs with the symbols on them or if they are black or woodgrain.

AC cars would have two speakers regardless of AM, Mono or Stereo. AC apperatus would interfer if speaker were mounted in center of dash. Only non-AC cars would have the center speaker only with AM radios. AM/FM mono radios would have two front & one rear speaker regardless of A/C or not.

Lets see we had a 70 Chevelle which was a non a/c car and it had the stereo speakers 2 4x6 in the dash and 2 6x9 in the rear, no w/ built in Fader Control plus it was a 8 track player. We currently have a 70 El Camino non a/c car which was a single speaker. My Monte is or was an a/c car with a 4 speaker setup. 70 knobs are black with chrome trim. 71 base models got the solid black knobs. 71ss and 72 had the symbol knobs. The drivers side speaker wasn't just unique to the 70-72 Monte's the Chevelle's had the same speaker with the gauge dash. The magnet was offset to clear the amp gauge on that side of the dash don't know why as i have a 4x6 with a round magnet sitting there now.

This is the Team Chevelle site, but the radios used in both cars are identical. One of the other guys posted what the radio knobs should look like. If you want some sources of where to purchase used radios, let me know. I know of a couple places besides eBay that typically have them in stock.

Robert got it correct on the radio knobs. The 71 non-SS is different from all 72s. This also applies to the headlamp and lighter knobs as well. Don't go by what this web site has under Tech Info, How do you Tell Them Apart since it is incorrect.

I put out a request years ago for my '63 Delco but purchased a Sam's Photo-Facts book from Steve Johnson in Syracuse, NY, a good purchase. You'll need to provide him the Delco model number to purchase the correct volume that has your radio.