Multiple (1962) Wonderbar Radio and speaker questi

[Larry Parylla]

I need suggestions as to where I can send my Wonderbar Radio for repair. I found these two sites using Google but I was wondering if anyone has anything good or bad to say about them or if the can recommend someone else that they may have used. Both Dr rebuild wonderbarman have impressive web sires but I take anything I read on the internet with a grain of salt. I really want to hear from people that have dealt with these people and hear the good and bad experiences

http://www.wonderbarman.com/Corvette.html

http://www.nadjaart.com/charles/index.htm#experience

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http://www.docrebuild.com/dr-r-web/aaa-home.html

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I also bought a new speaker from someone called Dr rebuild. Dr rebuild advertises himself as selling correct parts but the info on the wonderbarman radio repair site says the speaker should have an impedance of 1.5 ohms but I measured the Dr rebuild speaker at 0.5 ohms. Who should I believe? Did I get the wrong speaker? Dr rebuild has a pretty impressive site and he advertises his stuff really to be better than his competitors. Since this is the first purchase from Dr rebuild and it turns out to be the wrong part should I buy his other stuff and consider the speaker to be one mistake out of the thousands of parts he sells?
One more question I bought the 1962 last September with a non-working Wonderbar Radio. I purchased a second Wonderbar Radio on Ebay for $550 as a spare and a replacement. I am pretty sure the Wonderbar Radio in the car is the one that came with the car when it was new while the one from Ebay is an unknown year. Does it matter what year radio is in the car? I don’t plan on having it judged but if I spend money I want to get it right the first time instead of going back and undoing stuff if I ever decide to go all the way with my car

[Dennis C.]

Re: Multiple (1962) Wonderbar Radio and speaker qu

Larry - Over the years I've had good experience with Charles Sigfried in California. He has ads in both The Driveline & Hemmings. He specializes in Wonderbar radios only and that is what you usually need to make one of these sorry things work (I only say that by today's standards)... There is a subtle change in the 61/62 radios, but I don't know the name of the part to describe it. Stick with your '62 radio if possible. Best, Dennis

[Larry Parylla]

Re: Multiple (1962) Wonderbar Radio and speaker qu

I planned on putting the Ebay radio in while I got the one in the car fixed. That way I won’t have a hole in the console while the other one is in for repair. Then when I get the original back I can fix the Ebay one. The Ebay radio was advertised as a working radio but even if it turns out not to be in working order I can get it fixed and keep it as a spare or sell it. I thought that $550 ($567.50 with shipping) didn’t seem to be a bad price even for a non working Wonderbar Radio.

[Dave S.]

Re: Multiple (1962) Wonderbar Radio and speaker qu

Larry,
I had Charles Siegfried do the wonderbar on my 59 a few years back in preparation for my PV. It performed flawlessly. When I decided to do my 61 wonderbar, for some unexplainable reason I sent it to a known Corvette radio repairman who had successfully done 2 other later style non wonderbar radios for me. I returned my wonderbar to him 2 times as it wasn't right. I then did what I should have done in the first place, send it to Charles Siegfried. Charles rebuilds them, he does not repair them. His fee sounds expensive at first but after you think about an incomplete repair and the subsequent issues including failure of a PV, if you intend to go that route, then it is the only way to go in my opinion.

[John M.]

Re: Multiple (1962) Wonderbar Radio and speaker qu

Larry,
I can't help you on a reccomendation as to who to send your radio to since I do my own radios, but the 61-62 radio is easily identifiable by the lack of the large aluminum cased eletrolytic cap sticking out the drivers side of the radio. The 58-60 cars had the transformers and the cap on the side, while the 61-62 were moved to the rear. I would bet you that this change was made to remove the interference between the cowl vent linkage and the capacitor. I have not worked on a 58-60 radio in a long time that does not have at least a little groove in the case of the cap from the lnkage! The radios are functionally interchangable and if judging is not in your future, then is won't make a difference. The low impedance speaker you got is kind of the standard that everyone is selling, but if you search around, you will find someone who sells the correct one. The speaker will work, but will put a lot more stress on the output transistor and probably will make it fail sooner. A lot of people just go ahead and put them in since the most their radio will be used is when they turn it on for judges at a meet. In most parts of the country, AM radio has been abandoned to talk radio, or religious brodcasting!

Regards, John McGraw

[John H.]

Re: Multiple (1962) Wonderbar Radio and speaker qu

Charles Siegfried rebuilt my (non-working) '57 Wonderbar and power supply, and it worked like a champ; 3-year parts & labor guarantee as well.

[Mike E.]

Re: Multiple (1962) Wonderbar Radio and speaker qu

John--
I have to respectfully disagree with you. The change between 58-60 and 61-62 wonderbars was initially only the change between rectangular pushbuttons and pushbuttons with finger indents. It was not until early 62 that the components were changed from the left side of the radio to the back to clear the cowl vent mechanism.That is reflected in the judging manual as well.

[John M.]

Re: Multiple (1962) Wonderbar Radio and speaker qu

Mike,
You are absolutley correct! The change of the components did not happen until the 62 model year. We get so used to talking about 61-62 cars as a completely different car, when the 61 was most certianly a year of transition. The buttons changed on the 61 cars, but the transformers and Capacitor did not.

Regards, John McGraw

[Dennis C.]

Re: Multiple (1962) Wonderbar Radio and speaker qu

Thanks Mike - I almost thought I knew what I was (trying to) talk about. I just didn't want to post that it is a "thingie that sticks out on the left side of the radio"... Best, Dennis

[Jack H.]

Re: Multiple (1962) Wonderbar Radio and speaker qu

Larry,
Ditto to Dennis' response. Charles has restored both my '61 and '65 radios and they work flawlessly.
FWIW. . .
jackcasa