Studebaker Champion - Radio - Philco Model S-5123

True to their word, the wrecker mailed me the radio for our 1950 Studebaker Champion. I wrote about the Studebaker Philco Model S-5123 here.

Below is a picture of the worn radio pre-restoration.

Studebaker Radio Retrofit

Ray's Auto Stereo in Sacramento, CA, did a bang-up job retrofitting the Studebaker-Philco S-5130 radio.

The radio fit snugly into the dash  after some minor machining work. The face of the radio looks 100-percent authentic, while the guts of the radio feature:

- A two-way 6" x 9" car speaker

- Recessed amplifier

- MP3 jack input

- Wiring to a 12-volt battery nested in the trunk; with a custom charging jack

The Studebaker is a 6-volt positive ground system, so instead of switching to a 12-volt system or using a series of converters, we decided to run wire to the trunk where the new large motorcycle battery is secure in a case.

The system provides great sound - without messing with the integrity of the 6-volt system.

Studebaker Champion Radio - Philco Model S-5123

I read that a Studebaker Drivers Club member was going to crush a '50 Champion that was too far gone. The Stude's viable bits were available for sale, so I picked up a wiper knob and a Studebaker Philco Model S-5123 radio in non-working order. I plan to bring the radio to Ray's Auto Stereo in Sacramento, CA to see if they can revive the classic radio. Ray's specializes in 1930s and later classic radio restoration and repair.

If there's no way to bring the radio back to life, I'm going to strip out its innards and install an amp, speaker and MP3 jack - maintaining the original aesthetic while updating the radio for conventional use.































Photos from The Village Peddler of Hixton LLC.