UNCOVERING the SECRETS of Ford's Fantastic Factory CB Truck Radio

In this episode, Aaron and Steve go over all the different parts of the ultra rare factory Ford CB radio option found in 1970s and 1980s Ford trucks, Broncos, Econoline Vans, and even the Lincoln Town Cars, Mercury Cougars, and the Mustangs. there are many aspects to this setup that you may not be aware of, so stick around to see what made the entire system work! Thanks for watching!

[@DentsideDepot]

By now its no secret that I love the CB Radios found in the 70s Ford trucks, but did you know all the different parts? Make sure to check them all out!

[@bussin_buses]

I love CB radios. I'm trying to find a factory unit for my AMC Eagle.

[@DentsideDepot]

@@bussin_buses They are retro cool for sure!

[@crawlerking98]

As a young man that is still learning new things about his truck daily thank you for y'all's info on this.

[@DentsideDepot]

Hey youre welcome and have a great weekend!

[@geoffreyclark2805]

Great explanation on factory CB Radios. You can't beat the clarity of those rotary telephones either. Thanks Aaron. Geoff.

[@bussin_buses]

That's quite a lot of parts!

[@DentsideDepot]

Too many parts haha

[@rixtasan65]

I was cleaning up my latest 1979 Bronco project and was wondering what the harness was for. Wasn’t until some asked me about the CB Radio that’s annotated on the Marti Report that it clicked! Great content here! Thanks for sharing!

[@marktaylor9975]

Cool! I’ve loved Ford stock stuff and this has been a mystery to me. Get one running. I’d love to see it!

[@DentsideDepot]

Will make sure to have another video down the road here, thanks!

[@codyluka8355]

Great video! I have one in my 1978 LTD ll with the stock AM radio and this explains a lot! Mine still works although not many people use CB radios anymore.

[@DentsideDepot]

very cool!

[@joshnichols1850]

Thanks for the great video, new subscriber now. Found you on the book of faces shorts. I am a dentside lover and a lifelong cb guy and had no idea they did this, i now need to have this for my 78 crewcab. Keep all the great videos coming.

[@DentsideDepot]

awesome glad to have you welcome aboard!!!!

[@joebarber4030]

Owned a 73 crew cab short box for ten years then sold it in 95 for 1100. Wish I had it back, Then was given a 78 Super cab long box for the next fifteen years now that was a long truck. Wish I had kept the crew cab for sure.

[@hilltopmachineworks2131]

Valuable info there. Thanks.

[@DentsideDepot]

thanks!

[@FastFords289]

Great video, cool content.

[@DentsideDepot]

Thank you Sir!

[@FastFords289]

@@DentsideDepot yes sir, anytime!

[@randyfowler6928]

Cool video

[@DentsideDepot]

Thank you Randy!

[@pauledwards3513]

great video!Could you get the cb with the red led radio?my dad had a free wheeling bronco with one i believe.

[@DentsideDepot]

Thanks Paul, no the red light only came on the 1980 and newer CB Radio setups, so you would have to convert it to a 1980 setup (which I will do on at least one truck). Free wheeling is awesome!

[@christophertoscano2026]

Definitely a cool video

[@DentsideDepot]

Thanks Chris!

[@theda850two]

It's been some years since I've used it in my 79F250 free wheeling, but the CB radio would cut out the speakers in the doors, with no speaker in the dash.... (right now the Pioneer KP7500 radio is in the dash)

[@DentsideDepot]

very cool would love to see that truck!

[@randyfowler6928]

Need video of super cab with roll bar in back in video with all different colors 😊

[@DentsideDepot]

Been a while since ive done one on that truck, but here is the old one from it, much has changed been busy with the Cummins Swap! kzbin.info/www/bejne/pGqzl5tne5lkjbc

[@sluggerotoole1186]

Do you have any advice on wiring an original ford stereo into a 73-79 f150? It came from factory with one but someone replaced it later on with a radioshack stereo. I found an original ford stereo that still works, but haven’t been able to look behind there yet but judging by other stuff done to make it fit I doubt the original harness is still in there. Love the videos as they have given me good insight into my truck

[@DentsideDepot]

Hey thanks! Yes just repair the harness and try to find a stock radio, thats about it!

[@kennethsouthard6042]

Are you guys sure that these were installed at the factory? Wiring harnesses were pretty standard, and the factory was not really into having someone route extra wire into a vehicle for a product where the take rate was pretty low. AM FM required extra wiring (but not as much) and the door panels were also different, and the take rate was much higher justifying it. Wouldn't this CB have also required a separate antenna requiring a separate hole to be drilled? This just all seems to be way too much differentiation and detail work to be done on an assembly line for a rarely ordered product. This to me looks like something the factory would have offered but it would have been installed by the dealer where an accessory technician would add this as well as other dealer accessories that a customer ordered prior to taking delivery. Even from the picture that you show of your dashboard, those holes are not centered with the detail line. This tells me that the holes were probably drilled later. 1. If it was dealer installed, a customer could opt for it in any vehicle that already had a compatible radio 2. It if was factory installed and the dealer had ordered the vehicle, this very well may have caused a customer to pass on that vehicle if they didn't want it and cost the dealership a sale (trucks were sold primarily as work vehicles and customers were not into paying for options that they would not use) 3. If it was factory installed, the only way a customer could get it was to special order the vehicle or find one that the dealer already ordered that had it. (Dealers have always tried to avoid special orders) 4. If it was a dealer item, a customer could also buy it over the counter from the parts department and install it themselves.

[@noahscott5689]

The wiring harnesses on these trucks have all kinds of extra plugs . There's a plug for a cargo light even if the truck didn't have one so all you need is the other end of the plug and the wire that went from that plug to the cargo light and you're good. Same for the midship gas tank, my 79 has never had one but the plug for the float is right there in that spot on the wiring harness where the tank would be on the truck. It's a really great part of these trucks, if your truck didn't have something electrical odds are it's really easy to put it in if you just know what plug to look for.

[@kennethsouthard6042]

@@noahscott5689 I get it that they would have something to plug into as that way they can use one harness for all trucks. However, I have a hard time believing that the CB radios themselves were installed on the line.

[@noahscott5689]

@kennethsouthard6042 Ah. For a lomg time they made crew cabs by literally splicing two regular cabs together at the factory, so adding in a cb radio was nothing to those guys😂 They probably just had a couple careful guys do the radios near the end of the production line.

[@kennethsouthard6042]

@@noahscott5689 Those crew cabs back then were low volume, so on certain runs they only produced crew cabs vs intersperse ing them. Assembly lines were not nearly as flexible as they are today. My dad used to work in the San Jose plant and that's the way they would do special vehicles. For example, one day I was there and they were making a batch of grey trucks for the Navy, all optioned the same with the Navy's grey color along with lettering and signage. CB radios to me were like sunroofs back then. They were not built on the line due to the low volume and unique and labor intensive operations which is also why when volume went down on convertibles they were eliminated in the 70s. Actually, sunroofs were farmed out to subcontractors like ASC. That's why I'm pretty sure these CB radios were dealer installed. I would ask my dad, but he passed away over a decade ago.

[@DentsideDepot]

These are all factory parts and they were installed on the line with everything else.

[@landong6172]

Could you possibly do a video on rare paint colors? I have a 1978 F-150 single cab short bed 4x4 in dark brown metallic.

[@DentsideDepot]

for 79 it was walnut and a metallic brown color. For 78 it was medium blue glow metallic and a medium green glow. The rarest colors are always odd tu-tone combinations like raven black with candy apple red. Because of tu-tone there are literally hundreds of possible combos, pretty cool!

[@landong6172]

Appreciate the reply. I’ve always wondered the rarity of my color. Thanks so much!

[@DentsideDepot]

@@landong6172 What is the color combo and I will give you my opinion how rare it probably is?

[@crazywright83]

Was there anything for the 80-86 trucks

[@DentsideDepot]

80s also had the CB, but I do not have the knowledge to comment on those was apologies

[@okiedean1112]

I was wondering why my 78 f150 has 2 antennas the radio is a am digital Ford branded cheepie.

[@Ulfstigandr]

I got an audiovox (i think) am/fm/8track/cb. Need to have it rebuilt and upgraded before i put it in my 71 IH

[@DentsideDepot]

Very cool!