# Options for a vintage vehicle



## chuyler1 (Apr 10, 2006)

Hi guys,

I just purchased a new vehicle and the AM radio has got to go. I'm a fan for stock-looking setups but this unit is not going to cut it. I figure the old school gear guys could help me out with this one.










DIN units will not fit and cutting up the dash is not an option. I'm open to 70's vintage decks or something new. I've stopped using CDs so FM radio and AUX input for my iPod of some sort is really all that is necessary. High voltage RCA outputs would be ideal. I have a RF 360.2 that's collecting dust that I could use so processing features aren't a high priority, but I'm open to suggestions.

Thus far the only options I have found are some random tape decks on eBay and the RetroSound Model 1 sold at Crutchfield (which has USB and 1/8" jack inputs).










It looks like a decent option, but at $279 its kind of pricey for what it offers. I didn't know if there were any similar units out there.


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## WhiteLX (Jan 25, 2010)

Might want to check out www.casmfg.com . They have a few dual knob options as well as Secretaudio. I've never used their stuff, just seen it advertised for years.


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## chuyler1 (Apr 10, 2006)

Thanks for the links. Unfortunately this is a Mazda so a radio with a Chevy or Ford logo isn't going to work. I did some more searching on my own and although the RetroSound is pricey, it appears to be the best solution. Anything vintage from the 70's would be in the form of a under-dash mounted 8-track. 80's vintage would be a tape deck with just speaker outputs and maybe a 5 band graphic eq as a separate unit.


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## nosaj122081 (Apr 7, 2012)

I've used a couple different methods in my vintage cars, all of which worked well, depending on what you're ultimately trying to achieve:

I had a Mach 1 Mustang that had an factory AM/8-track. I refurbished the 8-track player to make it functional, and built an AM modulator on a project board with a standard 1/8" headphone jack input for modern source units. I used a pair of junk 6x8's. Honestly, I mainly listened to 8-tracks; I have a moving box full of 8-track tapes, you can find lots of 20 on EBay for like a buck. It's more work refurbishing an 8-track tape than it is refurbishing an 8-track player, and 9 out of 10 tapes would turn to a pile of tangled tape if you didn't fix 'em up.

I had a Cougar that I mounted a standard DIN CD player in the glovebox of and left the non-functional AM radio in the dash for looks. Everything else was just a standard issue modern installation from that CD player.

Currently, I have a '64 Galaxie that I stuck a cheapo (Sony or Pioneer, I don't remember which, it doesn't really matter) pair of 6x9s in the factory spots (1 in the front and 1 in the back). I run those off an old school PPI 2050AM mounted under the driver's seat that I just plug my phone/MP3 player directly into and just use the volume control on the player.


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## chuyler1 (Apr 10, 2006)

Wow, I thought 8-tracks were pretty much a waste of time. The very brief research I did led me to believe it really wasn't worth the effort. I've got 600+ records at home that I still listen to (picked up a collection cheap on craigslist and have been adding to it since). 

I pulled the AM radio out of the dash to figure out what was wrong with it. Turns out it wasn't even plugged in and the wiring harnesses for that part of the dash are missing. There is no speaker either so I ordered a cheapo 4" speaker along with other stuff I was already ordering from Autozone. Heater doesn't work either. Anyway, I've already opened up the radio and fixed the tuner dial. It has a clutch mechanism to disengage the knob when you press a preset button. I may stick with AM for a bit, provided it will pull in some decent stations when I put it back in the truck.

From there, maybe I'll try your AM modulator approach to get the iPod plugged in. I was talking to a guy at the flea market (as I was checking out an 80's tape deck that was a little too big for my truck) and he mentioned the AM modulator approach as well. He said it was very popular back in the day and people used modulators to get FM to work on their AM radios. LOL!

Here's the truck BTW... I was at a car meet this weekend and a friend was kind enough to snap some great photos of the truck.









More details about the project on my blog:
http://www.huyler.net/repu/


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## MoreMoneyThanSense (Apr 16, 2012)

COOL TRUCK!


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## nosaj122081 (Apr 7, 2012)

Nice lookin' little truck, very clean! I'm not sure I've seen ANY smallish truck from that era from ANY manufacturer around here that wasn't a complete heap of ****. That color works real well on it, looks like Ford's vintage Calypso Coral/Grabber Orange.

Other than the nostalgia/novelty/appearance factor, 8-tracks ARE a waste of time. There are a couple different designs for the tapes themselves, a lot of them have a block of foam rubber behind the tape to keep it pressed against the head, and they ALL need the foam replaced. When you take them apart, one wrong move and the tape goes EVERYWHERE and it is a REAL pain in the ass to try to fix it back from that point. One of the few "expensive" tapes I ever bought was a Doors album (I think I paid a whoopnig 6 bucks), and when I went to fix it, the tape reel popped out, all over the damn place, and I couldn't get it back together.  Even after fixing them, they still sound awful, but part of the vintage-car-audio-experience is having to occasionally jiggle the tape in the player so the damn thing quits playing two songs at the same time, and having the occasionally stupid thing have to change tracks in the middle of a song (even though it's been 5-10 years since I played any of them, I have Zeppelin IV and remember Stairway to Heaven is cut in half between 2 tracks). But, listening to Alice Cooper or T-Rex in a Mach 1 wouldn't be the same if it sounded good. :blush:

The AM modulator worked real well, and it's a pretty basic circuit (I think I learned how to build one in a first-semester sophomore year EE class), and it only cost a couple dollars to build. The prototype board was the most expensive part. I actually have one of the FM radio AM modulators you're talking about that I had also installed in the Mustang, a little Realistic under-dash chrome deal that installs in series with the radio and the antenna. I found it in a box of random electronic junk someone gave me (people love giving me random electronic junk), I've never found another one. 










I love vintage audio equipment and electronics, I have a pretty nice record collection too (although the player I use the most is a modern one attached to my home theater), fixing up old record players and amps is another hobby.


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## Brian_smith06 (Jan 31, 2008)

That truck is flipping cool!


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## chuyler1 (Apr 10, 2006)

I believe the color is a Chevy orange, I've been meaning to get the paint code from the seller just in case I need it.

Ok, so yeah, I won't waste my time with 8-tracks. 

I'll start searching for one of those modulators. Not sure I want to drill holes in the dash to mount it underneath but who knows, it might be fun to play with for a while.

My record player is pretty modern as well, and my speakers are from plans at DIYAudio. I don't listen to them as much as I used to. I've actually been using an old Zenith table top radio from the 60's when I work from home. Bought it for $10 at the flea market and spent about $30 on new tubes. It needs a better speaker but I only listen at low volume.


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## DaveRulz (Jun 22, 2006)

You said you have a 360.2...

Why don't you just run your Ipod straight into that? You could hide the volume knob pretty much anywhere, or if you wanted to get tricky you could graft it into the location of the stock AM's volume knob.

I guess that doesn't get you FM, so maybe it's not such a great idea.

That was the first thing that popped into my head to do anyways. 

Another option is to look at marine receivers. I haven't done a ton of research on them, but maybe something like this:
Rockford Fosgate RFX5000 Digital Audio/Video Player Black Box

or even this:
MB Quart Nautic GMR-1 Marine Digital Media Receiver w/ Bluetooth and USB


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## chuyler1 (Apr 10, 2006)

way to resurrect a 2 year old thread. I bought the RetroSound unit and stuck that in the dash. When its off, no one can tell it isn't original.


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## DaveRulz (Jun 22, 2006)

LOLZ I [email protected]#[email protected]#[email protected]#@!#[email protected]#@!#

OMFG I AM TEH FAILZ AT TEH INTARWEBZ!!! LOLOLOL!!!!11

I saw all your stuff in the for sale section, and searched for your recent threads. This one came up in the list and was bold (because I'm not very active here anymore) so I clicked on it. 

<----dumbass


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## Schizm (Jun 12, 2011)

Hell sometimes tapatalk will dig a dead thread up and present it as new to you! So it happens lol

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Xparent Green Tapatalk 2


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## cajunner (Apr 13, 2007)

I wonder if someone developed a little 8-track conversion device like they use for cassettes that allow you to run aux in on an adapter, if that would be workable?

it's a playback head, I'm sure someone with skills could adapt a magneto-acoustical transfer mechanism to the job, and then all these working models of yesteryear electronics could run hi-fi at 8-track intensity using the very latest in Android or iPod connectivity.

future-proofing, or something like that...


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## chuyler1 (Apr 10, 2006)

Well now that you're here, a few changes to the truck...

I lifted the suspension back up to slightly above stock height and installed some more period appropriate A/T tires and steelies. 










I added a tow hitch...










So I could haul a camper with it!










On the inside, I restored the original radio and heater bezels...



















Then I put the RetroSound unit in...










I sourced some parts and made a wiring harness to get all the dash lights working and the heater up and running. Previous owner had essentially gutted everything so it took a while to find stuff that would work.










I was having trouble with the turn signals getting stuck on, so I spent some time diagnosing all the old relays. 










I cleaned the contacts on the ones that were working and replaced the giant coil/capacitor network designed to blink the lights with a simple relay you can pick up at any autoparts store. Now the turn signal speed isn't dependent on the resistance of the bulbs. 










I also installed a brake controller but I don't have a photo of that. So with all the electronics projects involved with the car over the past few years I just haven't bothered with the radio. The retrosound is running a 4" cheapo speaker in the dash and I have AM/FM and AUX in...but mostly I just cruise and listen to the exhaust.


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## DaveRulz (Jun 22, 2006)

See, so my failure lets us see some sweet new pictures of your truck. Win!

Audio, other than the basics, is pretty pointless in a vehicle like that anyways.


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## CK1991 (Jul 13, 2013)

DaveRulz said:


> See, so my failure lets us see some sweet new pictures of your truck. Win!
> 
> Audio, other than the basics, is pretty pointless in a vehicle like that anyways.


great to see the updated pics of the truck! I love the period rims/ tires. really makes the truck. 

as for audio in a vehicle like that being pointless, I agree/ I picked up a 34k mile 66 riviera with the 425 nailhead. the AM radio doesnt work so hot (coil interference with reception) and I thought about getting it fixed, but in an old car, I just love listening to the engine/ exhaust and typically drive with the radio off anyways.


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