Chinese Blaupunkt

Where's the door for inserting cassettes?  Shame you can't get a gold (match PORSCHE script) or brushed silver face or trim.

I must be an ancient audio-phile!  I still have a 6 CD changer in my 4Runner - even a single CD in my Miata.  Not sure they even still work.  In FL heat, I bet the CDs are warped!

Years ago my dad was given a failed Becker Europa (?) - it still had tubes and a remote amplifier.  It had multiple FM, AM, SW, Weather, and Marine bands.  Guess it was from a Mercedes.  He fixed it and I installed it in my MGC. Not sure I received much on some of the buttons though.

When I had my BMW 2000 M Roadster it had the original cassette deck. So I bought these chargeable cassettes which would receive Bluetooth signal. They worked great. Pretty cool.
These days I just want wireless Bluetooth and hands free phone. And of course decent sound. We’ll see.

I always liked the push button AM-FM-SW  Blaupunkt radios in my VWs ,

most also were able to be changed from 6v to 12v .

Cool to listen to Short Wave BBC or Radio Australia ,

I put a Blaupunkt in my Mustang in 1976. It had a cassette deck with a rotating head so I never had to flip the tape to listen to the other side. It would keep playing the same cassette until you ejected it. Very cool.

I like the RetroSound in these retro cars. If a good amp makes up for it, I'll take the form AND function personally.

Or a completely hidden stereo.

Or no stereo ....

Hidden stereo is ideal. But I’m stuck with this.

Take that thing out, cover the hole with a dash-plate, and go with a hidden amplifier.

If it were me, I'd have somebody make a nice billet aluminum plate and put some gauges in it -- oil pressure, CHT, and voltage would give you everything you could ever want or need.

Gauge cluster. I like that. 👍

I'll second the motion that Retrosounds are very weak without an amplifier.  Even after moving the speakers in the Coupe I could barely hear it.

I'm with @Stan Galat.  That said, if I had to go with a radio, I liked the Becker Europa I had in my 1969 Mercedes.  I was able to plug my iPhone into it using a cord connected to the back of the radio.  

Since then, more progress has been made for bluetooth connectivity refurbishing the old Beckers.

It’s fine to drive a replicas of a 50’s car, but geez. It isn’t 1955 any more.

Do yourself a favor and get the noise cancelling ones. Take it from me, after using the 968 as a DD all summer, your (non-ringing) ears will thank you.

Unless you’re recreating this look, I don’t see the benefit of crappy audio in a car that makes its own beautiful music. But that’s just me.

I never want to worry about someone taking anything from my car - it interrupts the enjoyment. We went with a disposable semi-classic looking chinese cheapo with bluetooth and a place to insert SD cards with your favorite tunes (if you don't want fiddle with your phone). I kept 2-3 SDs stuck under the edge of the emergency brake boot for easy access and to change to Marianne's playlist when she got tired of mine.

Did it sound great? Certainly not. Could I bob my head and do some funky car dancing when we slowed down enough to hear the music instead of the wonderful car sound? Why yes it did.

Did I care that it didn't sound as good as (fill in the blank) or did anyone ever lust after our radio enough to take it? Hahahaha, no.

$23 shipped with Amazon Prime or a dime a dozen on the chinese sites.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D8ZFGKHN

@Kevin - Bay Area posted:

I'm with @Stan Galat.  That said, if I had to go with a radio, I liked the Becker Europa I had in my 1969 Mercedes.  I was able to plug my iPhone into it using a cord connected to the back of the radio.  

Since then, more progress has been made for bluetooth connectivity refurbishing the old Beckers.

Retro sound copied the Europa and even called it. Get this the Europa.

there are also headrests  with speakers in them , I think Miatas  had them,

might be  an idea to hear the music over the engine "music"

I was tempted to get this Retrosound called the Grand Prix but I just thought the Chinese Blaupunkt looked better. BTW the copyright name Blaupunkt is still owned by a German company but all car stereos are made in China not Germany.

Phil,

I know you want something more retro-looking, but a head that looks like it came out of a 1982 Rabbit is not a lot better than one that looks like it came out of a 2002 Civic. If you're trying to make it look retro, then make it look '50s retro not '80s retro.

But I think it's time for some tough love from uncle Stan. Honestly, the entire mission is a fool's errand. The retro-looking stereos don't sound good and the ones that sound good aren't retro-looking. Getting both in one package means finding an OG stereo, having it gutted and made into a bluetooth head with a nice amp. That costs long money.

Draw a deep breath and ask yourself, "why?" A Bose bluetooth soundlink speaker is $150 and will sound 5x as good as anything you're thinking of doing. I've got a Chinese copy of a copy that cost $20 on Amazon. It sounds fantastic.

Take out that abomination of a stereo head, have a machinist make a cover-plate, put three nice VDO gauges in it and buy a bluetooth speaker.

You're welcome.

Wow.  An entire thread discussing the merits (or lack thereof), of the last thing anyone needs in a Speedster.

Who listens to a radio when driving our cars???

I don't get it.

A JBL Charge 3 Velcro'ed to the carpet is all I need.  Even a JBL CLIP hooked to my belt loop is OK.  Once I arrive I can take it with me to my fold up chair or picnic table.  No chopping holes in the dash either,  hat's reserved for a set of Rally Timers.    Plus, certainly no anguish over the speaker installation dilemma !...............Bruce

I am an audiophile, yet admittedly did not have a stereo in my personal speedster and really didn't miss it at all.  On the other hand, when I do weekend test drives and the wife is with me, she loves having the tunes either through the client's stereo choice or her portable speaker.

90% of what we do for clients these days is a hidden bluetooth amplifier.  Soundstream makes a nice compact unit for around $100, easy to hide under the dash and just connects to your bluetooth device/phone.  No stereo visible.  Now, when we do an AC valence with provisions for a stereo, we seem to do more Retro sounds, usually with an amp, but we've also done several faux stereo heads (old Blaupunkts from eBay or the swap meet)  just in place for a look but the sounds still coming from the hidden bluetooth amp.  Much cheaper than gutting a old unit and much better sound that Retro.

I guess there are a few reasons I want tunes in the car. For 1 the car already has tunes. It has speakers and a single din stereo already in place. Number 2 it’s not a speedster. It’s a Conv D with AC. I’m sure there will be times I have top and windows up with AC on. In my old IM even with the top down and windows up the tunes sounded pretty good. I would like to answer and make phone calls.
if I was building the car from scratch I’d do a hidden Bluetooth stereo with hidden speakers. But I got what I got so I’m going to flip the din stereo for now and make the best of it. I hope to have the car for a long time so who knows what I’ll do down the line.

The unit Mark 4 is  capable of hands-free Bluetooth calling. It’s just as good, probably better sounding than the Chinese  Blaupunkt.  You can plate off the dash like Stan said; it should be easy to wire this under the dash.   I had a Chinese Blaupunkt in my IM & it sounded OK after I put in a mini amplifier.  The Chinese Blaupunkts look great but they don’t look 50s like the Pres said.  I’m not sure if sound stream also has a Bluetooth phone option.  

https://outofsightaudio.com

Marty. That stuff looks high quality. I’ll keep it in mind down the road. I bought the Blaupunkt more for aesthetics. Looking at that JVC would have driven me crazy. And I can install it in an hour.
Mechanically the car is finished. Electric AC compressor goes in and then it’s done. Hopefully I’ll have the car by Thanksgiving.

I have an Out of Sight system in my car and love it. No amp just the Mark 2 and 4 speakers. For me nothing better than hopping in my speedster shuffling a playlist and going for a nice leisurely cruise. Being short I am below the windshield and do not have to crank up the volume. If my phone rings I can ignore or pickup depending on who is calling.  
Sounds like audio options are going the same was as your choice in oil. It is a big tent fellas. Phil you do you.

@550 Phil posted:

I guess there are a few reasons I want tunes in the car. For 1 the car already has tunes. It has speakers and a single din stereo already in place. Number 2 it’s not a speedster. It’s a Conv D with AC. I’m sure there will be times I have top and windows up with AC on. In my old IM even with the top down and windows up the tunes sounded pretty good. I would like to answer and make phone calls.
if I was building the car from scratch I’d do a hidden Bluetooth stereo with hidden speakers. But I got what I got so I’m going to flip the din stereo for now and make the best of it. I hope to have the car for a long time so who knows what I’ll do down the line.

Okay.  Different strokes, as they say.  Had I a Conv D, I might consider some sort of sound system.  They are very comfortable, and a pleasant ride.

With my car, I guess I'm too used to that sound coming out the exhaust pipes...

As the guru says, it's a big tent.  Enjoy.

I did a hidden Bluetooth receiver, amp and speakers. 100 Watts RMS x 2 Audiopipe amp and Polk 6.5" 2-way patio speakers.

It works really well, UNLESS I'm at full throttle. Then all you can hear is the engine's music. The Spyder cockpit is smaller than a Speedster, so I'm able to have the speakers pointed right toward our ears from under the dash, just behind the inner fenders. Under cruise situations it sounds very good and can be plenty loud enough that you can't talk unless you lower the volume.

I put it in at the request of Mrs. Piperato. She has hearing issues and can't use earbuds but wanted some tunes. Who am I to say no?

I installed the bluetooth control at the base of the shifter for play/pause, volume, and skip-to-the-next-track duty.

I don't answer the phone ever when I'm driving the Spyder.

I’ve got a Spyder and the IM. I would not think of putting a stereo in my Spyder. Most of the time I drive it I’m driving in anger trying to focus on the next turn. Charlottesville is one of the most liberal towns I know which means no gun ranges. When I drive on 29 in my Spyder an hour to Lynchburg to shoot I’ll put in some Bluetooth ear pods. But that’s really the only time I listen to tunes in the Spyder. I hope to do some kinder and gentler driving in the IM sometime with the Mrs. Sometimes with the top and windows up with AC on. I need some tunes in the IM.

That's the difference. My Mrs. rides in the Spyder. As I stated, the tunes really aren't for me.