Pure nostalgia: In car entertainment 1980s style
Discussion
4rephill said:
All this talk of Blaupunkt, Alpine, Pioneer and such like - Pah!
The first car stereo I ever bought: An Audioline 426 for the win!
If I remember correctly, it pumped out something like a whopping 12 watts RMS (advertised as 25 watts peak to peak!), and the graphic equalizer mean't infinite sound adjustment, from tinny transistor radio sound, right the way to tinny transistor radio sound with a bit more bass!
Oh wow, that brings back great memories. I had one of those in my MK4 Cortina! My mates and I used to cruise around playing Jan Hammer, Escape from Television. Feeling (if not looking) dead cool. That was the stereo that was playing when I had my first proper snog. The first car stereo I ever bought: An Audioline 426 for the win!
If I remember correctly, it pumped out something like a whopping 12 watts RMS (advertised as 25 watts peak to peak!), and the graphic equalizer mean't infinite sound adjustment, from tinny transistor radio sound, right the way to tinny transistor radio sound with a bit more bass!
It was also the stereo that played Iron Maiden, Live after Death at full volume as I indulged in a spot of what we used to call "Broadsiding", or what the youngsters now call drifting.
I bought a Saisho for the Renault 18 1.4 GTL that followed the Cortina. It was dead posh with electric front windows and and actual sliding sunroof! It was that car that taught me all about lift off oversteer!
Edited by Derventio on Monday 7th February 08:38
I remember the cheaper units not being able to rewind. They only had a Fast Forward button.
I think the cheap ones only had one drive spool for the cassette so the tape could only ever run one way.
When you wanted to play your favourite tune again you had to flip the cassette over fast forward for a bit, flip it back over and hope you had gone far enough.
That Argos catalogue is amazing, I didn't realize that you could choose one of 5 different types of electric bread knife or so many choices when buying a lighter for the smokers in your family.
Not much ethnic diversity amongst the models in there!
I think the cheap ones only had one drive spool for the cassette so the tape could only ever run one way.
When you wanted to play your favourite tune again you had to flip the cassette over fast forward for a bit, flip it back over and hope you had gone far enough.
That Argos catalogue is amazing, I didn't realize that you could choose one of 5 different types of electric bread knife or so many choices when buying a lighter for the smokers in your family.
Not much ethnic diversity amongst the models in there!
bristolracer said:
I remember the cheaper units not being able to rewind. They only had a Fast Forward button.
I think the cheap ones only had one drive spool for the cassette so the tape could only ever run one way.
When you wanted to play your favourite tune again you had to flip the cassette over fast forward for a bit, flip it back over and hope you had gone far enough.
Yes! I'd forgotten that "feature". I think my first ICE was a Pye tape player (no radio) and have an idea that worked in one direction only.I think the cheap ones only had one drive spool for the cassette so the tape could only ever run one way.
When you wanted to play your favourite tune again you had to flip the cassette over fast forward for a bit, flip it back over and hope you had gone far enough.
bristolracer said:
I remember the cheaper units not being able to rewind. They only had a Fast Forward button.
I think the cheap ones only had one drive spool for the cassette so the tape could only ever run one way.
When you wanted to play your favourite tune again you had to flip the cassette over fast forward for a bit, flip it back over and hope you had gone far enough.
That Argos catalogue is amazing, I didn't realize that you could choose one of 5 different types of electric bread knife or so many choices when buying a lighter for the smokers in your family.
Not much ethnic diversity amongst the models in there!
The Argos catalogue is a good snapshot of a part of UK life at any given moment, I reckon. I'm pretty sure some of the shots used for 1980s shower screens wouldn't be allowed today!I think the cheap ones only had one drive spool for the cassette so the tape could only ever run one way.
When you wanted to play your favourite tune again you had to flip the cassette over fast forward for a bit, flip it back over and hope you had gone far enough.
That Argos catalogue is amazing, I didn't realize that you could choose one of 5 different types of electric bread knife or so many choices when buying a lighter for the smokers in your family.
Not much ethnic diversity amongst the models in there!
Derventio said:
bristolracer said:
I remember the cheaper units not being able to rewind. They only had a Fast Forward button.
I think the cheap ones only had one drive spool for the cassette so the tape could only ever run one way.
When you wanted to play your favourite tune again you had to flip the cassette over fast forward for a bit, flip it back over and hope you had gone far enough.
That Argos catalogue is amazing, I didn't realize that you could choose one of 5 different types of electric bread knife or so many choices when buying a lighter for the smokers in your family.
Not much ethnic diversity amongst the models in there!
The Argos catalogue is a good snapshot of a part of UK life at any given moment, I reckon. I'm pretty sure some of the shots used for 1980s shower screens wouldn't be allowed today!I think the cheap ones only had one drive spool for the cassette so the tape could only ever run one way.
When you wanted to play your favourite tune again you had to flip the cassette over fast forward for a bit, flip it back over and hope you had gone far enough.
That Argos catalogue is amazing, I didn't realize that you could choose one of 5 different types of electric bread knife or so many choices when buying a lighter for the smokers in your family.
Not much ethnic diversity amongst the models in there!
It was always a given in my circle that your stereo cost more than your car.
Perfectly normal. Mid 80’s.
Car was normally £250 and invariably needed to be parked on a slope to jump start.
Stereo consisted of head unit, graphic equaliser, 4 speakers and electric aerial. Would cost £300 easy.
Didn’t matter that the car leaked oil like the Torey Canyon, you could start it with a spoon and had to have a whip round for petrol, as long as the stereo worked that’s all that mattered.
Perfectly normal. Mid 80’s.
Car was normally £250 and invariably needed to be parked on a slope to jump start.
Stereo consisted of head unit, graphic equaliser, 4 speakers and electric aerial. Would cost £300 easy.
Didn’t matter that the car leaked oil like the Torey Canyon, you could start it with a spoon and had to have a whip round for petrol, as long as the stereo worked that’s all that mattered.
KTF said:
I think I also had a car where there was a handle built in to the unit that you pulled up from the bottom and the whole thing came out in a quick release style and you carried it around in the pub or something daft like that. Was a long time ago through so might be a bit hazy on this.
The radio originally fitted to my mum’s 1989 Mercedes SL had this- made sense for when you parked up with the roof down, simply put the whole head unit in the boot! Might have been a Becker? Derventio said:
a spot of what we used to call "Broadsiding", or what the youngsters now call drifting.
"Broadies" where I came from, except we only did it on bicycles, there being nowhere suitable to do it in cars. We were very careful drivers looking back on it. We did drive (too) fast but the only person I recall losing it was my brother who managed to spin Dad's Cavalier off the school drive, and subsequently put his 2CV through a hedge. He must have seriously misjudged that one. I think all the hedges down our way kept us – in general – on the road.What about the ubiquitous cassette holder? Standard fitting on the LHD Lotus Omega, but not on the RHD Lotus Carlton.
My parents had a 1979 1275 GT Mini with a huge array of modular Clarion separates on the dashboard: self seeking radio, cassette player, sound control panel and two amplifiers. The only part missing was the graphic equaliser. It filled most of the huge gap to the left of the instrument binnacle. The rest was taken up by a car phone, in a Mini, in 1979!
My parents had a 1979 1275 GT Mini with a huge array of modular Clarion separates on the dashboard: self seeking radio, cassette player, sound control panel and two amplifiers. The only part missing was the graphic equaliser. It filled most of the huge gap to the left of the instrument binnacle. The rest was taken up by a car phone, in a Mini, in 1979!
LotusOmega375D said:
What about the ubiquitous cassette holder? Standard fitting on the LHD Lotus Omega, but not on the RHD Lotus Carlton.
My parents had a 1979 1275 GT Mini with a huge array of modular Clarion separates on the dashboard: self seeking radio, cassette player, sound control panel and two amplifiers. The only part missing was the graphic equaliser. It filled most of the huge gap to the left of the instrument binnacle. The rest was taken up by a car phone, in a Mini, in 1979!
Bit of a thread revival a year too late....My parents had a 1979 1275 GT Mini with a huge array of modular Clarion separates on the dashboard: self seeking radio, cassette player, sound control panel and two amplifiers. The only part missing was the graphic equaliser. It filled most of the huge gap to the left of the instrument binnacle. The rest was taken up by a car phone, in a Mini, in 1979!
The space where the cassette holder usually goes on the Carlton / Senator was sometimes fitted with a Blaupunkt CDP 08, which was paired up to a Blaupunkt Memphis SQR 88. A family member had a Carlton (I think it was a Diplomat), which had this dealer fitted. The LC's mostly came with these fitted as well. I think towards the end of the Carlton's life, they started fitting Grundig single DIN units in the dash and 10-disc changers in the boot. That's what my 1993 Senator had in it anyway.
alex.baker89 said:
Bit of a thread revival a year too late....
The space where the cassette holder usually goes on the Carlton / Senator was sometimes fitted with a Blaupunkt CDP 08, which was paired up to a Blaupunkt Memphis SQR 88. A family member had a Carlton (I think it was a Diplomat), which had this dealer fitted. The LC's mostly came with these fitted as well. I think towards the end of the Carlton's life, they started fitting Grundig single DIN units in the dash and 10-disc changers in the boot. That's what my 1993 Senator had in it anyway.
Lotus Carlton's up to build number 800 had the Blaupunkt Memphis and Blaupunkt CPD09 compact disc player in the dash. LC build numbers from 800 onwards then had the Grundig 4870 radio/cassette in the dash with 10 disc CD in the boot.The space where the cassette holder usually goes on the Carlton / Senator was sometimes fitted with a Blaupunkt CDP 08, which was paired up to a Blaupunkt Memphis SQR 88. A family member had a Carlton (I think it was a Diplomat), which had this dealer fitted. The LC's mostly came with these fitted as well. I think towards the end of the Carlton's life, they started fitting Grundig single DIN units in the dash and 10-disc changers in the boot. That's what my 1993 Senator had in it anyway.
NotNormal said:
Lotus Carlton's up to build number 800 had the Blaupunkt Memphis and Blaupunkt CPD09 compact disc player in the dash. LC build numbers from 800 onwards then had the Grundig 4870 radio/cassette in the dash with 10 disc CD in the boot.
Now here's someone who knows their LCs! The 4870 was the model I was trying to remember, as this was what I had in my Senator with the changer in the boot. The Memphis SQR 88 I now have in my E30 probably came out of an LC. It came with the CDP 09 and a Vauxhall code card. Paid £10 all in for both units probably about 10 years ago now. Lucky find as they're in immaculate condition, with low usage. Wouldn't be able to find them that cheap these days!
I like that a lot!
Lots of memories in this thread - I remember buying a full pull out Pioneer with cage from a police recovered property auction - had it in my first car (Mum's '87 Micra that came with a mono radio and a single speaker!), then moved it into my '68 Mk2 Cortina. Used to store it in the boot when at work, until some scrotes screwdriver'd the boot open and had it away again.
Then had an Alpine single CD head unit that got swapped between various early 80s VW stuff (Mk1 Golf GTI and Passat GL5 that I remember) - that had the best sound quality without resorting to extra amps etc.
When I had my '92 BX 16V I bought a Blaupunkt Dallas MD head unit and 10 disc CD changer with a flip down front and removeable card security widget, plus a pair of matching 6x9s. When I sold that car I put it back to original. My dad later acquired an '88 BX 16V so the whole lot got fitted into that, where it currently remains. I've got the original and the wiring is all removeable without damage. It looks just a little too modern for it, unfortunately. Luckily the old BX sprung loaded cover for the stereo hides it away from any purists at a classic car show lol
Lots of memories in this thread - I remember buying a full pull out Pioneer with cage from a police recovered property auction - had it in my first car (Mum's '87 Micra that came with a mono radio and a single speaker!), then moved it into my '68 Mk2 Cortina. Used to store it in the boot when at work, until some scrotes screwdriver'd the boot open and had it away again.
Then had an Alpine single CD head unit that got swapped between various early 80s VW stuff (Mk1 Golf GTI and Passat GL5 that I remember) - that had the best sound quality without resorting to extra amps etc.
When I had my '92 BX 16V I bought a Blaupunkt Dallas MD head unit and 10 disc CD changer with a flip down front and removeable card security widget, plus a pair of matching 6x9s. When I sold that car I put it back to original. My dad later acquired an '88 BX 16V so the whole lot got fitted into that, where it currently remains. I've got the original and the wiring is all removeable without damage. It looks just a little too modern for it, unfortunately. Luckily the old BX sprung loaded cover for the stereo hides it away from any purists at a classic car show lol
essayer said:
KTF said:
I think I also had a car where there was a handle built in to the unit that you pulled up from the bottom and the whole thing came out in a quick release style and you carried it around in the pub or something daft like that. Was a long time ago through so might be a bit hazy on this.
The radio originally fitted to my mum’s 1989 Mercedes SL had this- made sense for when you parked up with the roof down, simply put the whole head unit in the boot! Might have been a Becker? Gassing Station | Classic Cars and Yesterday's Heroes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff