Folks:
For those of you on the list for a while, you probably remember
my whining a few months ago about how pathetic a period stereo sounds,
and how it is inaudible with the top down using the original speakers.
Some of you shared that you used package shelf mounted speakers
and a modern CD player with lots of power to solve the problem. Some of
you simply live with it. People like me want it to look original, and be
original if possible, but be usable. This places some interesting limits
on what you can do. In my case, I wanted a "real" dealer installed
stereo that I could listen to while cruising.
After lots of fussing and trying several different radios, I
have hit on a formula that mostly works for me. I just wanted to pass it
along for whatever it is worth.
I ended up with the dealer installed AM/FM/Cassette from an MGB.
This is the same unit as in my 1974 BL sales brochure for dealer options
(The first year that cassettes and 8 tracks were offered. I pity those 8
track owners...) Volume was miserable and tone non-existent. I guess my
memories of listening to the stereo in my old Toyota have been colored
by time, or perhaps the speakers were much better, but the TR6 radio
sounded like a couple of alley cats in a coffee can and could not be
heard above the exhaust noise.
So I tried a cheapie power amplifier ($25 new - they give those
things away). The results are at least listenable with the top down
while cruising. I velcro'ed the amp up in the passenger footwell as I
didn't want to punch holes in my freshly painted sheet metal. I used 2
strips of two inch wide Velcro from the hardware store, and the amp fits
pretty neatly in the space at the top of the well behind the glove box.
The amp is rated at 240 watts, which is pure science fiction. I computed
the true power at 22 watts RMS/channel @ 4 ohms. I am using 2-way 4"
coaxial Pioneer speakers from Best Buy. Much of the bass is missing, but
it does bring back the memories when I have it tuned to the oldies
station. The outputs from the radio go into the amp high level inputs,
and the amp outputs go back to the speakers in the kidney panels.
If this hadn't worked, I would have gone to sound design for a
modern radio in a period looking chassis. I may still depending on how I
feel in a couple of months. But for $25, this solution seems pretty
livable.
Cheers,
Vance
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