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Foreign Car radio help!!!


Guest 70Midget

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Guest 70Midget

I have an old Blaupunkt stereo that I want to install in my 1970 MG Midget, because it is small enough to fit in the original place in the console. The radio I have came from a late 1970's Rolls-Royce, but the tuner is not working correctly. Is there anyone that repairs these radios? I did have the radio checked enough to know that it does power up, though the tuner seems to have issues. Any ideas?

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Guest Jim_Edwards

Not worth repairing! Just go buy a new one with all the latest bells and whistles. Will probably run less than repairing what you have.

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Guest 70Midget

That would be a possibility, but the mounting depth on this car is very shallow, and no one makes anything that fits without cutting and modifying the console.

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If you mean the pointer doesn't match the station that it's tuned to then open up the radio. It's usually a string between two pulleys. Move the pointer to where you want it and then put a dab of glue to fix it there.

Art

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From what I've seen lately, it's dang near impossible to find a two-shaft radio (for 1980s and prior USA vehicles) any more! Everything has gone to the DIN mounting system where the radio slides in and locks rather than two shafts poking through the instrument panel "section" and being secured with jam nuts and such.

Be careful about having it on without any speakers attached. In some, that can overheat and cook the amplifer modules.

Back then, Blau was one of the better import radio brands. Whether one of the more current radios might be better, although possibly more cost effective, might be debateable. I think I'd try to repair what you have, personally.

Regards,

NTX5467

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Do you know what the wattage is for the amp in this radio? I ask because i suspect that a stereo installed in a Rolls in 1979 might well pack more power than any speaker can handle that you'll be able to fit in the Midget. Be sure you have well-matched components after you get the tuner fixed before you install the package. You don't want to have to pull the radio out if you damage the speakers and possibly then the amp.

Should you be unable to get this radio to work, be aware that OEM British Leyland radios are often available on eBay, and even AM/FM units sometimes come up for sale. Using one of these or your Blaupunkt to fill the hole in the dash, and hiding another "real" radio elsewhere (glovebox, under seat, etc.) will give a nice appearance and free up possibilities (cd, ipod, etc.) otherwise unavailable.

If the Blaupunkt proves too expensive to fix or irreparable, there are radio suppliers you can go with for a replacement. This vendor ( Price:$499.99 - mercedes classic becker europa radio ipod porsche 911 - Radio & Speaker Systems - Vintage Car & Truck Parts ) currently has a 1976 OEM BL AM/FM 8-Track for $125, in addition to other radios.

I chose to install an OEM AM/FM in my TR6, which is barely adequate at best. However it keeps the stock look, and not using it allows me to listen the music I bought the car to hear (a British sports car at speed!:cool:). I almost never turn it on.

One last thing, MG Midgets switched to negative ground in 1967, but it is not infrequent to find one rewired to positive ground in order to use components from earlier cars when these were cheap transportation. (Rolls Royces were all negative ground after 1969.) Be sure yours is still negative ground before using this radio.

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Guest Jim_Edwards

Maybe it's just my ears, but all the '70s era AM/FM stereo receivers seem to sound really bad in comparison to a decent receiver today. I just finished installing (maybe I should say hiding) a Kenwood unit with all the bells and whistles in a car that had what was considered a fine sound system in the 1970s, and it instantly made a huge difference in sound quality even though coming out of 34 year old speakers.

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  • 5 years later...
Guest Engine-Ear

Hi everyone: This is Matt Planning, the inventor of the RediRad.

 

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As a thank you for doing so, we are offering a 10% discount for forum users who use the discount code GRAND at checkout, now thru the end of October.

 

gotta getta RediRad!

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