What part am I missing?

Brent Seidel · 10:43 PM

I am attempting to install a period Blaupunkt in my '71. First pic shows the aluminum trim for the dashboard with a large rectangular opening for the radio.

and this next pic shows the finished product I am striving for.

There must be a metal plate that changes this big rectangular opening to one smaller rectangular opening and two circular holes? Anybody know where I could get the piece I'm missing?

ossiblue · 01-11-2008, 04:50 PM

My experience with the early cars, pre-70, is the factory opening is a smaller rectangle with two circular holes for the knobs--like you show in the second photo. Later cars, don't know what years, enlarged the opening to the standard size of today which allows a front insertion of the radio/cassette/CD player. As I said, my experience is with cars up to 69 so maybe the 71 has the larger opening or, if not, someone may have enlarged it for a more modern radio. Others with direct experience can confirm the time the opening changed, and whether or not an adapter plate is available.

lateapex911 · 01-11-2008, 10:20 PM

My 73 has a standard one rectangular hole...known as a DIN opening.

There are kits out there to adapt the DIN opening to the old school knob style. Ebay will return things, I bet. I did some surfing, and came up with this:

230210117484 or

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MERCEDES-BECKER-EUROPA-II-AM-FM-Radio-Stereo_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ38644QQihZ013QQi temZ230210117484QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

you can see the "sleeve" that fits the DIN opening, and the radio fits into the sleeve.

And here's another setup.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Porsche-Mercedes-Becker-Europa-Mexico-Radios-PAIR_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ10076QQihZ015QQite mZ250204098680QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

and a last one;

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Becker-Mexico-AM-FM-cassette-radio_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ38644QQihZ019QQit emZ290197561170QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

perhaps those might give you some ideas.

ossiblue · 01-12-2008, 07:39 AM

lateapex911 has offered some good alternatives but if you want to install the old school radio you have and have it look like your second picture, or avoid having the "face plate look", you'll have to go with another plan.
It shouldn't be too difficult to fab a piece of sheet metal with the old style holes cut into it to fit the current DIN opening . This piece could be spot welded into the dash or secured with spring clips or some other mechanical means. Yes, you'll need to remove the vinyl and replace it with a piece that covers the sheet metal--but you'd have to do that anyway. This method would take a bit of effort, but you would avoid a "face plate look" as given by the photo examples, and you could use your current radio.

Brent Seidel · 09:12 AM

Thanks guys, I thought it was strange that the opening in the alum strip on the dash of my '71 had an opening so big when I removed the 80's Blaupunkt. I have seen some pics of early 911s with the faceplate you refer to, but I think those were all installed by folks trying to return cars to their original configuration, but without the correct pieces. As for the Beckers; I think Mercedes the minute I see one. They were never original equipment on the Porsche were they? Although, EBay sellers do put Porsche on their Becker sales. I suppose they do look period. Here are some other pics I've found:

Here's a '68 with the Frankfurt installed using the factory aluminum trim. This radio looks like the euro model as evidenced by the short wave button in the middle. But, maybe this is the way '68s were delivered.

Here's a Euro 4 band Frankfurt in a '69. Correct basketweave and knobs looks correct as well.

Here's a '72E with that same radio, little later model, and using a faceplate. Now those look like Becker knobs. Interesting use of a headlamp switch where the foglight switch would go and aren't the rear defrost and cigarette lighters reversed here?

Now here's one that looks right! A '71E with US version Frankfurt 2 band AM/FM on buttons, and knobs look right. This is what I'm shooting for.

ossiblue · 01:46 PM

Brent,

Looks like you've done your homework. I went throught my limited files of early 911's and found examples of the look you want (three holes in dash) in cars up to 72. I found a shot of a 73 with the radio out, and the dash looks like a factory made opening--the large one--so maybe that's when the change came.

Here's the 72, completely stock:

Here's the 73 with the factory opening:

I also saw the 72 with the face plate look which I take to mean someone had enlarged the opening and retro-fitted the early radio look. I guess if you want the look of your last shot, you'll have to fill in the hole and redo the dash trim. I really don't think that will be too difficult but I've never done it

Brent Seidel · 01-12-2008, 03:07 PM

The first pic of the trim parts on the ground is from a '71 other than mine. And my '71 has that same opening that is pictured on that shot of a '73. So I'm sure the large opening is factory on these cars, but how early I don't know. Something's missing; there must be an adapter plate of some sort that went in there. I'm sure many of them were tossed over the years as people upgraded their radios. It would be nice to have a picture, a template, or, of course, the actual part.

andyjboy · 01-13-2008, 05:11 AM

Brent - early 911's came either with or without a radio - if no radio was ordered the car came equipped with a delete plate (part 12), if a radio was ordered it came complete with the fascia plate (part 15) covered in the relevant matching vinyl (basketweave in your case).

ossiblue · 01-13-2008, 07:49 AM

What we may be seeing here is the difference between early factory installed radios, and those installed after delivery, by dealers. Possibly, some cars were sent to the dealer without radios, and the hole was covered by a plate that was then hidden by the dash vinyl. At the dealer, the plate was either replaced with a three hole adapter or the plate was removed and the radio installed with the face plate which laid atop the vinyl. If the radio was installed by the factory, then it came with the external face plate. This is all speculation and my scenario may actually be reversed, but it seems there must be some part available that adapts the opening to the look you want. What you need is for someone with a 71 that has a three hole opening to pull back the vinyl and see what is there (good luck with that.)