OEM Blaupunkt to new CD conversion???

[Carl Bauer]

I thinking about finding an original Blaupunkt radio for my '79SC and sort of "sawing" off the face plate and trying to make a hinged face that covers a very plain no frills CD player that is slightly recessed into the dash face. Has anyone ever heard of anybody doing this or done it themselves? I think it would be nice to keep the stock look and have an inexpensive CD player in their car. Has anyone out there done it??? Any thoughts?

Regards

[RJ Gilliam]

Just my opinion but the cutting of the face hinge thing is a little overboard. Naka makes a real nice Amber display CD player that looks very very nice. If you did not know better you would think that is was suppose to go in it. Take a look at the below link.

http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1307376285

Just my .02cents
Richard
86 930
"Julie"

[Strugs]

A few years ago, I owned a Honda (I was young and didn't know any better) and my multi-thousand dollar aftermarket stereo was stolen twice. After the second incident, I was contemplating putting the stock tape deck back in the car and living with lo-fi sound. Whe I looked at the stock radio, I saw some screws holding the face to the tape and amplifier mechanism. After a few minutes, I managed to seperate the face of the stock deck from the "body" of the tape deck.

My aftermarket cd player had a removable face plate, and when I took it off, I was able to slip the face plate from the stock stereo that I had dismantled and inserted back into the dash. As far as any scumbags were concerned, all I had was a pathetic stock Honda cassette player. No one toched my car for the next 3 years.

Anyway, I sold the Honda (with the expensive stereo) and now I prefer to listen to my air-cooled symphonic sound.

[Roy M]

When I bought my '88 it had a Kenwood CD unit in it which looked totally out of place. After searching through available units (and discounting the beautiful but expensive Becker option) I chose a Blaupunkt head unit with a classic look and a multi cd. Really pleased with the 'standard' look of it and it performs well as well.

Have done the same job with speakers - fitted JBL's behind standard fronts.

Only problem is that I never switch the thing on!

Roy

[APKhaos]

Take a look at the Blaupunkt Toronto - the design is clean and fits well with the earlier Pcar - and the display color is adjustable [if that is important to you]. Has a trick security card feature that may be a minor theft deterrent.
Crutchfield has them for just north of $100.

[jwex2]

I have a kenwood cd player/receiver with a removable face plate. The cd loads behind the face plate and best of all the color graphics can be turned off so only the station, time or name of the cd show. Very simple display if you want, display is green .

I will post the model later.

[89911]

Ditto on the Toronto radio. Great features, inexpensive if you can still find it, mad IN Germany, looks like it has always been there. It is actually more mundane then the Blaupunkt Reno that it replaced, (too many buttons). Used the preamps to the amp mounted in the trunk.

[Rot 911]

I'm not sure the Toronto is still around, but the Miami has a nice stock look to it, can be found here for $90 http://www.midwest-usa.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/cgi-bin/showproduct.cgi?U+mw_store+mdef6227+id=1042&c=mdef6227

[Jim T]

I just bought a Miami from Mid-West. Its a nice radio, but the lighting is green. Not very Euro.

Some of the similar radios in the same price range that Mid-West sells have amber lighting or switchable amber/green lighting.

Mid-West is a great company with great prices on Blaupunkt.

[N11Porsche]

I went through the same thing with my 1979 SC. I just couldn't bring myself to put a Japanese radio in my P-Car. I went with a Blaupunkt RPD 545 Hi power AM/FM/CD unit and some Blaupunkt speakers. Sounds great and keeps the car all-German. Nothing against Japanese electronics, I just wanted to put the same brand in, that came with the P-Car, even if it's not "original".

[Rot 911]

You might want to check and see where you Blaupunkt was manufactured. My Alaska was made in Thailand!

[pwd72s]

Hot rod cruise ins sometimes offer ideas. At one here, I saw an old chevrolet...only thing visible on the dash was a "radio delete" plate. But this owner had rigged the plate with a hinge & tiny spring. The plate simply flipped out of the way, revealing the modern unit hidden behind it.

[89911]

The "Toronto" model is made entirely in Germany. Not a real big issue. If your car has to be made entirely in Germany, your AC condenser wouldn't say "Nippondenser"! Besides there is a WWII connection to both countries, right?

[CamB]

The Toronto is worth whatever extra $$$ are being asked. Two main reasons:

1. The key card is cool (I have one and actually remove it rather than leaving the detach face on the unit)

2. The Miami is crap (although it looks pretty good). No good features, really.

The Toronto did skip when it was (very) hot. Both were installed in my prior car (a Peugeot 106).

Cam

[N11Porsche]

I took my A/C out - long ago. The point isn't to keep Japanese parts out of my SC. Most of the electronics in my home have Japanese names on them. (Panasonic, JVC, Sony, etc.) The quality of these products is not in question, by me. I just like the idea of having a radio, made by the same manufacture that Porsche used 23 years ago. Your mileage may vary......

[dwil]

As a consumer electronics bench technician, I have to say
that although "blaupunkt" and "becker" are european in
image they are no longer manufactured in germany. If you
pry the lid off of the blaupunkt it will be impossible to find
anything made in germany. If they were to manufacture
a cd am fm there it definitely would be a lot more expensive
than $150 and many semiconductors and other components
would still have to come from the east.