"Bandit - destroyed his car" (notbandit)
06/02/2018 at 21:59 • Filed to: emma
5
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"Bandit - destroyed his car" (notbandit)
06/02/2018 at 21:59 • Filed to: emma | 5
| 5 |
Got this vintage aftermarket Audiovox radio installed so now I can jam out to 8-tracks in the car. Terrible sound quality, but what do you expect from 70s equipment? Also got my dashboard restored, is has been remachined and been dyed the original gold color used on the special editions. Finally, welded up my cracked seat tracks so everything is nice and sturdy. Next on the list is dropping the car off at a shop to replace tie rod ends and ball joints as the car is driving around on the factory originals with well over 100k miles on them.
Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW!
> Bandit - destroyed his car
06/02/2018 at 23:02 |
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Who did your dash plate? I have 1980 Firebird and mine had seen better days.
GLiddy
> Bandit - destroyed his car
06/02/2018 at 23:10 |
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(Prior owner of a ‘79 T/A here.) Looking good. I see you have an original type trim plate for the opening too, with the silver trimmed edge. My original radio, though it was dealer installed, had knobs that matched the style of the headlight knob, so it looked right. Your Audiovox is identical to the one my roommate had in his ‘74 Camaro. (Later, in the 80s, I replaced my 8 track with a Sony ES-R11 digital cassette, FWIW).
I also had trouble with the seat tracks. The driver seat right side track on mine came completely unattached when the ends with the tabs that bolted to the floor cracked. This was quite an adventure as when I would go around a right hand turn, my seat would suddenly lean to the left. Of course this was many years ago and I was able to go to the Pontiac dealer and order a new seat track and replace it.
Bandit
> Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW!
06/02/2018 at 23:13 |
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Randy Combs. Not really sure who else does it. A little disappointed at the quality of the gold dye, but I’m very happy for the cost of $135.
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Bandit
> GLiddy
06/02/2018 at 23:21 |
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The trim plate and radio were free on Craigslist a couple years back. Neither are in all that great of shape but it’s better looking than a broken modern radio and the price was right. Sadly my dash was very poorly cut for a modern din unit by a previous owner so nothing fits 100% anymore. Looking at getting a new dash reproduction in the future to fix that. I have an ‘81 but am trying to build it as an earlier car so I’d love to install an original 8-track in the map pocket spot that I’ve got along with some retrosound type modern radio. The seat tracks all break in that same spot, it isn’t too hard to weld up if you have the equipment.
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GLiddy
> Bandit
06/02/2018 at 23:41 |
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As I mentioned, my 8-track AM/FM unit was dealer installed and whatever doofus the dealer hired to do these at the time mangled the dash mount pretty badly by torquing down the nuts on the shafts and breaking it. It was just barely held on by the trim plate and supported with some folded up foam material they stuffed between the radio and the ashtray. In the 80s, I had replaced it with an Alpine cassette tuner and a failed attempt by a criminal to steal it resulted in a totally destroyed dash board. They didn’t get the radio because unlike the dealer’s method of supporting the tuner, I had a steel strap bolted to the back of the tuner and bolted to the firewall. Insurance paid for a new dash, which worked better to mount radios from then on. But I digress.
I don’t know what year they stopped with the factory 8-track in the map pocket, though my cousin had a ‘73 Formula 400 that was outfitted with one.