Searched, but need car audio options

[RE-Xander]

I searched the forum (great site btw, glad to be here) but I need some advice guys on car audio. I recently picked up a refurbished H10 6gb for $70 on ebay (I'm a champion! all the others were going for 130+ like on iRiver Direct) and its amazing.

BUT

I'm an enthusiest. My daily driver is a 1982 Mazda RX-7 fully modified for street and track use. I'm not too concerned with sound quality, since I have to compete with my carb, fuel pump, and exhaust, but I need something that'll last me very well and be reliable.

Being a 25 year old car I don't have a casset player, and I can't readily fit a CD player in there without cutting my radio surround, and my car's interior is gorgeous. http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...7/IMG_0433.jpg

What would you PERSONALLY reccomend for a FM transmitter? Or have others been able to successfully make a small black box to plug into a car's stock amps to route the signal to the speakers?

Thanks!

[devyanks90]

i've seen people recommend a Generic FM Transmitter from Ebay ($24) and a iriver branded tranmitter ($50)

Welcome to MR

[BBD]

I use a Belkin Tunecast II in my work car (line-in for my personal vehicle, but that possibility ain't there @ work) and it works pretty well. But surely there's a way to rig a line-in for your car...can we get some close-ups of the head unit and amp you're using?

BBD

[RE-Xander]

Well my stock head unit is a 1982 Clarion, non-black magic. Black Magic was the wundabar during that time period, but I was lucky to get a base model (lucky for weight savings).

My amps are just underneath the seats and were stock as well and drive the speakers. I was thinking I might be able to splice something into there, but I don't know. I could always have a friend ship some out of a parts car to me.

EDIT: Here is a picture I have on my hard drive of the "head unit". If you could call something so archaic.

[shadesbass]

What's that little hole in the bottom left hand corner of the head unit?
Could be useful...

Alternatively you could rig up some magic box to go between the head unit and the amp.
What connectors are on the amp?

[RE-Xander]

I'll have to check tomorrow, because I do have some experience with making circuit boxes.

Now I was looking through my old FSM (factory service manual) and where my JB Weld quick stick is being held or where the ashtray is was an optional casset player. So that leads me to believe there are inputs of some sort on the rear.

The only thing is, when taking it out to access the rear... 25 year old brittle plastic.

[itsmeguys]

i have to say, very sexy interior , maybe you could show us the outside?

[RE-Xander]

Here is a not so recent picture. I have Almex YSD wheels and the orange lens you see on the front corner has been tinted black, along with all of the other lenses. Black and silver is a very big theme.

[itsmeguys]

cool car, wish i could aford a car

[Drumr]

why not just buy a new radio which would better accomodate you?

if you cant do that... your amp might have an input...
my dad installed the radio he had put into a porsche he had a while ago(late 80's early 90's?), when he sold teh car he re-installed the stock radio, and recently installed it back into his 1971 Triumph TR6. the amp happened to have RCA inputs which we use to play CD's (VIA a portable CD player) MP3, and now sirius satelite radio... long story short... even old(er) radios(/amps) might have inputs which are perfect to use.

[RE-Xander]

Originally Posted by itsmeguys

cool car, wish i could aford a car

I actually found this RX-7 abandoned behind a local gas station. I tracked down the owner and was able to walk away with it by giving him $1000.

Originally Posted by Drumrboy320

why not just buy a new radio which would better accomodate you?

if you cant do that... your amp might have an input...
my dad installed the radio he had put into a porsche he had a while ago(late 80's early 90's?), when he sold teh car he re-installed the stock radio, and recently installed it back into his 1971 Triumph TR6. the amp happened to have RCA inputs which we use to play CD's (VIA a portable CD player) MP3, and now sirius satelite radio... long story short... even old(er) radios(/amps) might have inputs which are perfect to use.

I'll take a look for some RCA inputs around. Maybe I could fashion some, even.

I'm probably going to search local junkyards to find another radio surround and cut into that one and place a Mazda Miata CD player in that one. At least this way I will still have the stock radio and radio surround. That and I can get Miata CD players with or without Bose for $20 every day.

Reason for the above is if you look closely the stock radio is smaller than a single DIN size. I'd have to cut into it to put a new radio in.