[TiMSport]

I had an 8-track player with my home audio setup, so I'll be staying on the lawn for now. LOL @ the "Burglar Alarm" feature.

Hmmm, if they only had a f'n REWIND function. Guess that was too high tech in those days.

[TKDbilly]

I also loved the feature where they would split the song to allow the player to shift to the next track taking about 5-10 seconds.

[TiMSport]

Yeah, that was a great feature. This was one of my gems on 8-track.

[infinitekidM2C]

Originally Posted by TKDbilly

This is the one I installed in my car. Had the 8Track tapes until recently.

Crazy. How's the sound compared to like cd's and whatnot?

[TiMSport]

[3.0L]

A local service station installed these beasts back in the '60's. They did a pretty good job until they got to the speakers mounted in the doors. They cut through the vapor barrier, so when it rained, the water that ran down the windows soaked the speakers. Heh!

[TiMSport]

What did the "contour" function do? I don't remember ever seeing that.

[3.0L]

You got me. Maybe it was a combo treble/bass control?

[TiMSport]

Originally Posted by 3.0L

You got me. Maybe it was a combo treble/bass control?

Oh I just found this description:

The contour makes your mid frequencies more scooped and it's often called “a low budget EQ”.

No idea what "scooped" means though. Maybe a few of the geezers around here know? I wonder whether that's a term that might refer to a V shaped sound.

[3.0L]

Originally Posted by TiMSport

Oh I just found this description:

The contour makes your mid frequencies more scooped and it's often called “a low budget EQ”.

No idea what "scooped" means though. Maybe a few of the geezers around here know? I wonder whether that's a term that might refer to a V shaped sound.

Then run the "scooped" audio through a Vibrasonic.

[TiMSport]

Haha, oh wow. Adding reverb to radio audio playback in the old days. It's essentially an amplifier so I guess that makes sense (or not).

[3.0L]

Originally Posted by TiMSport

Haha, oh wow. Adding reverb to radio audio playback in the old days. It's essentially an amplifier so I guess that makes sense (or not).

I installed quite a few Vibrasonics back in the day.

[TiMSport]

Originally Posted by 3.0L

I installed quite a few Vibrasonics back in the day.

LOL. Somehow I think this may have veered off the original subject.

[translux]

Originally Posted by rwheels

But were they Jensen's, with a woofer, midrange, and tweeter, all in one?

[dscabra]

Originally Posted by sygazelle

The '61 was a vast improvement over the '60. It was the first year of the synchronized 1st gear, an upgrade in horsepower from 36 to 40, and an upgrade from 6 to 12 volts. I loved my bug.

My 1965 VW Bug was still 6 volt, but I did have a fuel gauge. The worst possible driving scenario was in the dark with snow or freezing rain. The 6-volt system would make the headlights feel like candles when the wipers were on at the same time, and the defroster was based on ducting heat from the engine through thin metal flex hose that never had a shortage of holes effectively reducing the flow of warm air to the windshield.

[sygazelle]

Originally Posted by dscabra

My 1965 VW Bug was still 6 volt, but I did have a fuel gauge. The worst possible driving scenario was in the dark with snow or freezing rain. The 6-volt system would make the headlights feel like candles when the wipers were on at the same time, and the defroster was based on ducting heat from the engine through thin metal flex hose that never had a shortage of holes effectively reducing the flow of warm air to the windshield.

I sit (in my la-z-boy) corrected! Thank you. I don't know why I remember my '61 as having 12 V system. Clearly it didn't. No that I think about it, I don't even remember where the battery was on that car. Since I never had electrical issues, I guess I never even looked. Thanks for straightening me out!

[sygazelle]

Originally Posted by dscabra

My 1965 VW Bug was still 6 volt, but I did have a fuel gauge. The worst possible driving scenario was in the dark with snow or freezing rain. The 6-volt system would make the headlights feel like candles when the wipers were on at the same time, and the defroster was based on ducting heat from the engine through thin metal flex hose that never had a shortage of holes effectively reducing the flow of warm air to the windshield.

Sounds awful. I lived in So Cal so the snow and freezing rain wasn't an issue. But, we did get standing water on the freeway when it rained hard. I remember having to apply the brakes lightly in turns so the front wheels would turn.

I think its a bit humorous how some of us (me included) whine about issues with our current cars. Compared to the cars of the 60s, we absolutely have it made!

[flybigjet]

You know you're old if you understand (and have experienced) why the windshield wipers on a car would slow down to a crawl when you were at a stop or going up a hill.

[Lady Jane]

Originally Posted by flybigjet

You know you're old if you understand (and have experienced) why the windshield wipers on a car would slow down to a crawl when you were at a stop or going up a hill.

I've never experienced that because I'm so young... But I would guess a weak alternator/battery. (?)

[dscabra]

Originally Posted by sygazelle

I sit (in my la-z-boy) corrected! Thank you. I don't know why I remember my '61 as having 12 V system. Clearly it didn't. No that I think about it, I don't even remember where the battery was on that car. Since I never had electrical issues, I guess I never even looked. Thanks for straightening me out!

The battery was under the rear seat.

[flybigjet]

Originally Posted by Lady Jane

I've never experienced that because I'm so young... But I would guess a weak alternator/battery. (?)

Cars from roughly the '20's to about the '60's used a vacuum manifold system on the wipers. High vacuum at high throttle = working wipers. Low vacuum at idle throttle or throttle under a high load (i.e. climbing) = slow to no wipers.

The old Ford Custom that I learned to drive on had these. Not a huge amount of fun in the rain.

https://itstillruns.com/vacuum-winds...k-5010098.html

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by Lady Jane

I've never experienced that because I'm so young... But I would guess a weak alternator/battery. (?)

Get off our lawns, kid! It's because wipers back in the day were vacuum-powered.

My favorite engineering choice was how VW over-inflated the spare tire in the frunk, and attached a hose to the spare tire valve to use it to run the windshield washer sprayer.....