Got a radio!

[Arne]

OK, maybe no one else will get excited about this, but I'm pretty stoked. I got a radio today for my early '71 240Z. Since my goal for the car is not completely stock, but period correct (I want it to look like a typical mildly-modified 240Z as they were driven in the mid-70s), I decided a while back that a factory AM radio wasn't quite what I wanted. After all, large numbers of those AM radios got yanked and replaced by aftermarket AM/FM/cassette decks. So that was what I decided I wanted to find - a vintage shaft-type AM/FM/cassette deck, even though I no longer own any cassettes.

Well, I found it, and it's near perfect. It's a Pioneer KP-8000 Supertuner dating from 1975 or so. It's in great shape. Don't know if the tape drive still works, and don't really care anyway. FM does work, and that's all I really need. The Pioneers from back then did have a power antenna lead, so I can replace my dead original antenna with a similar-looking full-auto unit at half (or less) the price of the OE unit. It also has only two speaker outputs, so that will go well with a pair of speakers in the stock location.

Anyway, I just had to share. I think this unit will look great in the Z's dash!

[moonpup]

Good snag Arne. If you squint your eyes, it even kinda looks like the stock unit (less the cassette part) :stupid:

[montoya_fan01]

Good Deal! I know how you feel.

I found a NOS KRACO brand AM/FM/Cassette player w/ 2 Speakers at a Garage Sale last summer. Got it all for $10. Seems the guy bought it for a project car back in the late 70's, and eventually the project was sold and this stuff was overlooked in his garage until they retired and cleaned out the place.

[Arne]

I'd have bought a Kraco like that had I seen one, like my Pioneer, they simply SCREAM '70s! I owned both Kracos and Pioneers back in the day.

You might have got a better deal, though. Mine isn't NOS, it's used. (But it looks almost new.) I had to pay $20 for mine.

[montoya_fan01]

My Uncle said that was what he had in all of his 240Z's back in the day and I had looked for a Pioneer Supertuner for a long time without success. Just lucked into the Kraco unit. I'd have rather had the Pioneer, but the Kraco will be OK for my needs.

[Alfadog]

Nice score! It will look just right.

If you ever do get tired of the radio, you could buy a nifty little device that looks like a cassette, but plugs into your memory stick and plays MP3s. I have one somewhere...

[=Enigma=]

Maybe the two of you shold trade and stop oogling each others wares.

Arne, what the heck does the MW stand for on the presets?

[rdefabri]

Arne,

Did you have the original radio in your Z? If you did, are you interested in selling it?

I can't stand the modern radio in my Z, and I am leaning towards a total resto, so getting a correct radio would be nice.

Let me know.

[Arne]

Did you have the original radio in your Z? If you did, are you interested in selling it?

Sorry, no. My car came without radio of any kind. I thought about going back to original briefly, as it seems to be easier to find original radios than things like the one I now have. But the AM-only ones in good shape sell for decent money on eBay. And the dealer installed AM/FM units typically exceed $200. For my purposes, the vintage aftermarket radio is a much better choice. It was affordable, and will still look right in the dash, unlike a modern multi-color CD player.

Maybe the two of you shold trade and stop oogling each others wares.

No! The Supertuner was my first choice as well. I got lucky and found one. But if I hadn't found the Pioneer, I'd have taken any '70s vintage unit - Kraco, Clarion, Craig, etc.

Arne, what the heck does the MW stand for on the presets?

Pioneer introduced the Supertuner line in the '70s to compete with the big names of that time, primarily Blaupunkt and Becker. The first two AM/FM/cassette models were the KP8000 and KP8005. The 8005 was sized and styled for American cars. More chrome, different knobs, etc.

The 8000 (like I got) was designed for imports, and purposely styled to look like a Blau - plain black knobs, satin silver trim instead of chrome, and was built in the DIN size chassis. The 'MW' was a silly bit of mimickry. The AM band was sometimes called "Mid-Wave" in Europe, and some Blau's and Beckers used that on their presets, so Pioneer did also.

[Victor Laury]

When I was in high school, that pioneer was "THE" unit to have in your party wagon! I believe I heard the first broadcast of "Frampton Comes Alive" on that very unit, whilst skipping 4th period english lit.

[Arne]

When I was in high school, that pioneer was "THE" unit to have in your party wagon! I believe I heard the first broadcast of "Frampton Comes Alive" on that very unit, whilst skipping 4th period english lit.

Yup. Exactly why it was my first choice for my Z.

[SteveInOakland]

Looks great, I know exactly why it's what you were looking for. There are also some Clarion models with pretty similar look that do turn up occasionally.

Steve.