Put Bluetooth in your Classic Car!

-
Super-Cuda

Super-Cuda

MOPAR .. Move Over, Plymouth Approaching Rapidly!
Joined
Nov 5, 2014
Messages
3,968
Reaction score
5,321
Location
Canada
Just found this on line.

It should work if you have an am/fm radio in your car. Will allow hands free driving as well as charging and listening to music from your phone.

Sound quality.. now thats a different story as it will only be as good as the quality of the radio. Still, great for handsfree phone operation.






9. FM Transmitter for Car
e769f1c0-59dc-11ec-bdbc-c3273c16def0.jpg

FM Transmitter for Car. Image via Amazon.
For a quick and easy way to upgrade your car's sound system, this Bluetooth transmitter adds hands-free calling and a way to play music from your phone.

$23 at Amazon
 
I have had nothing but terrible luck with any personal FM transmitter I've ever tried, from the analog ones in the 1980's through the digital ones as late as 2000's.

The analog units drifted, and the digital ones either didn't have enough power, or the available frequencies were right on top of local stations.

That said, it's been another 15 years of progress.....
 
I'm installing these in my Barracuda. I'm actually really impressed with the sound quality for just having one speaker in the dash hooked to a cheap chinese bluetooth receiver.

I believe I got the idea from another member here who installed his receiver inside of his radio so he could use the knobs to control it. Wish I could remember who it was so I could credit him.

I attempted to install it into a non working thumbwheel radio so I could run it incognito but it just didn't work because of the nature of the thumbwheel knobs. The gears that are part of the thumbwheel that are required to turn the stud inside the radio just aren't strong enough to turn the knob on the receiver consistently. I think it would stop working or strip the gears out after moderate use. I believe it would work easily with a regular type AM radio since there won't be a need to make a 90* turn using gears inside the radio.

Going to install it under the seat instead. Couple of things if you're going this route. The power wire that comes with the receiver is garbage. It looks like it's 16 gauge but it's really the insulation that is 16 gauge with like two tiny strands of copper inside that are about as thick as a human hair. I ditched that and just ran 14 gauge to a power connector I bought off Amazon for a couple bucks. I also ditched the speaker wire that came with the speaker. Seems like the speaker itself is high quality but I don't even know if I could consider the speaker wires it came with as wires. It was more like some type of material pretending to be copper that would crumble into small pieces if it bent one way or another.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XBF9GXW/?tag=fabo03-20

71W3izXGblL._AC_SL1500_.jpg


Standard Series Dash Replacement Speaker for 1968-72 Plymouth Barracuda

1968-72-1P7-D-412-1405_1024x1024.jpg
 
both my daughters love theirs. I don't know the brands. (cheap ebay / amazon)

I just wish they made one for AM radios. I have been playing around with some limited success making a bluetooth to AM transmitter but it got sidelined by life.
 
I put this in my Demon with new 6x9s and it sounds great. Everything hidden under the seat. Control from your phone or the controller.

BOSS Audio Systems MC900B 4 Channel Weatherproof Amplifier – Bluetooth, 500 Watts, Bluetooth Multi-Function Remote, Full Range, Class A/B, 4-8 Ohm Stable, Aux-in, RCA Outputs, USB Charging https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IBI518Y/?tag=fabo03-20
 
Dana67Dart said:
both my daughters love theirs. I don't know the brands. (cheap ebay / amazon)

I just wish they made one for AM radios. I have been playing around with some limited success making a bluetooth to AM transmitter but it got sidelined by life.
Click to expand...


Home - Radio Restoration

I'm going to do this! I LOVE the AM crackle, especially when listening to a baseball game. Just something about it.

I do however love my blue tooth radios in my modern cars.

 
I picked up a Bose Soundlink Bluetooth speaker for my cars as neither of them has a radio. It works great, sounds excellent and is small enough that I can take it with me when I park the car anywhere. Battery lasts all day, even if I am playing it at full volume.
 
i looked at the amazon ad. i see it plugs in a cig lighter but how do you wire it to your dash radio?
 
go-fish said:
Home - Radio Restoration

I'm going to do this! I LOVE the AM crackle, especially when listening to a baseball game. Just something about it.

I do however love my blue tooth radios in my modern cars.

Click to expand...


I thought I was the only one that liked AM baseball broadcasts. Grew up listening to the Tigers on WJR in Detroit after my family moved to Atlanta GA area. Could only pick it up on nights the weather was clear between us.
 
el5dart said:
i looked at the amazon ad. i see it plugs in a cig lighter but how do you wire it to your dash radio?
Click to expand...

It will broadcast a local signal at a certain FM station/frequency that you tune your radio in to .
 
mgoblue9798 said:
It will broadcast a local signal at a certain FM station/frequency that you tune your radio in to .
Click to expand...


ok i see. kinda like the drive in movie. but your phone is the drive in movie theatre.

i still listen to AM radio mostly still to this day.
 
mgoblue9798 said:
It will broadcast a local signal at a certain FM station/frequency that you tune your radio in to .
Click to expand...

Just an FM modulator. It’ll do the job of playing music but if you want you phone’s navigation to come over or to receive phone calls I think you need the proper conversion. Also not sure if the work on non-digital tuners.
 
missing linc said:
I picked up a Bose Soundlink Bluetooth speaker for my cars as neither of them has a radio. It works great, sounds excellent and is small enough that I can take it with me when I park the car anywhere. Battery lasts all day, even if I am playing it at full volume.
Click to expand...

which one did you get
 
ESP47 said:
I'm installing these in my Barracuda. I'm actually really impressed with the sound quality for just having one speaker in the dash hooked to a cheap chinese bluetooth receiver.

I believe I got the idea from another member here who installed his receiver inside of his radio so he could use the knobs to control it. Wish I could remember who it was so I could credit him.

I attempted to install it into a non working thumbwheel radio so I could run it incognito but it just didn't work because of the nature of the thumbwheel knobs. The gears that are part of the thumbwheel that are required to turn the stud inside the radio just aren't strong enough to turn the knob on the receiver consistently. I think it would stop working or strip the gears out after moderate use. I believe it would work easily with a regular type AM radio since there won't be a need to make a 90* turn using gears inside the radio.

Going to install it under the seat instead. Couple of things if you're going this route. The power wire that comes with the receiver is garbage. It looks like it's 16 gauge but it's really the insulation that is 16 gauge with like two tiny strands of copper inside that are about as thick as a human hair. I ditched that and just ran 14 gauge to a power connector I bought off Amazon for a couple bucks. I also ditched the speaker wire that came with the speaker. Seems like the speaker itself is high quality but I don't even know if I could consider the speaker wires it came with as wires. It was more like some type of material pretending to be copper that would crumble into small pieces if it bent one way or another.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XBF9GXW/?tag=fabo03-20

View attachment 1715845048

Standard Series Dash Replacement Speaker for 1968-72 Plymouth Barracuda

View attachment 1715845049
Click to expand...
Here is my build with one of them. It works well
Bluetooth radio build.
 
The Dart I have now is the only one I've ever owned without a radio, I love listening to the motor, plus I pay better attention to things around me instead of singing and playing drums on the steering wheel. I do love music and have a kick *** vintage stereo system in my home.
 
ESP47 said:
Yep that's it. Great idea, just wish it could have worked with my thumbwheel.

I'll do it to my Duster sometime in the future since it has the same style turn knobs as yours.
Click to expand...
You can make it work. Just have to get creative with it. You could run a hidden gear on the wheel to the integrated knob on the Bluetooth. When I was a kid I used to take everything apart I remember one time I disassembled my grandfathers radio and the knob was attached to a rubber belt on a pulley system something like that would work.
 
dartfreak75 said:
You can make it work. Just have to get creative with it. You could run a hidden gear on the wheel to the integrated knob on the Bluetooth. When I was a kid I used to take everything apart I remember one time I disassembled my grandfathers radio and the knob was attached to a rubber belt on a pulley system something like that would work.
Click to expand...

I was able to get the connection from the radio to the bluetooth knob to work fine but it's the factory gears on the thumbwheel mechanism that were weak. They already slipped here and there without the bluetooth being hooked up but the added resistance of the bluetooth knob made it tough for the gears to stay hooked up. I have a feeling I was going to be pulling everything apart after a couple weeks so I just wound up running the wires under the seat instead.
 
mgoblue9798 said:
I thought I was the only one that liked AM baseball broadcasts. Grew up listening to the Tigers on WJR in Detroit after my family moved to Atlanta GA area. Could only pick it up on nights the weather was clear between us.
Click to expand...

To quote our beloved Ernie Harwell…”those days are looooong goooone!

To answer to the above thread tho, I use my Bluetooth speaker and my phone in the RR, the Cuda has an old Pioneer Supertuner in it with the twin posts, which fit into the dash without any cutting. I always look for those when I’m at the swap meets.
 
I cheated. Retrosound stereo with all the parts from Crutchfield. Expensive but looks correct. Bluetooth, handsfree, Can even do Sirius/xm for a little more. It was $323 to the door. Speakers were already in place and I was installing an uncut dash and the fit was perfect.

IMG-2254 (1).jpg
IMG-2256 (1).jpg
IMG-2261.jpg

It all depends on what you want to pay.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top