Thread: Car Radios and Stuff .. Do You Remember When?

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My New C7 doesn't even have a cassette player. No option for one either. Technology marches on.

I remember all of the the things you mentioned, Mike. I even had an 8 track recorder so I could make my own road mix tapes. The nice thing about making your own tapes was that you didn't get the fade out between tracks. Just a little hiccup when it changed over.

I can remember buying conductive splicing tape from Radio Shack (may have even been Lafayette Electronics) to repair the tapes when they came apart. Had to have the conductive tape or they wouldn't change tracks. Repairing 8 tracks is pretty much like making flint arrow heads, more or less forgotten ancient tech.

Like Shine, I've embraced the Bluetooth and memory stick thing. My Healey project won't have a CD player. I even considered not putting a radio in it at all. There are head units that are just Bluetooth as well as amps that do Bluetooth. I think I've decided to do a mech-less AM/FM head unit, though so I can have memory stick capability. Most likely a gauge mount marine unit. They are about as compact as you can find and mount in about a 3" round hole.

Thanks for the trip down memory lane and reminding me how old I'm getting.

I'm pretty sure I've got a Kenwood six pack disc player sitting on a shelf, but no head unit.

In the shed is a complete Kenwood home system with 475W amp, dual 15 band eq, tuner/ double cassette/ receiver, turn table, six pack plus one CD player:

everything except the cabinet and speakers. It is smoke damaged, just needs several cans of plastic safe cleaning fluid sprayed into the various switches.

“…….Technology marches on……”

Yeah it does Dogtag, and the older I get the more aggravating it gets .

I usually don’t upgrade electronics very often and when I do it’s usually only because I have to. Computers and cell phones are about the worst, by time I wear one out, the one that I have and am used to are no longer available and of course the operating system have been changed and usually it won’t support some of the programs I’m using, so I have to re-learn and re load everything again (hell I’d still be using XP if it was available).

I did get the first Satellite radio pretty much installed yesterday (waiting on a cigarette lighter receptacle to finish the installation off). It wasn’t horrible and I think I’ll be happy with it.

The GPS is another story. ….that came in yesterday. I ordered what is basically an updated version of the old one I currently have. The programming and screens are pretty much the same between the old and new so the learning curve on setting it up and using it won’t be too bad. Installation and use is another story

The GPS is one of the portable ones that plugs into the cigarette lighter. The first issue is how it mounts. My old GPS slides into the mounting bracket with a pair of slots. When I got the old one I set my 3 cars up with a bracket where the GPS is positioned best and didn’t use the god awful useless suction cup bracket that goes on the windshield. Of course the new one (and the other ones I looked at) doesn’t have the slots that will work with the brackets I already have. Rather than re-make the brackets that are already in the 3 cars I’m currently building an adapter so I can the existing brackets.

The other thing I found when I was researching GPSs is that almost none of them (at least in the price range I’m looking at) have an audio-out port so you can listen with an ear plug. The internal speaker on the small units is just about worthless, so I usually use the ear plug a couple of places on the trip (like Kansas city where there are a lot of lane/highway changes). At least I knew going into it that I’d be taking it apart and adding an audio output when I bought the darn thing. It’s not a big job just an aggravation to make it work like I want it to.

Before anybody brings up blue tooth or any of the other things, I know but I’m old and grumpy and want things like I want them




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Why do you go through Kansas City and where is the problem?

Ken, I usually take 40E over to OKC then hit 35N to Des Moines IA, which puts KC about right in the middle. On the way back I usually end up hitting KC about the time afternoon rush hour is starting. 35 goes straight thru town and I usually try to bypass that and take 435 around, but even that is usually starting to get heavy. Either way there are several places you end up merging with other roads, some to the left and some to the right. The GPS is good at giving me a heads up as far as which lane to be in.

If you have a good way to bypass KC altogether I’d be grateful.


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I used to take 435 to go to the airport but since they made 71 an interstate (I-49) I go through town and even during rush hour it's not that bad. They eliminated big sections of the neighbor hood on either side where 71/49 runs that was Prospect and a very bad part of town. There are 3 consecutive lights and you can get backed up some but it's a lot better than the zoo on I-435. If you 're coming in on I-35 I would take it to I-70 East to 71/I-29 North to where I-29 and I-35 split. Check out the map.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ka...!4d-94.5785667

Roger Spears might know of a way around KC that I'm not aware of. I've taken 291 from Liberty to Harrisonville and it's not too bad but that would take you to I-49 which crosses I-44 south of Carthage and on to OK City but tht's a round about way. If you did the 291 thing you could go east on route 2 out of Harrisonville into Kansas and pick up I-35 again. I've taken route 2, it becomes 68 in Kansas, to Topeka for the drag races. It's two lane but not congested at all.

Every time I've been near KC around rush hour it's a crap show. We usually stopped south of their at cabela's if we're heading north to KC so the women could shop at the outlet stores. Maybe they only have problems when I come through. IDK

Originally Posted by 40FordDeluxe

Every time I've been near KC around rush hour it's a crap show. We usually stopped south of their at cabela's if we're heading north to KC so the women could shop at the outlet stores. Maybe they only have problems when I come through. IDK

There are some of the worst and dumbest drivers I've ever seen in the KC area. I don't think I've ever been on 435 that some jackass doesn't get in the far left lane and barely goes the speed limit or less and will not move causing traffic to back up and people get frustrated. The only other place I can think of like that is going through Indianapolis anytime between 7 in the morning to 7 or so in the evening.

The KC dilemma and how to get around it, we where just talking about that here in my hometown (1/2 way between KC and Ken) and there isn't a great route around unfortunately, alot of that has to do with the Missouri River and the expense I guess of building bridges, I may be only 75 miles away from KC but prefer to avoid it as much as possible and I work even closer. Ken I think you mean west (not east) on 2 hwy into Kansas, which is correct it becomes 68 and does intersect 69 & I69 in KS and I35 but I also am unaware of a short cut that goes at least on a 4 lane!

Originally Posted by Matthyj

The KC dilemma and how to get around it, we where just talking about that here in my hometown (1/2 way between KC and Ken) and there isn't a great route around unfortunately, alot of that has to do with the Missouri River and the expense I guess of building bridges, I may be only 75 miles away from KC but prefer to avoid it as much as possible and I work even closer. Ken I think you mean west (not east) on 2 hwy into Kansas, which is correct it becomes 68 and does intersect 69 & I69 in KS and I35 but I also am unaware of a short cut that goes at least on a 4 lane!

Must have been a senior moment as yes I did mean west.
You can go in the back door if you go through Warrensburg on 13 to I-35. I did that once to I-70 and decided I'd rather put up with the traffic.

Thanks Ken, I've been looking at all of the suggestions.

When I started regularly making the trip from here to Illinois several years ago there were 3 places I hated going thru, Albuquerque, Oklahoma City, and Kansas City. I found a way to bypass Albuquerque completely, I use the Kilpatrick Turnpike around OKC, but so far haven't found a way around KC.

The only other option is following 40 thru to St Louis and then 270 North. I used to go that way but between going thru St Louis and the Illinois drivers, I'll put up with KC



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When I was going to Ohio before my step father passed away I hated going through St Louis so I'd hang a right at 270, south of St Louis, to 255 and then I-70 east bypassing St Louis.
You could take I-40 east from OK City to Memphis to I-55 and then at Sikeston, Mo stay on I-55 or I-57 depending on where you are headed in Illinois.
All in all I'd rather bypass St Louis than try and go around KC and I doubt if it's that much farther.

I'm headed to the NW part of Illinois Ken. I usually catch I 80 in Des Moines. I just noticed and am wondering about catching I 135N at Wichita and then US 81 up to I 80.

Don't know if 81 is 2 or 4 lane, but it would get me around KC.......wonder what Omaha is like to get thru


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