LiveFromNY

I've been on a quest to find a stereo that appears period-correct for my '86 951 and I ended up talking to Stefan at SW Stereo Specialists. Could not have been more helpful.

He has some NOS Blaupunkt Dearborns at $189 that are very close in appearance to the original units in our cars. I also had an in-depth conversation egarding the console fader switch and looks like I'm going to be able to retain it as the Dearborn has the same internal 2-channel amp as my stock Monterey and I don't have to worry about frying the unit. It may sound silly but I really want to keep the fader switch if I can. It's just ridiculous enough to love.

But the best news is that he solved my front speaker problem. I drove myself nuts trying to find the discontinued Apine 406's that fit behind the stock grills with no luck. I tried the new Alpine replacements but they do not fit. I was about to resign myself to using the cheapo Jensen paper cone whizzers. But Stefan pointed me to the Blaupunkt THX 462's that he "absolutely, 100%" guarantees will fit in the stock location wit no mods.

Told me he's been doing this for over 30 years and to call anytime with questions not just to buy stuff. Very nice guy.

pontifex4

I can attest to the 462s fitting, as well: I just pulled a couple out of a car. I understand that you're going for period-correct (and I am a big fan of this), but have you considered going very slightly newer on a blaupunkt head unit which supports a CD changer? Quite a few units from the early 90's do, and can pretty easily be made to support AUX-in via the CD changer interface cable, in case you wanted to stash an ipod in the glove box, or something. Then again, I don't think there's any shame in using a cassette tape adapter, either.

By the way, post some pictures along the way! When you have this finished, it's really going to be a showpiece.

LiveFromNY

I have considered a slightly newer unit. Not for a changer which I wouldn't use (more of an FM guy) but rather for a little extra power. But I love the idea that the Dearborn is new-in-box.

Thanks for the info on the 462s. Nice to be able to check the front speakers off my list.

KuHL 951

The 462's are really quite nice. They provide an excellent source of mid-high range if you upgrade the rears to a good 6.5, even in a a good 2-way. I did this in my last car w/ amps (sub) and felt the 2nd amp and sub was unneeded. The volume in these cars is so small and it's really easy to overkill a very simple solution to better sound.

Damian in NJ

I think he started out in NJ, I dealt with him on a stereo for my first new car, a Toyota Corolla SR5 Liftback (designed by Guigaro).

Arominus

Overkill is the best! 6.5's can't replace a sub I did ponder stuffing some 8's in the rear speaker slot but went with dual 10s where my backseat used to be. Its awesome and i don't have to crank it to get good low end response. Those plus speaker pods made for a pretty clean install.

LiveFromNY

No offense, but those speaker pods are just terrible. Are they off the shelf? Did you consider having something fabricated to perhaps more cleanly follow the lines of the door panel?

supes6

I wouldn't say they look terrible... he's obviously more interested in the sound quality than keeping the stock look. I did something similar with the components, but with a little lower profile. Still need to paint the mounting plates but you get the idea. Honestly, I never understood the whole "period correct" philosophy when it comes to audio equipment. You can't really do much with a tape deck and shallow 4x6 coaxials.

LiveFromNY

Yeah. That came over a bit harsh. Not my intent to be rude. Apologies.

LiveFromNY

It depends. Many people strive for a period-correct appearance out of an historical appreciation for automobiles. Others just cannot stand the appearance of much of the aftermarket stuff (both audio and performance). To a degree, I fall into both camps.

As for "You can't really do much with a tape deck and shallow 4x6 coaxials", I agree. But, then again, that is not your only option if you want great audio and a period-correct appearance. Even in these cars, I have worked with guys who could install a kickass system and maintain a period-correct look.

Yes, it would require some serious custom fabrication - and thousands and thousands and thousands of $$ - but it could be done. That said, I realize that not everbody has the desire or the $$ to go that route and I understand that many may choose performace over period-correct appearance. Just a matter of taste and I happen to go the other way.

Arominus

No offense taken, It just didn't make sense to go ape on a 924s daily. I see you have a Ferrari, and well i would expect you to have higher standards than a pleb like me that makes 30k a year. I also already had most of this gear that i put in the car and made it all work, quite well. While the pods are not perfect they look a lot better in the car with the doors closed. I could have glassed up the door panels and made it look amazing however this is a daily driver not a show car. The best part is that i didn't have to cut up the door or door panels to get 5 1/4's or 6.5s in. When i go to sell the car and remove the gear you will be none the wiser as i can put the 4x6's back and reinstall the rear seat and you wouldn't know except for 4 tiny holes in the door panels. I will say that it made for an excellent sound stage, especially once i did the time correction and got everything tuned in. I did build some custom plates to fit 5 1/4 components in the rear speaker position as well, pardon the quality, all i had was my cell phone that day.



Doors closed, still looks tacked on, but hey it works and those armrests look tacked on too.

RDL

Live,
Did you purchase the THX 462's from Stefan, or did you find them somewhere else?
Thanks

LiveFromNY

I'm going to. Why do you ask?

pontifex4

Arominus, how did you do the time alignment? Also, do you happen to have a picture of what the backs of those pods look like?

CurtP

SW Stereo is where I bought my NOS Porsche branded TrafficPro. I'm pretty sure that's where I bought my new harness connectors and removal tools from too.

For my front speakers, I used Blaupunkt OverDrive ODx462. They required slight modification (trimming of the rubber edging and removal of the plastic trim on the tweeter), but they fit behind the stock speaker grills perfectly. My rear speakers are German made MB Quarts. But this setup is being replaced by the factory 10-speaker setup.