Correct Radio for 74 Restoration, Blaupunkt Karlsruhe Options

[gcrotvik]

I have been looking for a correct radio for my 74 2.0 restoration for some time now. Recently, I was able to find an NOS 74 Blaupunkt Karlsruhe radio. Unfortunately it's not a US model. Although year correct, it's not US vs ROW correct. Here's the question, from a concours judging perspective, how "incorrect" is the non US Karlsruhe radio?

Thanks for the feedback.

Greg

[Tom_T]

PS Greg,

Just to be clear, I was answering based on your OP statement: "Here's the question, from a concours judging perspective, how "incorrect" is the non US Karlsruhe radio?"

The NOS Euro Blaupunkt is not incorrect per se, but it could be challenged by a competitor in a PCA Parade under their rules, as not being original or correct for a USA delivered 914, or if the COA says another radio was installed at the factory, or a dealer's invoice to the contrary (if you have that documentation).

It's my understanding that challenges like that are infrequent at Parade, but it can happen. As I said in my prior post, there have been other 914s which won their Class/Division at Parade with other & far more extensive non-original items in recent years, from what I can see just looking at the pix from Parade. So I don't know how much of a concern it would be for you - assuming you plan to show at Parade.

For me, the bigger question would be usability in the car here in the USA, & whether that set you show will pick up our stations, regardless of whether the dial & buttons are shown in Euro or USA standards. The dial looks like they may be the same frequencies as in the USA, but I don't know if your Euro Bands Blau will pull in the USA AM &/or FM stations, as I don't know the difference with their bands, so try it out to see what it gets.

The good thing about the Euro Blau is that it's dead perfect NOS & looks great!

FYI - Jeff Bowlsby's 914 site lists the factory radio options in the chart by MY at the first link below, & the range of dealer & factory radios are about 2/3's down at the 2nd link (my Moto AM/FM/8-Track is the VW 4412 on the list of pix linked there).

http://bowlsby.net/914/Classic/OpEq.htm

http://bowlsby.net/914/Classic/Accessories.htm

As noted above by myself & others, unless you're trying to stick with a radio option listed on your 74's COA or Kardex, you can put in any period correct radio to "look" 74-ish.

For non-period but Porsche-made/sold "Porsche Classics" division radio options, there is also the Porsche sold classic radio with Nav (see link below, Suncoast Porsche & your local dealer can probably get it too), which would pass for anything in Concours at PCA Regions/Zones, but would have the same cautions which I mentioned above for Parade &/or non-PCA CdE - depending upon their individual rules.

http://www.suncoastparts.com/product/SKUCLASSIC.html

If you plan on both pleasure driving & CdE showing, you could also just use your NOS Euro Blau for show, & also get a good quality modern Sony/JVC/Kenwood/etc. with Bluetooth, Aux/iPhone/Android/Aux & all the bells-&-whistles to use on a daily/weekend basis.

That Woody's Customs store also sells a pair of flat speakers to get to 4 total without hacking door cards/etc., which you can set under or behind the seats in a 914, & run the wires under the carpet sections to the radio (for Concours judging I'd recco removing at least the speakers & tuck the wiring under carpets if you go this route.

They're not hard to change-out if the original wiring is maintained, & the new style is installed using an adapter pig-tail, rather than the typical Audio shop cut-n-splice hack jobs.

The choice is yours.

Also FYI - here is a pic of my Motorola set added by the OO at the dealer, which needs a good detailing before I put it back in. It has the correct original plastic basketweave texture face plate with the half-circle notch for the glovebox key/lock-set, correct knobs to match the dash with the silver tabs adjusting L-to-R Speakers & Bass-to-Treble (don't recall which side is which offhand now), M/S is Mono/Stereo selector with the singe amber light to above to indicate stereo, & the 4 amber lights are for the track indication on 8-Track tapes with the dial face hinged to insert the tape cassette-box.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/bowlsby.net-10181-1483467772.1.jpg)

Cheers! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
///////

[gcrotvik]

PS Greg,

Just to be clear, I was answering based on your OP statement: "Here's the question, from a concours judging perspective, how "incorrect" is the non US Karlsruhe radio?"

The NOS Euro Blaupunkt is not incorrect per se, but it could be challenged by a competitor in a PCA Parade under their rules, as not being original or correct for a USA delivered 914, or if the COA says another radio was installed at the factory, or a dealer's invoice to the contrary (if you have that documentation).

It's my understanding that challenges like that are infrequent at Parade, but it can happen. As I said in my prior post, there have been other 914s which won their Class/Division at Parade with other & far more extensive non-original items in recent years, from what I can see just looking at the pix from Parade. So I don't know how much of a concern it would be for you - assuming you plan to show at Parade.

For me, the bigger question would be usability in the car here in the USA, & whether that set you show will pick up our stations, regardless of whether the dial & buttons are shown in Euro or USA standards. The dial looks like they may be the same frequencies as in the USA, but I don't know if your Euro Bands Blau will pull in the USA AM &/or FM stations, as I don't know the difference with their bands, so try it out to see what it gets.

The good thing about the Euro Blau is that it's dead perfect NOS & looks great!

FYI - Jeff Bowlsby's 914 site lists the factory radio options in the chart by MY at the first link below, & the range of dealer & factory radios are about 2/3's down at the 2nd link (my Moto AM/FM/8-Track is the VW 4412 on the list of pix linked there).

http://bowlsby.net/914/Classic/OpEq.htm

http://bowlsby.net/914/Classic/Accessories.htm

As noted above by myself & others, unless you're trying to stick with a radio option listed on your 74's COA or Kardex, you can put in any period correct radio to "look" 74-ish.

For non-period but Porsche-made/sold "Porsche Classics" division radio options, there is also the Porsche sold classic radio with Nav (see link below, Suncoast Porsche & your local dealer can probably get it too), which would pass for anything in Concours at PCA Regions/Zones, but would have the same cautions which I mentioned above for Parade &/or non-PCA CdE - depending upon their individual rules.

http://www.suncoastparts.com/product/SKUCLASSIC.html

If you plan on both pleasure driving & CdE showing, you could also just use your NOS Euro Blau for show, & also get a good quality modern Sony/JVC/Kenwood/etc. with Bluetooth, Aux/iPhone/Android/Aux & all the bells-&-whistles to use on a daily/weekend basis.

That Woody's Customs store also sells a pair of flat speakers to get to 4 total without hacking door cards/etc., which you can set under or behind the seats in a 914, & run the wires under the carpet sections to the radio (for Concours judging I'd recco removing at least the speakers & tuck the wiring under carpets if you go this route.

They're not hard to change-out if the original wiring is maintained, & the new style is installed using an adapter pig-tail, rather than the typical Audio shop cut-n-splice hack jobs.

The choice is yours.

Also FYI - here is a pic of my Motorola set added by the OO at the dealer, which needs a good detailing before I put it back in. It has the correct original plastic basketweave texture face plate with the half-circle notch for the glovebox key/lock-set, correct knobs to match the dash with the silver tabs adjusting L-to-R Speakers & Bass-to-Treble (don't recall which side is which offhand now), M/S is Mono/Stereo selector with the singe amber light to above to indicate stereo, & the 4 amber lights are for the track indication on 8-Track tapes with the dial face hinged to insert the tape cassette-box.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/bowlsby.net-10181-1483467772.1.jpg)

Cheers! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
///////

Thanks Tom for the clarification. I knew what you you were saying in your first post. I'm still wrestling with using the ROW version Blaupunkt because it wouldn't have been something a dealer would have installed at delivery. The issue is more mine than what a judge may knock points off for. I'm trying to restore the car to OE US delivery specs and that radio is just wrong (IMHO).

Greg