Thanks for this very enlightening piece!
In fact Iam in a way happy that there is no year correct radio for a
veedub! What I have is something I wont have much choice to change or choose
from. These things are so rare here now that the phrase 'beggars cannot be
the choosers' fits here.
I searched again on a few veedub site (pre67 VW etc) but agin did not
find what I am holding onto here.
Best regards,
Asad
Karachi, Pakistan.
From: Nicholas Stokes <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: Air-Cooled Volkswagen Discussion List <[email protected]>
To: Air-Cooled Volkswagen Discussion List <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [vintagvw] Vintage VW radios!!
Date: Sat, 11 Aug 2007 09:23:04 -0400
Asad, et al
I co-authored an article on VW radios for the now-defunct VW Trends
some time ago that outlined the many radios installed in our VWs.
Although containing some errors, it essentially captures the radios
available at the time. I have no experience with the very early radios.
I get many emails asking about the "factory" or "correct" radio for
their air-cooled VW as there was either never one installed or a
modern one was put in its place. To my knowledge, there were no
radios installed at the factory all were either dealer-installed
options (Sapphire in the US) or installed by new owner at a local
auto radio shop or in his/her garage. VWoA did not start selling the
Bendix Sapphire I radio until 1960 although I've been told that the
Garwood book says it was available in 1959. Before that the VW
dealer may have offered a Blaupunkt, Motorola or Automatic that he
had installed at a local auto radio shop. Even after the VW dealer
began offering Sapphires as a dealer-installed option, I suspect
there were many who opted for the Blaupunkt or none at all. The
early Sapphires, up to 1969 had part numbers starting with the year,
0BV is a 1960 Sapphire I, 4TMV is a 1964 Motorola Sapphire I and so
on until 1970 where it was exclusively Motorola and the numbers are
not so clear. Even this numbering does not mean your 1965 had a 5BV
radio. I suspect that dealers used up their stock and owners would
return later to the dealers to purchase radios which would lead to
later radios in earlier auto models. There were also VW radio kits
sold by Sears and JC Penney as well.
The Blaupunkt series cannot be fitted to an exact date but the era-
specific would be correct. Blaupunkt uses the names of cities for
their radios but a Frankfurt (AM/FM) can range from the early
vibrator-driven power supply to the all-transistor models. They also
made kits which would include proper faceplates and hardware so their
radios would fit many different brands of cars over the years.
All the information I have is through my experience and not validated
with any dealers or factories. After answering some questions on the
proper year Sapphire I have folks who swear that their '66 Sapphire
III radio was installed in their '65 when they purchased their car.
I suspect this is entirely possible as a dealer may have some '65
cars left on the lot when the '66 models came in and when sold, the
new owner wanted a radio and all he had were '66 models left.
The proper year radio in your VW is not an exact science. One more
example is the 1968 Sapphire IX. In the sedan or Bug it is the first
radio for the new, narrow padded dash and was made by both Bendix and
Motorola. The Ghia model is a Sapphire V (1967 dash size) with a
metal label over the "Sapphire V" chrome strip that says "Sapphire
IX". I found this out when someone sent me an IX that they had
bought somewhere in a barter arrangement. I suspected a sedan model
and thought he had sent me a V until I looked at the label.
Check my web site for many examples.
Nick Stokes
Dub~Tunes radio page: http://homepage.mac.com/stokester/dub_tunes
On 8 Aug, 2007, at 08:18, asad ishaque wrote:
> Hi Allen,
>
> I am also interested in seeing this list. Please send me a copy
> on [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> Would be grateful.
>
> Btw does anyone know what would be a period correct radio for a
> 59 bug??
>
> TIA
>
> Asad
> Karachi, Pakistan.
>
>
>> From: "Allen Caron" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>> Reply-To: Air-Cooled Volkswagen Discussion List
>> <[email protected]>
>> To: "Air-Cooled Volkswagen Discussion List" <[email protected]>
>> Subject: Re: [vintagvw] Vintage VW radios!!
>> Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2007 20:52:15 -0400
>>
>> Nick et al,
>> I have a list of what was SUPPOSED to be the radios as installed
>> by year.
>> It's a work and in a Word format. If you think that would help
>> the list, I
>> can post it tomorrow.
>>
>> And Nick. You wouldn't happen to live in Vegas would you? Sorry
>> dude. Just
>> had to ask. You're probably tired of the CSI references. :0)
>>
>> Allen C - Byron, GA
>> 74 Ghia Coupe
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>> [email protected]
>> http://lists.sjsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/vintagvw
>
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