That's Right! 8-TRACK!!! (need wiring help)

I think I'd prefer door speakers over dash speakers if I had to choose.

Pics of said 8 track player?

That's a blast from the past...

Radio wiring.

Just the artwork alone in the instructions is killer imo. I have an old Buick 8 track unit in the garage somewhere.

Where are you guys finding tapes that aren't so brittle they shatter as soon as you insert them? I had one in an old Monte Carlo back 30 years ago and even then couldn't find tapes that would run w/o breaking.

All mine still work. They don't sound great, but they work.

aitch said:

Boy, how I miss the wow & flutter of the 8 tracks - not. I'm considering upgrading my audio system to the legendary hi-way hi-fi as soon as I can find a really nice unit and figure out a good location under the dash. And then get a good storage system for the bigly inventory of 45's! 😊
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Wow - I've seen drawings of dudes changing 45's in their drop-top caddillacs...but you've proven the existence of the in-car-45! That's awesome, Aitch

oldeerslayer said:

Where are you guys finding tapes that aren't so brittle they shatter as soon as you insert them? I had one in an old Monte Carlo back 30 years ago and even then couldn't find tapes that would run w/o breaking.

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Hey Deerslayer. I started off with an 8-track player and tube amp behind our living room bar, for that 70's look. Bought a big lot of 8-tracks at a junk sale and found out that only about 10% of them will play without breaking or getting eaten. So, there's a BUNCH of info on 8-track forums, and you basically need to rebuild every tape before you insert it. There are cheap kits, and instructions...and once you get good at it, it only takes a few minutes of maintenance per tape to make them great again. The magnetic media (tapes) sound great still...just have to fix the mechanicals.

Life is a Enigma said:

Radio wiring.

1995-97 Chevrolet S-10 Pickup Car Stereo Wire Colors and Locations

www.the12volt.com

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Thanks for that link, Enigma. I'll get right on it...soon as I replace the belt on that player!

Don't forget to find a few old used paper matchbook covers, you'll need these to help align the heads, sometimes they try to play across channels. Wedge the matchbook cover into the right spot between tape and opening and it'll straighten right out.
Kids today would flip if they saw how to pull the tape out and let the spool spin and rewind it...

Mad Max said:

Lear Jet 8 track baby...

I still have Deep Purple, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zepplin etc on 8 track....
Probably still have 30 of those gems.
Terrible sound reproduction.
I even have a Ford OEM 8 track for my '68 Cali Special Mustang. Not installed. Probably never will.

Don't know why you'd want a shuffle 8...

Wiring is so simple.
Red = +
Black = -
Purple = right channel
Green = left channel
Most 8 tracks had common chassis ground for speakers. (The negative from the speaker connection) Really cheesy.
I also have a Sparkomatic tape unit somewhere (Remember those??)

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Spark-0-Matic! Yes! Like the equivalent of buying a head unit from Autozone now

Thanks for the wiring advice. Once I have time to install this thing, I'll post pics.

That's pretty cool. I don't have a way to play 8tracks but I do have a way for records and cassettes. It's taking time but I've been converting tapes to mp3's to be able to add them to either a sd card or my cellphone. Right now all my cd's are on my cell phone right now.

FARM OUT MAN! Cool memories. Back in 74-75 I found and bought an 8 track recorder. Cost me about a weeks pay (like Rain Man would say "about a hundred dollars"). It would record over any 8 track. I wired it to my console stereo record player. When the song track changed during a song on commercial 8 tracks, the song faded out then CLUNK ramping back up. My recorder CLUNKED and immediately continued with the song, still a buzzkill so I tried to time fit the songs in each of the 4 tracks as to avoid the CLUNK during a song when possible. Word got around and I must have made $1000 (cash and/or goods ) in the first month I owned it.