Blaupunkt Frankfurt Stereo Speaker Locations?

[911MRP]

Cheers Rick. Pleased you actually got those those four speakers that I told you about. I would have bought them myself but international postage and import duties have got silly US to UK but main reason is I've got too much of this old radio stuff already.

Don't know model year 1972 but it seems were probably fitted locally despite several of these radio ( with cassette) stereo units being listed options in model year 1973 according to source/s I've seen for example:
421 Koln DM950 second week of 1973
422 Bamberg DM1150 cassete radio recorder (second week of 1973)
449 Lubeck CR DM750 cassete radio mono
451 Ludwigshafen DM450
452 Frankfurt DM690
453 Frankfurt USA
454 Coberg Electronic DM790
468 Becker Mexico stereo radio cassette DM1350

Hi Karim, Suspect you're right, IIRC the model year 1973 price list you once sent me has some wording about speakers and antenna (in German) so maybe (logically) ancillaries like speaker were a bundle from blaupunkt or Becker prevailing range that came included the purchase of the radio option and got fitted locally -- rather than separate itemised parts from Porsche perspective. Particularly since stereo head units in cars were quite new blaupunkt only starting from around 70 and with 911 relatively unchanged interior design had not yet been redesigned to accommodate integrated stereo components.

Steve

[911MRP]

...; but I'm not entirely sure how a three speaker setup would work (2 in and 3 out fader?).

Thanks

Frank, here is the three and four speaker setup shown in the Frankfurt-stereo European user handbook (1973) like the one you pictured in post 7. No mention of one front one rear but that is obvious as just uses the two outputs without fader.

Looks like Rick has cornered the market on the genuine larger shelf units
These rectangular appear from at least 1969 with minor changes year to year some having silvered or all black accents and blaupunkt letters ...but that is splitting hairs and maybe artistic licence in catalogs.

[Tonger]

Many thanks to Steve, Jim, Rick, Ed, and others, I think I have a direction now.

Paul, that door speaker setup on the COA is very cool. Do you happen to have any pictures?

[LongRanger]

It's funny how some odd details get missed --- a little thing that one may 've noticed only barely/in passing. And maybe for years

Until one day? . . .


BAM!


I've been brooding over radio stuff, ever since I found out that my car actually came with one. Kinda ironic, too ---- since I am so-definitely NOT a car radio person. I love music --- but putting tunes in a car? HUGELY distracting for me . . . to the point where I would enjoy neither. For me? Car radio = mostly weather, traffic reports. OK/sure-sure --- maybe on one o' those long Interstate runs, one could use a little something. But --- for the most part? . . . I don't have much use for a radio --- especially in an Early 911

Yet? + that being said . . . Kardex says 'Köln' so . . .

. . . I've been quietly trying to figure out what bits such an install would require, ever since. Collecting some few bits, as well



Anyway, by 1970, seems radios were pretty-much standard equipment in automobiles . . . but stereos? . . .

. . . apparently not. At least, not in Porsche. I mean --- when someone with as much time around our cars as Ed Mayo says

. . . never found any mention of these speakers in any period parts books . . .

. . . THAT's gonna give me pause


So. Some months back, I come across a car being advertised for sale . . . with stereo. By itself = not-SO unusual. But at the time I made a comment --- about how seldom an Early 911 comes up w/ stereo

Wasn't long after that that Steve (911MRP) told me about some Blaupunkt speakers --- that resembled the ones shown in the car for sale. I thought about it --- + for some time



And then one week-end . . . I went back + had a good long look at the parcel shelf in my car


Son-of-a --------- !



Unless they're grossly damaged/missing, parcel shelves aren't exactly something that I take much notice of, like ---- ever . . .

And I only vaguely remember dusting this shelf off, at some point, and --- seeing these Liiiittle Details . . . assumed they were just part of the attachment of the shelf . . .

. . . or something

So now, poring over the shots of the '72 car --- not just the shape of the speakers, but their position . . . as well as Steve's comments + documents about their vintage? . . .



. . . yikes!






....

[LongRanger]

1st-off --- these speakers doooooon't quite fit the pattern of holes left on this shelf. While the shorter-span ones sorta fit inside the perimeter of the housings . . . the longer ones do not. 5-7 mm off, at least. Hhhhh

2nd thing is --- the fasteners in the holes . . . and I'm being generous, here. At 1st glance, I thought that these were screws of some kind . . . but --- no-they're-not. Instead, seems to be some kinda pin more-like --- or a 'cleat'

Mind you, the material that all this clap-trap is supposed to be hooked-up to looks/feels a lot like thin card board, so . . . I was expecting something a bit-more more substantial. Not. And these cleats are only-barely attached --- literally just plugging the holes that they're sitting in. Where's the Excellence, here?

'Nother thing is that --- I haven't seen what's under this shelf. I'm thinking that --- given the general flimsiness of the attachments that I've seen so far . . . there may be traces of some reinforcement underneath?

Yeah --- I'll, uhh . . . . get right on that


Anybody seen anything like this?



Anyway, some observations . . .

What ever was mounted here on these holes --- wasn't there very long, me-thinks. The pass-side shelf shows only the slightest trace indentation of something making contact there. The rest you can see for yourselves. No 'shadow' where the covering was protected from the sun by a housing . . . no abrasion from where the speaker sat . . . nothing

And only 3 cleats? Guessing that the 4th hole was for the wire that would energize the speaker?

And no way to be sure of when all this was done --- or even if this is the original shelf, but . . .


IMO --- given the condition of the rest of this car's interior . . . = all of this took place a loooong time ago





....

[LongRanger]

And speaking of speakers . . .

[911MRP]

Hi Rick


Hope those fixings are just to tidy up holes after speakers removed, using them is probably a good way to get a flying speaker box in the ear.

Lots of speaker size variants ..for example 1973 German catalogue..maybe one of these fit your mounting points?

Could it have been Becker speakers if they were a factory option ...

Or if aftermarket... Philips ..Or ..Grundig, etc, etc

At least with your four blaupunkt period examples you have some swap potential if someone has similar in right size for your shelf mount.

However before you get much further into all this if your car had Köln pretty sure that is a mono not stereo albeit the top Spitzenklasse search facility so maybe the shelf speakers are a later fitment of who knows what brand if a PO modernised original radio sometime?

Regarding listening to radios. Despite all my posts on radios and extensive collection of stuff I have the blanking plate in place on my 911 dash at present.

HTH

Steve

[RSTarga]

If you do put rear speakers in, I'd make sure the bolts go all the way through the metal and have some nits and wide washers. You don't want to get conked by one of them flying forward.

[911MRP]

Hi Ed/Karim

I don't have Porsche factory reference to speakers and doubt I'd ever have as much literature as Karim and some others.

I do have a lot of blaupunkt and Becker literature - consumer and their more detailed business to business technical stuff.

The equipment suppliers were specific about the following components being their correct offering for the 911/2 and 914 models (in this example 69 up to 71) so I presume wherever parts got fitted when these cars were new (be it at importer, dealer or specialist aftermarket radio retailer) the installer should/would have chosen and sourced appropriate kit from this recommended table from the factory radio suppliers / manufacturers available range.

The extract below is from one page from one of a comprehensive Blaupunkt Händler-preisliste and catalogue (which I think translates to trade-price list?). This one is dated 1-1-1971 hence more specific car-model details such as this up to 71 model -- it is not a consumer picture brochure:




Einbaulautsprecher list gives two part numbers for Porsche...


There is a lot of detail like this in these period Blaupunkt and Becker multi-page trade catalogues / price lists about car model fittment that is not covered in much depth the equivalent year glossy consumer brochures.

While there is some discussion and no evidence found or posted to date from Porsche factory parts books and literature on such things but if the factory did ever actually fit stereo speakers when a factory option # stereo radio or radiocassette was selected by customer, they would have probably picked speakers and accessories from the available range of components from supplier factory equipment supplier Blaupunkt, or Becker and Hirschmann, etc)

Hopefully this Porsche specific list from a period blaupunkt factory source helps when judging likely originality and correctness of radios and accessories fitted to early 911...that is not something I do ...but maybe it is useful to you and others here to have sight of?

Radios and speakers are getting quite pricey these days and can be a big visual element in the interior of early 911s.

Regards

Steve

[RSTarga]

When did Porsche start stamping speaker holes into the doors? It's curious that the holes where there way before the factory started installing speakers into the doors at the factory.
They must have expected owners to use them with aftermarket installations.