Blaupunkt or Becker?

[BrentF]

My recently acquired '70 911T is equipped with an AM/FM Blaupunkt. How appropriate would it be to install this Becker Mexico that I have on hand? I like the idea of the cassette player in addition to AM/FM, plus the external Ipod connection that I had installed in this unit:

[fryardds]

Put'er in I say.

Really, much better looking faceplate than the Blaupunkt along with the other things you mention.

[BrentF]

Thanks. My unit came out of a '70's Mercedes. The pin stripe face plate on these Beckers were designed (I think?) to match the same pinstripe pattern on Mercedes dash boards of the period. This is why I asked how appropriate this unit would be in a '70 911. Searching Google for "Becker Porsche" I came across this picture. Would a black perimeter faceplate, as below, be more appropriate for a '70 911, than the chrome surround faceplate?



Here's a 911 with a Chrome faceplate Becker that I found on the web:



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[gulf908]

Brent,

GO Becker !!
If you want this for a show car,contact Tom Mitchell at Becker Auto Sound in NY(?) and he will confirm the year correctness of your Mexico cassette.
My GP was sold between '69 and '77 so is correct for my '71 but the new 911 buyer in the day would have had to check the 'radio to order' box when ordering the car.
HTH

Cheers,
Dennis.

[HughH]

i put a Becker Mexico with Ipod connections (including charging it - not just playing it) into my 73E. It was a Mercedes one as well but i understand that the only noticeable difference is the Mercedes ones use knobs with chrome trim whereas the Porsche ones don't have the chrome trim on the knobs.

the ipod on mine runs via the cassette switch, with the casette disabled, ie hit the middlke button and it goes to ipod and again and it goes back to radio, and an override switch to keep the automatic ariel down when the ipod is being played - i would never go back to a plain radio after this. The Ipod sits in the ash tray out of sight.

[M_deJong]

You can put an ipod adapter on the Blaupunkt, it should have a DIN plug on the back.

Before you install a stereo unit, think about where the speakers will go. Your Blaupunkt is likely mono with a dash speaker. Door speakers sound the best but don't belong in a '70. I have a stereo Frankfurt in my '71 with a dash speaker and one in a box behind the drivers seat. Not thrilled with the sound - the dash speaker cover really mutes the high tones. I may go back to door speakers as my door panels & pockets are not original anyway.

[Flunder]

No Porsche was ever factory delivered with a Becker pinstripe face.

Strictly speaking, those are appropriate for MBZ only.

Every Porsche supplied Becker would have had a universal face that fits in the standard dash opening for the radio. Beckers with the universal face mounting are relatively much harder to come by.

Also, I would check the option lists in the Redbook etc. books before I put a cassette in a '70.

I don't believe a cassette radio was an available option that year, universal face or otherwise.

Now the pinstripe face is far prettier and looks better in the dash, I agree. And the pinstripes are in plentiful supply thanks to the MBZ wrecking yards. The pinstripe face is also useful to cover up a buggered dash opening.

And Becker, unlike Blaupunkt, still supports the old radios with parts and offers factory rebuild services.

But if you are building a serious show car, a pinstripe face is simply not correct.

If your car came from the factory with a radio, the original model radio will be specified on the CoA.

[Jim Breazeale]

Every one of the Becker radios pictured came out of later model MBZs. They all scream "I'm not appropriate!", but then again, who cares? 70 Porsches were not offered with a cassette or a stereo radio. They also never had a full face plate, just a bezel around the radio.

Regards

Jim

[72targa]

My original radio has never worked. But is sure looks purty. I just listen to the sport muffler.

[BrentF]

Okay. Thanks for all your insightful comments. There are obviously pros and cons to this question.

I think I will install the Becker Mexico into the car for which it was originally intended, namely my '72 2002tii that presently sports an after market period incorrect radio/CD player. The Becker is better suited to that car, as that car has 4 speakers (2 in kick panels, 2 in rear shelf), whereas my 911T has only the single dash speaker. The 911's door panels have not been altered and are original to the car, so it would be a mistake to add speakers to the door panels.

As was pointed out by M_deJong, the Blaupunkt that's in the car likely has the DIN jack at the back which (if it does) will permit an Ipod connection. I realize the sound quality will be poor, but I prefer keeping the originality of the car and not introduce a radio that is out of place, even though the various pics of 911's with Beckers look great.

Here's what's in the car now:



BTW: The Blaupunkt currently in the car must be a dealer install unit, as the COA makes no mention of a radio:



Thanks again for your comments!