Author Topic: Blaupunkt Cassette Radio - 280SL (Read 10289 times)

campin8tor · « **on:** April 13, 2018, 03:02:05 »

My dad and I are working to get a 1970 280SL back on the road after 20 years. We are getting close to having it road ready just wrapping up some items. This car will be used and held on to by me and will be used as a day trip vehicle periodically weather permitting. We still need to take on the project of replacing the heater levers, yes I know, and Im not looking forward to it but its something that needs to get done.

Knowing this, I started thinking about the radio which for one doesnt come in clearly, but it does play a cassette tape ok. Please see attached picture for the radio currently in the car, obviously not stock. So my question is, would their be any reason to keep it or given that its not original should I look to update it to one that works better, has an aux port and/or bluetooth capabilities. Looking for advice. I also need to look into the antenna.

I figure being that I have to replace the levers, I have to remove the radio anyways so that would be the time to do it.

Any insight/thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you..

Pawel66 · « **Reply #1 on:** April 13, 2018, 05:44:00 »

Just maybe two words from me:
1. Please note that the radios that are correct for these cars in terms of type and/or looks can come, this way or another, with aux and bluetooth. You will find a lot about it on this forum. They are pricey, but they are available. In Europe we use e.g. Koenigs radio - you may take a look. I am sure there are similar suppliers in the US.
2. I would make sure that the opening for a radio in your car stayed with the factory dimensions, i.e. nobody made it bigger to accomodate the radio you currently have. It may be a bit of an issue if you need to make it smaller again...
3. Once you are under dash, I would make a list of all things that need to be done under dash - any wiring improvements, all bulbs exchange, anti rattle activities, anything that comes to mind.

wjsvb ✝︎ · « **Reply #2 on:** April 13, 2018, 13:21:27 »

A couple of thoughts: Scoot, a fellow forum member in Altadena, is knowledgeable about Becker radios and should be able to help. Also, Becker, in Saddle River NJ, will supply original units with modifications.

114015 · « **Reply #3 on:** April 13, 2018, 14:29:25 »

Kick that (ugly) non-original radio out

and put a contemporary Becker in.

Furthermore, you should replace your (formerly) black heater levers.
These are gone...

Just my 2 cents ...

Achim
(Beckeraficionado)

campin8tor · « **Reply #4 on:** April 13, 2018, 14:39:32 »

Quote from: 114015 on April 13, 2018, 14:29:25

Kick that (ugly) non-original radio out
and put a contemporary Becker in.

Furthermore, you should replace your (formerly) black heater levers.
These are gone...

Just my 2 cents ...

Achim
(Beckeraficionado)

@114015 HAHAHA.... agree... thank you for your input. Yes the plan is to replace the black heater levers, already purchased, so while Im in there I was thinking of replacing the radio... hence looking for input!

campin8tor · « **Reply #5 on:** April 13, 2018, 14:45:14 »

Quote from: Pawel66 on April 13, 2018, 05:44:00

Just maybe two words from me:
1. Please note that the radios that are correct for these cars in terms of type and/or looks can come, this way or another, with aux and bluetooth. You will find a lot about it on this forum. They are pricey, but they are available. In Europe we use e.g. Koenigs radio - you may take a look. I am sure there are similar suppliers in the US.
2. I would make sure that the opening for a radio in your car stayed with the factory dimensions, i.e. nobody made it bigger to accomodate the radio you currently have. It may be a bit of an issue if you need to make it smaller again...
3. Once you are under dash, I would make a list of all things that need to be done under dash - any wiring improvements, all bulbs exchange, anti rattle activities, anything that comes to mind.

@Pawell66 Thank you for your input!
1) Thank you I will peek around for something that may look the part better..
2) Good point! I will know more when I open it all up! Hoping no adjustments have been made... or wait.. maybe I am hoping for adjustments.. haha...
3) Another good point, was thinking of replacing all bulbs with LED ones as I heard they last longer as well as look for wiring improvements. I need to run the car to determine if there are any rattles prior to opening up the dash... great suggestion though!

campin8tor · « **Reply #6 on:** April 13, 2018, 14:46:27 »

Quote from: wjsvb on April 13, 2018, 13:21:27

A couple of thoughts: Scoot, a fellow forum member in Altadena, is knowledgeable about Becker radios and should be able to help. Also, Becker, in Saddle River NJ, will supply original units with modifications.

Thank you @wjsvb! I will continue my research and maybe reach out to Scoot for input. Thanks again!

PeterPortugal · « **Reply #7 on:** April 18, 2018, 06:08:57 »

If you don't mind spending the money these are awfully nice.

http://www.becker-mexico-retro.de/en/

scoot · « **Reply #8 on:** April 19, 2018, 15:47:40 »

To the best of my knowledge, the Becker retro radios are not available with navigation maps for the United States. And they look modern. But they are very nice.

If it were my car I would

1) verify that they dash was not cut. If you look at the technical manual you find the size of the opening for the big-face (your car) and small-face (early cars) Beckers. If you have that size opening then your Becker options are good.

2) What is the speaker situation in your car, and is that going to change? This matters because the early radios are really designed for quite low wattage speakers so if you are planning on using something big, or if there is already big holes in the car for speakers, that's a consideration.

3) Based on the above, and assuming the dash isn't cut, I would install either a Becker mono or Becker stereo radio with one of the corded MP3 input cables. IF you are going to be driving larger speakers, then I would go with a Becker radio designed for a separate amp and use a more modern amp with an adapter cable that is available on eBay.

4) How you use a radio is really important. What do you want it to do? Will you actually be listening to it? if so, to what? FM or streaming MP3? Would you actually want to be able to play a cassette?

For _ME_ my favorite Becker radios are the ones that have separate amps and have preset buttons. So that means no Mexico because the Mexico doesn't have presets. The Grand Prix is a very nice radio, but if you aren't going to use the search function for tuning (because perhaps you don't listen to the radio and just want to stream) then it's a waste of money and added complexity. A Europa II stereo is a perfectly acceptable radio that is fairly simple and reliable. (no separate amp with the Europa II stereo). One gotcha on using a stereo Mexico - for reasons that are unclear to me I _think_ the aux input for a Mexico stereo is a mono input. I could be wrong about this but that's what I recall reading.

Scott

campin8tor · « **Reply #9 on:** April 22, 2018, 21:20:10 »

Thank you @scoot, appreciate your feedback. I will have into the speaker situation. The vehicle is at my parents house so will need to go over there. I do believe there are speakers behind the seats but will need to confirm. There is of course the speaker on the dash .

As for the radio, looking for am/fm, preset stations, aux port, usb or bluetooth capable. Any thoughts on Retrosound equipment?

scoot · « **Reply #10 on:** April 23, 2018, 02:37:18 »

Quote from: campin8tor on April 22, 2018, 21:20:10

Thank you @scoot, appreciate your feedback. I will have into the speaker situation. The vehicle is at my parents house so will need to go over there. I do believe there are speakers behind the seats but will need to confirm. There is of course the speaker on the dash .

OK, if there are speakers in back, do you mean 2 (left and right)? If so, I very much doubt that your dash speaker is connected. You could either do stereo (left and right) or mono (front or front and ONE rear). But not 3. That would just be odd.

Quote from: campin8tor on April 22, 2018, 21:20:10

As for the radio, looking for am/fm, preset stations, aux port, usb or bluetooth capable. Any thoughts on Retrosound equipment?

I have to ask - why do you want an AUX port _and_ a USB port? Are you just looking for a way to stream music from your phone? If so, then you just need an AUX port. With a _real_ Becker you can get a plug in for Aux in and there is even a bluetooth flavor of that plugin.

As for my feelings about Retrosound, I've been nearly banished for my harsh views of Retrosound. So others like it and I'll let them chime in. If you install it and are happy then I'll look around it and see the other nice things in your car and pretend I don't see it. :-)

Your goals are not entirely clear. Particularly when the USB in. And with the BT, are you looking for streaming audio or Phone Kit. Very different animals, but you really can have either depending on what you are willing to do and what compromises you are willing to make cosmetically.

Tyler S · « **Reply #11 on:** April 26, 2018, 15:45:07 »

A lot of the US delivered cars did not come with a factory installed radio. Check the data card to see what option it had.
That being, Becker WAS NOT the only radio installed in the US cars. A lot of cars also had a Blaupunkt Frankfurt installed at the dealer prior to sale. This would also be a correct radio. So you have more than one choice if your data card does not indicate a radio installed. To say it wouldn't be correct would also mean dealer installed AC's are not correct. The Frankfurt also has an aux input.

scoot · « **Reply #12 on:** April 26, 2018, 15:53:03 »

Quote from: Tyler S. on April 26, 2018, 15:45:07

A lot of the US delivered cars did not come with a factory installed radio. Check the data card to see what option it had. That being, Becker WAS NOT the only radio installed in the US cars. A lot of cars also had a Blaupunkt Frankfurt installed at the dealer prior to sale. This would also be a correct radio.

My understanding is a little simpler than that. I think that all radios installed at the factory were Becker and all radios installed at the dealer were Blaupunkt Frankfurts. Yes, the datacard will indicate if the car had a radio from the factory, and which Becker the radio was. So technically if there was no radio from the factory the Blaupunkt Frankfurt is more correct. But who cares. If you want it to look nicer then the Becker is a more attractive radio.

Tyler S · « **Reply #13 on:** April 26, 2018, 16:10:44 »

Yes Scott, just wanted to make the point that there is more than one choice. And if your car happens to have a Blaupunkt that you need not fear that your radio is incorrect. As far as "attractiveness".. Thats in the eye of the beholder. 😜

scoot · « **Reply #14 on:** April 26, 2018, 16:21:03 »

Quote from: Tyler S. on April 26, 2018, 16:10:44

Yes Scott, just wanted to make the point that there is more than one choice. And if your car happens to have a Blaupunkt that you need not fear that your radio is incorrect.

Agreed, however in the case of the Blaupunkt belonging to the OP, that radio appears to be significantly later than what a dealer would have installed...

Tyler S · « **Reply #15 on:** April 26, 2018, 16:48:02 »

Yes that is a later radio. A PO must have "upgraded" at some point. The good news is Blaupunkt has always used DIN specs so it is very unlikely the dash opening has been modified. Good news for OP

Rothko · « **Reply #16 on:** May 10, 2018, 15:32:12 »

I love the look of the Becker Mexico Retro. Didn't know Becker had done that.

I emailed Becker USA asking if they still make them. Their complete response: "No more."

Darn. Any thoughts on where or how to pick up one?

scoot · « **Reply #17 on:** May 10, 2018, 15:55:17 »

Quote from: Rothko on May 10, 2018, 15:32:12

I love the look of the Becker Mexico Retro. Didn't know Becker had done that.
I emailed Becker USA asking if they still make them. Their complete response: "No more."
Darn. Any thoughts on where or how to pick up one?

A couple of points worth mentioning... 1) Becker USA is "Becker Autosound". They paid to use the name Becker. They are NOT Becker. They are a company in New Jersey that sells and repairs older Becker radios. 2) to the best of my knowledge, the retro Mexico was _never_ available with NAV maps for North America. Probably not a big deal to people. 3) this is not a particularly new product. I think it was introduced maybe 5 or 10 years ago. If you want to buy one look on ebay or ebay.de.

mmizesko · « **Reply #18 on:** May 10, 2018, 17:22:45 »

I would recommend the Becker Europa II stereo, with the 7 watt per channel amplifier. You can stow the amp behind the glovebox. The 280SL has holes in the metal for the 4" Becker 8 ohm speakers. Volume isn't great on the highway, but ok around town. The unit also has a DIN 7 port in the back that was originally for the remote cassette. You can plug an 3.5 mm female connector cable into the port and plug a double 3.5mm connector into your phone or MP3 player, and into the female connector end, that you may want to mount on the bottom of the AC unit. You'll need to play it full volume, because if you turn the volume up on the becker, it will distort. This unit is correct for the car, looks great, and achieves the desired result. Just don't cut any holes in the rear deck or into the trunk. Your membership will be revoked. (LOL).

scoot · « **Reply #19 on:** May 10, 2018, 18:17:43 »

Quote from: mmizesko on May 10, 2018, 17:22:45

I would recommend the Becker Europa II stereo, with the 7 watt per channel amplifier. You can stow the amp behind the glovebox.

A Europa II Stereo doesn't have a separate amplifier.

Rolf-Dieter ✝︎ · « **Reply #20 on:** May 10, 2018, 18:18:06 »

As has been mentioned the OEM radio is available yes, however at a price.

When I got my car now nearly 5 years ago I was in the same boat as you (none OEM radio with cassette player and the original owner provided me with the original OEM radio).

So the first thing I did was remove the none OEM radio and installed the OEM radio. You guessed it the radio did not work.

Here is what I did, I left the OEM radio in place and purchased myself a nice JAWBONE speaker (found one in blue like my interior and exterior colour ... well sort of) and along with my iPod I enjoy wonderful music. Then I don't use it too often since I enjoy the exhaust tone of my Pagoda more

If the original owner did not provide me with the original radio I would have installed a radio delete plate just to keep the look original.

Dieter

mmizesko · « **Reply #21 on:** May 11, 2018, 14:26:42 »

Scoot,

Wanna Bet?

That is what is in my car. I know it well. Have had it out a couple of times and sent it back and forth to Becker Audio to fix AM.

Jus Sayin.

Mike Mizesko

scoot · « **Reply #22 on:** May 11, 2018, 14:48:08 »

Then you have an unusual version of the Europa II Stereo. Most do not have separate amplifiers. I've had probably close to 100 Becker pinstripe radios and the Europa II Stereo is common, but I have not seen it with a separate amplifier. That doesn't mean it didn't exist (as I seem to have misstated), but it is not typical.

mmizesko · « **Reply #23 on:** May 11, 2018, 15:49:11 »

Here ya go:

More common than you think.

Mike

scoot · « **Reply #24 on:** May 11, 2018, 16:04:08 »

Quote from: mmizesko on May 11, 2018, 15:49:11

More common than you think.

Enough of the "last word" **** fight. I'm telling you what I know from first-hand observation. It's not important to me to have to be 100% correct on things but you do seem to be dragging this out for reasons unclear to me. FWIW the second picture you posted has a tag that I'm pretty sure says "Europa Stereo MU". It looks like the third one says "Europa II Stereo MU". Enough of this. Enjoy your radio.

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Author Topic: Blaupunkt Cassette Radio - 280SL (Read 10289 times)