Under Dash Record Players....need info from older guys?

Who had them ...
What was your experience with them...how well did they work, etc.....were they all under dash or did some adapt to in-dash installation?
Who was the best maker?
Thanks in advance.....!

 

i saw these on ebay.

record player

allstate

last one

 

From what I understand the arm was so heavy (to compensate for the movement of the car) that you could play a record maybe once or twice before it got wiped out.

Ever seen a "missed" disc? They're kinda cool lookin.

 

I've had a couple of what we used to call the Norelco toaster. It played 45s one at a time. You put the record in the front like a CD player now and when it was over it popped out the front. It wasn't real hard on the records. The ARC and the Allstate shown in Low springs links were hard on records because the tonearm was pressed UP against the record. You put a stack of 45s on a spindle and they fell out the bottom when over. B&N in Bellflower used to make a 45/33 RPM player that was just a home player the had a 12 volt motor. I had a '55 Buick in 1966 that was slammed front and rear that had to have both the Norelco for when I was driving and then when I parked at Oscar's or Harvey's Broiler I'd put ol' Jimmy Reed on the album player. That album player might have worked while driving in a non-lowered car, but it sure didn't work without skipping in mine.

Thanx for asking this question That memory made me smile…

 

Thanks for the replies,guys.....
Chili Phil, great info.....I'm actually considering including a short story or series of anecdotes about Auto record players to go with a small spread of art in our upcoming book.....
Hope to hear more from y'all......

 

Chrysler began marketing their "Hi-Way Hi-Fi" in 1956. CBS developed it and it required a propriatary type of record selected from the Columbia music catalogue. I think they were sold for about 3 or 4 years. They aren't extremely rare but you don't see them everyday either.

Mounted under dash.

 

I have a Philips 45 player that was made in Denmark or something. It's exactly like the one my uncle had in his WW11 Willys in the '60s. Mine's got a plug that you're supposed to run into your radio amp. I don't even know if this thing works, I just look at it and it reminds me of what a cool muther my uncle was.

I saw a Hi-Way Hi-Fi in Daytona for $345, I thought that was a good price.

 

Check this link out-MIKE
RECORD PLAYERS

 

The one I had,,,a million years ago,,,worked great as long as your car was sitting still,,,hit a bumb in the road and your record was shot!HRP

 

I guess i'm older........... Hiway Hifi's were 66rpm... Stay way from those. Chyrsler offered a 45 rpm record player in 57 I think. They all plugged into the radio.
Paul

 

Hey, I resent being called old.

 

My dad's used '56 Plymouth had one of those record players. It only played 16 1/8th speed records. The only record that came with the car was someone READING part of "Dante's Inferno"! Dad traded the car in 1963. I saw it about three years later and ID'd it because of the player. The car had traveled a few states away and back again. From what I remember the record skipped on bumpy roads.

 

Ive had quite a few ARC 1000 Under dash 45 Players.. they were okay.. better to look at , than to listen too. They plug into your radio antenna..
a good one will run 500.00 plus.. any thing cheaper will require hard to find parts..

 

Bought one about 20 years ago, don't remember the brand but it has an all chrome case. It played pretty well on the bench, never did put it in a car though.
Every one I've ever talked to said those players were OK when the car was parked except at Overlook Hill, but skipped and destroyed records while underway on almost any road surface or when parked, and lucky, at Overlook Hill.

 

I think Norco had a Tiny version.. where you slip the 45 into the player, run 1 record at a time... the Arcs are a spring door from the bottom up, you could stack the records , up to 10 45s..

 

I had one a couple of years ago . It was from a 1957 Chrysler .They bolted underdash and was wired through the radio.They came with 4 records from
famous artists of the daY,They didn't play 45's they looked like 45's but the actually
played at 16 2/3 speed smaller size plays twice as long played slower .They weren't
really designed to be driven any pot hole will bounce the needle like crazy.They are
the ultimate car show gimmick ! Not that we do "Car Shows" The records are very
sought after by the record collector crowd .Most people don't have all 4 so they hunt
for the ones they are missing.If you have one enjoy it . But if you like tunes sell it and go to "Circut City " I hear they are having a sale on CD players !

I don't have a quote I see to many good ones to choose my own !

 

Friend of mine had one in a party ambulance in LA in the 60s. His main beef was that his records melted from the sun when parked. Didn't work too well, skipped over bunps, same as the rest. RCA and ARC are the same, the ARC letters are just a scramble of RCA. I bought an ARC a couple years ago--they have no amp of their own and the instructions I could find involved invading my radio to bypass the tuner section and make use of the amp section. That could have been conquered, but it also didn't fit between my dash and the trans hump as slick as I thought it would. After years of lusting for one and dropping $250 on it--which was a deal--I just resold it. Made a couple bucks, anyway, and satisfied my curiosity.

 

I had one, it was an under dash unit, and you slid the 45 into a slot in the front, much like a cd player.
Mine skipped a lot while driving, and was best used while parked
(at least that's what I told the girls ).
Didn't really sound very good either, but neither did the radio back then, but it's all there was, so we dug it.

 

I had one. I bought it new in 1965 and installed it under my dash of my 55 chevy. I loved it. I had people tell me theirs skipped, but mine didn't skip. It was one of the better models made. It was an all chrome body and the records slipped under in a stack. they were held in place until you pressed a release button. the arm had a heavy spring on it and the only thing I experienced as wear was the paper label would wear off and it was hard to read. I used to put stickers on them in the low areas that didnt show wear in order to know which records I was choosing. but I knew my favorites and so did everyone else in my car.
I could drive across railroad crossings at a fast pace and they would never skip.
I loved playing blues them from the arrows.

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ARC, and RCA, and even Sears sold them. Sears was under the Allstate banner, but all 3 were almost the same. Mine worked great, could stack up to 10 at a time, didnt skip, every thing floated on springs and foam pads. was rough on the lables, and I still have the 45's, that i played on it. Had to be wired thru your AM radio, as ther was no FM back in those days. the only down side was the sun. had to keep records in the shade. Also had a reverb on the rear speaker in the old 59 Impala. Wish I still had the player and the care

 

Why bother with an ancient poor sounding record player? This is the 21 Century use an Ipod.

 

For the same reason fellas run their flatheads...
Heaven forbid that anyone should put anything traditional on their ride on this forum.

 

I don't come to the HAMB for the 21st century. Besides, compressed digital music will NEVER sound as warm and natural as good ol' vinyl records. Although, it's probably a moot point in a car audio system.

 

I had a sears in my 50 Ford it played well,skipping wasn't bad ,sound judged by todays standards wouldn't even be considered sound.

 

this is so true. mp3s/ipods have pretty much ruined the general public's ear ( studios to blame too i guess.. they all engineer the same damn sound ,, and do not get me started on auto tune.. barf's.. something about them old out of tune blues players that has been special to me over the last 20 years. ).. i play a little guitar.. i do not have a great ear, its not real bad either.. but i know the ipod is a poor compromise.. it could of been better but jobs made the choices he did. even today the apple ipod is not the best sounding mp3 player. audiophiles are damn picky!!

chris.

most of my music is in flc format. mp3 can retire.

 

RACEING because Football,Baseball,Golf only reguire one ball

 

just happen to come across this:

http://whoknew.news.yahoo.com/?vid=26245521
Vinyl Records

Vinyl's growing popularity is more than just spin. Last year, 2.8 million records were sold, making the old-fashioned LP the fastest-growing music format in the United States.

looks like we can still buy records.. i thought they stop making them.. hey you can buy new music for that under the dash tune player.. score!!!!!!!!!

chris.

 

My Dad ran an RCA in his new '59 Buick convertible then switched it to his new '62 Buick convertible. I wanted one several years later but RCA had stopped producing them. Another company must have bought the rights to produce them, because I bought a new one that was called an ARC. They used 45s and sounded pretty good with my reverberator on .......until I hit train tracks. I really enjoyed mine. Back then, we'd stop at traffic lights, with a car full of guys and girls, and get out and dance. Of course, traffic in the early 60's was nothing like it is now.
God, I'm old!

 

I want it for the turnpike cruiser I am hoping to buy in the early summer next year. It will be my 40th birthday present and graduation present from RN school. I love the sound of records and the one in the picture is a working unit... Plus it will look killer under the dash in the mercury. The car already has power windows, memory seat, and power rear window so the record player is perfect for the gadget car...