Do you remember buying your first 8-track stereo

Had one in my 66 Coronet, although I don't remember what brand it was. Sounded good and I was pleased with it, but I had to drive to E. Rutherford, NJ for a training class, and when I went to the car in the morning, I discovered some rotten low life SOB had broken into the car, and stolen it. Reported it to the local police, and they essentially said "Gee. that's too bad", and didn't seem overly concerned. In addition to ripping out the 8-track, they also ripped out the aftermarket oil pressure gauge tubing next to the 8-track. Had to get a ride to a local plumbing shop to get a plug to cap off the line to the oil gauge so I could drive the car. I hope that miserable bastard enjoyed the 8-track.

 

My first 4 track player was installed under the dash of my new SS396 Chevelle in the summer of '66. It cost $49 at K Mart. So many were stolen, insurance companies wouldn't cover their loss. Eight track followed soon. The head moved via solenoids and could be remotely controlled. I had a switch next to the dimmer so I could change tracks hands free. I remember mostly Beach Boys and Johnny Rivers playing through the $9.99 speakers.

 

put one in my 69 crossram z-28 in the early 70's and it still plays great today !!!!

 

I can't remember when I got my first 8 track, but remember the day it got stolen.
In 1970 I just got back from the service and went to lunch with my wife, we were in this restaurant eating lunch when two young guys came in and one sat down and the other went to the back, I thought he was going to the bathroom but I was wrong he went out the back door and broke in to our car and took the 8 track and tapes.
We had no idea what was going on till he opened the door to the restaurant and said to his friend let’s go. I looked at my wife something is wrong, I went out with in a minute of the leaving and I was right, window busted out.

 

My first Muntz cost $26. First it hung under the dash, then I got a slide mount.
Graduated to an in-dash AM/FM/8 track, Panasonic, I think...ok, so it wasn't really an "in-dash" unit...I just cut a hole in the dash of my truck and mounted it. Didn't look too bad.....ok, it looked like the hack job it was.
Had a selection of thin cardboard and matchbooks to wedge under the tapes when they crosstracked.
Also still have my Realistic 8 track recorder (with Dolby, of course).
I used to repair my chewed up 8 tracks by prying them apart, unspooling them, taping the break with scotch tape, and then rewinding them. There was always a funny warbling noise where the tape looked like an accordian. Still have all those tapes, too. Steppenwolf, Grand Funk Railroad, Moody Blues....
AND, I bought an extra slide mount, an Archer 12v converter, and some wedge speakers so I could use my 8 track in my room.

 

......Had one in a 63 ford.......damm thing never work half the time....ate the tapes also....first and last one I'd ever own....

 

Ahh yes, the 4 track stereo tape player. I don't remember the brand but I liked it better than the 8 track...

 

Also a realistic in 75 my girlfriends father actually borrowed me the $29.95 from a radio shack type store.
Mounted under the dash in my 59 IH travelall make out truck,Vern helped me to mount it and hook up speakers etc.When we got this one done we tore the dash out of his big plymouth wagon and put an in dash in that.
Her dad would take us to the drive-in movies on Friday nights,taught me to fly fish,water ski and all other things she helped me with

 

My 1st tape player was a 4 track made by Lear Jet! I put it in the glove box of my '50 F-1. Speakers sat behind the seat. Compared to the factory AM radio, it was great. Next, I moved up to a Craig Pioneer 8 track that went in my '60 Catalina 2 dr hard top. It too went in the glove box, 2 speakers under the dash and 2 speakers in the rear deck. It was state of the art for 1967 and considered "top shelf". I also installed head phone jacks outside under the tail lights, one on each side. Girls loved this and thought that it was the greatest, up in the mountains, under the stars or at the lake, drive in, cruises, etc.. I forgot how really cool that was!!

 

Does anyone remember the 4-track players? They used to jump tracks when you would hit a bump.

 

Bought my 1st 8-track at Western Auto,a Craig. Have one out in the shed with a bunch of tapes,some still in the boxes. Beatles,Elvis, Beach Boys .

 

My first was a 4 track "Muntz" in my 62 Falcon - later went to 8 track in my 66 Mustang.

 

That's a pretty good story, I can see ya now.

 

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Was Werkin' in Lincoln Mercury Dealership Mid '70's when they offered "Quadraphonic" 8 track, which was actually 4 track, because each track went to individual speakers.............Wood sit in new town car (after Werk ), and play Demo Tapes which seperated Sound vBeautifully !!!!!1 bIke and Tina Turner, " Lover Boy" was one of MY favs..........Later, Put Quad set up in my '40 Merc Kustom, which Cost me "Most Original" like IT could've been ", in the fifties.......At Springfield Ohio, Lead Sled Meet. Early '80's...........
Gene Winfield was one of tha' Judges.............
Bought Tee Shirt frum Him, Which when washed. fit my girlfriend, who, was size ZERO !!!!!!!
Thanks Gene !

Smoked Up, in Tha' Great
Smokey Mts., Of Tennessee

 

I worked at my uncles Sinclair station from1969-1973...In the summer of 71 a traveling salesman stopped in with a trunk full of new under dash sparkomatic 8 track players and reverbs My uncle bought a shit pile of them...the 8 tracks were 10.00 and the reverbs were 8.00 and that old man had the filthiest 8 track xxx party tapes my young ears had ever heard.......for a buck!!

 

Bought my first 8-track stereo ($29.95) at the local Radio Shack. Could'nt afford the extra $29.95 they wanted for speakers so I drove to KMart and bought a cheap pair of wedges for 8 bucks. The stereo was a Realistic and I still have it and it still sound great!

 

8 track------my 4track isn't wore out yet--- if it doe's finally give out I'm installing the 45 player again with the reverb unit

 

I had an R.C.A. 8-track & FM unit I bought while still in highschool for my '56 Chevy. It was quite big and had to get mounted on the trannie hump. I once shorted out one of the speaker connections and it never played back in stereo, thereafter. It had a great sound (the FM quality wasn't inferior to anything contemporary unit) before that happened and plenty of bass. I still miss it

Here's one similar from e-Bid. I'm tempted to buy it:

http://nl.ebid.net/for-sale/rca-q-eight-model-r-track-car-player-vintage-nos-40902863.htm#pic

 

More than you wanted to know... back in 1969, I got an Akai reel to reel at the Canadian PX in Germany that would let you record 8 tracks so I would be "ready" for my new car with an 8-track when I separated from the Army. But by the time I got home, cassettes were all the thing, so I never got a player in any of my cars. The reel to reel still worked fantastic. The tape slot and speakers (behind cool little aluminum doors) were on the sides. You could play or record 8 tracks or 7" tape. Gary

 

got home from Nam at end of 1967 bought a impala custom coupe
had a couple reverbs, Boing every rairoad track, bougth a used kraco or someting , thinking on using it soon, but aint got any tapes anymore

gonna put in a cassett in one of my cars too, may as well use up all this old stuff before i depart this planet

 

I don't remember where mine came from either... or the "drive-in" speakers that blasted Deep Purple, Uriah Heep and Marshall Tucker. In a 62 Chevy 4-dr 6-banger. It sounded great though!

 

Yeah, I remember the sound out of mine was sort of unusual, as if they incorporated a reverberator to make everything sound like it was being played back in a concert hall. If anything, likely to enhance the sound of those 8-tracks and the higher quality FM caught windfall. I might still have a couple 8-tracks at my deceased parents' house. I had Led Zepplin II and Houses of the Holy which I used to listen to until I got bored with each one fast. One fine day, it ate up one of those tapes. When it did, I suddenly lost patience with the cripple and taught it to fly. Kid stuff, you know. Something I would never do today. It likely ate up my tape, because I didn't maintain the unit properly. I see the wife and kids do that today with the video- and DVD recorders which infuriates me. The wife grew up always popping in greasy- and dusty cassettes into her players, never once taking an alcohol-dipped Q-Tip to the innards. Some people never learn. She religiously destroyed each and every one. We're on our 2nd and last video recorder. The 3rd one will never see her
Now that I stored that pictured RCA unit into my mind's eye, the display and tape door were identicle. Mine didn't have those levers. Instead, it had a tuner dial. It was a pretty unit, just the same. I gotta' do some digging to find the original pic

 

Sure I think we all remember Mad Man Muntz selling the 8-tracks.

He had just the right personally to sell them things like they were Hot Cakes!!!!!!!

I think I still have one in the shop some where.

Jimbo

 

Found these two 8 tracks cleaning out the FIL's garage...

 

My girlfriend (and later wife) worked all summer and saved up to buy me a Pioneer Supertuner FM/8 Track Underdash stereo for Christmas. Paired that up with some 6 x 9 Realistic speakers in the package tray and I thought I was the coolest guy around... and a lot of other people did too.

 

My brothers early LTD it was The Nuge with Cat Scratch Fever

 

FIL's garage looks like it's located in Katrina's New Orleans, judging by the shape of those units