Old VW bus-> in dash 45 player?!?!?!

samwichse · 04-02-2002, 11:08 PM

Ok, I am a bit of a VW buff, so I'm always looking at old VWs as a potential purchase. I was driving down the road and I saw this blue and white two-tone VW bus (the original style with split windshield) sitting in a driveway, so I went to ask about it. Well, when I got closer it turned out to be an ultra rare 21/23 window bus. These have a huge canvas sunroof in them that runs about 2/3 their length and small skylights over all the windows. The most coveted of all models (restored they can go for 35,000$). I talked to the owners and it was in a hay barn the last 15 years, nothing but a little surface rust here and there, body perfect. But the guy doesn't want to sell it because it's so rare, so he just has it parked in his driveway rusting. He'll probably want to once it's all rusted and worthless. ARGH!

But this is all beside the point. Mounted sort of slung under the dash was something I've never seen before anywhere. It was a slot loading (like a CD player) 45 rpm record player!!! The facing was made of sort of fancy brown bakelite plastic and everything. The slot was sort of independant from the rest of the housing too. I sort of pushed it with my fingers and it felt like it was spring suspended internally and had about .5-.75 inches of travel in any direction. Has anyone ever seen or heard of anything like this? If so, I'd like to see some info, because that has to be the coolest accessory for an old VW ever.

Sam

Knothead · 04-02-2002, 11:12 PM

You're KIDDING!!!
Really?? WOW....

THRUSH · 04-02-2002, 11:51 PM

I've dreamed of such things, but never heard of it before. I've heard of people rigging their car for this with a record player but never anything like that. Especially the slot loading, that has got to be the coolest thing ever! I've got to see it!
My girlfriend's dad is a vw buff also, he has an old bug in mint condition, a nice, shiney orange color.

THRUSH · 04-03-2002, 12:00 AM

You know, I take that back, I have seen it but not a slot loader. I saw pictures of in dash players in some of the luxury cars from the 50's, I think one from the 40's also had a larger player that pulled out from the glove compartment area.
I did find one pic of a car that had this, pretty cool:http://www.kccs.ch/abart/hudson.htm

caddmannq · 04-03-2002, 12:10 AM

Yep. I've seen 'em. Never had one though.

I used to have a bakelite RCA automatic changer phono that only played 45's though. Sold it in '69 or '70. Would be a classic today.

But I've still got a 1956 copy of Danny & The Juniors 45 hit, At the Hop!

samwichse · 04-03-2002, 11:37 AM

Hmm... well I've searched high and low, but I've not found one yet that looked like that one. I think I'm going to just try and buy the stereo out of that bus. The rest of it is going to rust, which is a shame, so mabye he would sell me just the record player...