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AvionicsTech

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Just starting what is looking more and more like a long interesting journey with my recently acquired '69 sprite. Have a question about this plate next to the shifter. It looks like a mounting bracket of some sort with contacts and some wires coming off of it. Not seeing anything in my manuals and by the looks of the carpeting around it, it looks very aftermarket. Maybe a radio of some sort? Haven't had a chance to chase the wires yet, just wondering if anyone has seen anything like this before?

sprite514.jpg
 
I'm going to guess, radio, 8 track, maybe even CB - or to contact the mother ship.
 
Yes, the low-amperage wiring suggests trickle-charging to the removeable hyper-space thrust modulator. Without it, you'll never get that car over 300mph.
:yesnod:

Seriously, pull all that nonsense out of there (and hopefully the carpet under it is OK - or am I seeing lots of nasty cutting). Trace the wires and get them to the scrap-heap ASAP too. Nothing original there.

What's the yellow doodad connector? Can't tell, but looks a bit like a coaxial antenna attachment (so maybe it is for a CB).
 
Yes, it's definitely a big fat coax connector. I'm thinking someone picked the wrong vehicle to play out their "Convoy" dreams. The carpet is in pretty bad shape throughout the car, going to replace that eventually anyway. Need to see if it runs first though. Thanks for verifying that it's not supposed to be there. It will be exorcised post haste.
 
AvionicsTech said:
Yes, it's definitely a big fat coax connector. I'm thinking someone picked the wrong vehicle to play out their "Convoy" dreams. The carpet is in pretty bad shape throughout the car, going to replace that eventually anyway. Need to see if it runs first though. Thanks for verifying that it's not supposed to be there. It will be exorcised post haste.
Click to expand...

As a ham, I don't recognize that main fitting/connector... so I'm going to assume low power CB stuff with that coax (though even when I ran a 200 watt ham transceiver in a car, I only used RG-58 or so - and definitely no removeable connector like that one). Still could be VHF gear but not of that vintage, and HF would require a lot more power than what those tiny wires could provide. So, given what you say about the rest of the carpeting, it looks like a tear-out. I'd want ALL remnants of that wiring completely out. "Post haste," good. :cooler: Good luck.
 
Looks like an old adapter to have a removable radio , . One part was fastened to the car and the other to the radio . For the days before most car radios came with the option.
 
It's a slide mount for a CB radio. You'd put one of those in so that you could pull the radio out at night or when you were worried it might get stolen. Yep, been there, done that...... :smile:
 
It's an old Radio Shack Slide In / Slide Out CB Connector. Sold lots of them back in Mid '70s. My first real job many years ago.
 
Jim_Gruber said:
It's an old Radio Shack Slide In / Slide Out CB Connector. Sold lots of them back in Mid '70s. My first real job many years ago.
Click to expand...

I was a store manager in New Orleans, Shreveport, and Monroe between '73 and '78. Couldn't keep those things in stock back then! CB's and tape decks alike.
 
JohnDough said:
Looks like an old adapter to have a removable radio , . One part was fastened to the car and the other to the radio . For the days before most car radios came with the option.
Click to expand...

Mickey Richaud said:
It's an old Radio Shack Slide In / Slide Out CB Connector. Sold lots of them back in Mid '70s. My first real job many years ago.
Click to expand...

Jim_Gruber said:
I was a store manager in New Orleans, Shreveport, and Monroe between '73 and '78. Couldn't keep those things in stock back then! CB's and tape decks alike.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the info! Would that speaker box behind it have been part of the CB set up then?
 
AvionicsTech said:
JohnDough said:
Looks like an old adapter to have a removable radio , . One part was fastened to the car and the other to the radio . For the days before most car radios came with the option.
Click to expand...

Mickey Richaud said:
It's an old Radio Shack Slide In / Slide Out CB Connector. Sold lots of them back in Mid '70s. My first real job many years ago.
Click to expand...

Jim_Gruber said:
I was a store manager in New Orleans, Shreveport, and Monroe between '73 and '78. Couldn't keep those things in stock back then! CB's and tape decks alike.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the info! Would that speaker box behind it have been part of the CB set up then?
Click to expand...

Most likely. The internal speaker wasn't very good. I had an external speaker too....
 
JohnDough said:
Looks like an old adapter to have a removable radio , . One part was fastened to the car and the other to the radio . For the days before most car radios came with the option.
Click to expand...

That's exactly what it is. I installed one on an old car I had. early anti theft device.
 
...and it's out!

Sprite515.jpg


This is my first Sprite and I'm still learning. I'm afraid this is only the beginning of several questions I'm going to have over the course of this project. I'l use the search as often as I can, but there's a lot of "what is it's" like this in this particular car. Thanks again everyone!
 
AvionicsTech said:
...and it's out!

Sprite515.jpg


This is my first Sprite and I'm still learning. I'm afraid this is only the beginning of several questions I'm going to have over the course of this project. I'l use the search as often as I can, but there's a lot of "what is it's" like this in this particular car. Thanks again everyone!
Click to expand...

OK, now bury this stuff in your back-yard.
 
mmmm seven function calculator, $39.95. Turntable preamps, 8-tracks, four prong plugs for phones - I used to love that catalogue!
 
JPSmit said:
mmmm seven function calculator, $39.95. Turntable preamps, 8-tracks, four prong plugs for phones - I used to love that catalogue!
Click to expand...

The year I went to work for RS, they featured their first "pocket" calculator - a four-banger (add, subtract, multiply, divide) - for the princely sum of $129.95, as I recall. Took 4 AA batteries!
 
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