MP3 in an antique car

**jagwaugh** · 01-24-2005, 04:21 PM

Hi,
Still in the early stages of restoring a 1968 Jaguar, but need to make some decisions about stereos before I order a new wiring harness. MP3 and an onboard PC might be an option for me.
Problem is this - I want to keep the original mono AM/FM radio front to keep the look of the interior. I would like to have the following facilities/features onboard:

1) Stereo (doh).
2) TA reception (European thing superimposing local traffic announcements on whatever station is tuned).
3) CD/MP3.
4) an alarm.
I can just upgrade the guts of the radio to stereo and put a line in in, and use an ipod, but then I still have no TA.
So, who has a suggestion? Are there any finished products around, or am I forced to start from scratch?
My dayjob is Systems Engineering, and I came from a hardware background so you don't need to start from 1st principles.

Andrew

Zurich, Switzerland

**66 Bug** · 01-25-2005, 08:09 AM

I'm finally getting to the stages of having my 1966 Bug on the road (hopefully early spring) and also want to keep the stock mono AM radio in the car for looks. I am considering hacking the radio to control a carputer since I don't think I have a desire to listen to the 40 year old radio anyways. That way it will look right but the buttons can control the carputer. It would be great if i could specifically have then control some radio software.

**stevieg** · 01-25-2005, 08:25 AM

Have you both thought about simply putting a decent head unit inside the glovebox in an enclosure?

**66 Bug** · 01-25-2005, 09:19 AM

That is definately an option and might be my initial plan. That way I'm not soundless (yeah...like a bug can be soundless) while I'm installing/building/testing the carputer. I really don't want to have both the carputer and the headunit, just seems like a little much but I do have a HU sitting around that I might toss in initially.

**egeekial** · 01-26-2005, 10:49 AM

What kind of Jaguar?

We have a 1967 Jaguar XKE E-Type.

**Scouse Monkey** · 01-26-2005, 11:42 AM

Originally Posted by egeekial

We have a 1967 Jaguar XKE E-Type.

Lush! Can't you gut the HU and use the buttons to control a newer HU - just relocate the LCD somewhere discrete - or get a sony one like mine that talks - no need for a screen. I would use a small hardware mp3player instead and hook that up to the HU. look at this project: http://sophana.free.fr/pmwiki2/ there could be some ipod links out there too. And there is the alpine thing by jbors which could possibly be put to the same use.

**fasternfaster** · 01-26-2005, 11:58 AM

i have heard nightmare stories about people messing with the jaguars' stereo something about them having really bad electrical systems.. wish u good luck!