Determining the Age of Radios, Cassette Players, etc

[RRoller123]

FYI, there is away to determine if the radio that one has in the dash is original or thereabouts. FIAT installed the radios at the dealers after shipment to the United States, so there is a lot of differentiation. Technically speaking, there is no such thing as "factory" when it comes to the radio, unless the lack of one when shipped from Italy is considered "factory".

This website can be used to determine the date of manufacture for radios, tape players, etc;

VINTAGE RADIO IDENTIFICATION
http://www.pacparts.com/library/default.cfm

Using this, I determined that my old, semi-operational cassette deck was made in 1980. Since the car is a 1980, it is reasonable to assume that it is original. BUT there is no certainty that it was dealer installed, any of the radios, players we have could have been owner installed. Anyway, I at least know that it is period correct. So it stays in there. I never listen to it anyway.

Useful website!

Pete

[bobplyler]

I know what mine had. It was a Sonata am/fm radio. I swapped it for a Jensen am/fm/cassette.

[SanJoseSteve]

My 1972 Fiat came with "Fiat Branded" AM-FM push button radio. The glass display is clearly labeled "Fiat Astrosonic". The grill just under the hazard switch and cigarette lighter had a single speaker installed behind it. The volume control was really "scratchy" and my attempt to clean it up to improve the sound was a big zero. I did like the period look though. I ended up getting a vintage looking unit from custom autosound. It's a classic push button style but has pre-amp outputs, a good tuner and inputs for satellite, phone, mp3 and usb sources. Amplifier in the trunk with a 12" sub installed in the inverted spare tire. Fairly stealth..... My 71 BMW 2002 had a working blaupunkt 8 Track player and a case of tapes. Fleetwood Mac anyone........? Ha! -Steve

[SanJoseSteve]

I found an on line listing for a vintage Fiat Astrosonic AM radio. You can see it here....
http://www.2040-parts.com/fiat-astroson ... ge-i229037

There is a shot of my Custom Autosound pushbutton radio in this album. Looks fairly close. At night though, the LED display behind the analog dial gives it away. -Steve
http://www.2040-parts.com/fiat-astroson ... -i2290379/

[SanJoseSteve]

My Bad..... this is the correct link. -Steve
https://www.flickr.com/photos/155655585@N03/albums