What's this below the dash? 68 lebaron
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Looks like it has thumbwheels like a radio but on my phone at least, the center part looks like an 8 track.
I thought it might be an 8track too, but was not sure if they were about in 68. Bronze cover looks like maybe original option?
From another Swedish car which came up for sale today, very little details only pics, white interior, missing 2 hubcaps but maybe dealer has them. Dealer not so friendly/helpful I found when contacting them previously...
Sent you an email a few days back Matt, may have gone to junkmail...
From another Swedish car which came up for sale today, very little details only pics, white interior, missing 2 hubcaps but maybe dealer has them. Dealer not so friendly/helpful I found when contacting them previously...
Sent you an email a few days back Matt, may have gone to junkmail...
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No I got it, just busy and I actually was going to reply last night but left my iPad at the shop last yesterday and that's my only device for that email address.
68 4spd Fury
Senior Member
Definitely an 8 track. Must be where they were installed then, or maybe dealer installed. At least in Plymouth, you had an AM, AM/FM, (both Mono), and an AM/8 Track stereo. What is the radio you have, (assuming it's still the original).
rapidtrans
Senior Member
Yep.
The black LeBaron shown in my garage "When They Were New" had the factory 8-track under the dash just like that picture. The radio was an AM mono and may have just had a front and rear speaker for stereo.
The black LeBaron shown in my garage "When They Were New" had the factory 8-track under the dash just like that picture. The radio was an AM mono and may have just had a front and rear speaker for stereo.
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It’s factory and probably quite rare. They’re not even calling it an 8 track.
Mark Kevin Weaver
Member
I may be an original 4 track player, because it doesn't call out 8 track in the literature.
They used the same cartridge as the 8 track, I think it will play those too.
They used the same cartridge as the 8 track, I think it will play those too.
Dig the white interior, and your bronze panels look pretty nice, too. I THINK the tape player was a new option for '68, never seen one in person. It was a "below dash" option then, and may have even been dealer installed. You'll have to find an 8-track to see if it works........
jeffsunzeri
New Member
Actually, if it is a 4 track unit, those cartridges are not 8 track compatible. The 4 track cartridge tape is driven by a capstan that emerges from the bottom of the unit, and inserts through a hole in the front right of the cartridge. The 8 track cartridge has no such hole, and the tape is driven by a static drive wheel which presses against a wheel which is part of the 8 track cartridge. 4 track cartridges won't play in an 8 track unit.
The car is not mine guys, its just come up for sale, I'll post some pics for opinions. I think some 8 track tapes are kicking round in my parents home, if I did buy it.
Same colour exterior but different interior from the other one I'm off to see/buy near Stockholm. It looks a bit rougher but its cheaper and with a dealer which may make buying easier. Sweden is proving to be a paperwork nightmare to export from when you have no Swedish ID, Address or have no wish to drive it home.
Same colour exterior but different interior from the other one I'm off to see/buy near Stockholm. It looks a bit rougher but its cheaper and with a dealer which may make buying easier. Sweden is proving to be a paperwork nightmare to export from when you have no Swedish ID, Address or have no wish to drive it home.
JC68vert300
Senior Member
JC68vert300
Senior Member
This white-on-white LeBaron sure seems nice. Good luck with your search.
The 4-track came first, via Muntz. It was soon competed-with by the factory 8-track units. Many were add-ons to existing factory radios. The strangest, to me, was the mix of Mono AM and Stereo tape.
My uncle bought a new '67 Caprice with the 8-track option with the AM radio. Front two speakers were in the kick panels. Rear two speakers were in the rear package tray, as usual. Sounded great. Could image the music to the windshield, which I thought was really neat.
The old 4-track tape cases were partially clear, so you could see the tape work, I believe? 8-tracks had the tape continuously rubbing against itself as the part on the outside would return to the middle of the roll to go through the cycle repeatedly. Sometimes, the tape would not re-load correctly and then you'd see an 8-track with the innards sticking out of it, laying beside the side of the road.
Cassettes came in about model year '79. Big thing was "auto reverse" as when the tape came to an end, it would go the other direction and play another track.
The 8-tracks were at about 3 3/4 inches/second tape speed. Most normal reel-to-reel units were at 7.5 IPS. Ultimate frequency response depended upon tape speed. The 8-tracks had a good sound to them, as a result.
Cassettes were at 1 7/8 IPS tape speed. Which necessitated huge improvements in tape technology (iron particle size) in order to have decent sound quality at the lower speed. Cassettes, being smaller, were easier to store in a box under the seat (non-power seat, of course).
On the factory tape-equipped vehicles, the OEMs put a demo tape in the glove compartment to showcase the performance of the new tape sound system. In later years, other tapes were used to explain the operation of the main vehicular systems, so you didn't always need to read the owner's manual, at least just to know how to drive the car.
The noted cassette tape to 8-track adapter was an interesting work-around. But due to the tape speed differences and other electronic equalizations for the cassette to work well, sound quality with those adapters might have suffered a bit from a true cassette tape player. But it still gave you options!
I believe that in those earlier years, the 8-track units were also available in Factory Accessory Kits, from the OEMs. Until the instrument panels could be redesigned, even the factory-installed units were "add-ons". Finding one of those earlier 8-track kits, with instructions, and the demo tape might be interesting.
That Imperial looks very nice.
Enjoy!
CBODY67
My uncle bought a new '67 Caprice with the 8-track option with the AM radio. Front two speakers were in the kick panels. Rear two speakers were in the rear package tray, as usual. Sounded great. Could image the music to the windshield, which I thought was really neat.
The old 4-track tape cases were partially clear, so you could see the tape work, I believe? 8-tracks had the tape continuously rubbing against itself as the part on the outside would return to the middle of the roll to go through the cycle repeatedly. Sometimes, the tape would not re-load correctly and then you'd see an 8-track with the innards sticking out of it, laying beside the side of the road.
Cassettes came in about model year '79. Big thing was "auto reverse" as when the tape came to an end, it would go the other direction and play another track.
The 8-tracks were at about 3 3/4 inches/second tape speed. Most normal reel-to-reel units were at 7.5 IPS. Ultimate frequency response depended upon tape speed. The 8-tracks had a good sound to them, as a result.
Cassettes were at 1 7/8 IPS tape speed. Which necessitated huge improvements in tape technology (iron particle size) in order to have decent sound quality at the lower speed. Cassettes, being smaller, were easier to store in a box under the seat (non-power seat, of course).
On the factory tape-equipped vehicles, the OEMs put a demo tape in the glove compartment to showcase the performance of the new tape sound system. In later years, other tapes were used to explain the operation of the main vehicular systems, so you didn't always need to read the owner's manual, at least just to know how to drive the car.
The noted cassette tape to 8-track adapter was an interesting work-around. But due to the tape speed differences and other electronic equalizations for the cassette to work well, sound quality with those adapters might have suffered a bit from a true cassette tape player. But it still gave you options!
I believe that in those earlier years, the 8-track units were also available in Factory Accessory Kits, from the OEMs. Until the instrument panels could be redesigned, even the factory-installed units were "add-ons". Finding one of those earlier 8-track kits, with instructions, and the demo tape might be interesting.
That Imperial looks very nice.
Enjoy!
CBODY67
Duncan
Well-Known Member
Yeah, I graduated in 67 and had my first car about the first time, 4 track were just fading out and 8 track were becoming the hot item. Think of it as the music version of a flash drive in its time. 
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