What are you planning?
#21
04-21-2010, 04:12 PM
1. Port/Polish Blower
2. Dyno tune
3. Install the Nitrous Wet kit...75hp
4. Install the 2 12" Alpine Type R's and MTX thunder Mono amp w/ custom made box made by ME
5. Find a 2005 S Type Hood, under tray and grill so I can send the car to the body shop to get the new body kit installed
6. Make a custom removable tow bar to tow my bike to the track with the Jag
This all should be done within the next few months....
2. Dyno tune
3. Install the Nitrous Wet kit...75hp
4. Install the 2 12" Alpine Type R's and MTX thunder Mono amp w/ custom made box made by ME
5. Find a 2005 S Type Hood, under tray and grill so I can send the car to the body shop to get the new body kit installed
6. Make a custom removable tow bar to tow my bike to the track with the Jag
This all should be done within the next few months....
#22
04-21-2010, 04:25 PM
Veteran Member
#23
04-21-2010, 10:39 PM
Veteran Member
#24
04-22-2010, 07:23 AM
Mike,
My Altecs are right at 6 feet tall, 3 feet wide, and 3 feet deep. I custom-ordered them from Altec in California in August 1975 when I was not quite 22 years old. They cost me a little over $4,000 for the set at that time (I still have the original receipt), a huge amount of money for me then. But I knew that they would be with me for the rest of my life as long as I could get parts, and I had some inheritance money from my dad who had died about 18 months earlier. I decided to go for it, and man, am I glad I did. When Altec finally stopped custom-building these speakers in the late 1980s, they were selling for right at $8,500 a set. No telling what mine are worth now, but I've had the owner of a highly-technical local acoustics shop (who replaced both woofer cone surrounds for me in 1999 when the original foam surrounds were breaking down and causing the bass notes to sound a little muddy) offer me $10,000 for them sight unseen (I removed and carried in just the woofers for the re-build - they're 24 inches across and weigh almost 100 pounds each). I said thanks but no thanks. He said to call him if I ever changed my mind. A couple of years ago, I took my twin Bose outdoor speakers (mounted under the eaves on our back deck) to him for re-coning. Although he hadn't seen or heard from me in nearly 9 years, the first thing he said to me was "Are you here to sell me your Altecs?" Pretty cool, I think. I've always told my wife that if the house ever catches on fire, she better grab what's important to her because I'm going after my Altecs and that is probably all I'll be able to handle once my back gives out. As you might expect, she's not very happy with my plan....
My Altecs are right at 6 feet tall, 3 feet wide, and 3 feet deep. I custom-ordered them from Altec in California in August 1975 when I was not quite 22 years old. They cost me a little over $4,000 for the set at that time (I still have the original receipt), a huge amount of money for me then. But I knew that they would be with me for the rest of my life as long as I could get parts, and I had some inheritance money from my dad who had died about 18 months earlier. I decided to go for it, and man, am I glad I did. When Altec finally stopped custom-building these speakers in the late 1980s, they were selling for right at $8,500 a set. No telling what mine are worth now, but I've had the owner of a highly-technical local acoustics shop (who replaced both woofer cone surrounds for me in 1999 when the original foam surrounds were breaking down and causing the bass notes to sound a little muddy) offer me $10,000 for them sight unseen (I removed and carried in just the woofers for the re-build - they're 24 inches across and weigh almost 100 pounds each). I said thanks but no thanks. He said to call him if I ever changed my mind. A couple of years ago, I took my twin Bose outdoor speakers (mounted under the eaves on our back deck) to him for re-coning. Although he hadn't seen or heard from me in nearly 9 years, the first thing he said to me was "Are you here to sell me your Altecs?" Pretty cool, I think. I've always told my wife that if the house ever catches on fire, she better grab what's important to her because I'm going after my Altecs and that is probably all I'll be able to handle once my back gives out. As you might expect, she's not very happy with my plan....
Those appear to be the same ones. I was working off my memory and probably forgot about the horns. What do you move them with? A refrigerator dolly?
Mike
#25
04-22-2010, 07:48 AM
Veteran Member
Mike,
Yes, I typically use a handtruck (dolly) and plenty of blankets. It helps to have two or three guys. I think they've been moved only six times in nearly 35 years, so I've been very fortunate. They haven't been moved since May 13th, 1994 when we moved into our current home. They were the only items moved that day for which I completely supervised the moving crew. They were the last items loaded on the truck at the old house and the first items unloaded off the truck at the new house. My wife firmly believes that I am far too OCD about these speakers. She's probably right. But they are the only things I own that I consider irreplaceable....
Yes, I typically use a handtruck (dolly) and plenty of blankets. It helps to have two or three guys. I think they've been moved only six times in nearly 35 years, so I've been very fortunate. They haven't been moved since May 13th, 1994 when we moved into our current home. They were the only items moved that day for which I completely supervised the moving crew. They were the last items loaded on the truck at the old house and the first items unloaded off the truck at the new house. My wife firmly believes that I am far too OCD about these speakers. She's probably right. But they are the only things I own that I consider irreplaceable....
#27
04-22-2010, 11:23 AM
We're getting a bit off-topic, but I found a picture of the A7 model that is being reintroduced. At the time, these were the state of the art in terms of speakers. Price is $4K per speaker and $300 per shipping. Jon, are these what you have?
http://www.audioworld.com/stat/pr/03...dspeaker.shtml
http://www.audioworld.com/stat/pr/03...dspeaker.shtml
#28
04-22-2010, 01:27 PM
Veteran Member
George,
As I've explained here on the forum before, I don't know how to post pictures and truthfully don't even know how to operate my wife's digital camera. I couldn't care less about photography, to be honest. I know most of you guys don't understand that, but it may help you to know that I don't have an ipod and don't even want one, I don't download music or do mp3's, and I don't even care about souped-up car stereos. Cars are not anything close to being ideal listening environments. The music room loft in my house is. The only music sources that I own are vinyl LPs (probably more than 1,000), CDs (probably more than 500), and cassette tapes that I've recorded myself over the decades (probably more than 200). I still love the warmth and texture of vinyl LP music and play it quite regularly, but CDs are my favorite due to ease of use and storage along with the extreme clarity that they provide....
Since June 1985 my Altecs have been powered by a Yamaha R-8 producing about 120 watts per channel. My Yamaha began fading in its left channel in early 2001, and I had its chassis completely rebuilt by a local high-tech amplifier/receiver guru for about $400 instead of buying new hardware. I looked and listened to new units, but couldn't find anything new that I thought would give me the power and clarity of my Yamaha. It was gone for two weeks during the rebuild process and that's the longest my system has ever been silent. I was really starving for my music by the time my Yamaha was finally rebuilt and back in my hands. These Altecs are so efficient that just 60 watts per channel would be fine for most folks. At 120 watts per channel coming from my Yamaha, they will rattle the walls at less than half volume. I cannot enjoy my system to its fullest when my wife is home. In fact, she hates it and would love to see me sell it. But I never will....
From acquisition in August 1975 to June 1985, the Altecs were powered by my much-beloved and deeply-missed Sansui 5000-X. But I wore it out years before I learned that these units could be completely and properly rebuilt. I gave it away as part of the deal when I ordered my Yamaha R-8. I think I got maybe $200 for it in non-working order....
Mike,
From an internal perspective, that A7 photo is close. My woofers are much lower in the cabinet, and no portion of them is blocked by those baffles in the photo. I ordered mine without baffles. Also, my directional horns are completely enclosed in the top of the cabinet, not just attached at the top of the cabinet as a standalone element as in the A7 photo. That's one reason why my set was so costly at the time - my cabinets are all finished walnut with composite slate tops. They look like huge pieces of living room furniture, not plywood painted black or grey and stacked up naked like you see at concerts. Even at age 22, I knew that my speakers would have to look like fine furniture, not a dorm-room rig, or my future wife would constantly try to get rid of them. The only modification I've made is to change the original black recticulated foam front covers to a type of speckled beige upholstery cloth covers (which I cut, fitted, stapled, and glued myself) in the mid-1980s to better fit our living room decor at that time, in a different house. In our current house, my music room is essentially our upstairs loft. Even at one-tenth volume, my music permeates the entire house. It's great for parties, and my wife enjoys my system only during the Christmas holidays when she can play her Christmas music all throughout the house when she's making our Christmas feasts. The rest of the year, she'd rather listen to her ipod and utters the three little words that I hear most from her - "Turn that down!"
Hope this answers everyone's questions. I never expected this much forum interest in my vintage audio set-up. But I wouldn't sell it for anything....
As I've explained here on the forum before, I don't know how to post pictures and truthfully don't even know how to operate my wife's digital camera. I couldn't care less about photography, to be honest. I know most of you guys don't understand that, but it may help you to know that I don't have an ipod and don't even want one, I don't download music or do mp3's, and I don't even care about souped-up car stereos. Cars are not anything close to being ideal listening environments. The music room loft in my house is. The only music sources that I own are vinyl LPs (probably more than 1,000), CDs (probably more than 500), and cassette tapes that I've recorded myself over the decades (probably more than 200). I still love the warmth and texture of vinyl LP music and play it quite regularly, but CDs are my favorite due to ease of use and storage along with the extreme clarity that they provide....
Since June 1985 my Altecs have been powered by a Yamaha R-8 producing about 120 watts per channel. My Yamaha began fading in its left channel in early 2001, and I had its chassis completely rebuilt by a local high-tech amplifier/receiver guru for about $400 instead of buying new hardware. I looked and listened to new units, but couldn't find anything new that I thought would give me the power and clarity of my Yamaha. It was gone for two weeks during the rebuild process and that's the longest my system has ever been silent. I was really starving for my music by the time my Yamaha was finally rebuilt and back in my hands. These Altecs are so efficient that just 60 watts per channel would be fine for most folks. At 120 watts per channel coming from my Yamaha, they will rattle the walls at less than half volume. I cannot enjoy my system to its fullest when my wife is home. In fact, she hates it and would love to see me sell it. But I never will....
From acquisition in August 1975 to June 1985, the Altecs were powered by my much-beloved and deeply-missed Sansui 5000-X. But I wore it out years before I learned that these units could be completely and properly rebuilt. I gave it away as part of the deal when I ordered my Yamaha R-8. I think I got maybe $200 for it in non-working order....
Mike,
From an internal perspective, that A7 photo is close. My woofers are much lower in the cabinet, and no portion of them is blocked by those baffles in the photo. I ordered mine without baffles. Also, my directional horns are completely enclosed in the top of the cabinet, not just attached at the top of the cabinet as a standalone element as in the A7 photo. That's one reason why my set was so costly at the time - my cabinets are all finished walnut with composite slate tops. They look like huge pieces of living room furniture, not plywood painted black or grey and stacked up naked like you see at concerts. Even at age 22, I knew that my speakers would have to look like fine furniture, not a dorm-room rig, or my future wife would constantly try to get rid of them. The only modification I've made is to change the original black recticulated foam front covers to a type of speckled beige upholstery cloth covers (which I cut, fitted, stapled, and glued myself) in the mid-1980s to better fit our living room decor at that time, in a different house. In our current house, my music room is essentially our upstairs loft. Even at one-tenth volume, my music permeates the entire house. It's great for parties, and my wife enjoys my system only during the Christmas holidays when she can play her Christmas music all throughout the house when she's making our Christmas feasts. The rest of the year, she'd rather listen to her ipod and utters the three little words that I hear most from her - "Turn that down!"
Hope this answers everyone's questions. I never expected this much forum interest in my vintage audio set-up. But I wouldn't sell it for anything....
Last edited by Jon89; 04-22-2010 at 01:46 PM.
#29
04-22-2010, 07:00 PM
Well no plans for the Jag, but I have to say those speakers are awesome.
Growing up, my parents had a McIntosh system with a Sony reel-to-reel running through Klipshhorn corner speakers. They later "downsized" to a pair of McIntosh speakers that each had two 12" subs.
I still have the stereo and reel-to-reel, but no speakers. I've been shopping around for a set of good vintage speakers but I'm amazed at how expensive they are.
Growing up, my parents had a McIntosh system with a Sony reel-to-reel running through Klipshhorn corner speakers. They later "downsized" to a pair of McIntosh speakers that each had two 12" subs.
I still have the stereo and reel-to-reel, but no speakers. I've been shopping around for a set of good vintage speakers but I'm amazed at how expensive they are.
#30
04-23-2010, 06:27 AM
Veteran Member
Yep, they're costly because the audio companies just don't build 'em today anywhere near as great as they did back in the 1960s and 70s. Great speakers mean great size and weight, and 99% of consumers don't want to deal with that today. They're used to ipods and the tiny speakers attached or built in to their computers....
When shopping for vintage speakers still in superb condition, your best bet may be at estate sales. Long-time audiophiles are almost always male. Their wives usually outlive them, and usually don't care about their late husband's cherished gear. So after the funeral is history, the widow begins to think about clearing out her husband's unwanted possessions. One of the first things to go is his audio system. Savvy audiophiles who follow these estate sales are sometimes able to pick up fantastic vintage gear for pennies on the dollar. It takes time to find and track these estate sales, but it works. I have a Dual 1218 turntable built in Germany in 1972. I was fortunate to buy it new when I was a sophomore in college. A good friend of mine has always loved my Dual and tried to buy it off me hundreds of times since we met in 1994 although he knows I'll never sell it. So in 2004 or 2005, he found one just like mine (except it is a 1973 model, one year later than mine) at an estate sale about 50 miles away. He went to the estate sale, was one of only two bidders for the turntable, and bought it for less than $200. He paid about $125 to $150 to have some reconditioning done, and now he has a turntable that he'll never part with....
These estate sales are often posted in advance on-line, but I'm not sure how you would go about tracking them in your area. I'd start by searching Google....
Good luck with your vintage speaker search. If you are a true audio buff, nothing tops these 1960s/70s classic speaker systems....
Oh yeah, I meant to tell you that I really love reel-to-reel tape units. I had a nice Teac reel-to-reel built in the late 1960s that I sold to a college buddy in the mid-1970s when I moved on to cassette tape. Wish I had kept it now....
When shopping for vintage speakers still in superb condition, your best bet may be at estate sales. Long-time audiophiles are almost always male. Their wives usually outlive them, and usually don't care about their late husband's cherished gear. So after the funeral is history, the widow begins to think about clearing out her husband's unwanted possessions. One of the first things to go is his audio system. Savvy audiophiles who follow these estate sales are sometimes able to pick up fantastic vintage gear for pennies on the dollar. It takes time to find and track these estate sales, but it works. I have a Dual 1218 turntable built in Germany in 1972. I was fortunate to buy it new when I was a sophomore in college. A good friend of mine has always loved my Dual and tried to buy it off me hundreds of times since we met in 1994 although he knows I'll never sell it. So in 2004 or 2005, he found one just like mine (except it is a 1973 model, one year later than mine) at an estate sale about 50 miles away. He went to the estate sale, was one of only two bidders for the turntable, and bought it for less than $200. He paid about $125 to $150 to have some reconditioning done, and now he has a turntable that he'll never part with....
These estate sales are often posted in advance on-line, but I'm not sure how you would go about tracking them in your area. I'd start by searching Google....
Good luck with your vintage speaker search. If you are a true audio buff, nothing tops these 1960s/70s classic speaker systems....
Oh yeah, I meant to tell you that I really love reel-to-reel tape units. I had a nice Teac reel-to-reel built in the late 1960s that I sold to a college buddy in the mid-1970s when I moved on to cassette tape. Wish I had kept it now....
Last edited by Jon89; 04-23-2010 at 06:47 AM.
#31
04-23-2010, 07:39 AM
#32
04-23-2010, 08:09 AM
Veteran Member
#34
04-23-2010, 08:28 AM
Veteran Member
#35
04-23-2010, 09:12 AM
Senior Member
Ok back to original thread.
My finished projects.
1. Installed 8" leaf springs with "shackles" WOW..
2. painted rear diff housing white and diff cover red, leaf springs really makes diff visible.
3.chrome prop for trailer hitch.
4. THRUSH mufflers.
5.My other car is a 74 Pacer bumper sticker.
6.Dropped in a Chevy 305 2 Barrel with turbo hydromatic, unreal!!!!(white driveshaft.)
7.Grafted an 8" shoe box hood scoop of my cousins 79 Berlinetta(grey primer)
8.dingle ***** all around headliner and fuzzy dize(sp)? on mirror.
9.Baby on board waving hand on rear wind screen.
10.Marantz 4 watts 8 track with quad, 12- 6"x9" all around. 2- 45" woofers in back.
seat.
11.Woodpecker with cigar stickers on both fenders.Christmas tree air fresheners front and rear.
12.10" aluminum Vega rims with extended axle shafts. (wheels stick out 8"from fenders)RADDDD....
WISH LIST. (money is limited after all these mods)
1. chrome wheelie bars.
2. spoiler from a 69 super bee or roadrunner..WOW.
3."R" emblems to stick on driver and pass headrest.
4. skull shifter knob.
More to come...sky and money is the limit.
My finished projects.
1. Installed 8" leaf springs with "shackles" WOW..
2. painted rear diff housing white and diff cover red, leaf springs really makes diff visible.
3.chrome prop for trailer hitch.
4. THRUSH mufflers.
5.My other car is a 74 Pacer bumper sticker.
6.Dropped in a Chevy 305 2 Barrel with turbo hydromatic, unreal!!!!(white driveshaft.)
7.Grafted an 8" shoe box hood scoop of my cousins 79 Berlinetta(grey primer)
8.dingle ***** all around headliner and fuzzy dize(sp)? on mirror.
9.Baby on board waving hand on rear wind screen.
10.Marantz 4 watts 8 track with quad, 12- 6"x9" all around. 2- 45" woofers in back.
seat.
11.Woodpecker with cigar stickers on both fenders.Christmas tree air fresheners front and rear.
12.10" aluminum Vega rims with extended axle shafts. (wheels stick out 8"from fenders)RADDDD....
WISH LIST. (money is limited after all these mods)
1. chrome wheelie bars.
2. spoiler from a 69 super bee or roadrunner..WOW.
3."R" emblems to stick on driver and pass headrest.
4. skull shifter knob.
More to come...sky and money is the limit.
#36
04-23-2010, 10:28 AM
Veteran Member
#37
04-23-2010, 10:45 AM
Senior Member
Got the new Kodak camera that spits the picture out the front,how do I put them on the intern-net????
BTW.. thought about the neon lights for under carriage, wanted to keep everything fresh and up to date and they are SOOO last year.
Just got back from the stylist and she gave me the newest thing.She calls it the MULLETT.WAY KOOL.
#38
04-23-2010, 11:04 AM
Veteran Member
#39
04-23-2010, 11:09 AM
Veteran Member
#40
04-23-2010, 11:20 AM
Senior Member
They only came in purple or yellow..think I will put the yellow one on the Jag, Black and yellow..WOW,I will leave the Roadrunner decal on..UN-REAL..