Hi all,

Finally getting around to installing the 8 track player in my 72 442 convertible. I already have a modern head unit hidden in the dash, driving 4 speakers, so I was thinkning to add 2 speakers behind the rear seat, dedicated to the 8 track player. I know this might not be the best location ,,, but not interested in cutting the armrests, footwells, etc.

I got the player working ... previous owner cut all the wires real close to unit so no factory connectors, but it looks like i only needed 3 wires and a ground
yellow wire - power
dark blue (with orange or red stripes) - powers a speaker
light blue/green/yellow with dark stripes - powers a speaker

Anyone know what the other 3 wires are for? Can I just tape them up and ignore them?
yellow wire - does nothing
dark blue with white stripes - does nothing
light blue and yellow - does nothing

I hooked up 2 speakers, volume seemed to work a little, most impact was from playing with/adjusting the 2 ***** on right, balance and tone I am guessing?

Finally, reading forums, it looks like the 8-track player needs speakers with 8 ohm impedence and I have not had much luck finding any semi "full range" 8 ohm speakers. Everything I see seems to be dedicated to bass or mid-range. So looks like the path forward might be to use (a) 2 4-ohm speakers wired in series, or (b) 1 4-ohm speaker and a 4 ohm resister wired in parallel, for each of the wires that powered a speaker.

Just wondering what others have done? Did you find "semi-decent" 8 ohm speakers or some good resistors?

Thanks!
Jim

 

Jim, is it a factory 8 track player?

 

Yes ... sorry factory olds player .. not sure the year but fits in the housing correctly

 

The other blue wires and yellow wire would go to the original radio and will not be used with the setup you are planning. You can secure them out of the way, just be sure the yellow wire is not touching anything else as it is powered when the 8-track tape is removed. Originally, power and speaker outputs from the car were connected to the 8-track player, then the 8-track player was connected to the radio. With the tape out, an internal switch provides power to the radio and the speaker outputs connect to the radio outputs. When the tape is in, the switch disconnects the power and speaker outputs from the radio, and powers on the 8-track player. As for speakers, you can find reproduction 10-ohm speakers for $60-$100 each, or you can use a 6-ohm high power resisitor in series with a 4-ohm speaker. Connect the resistor through the blue wire to the positive terminal of the speaker. Then, connect the negative terminal of the speaker to chassis ground. Or, blue directly to positive terminal and resistor connected through the negative terminal to ground.

You will have better quality sound with 10-ohm speakers, but the 6-ohm resistors are a cheaper option. I have run 6-ohm resitors with 4-ohm speakers in all of my cars for years with no issues.