I've tried searching the archives, but got to many hits to sort through, so here goes:

What is the availibility like, generally speaking, for docking sleds? Like a moron, I forgot to buy one last spring, and now I find myself about to get a second car* and fear I might (gasp) have to listen to the radio.

I saw that one user is gearing up to produce the metal part of the sleds themselves, and I gathered that at one point another user had been selling the connectors, but I couldn't find the details on that. Are there any original sleds showing up here or on eBay for sale?

* My usual ride is a '72 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible, but since my office moved and I started having to drive to work, it has become clear that she is not a very economical commuter car. Now I can't stand the idea of pulling the Rio sled out of her, because I still need music for cruising. I'm probably going to be spending more time suck in traffic in the new car, tho, so I want to be able to switch my Rio between.

Sorry for off topic, but 72 el dorado sounds really cool. I would really like to get a late 60s or early 70s el dorado and fix it up. Do you even have to worry about vibration from subwoofers in a car like that? How is the electrical system? Is it easy to work in with respect to Din size ?

Availiablity on sleds seems pretty slim, except for the ones that a user might have to sell to you, or the new ones that are going to be made.

Besides who drives and el dorado for the economy, those are bad ass pimp cars.

Connector hardware can(could?) be ordered from DigiKey - see this post.
And here's a cost breakdown.

I'd imagine that there's a few people aound that didn't know of/participated in/was here at the time of the group by of connectors - you might query the interest for another group purchase...

/Michael

Since the topic of an Eldorado Convertible came up, I couldn't resist posting this lyric. It's by some friends of mine, Jeff and Maya Bohnhoff, on their album Retro Rocket Science.


"Eldorado"
(c) 1999 by Jeff Bohnhoff
to the tune of "Desperado" by The Eagles

Eldorado
With your seats like hard benches
You've been emitting black stenches
For so long now
And it's a hard ride
With your tires for all seasons
An old Caddy squeezin' out
A few extra miles

Don't you try to burn unleaded, boy
It'll overheat you if it's able
You know that premium
Is always your best bet
Now it seems I've heard some loud pings
Coming from your big-block V-8
As you're left behind by some little red Chevette

Eldorado
You ain't gettin' no younger
Your paint and your muffler
Are rusting away
And a clear coat, oh a clear coat
Well that's just some people talkin'
Your prison is shocks that bounce you home all the way

Do your wheels get cold when it's smog check time?
Your spark don't glow and your pistons whine
And your vinyl just keeps cracking day by day
Your transmission's lost its highs and lows
Ain't it funny how the fluid flows
Away

Eldorado
With your time-worn suspension
And Corinthian leather
Oh what a fate
It may be raining
But there's a ragtop above you
You'd better let some tow-truck shove you
("Let some tow-truck shove you")
You'd better let some tow-truck shove you
Before it's too... late

Robricc has a thread on the for sale forum where he may be getting some sleds built. Looking at the designs they will be just as good as the original. Don't know the pricing of them...

Nice ride!

In reply to:

---

Do you even have to worry about vibration from subwoofers in a car like that?

---

I have no idea, since I don't have a subwoofer, but it vibrates enough on it's own, especially on cold days...

In reply to:

---

How is the electrical system?

---

Well, it's as old as I am, so there are problems with corroded connectors and worn insulation leading to hard-to-find voltage drops (my headlights randomly stopped working for a week this summer). In perfect condition, however, it would not have trouble handling modern audio equipment, since the Eldo had all sorts of electrical gadgets already. The '73's even had optional airbags and antilock brakes.

One of these days I'm going to rip out the whole elecrical system and re-wire it, but not until I have a garage to do it in...

In reply to:

---

Is it easy to work in with respect to Din size ?

---

The original radios are old-style 2-post types, so the hole in the dash is not even remotely DIN sized. AND the dash panel is 1/8" of solid metal, so it takes a LOT of work to cut a hole in it to fit. Fortunately, I'd already gone to the trouble when I installed my first stereo, so it was just a matter of switching the cages.

In terms of space, however, the area behind the dash, like the rest of the car, is IMMENSE, so you can tuck lots of wires and whatnot back there. Heck, my amp fits up there.

An old car is a lot like having a high-maintenance girlfriend. It can be a complete pain in the ass sometimes, but on a 75-degree day with the top down and the music turned up, you realize it's worth every bit of trouble.

I could go for another round of connectors -- up to 3 or 4. I'd pay a smidge extra if they came assembled, since I don't have a crimping tool.