My 1960 Plymouth's 45 rpm RCA Record Player

[bencar]

Originally posted by Lt1Corvette
Very cool. Have an idea what it is, just don't know where it is in the picture.

Please look at the first post in this thread. That big thing hanging from the underside of the Dashboard of my Plymouth is the 'Record Player.'

[Rockpick]

I'm a young one here I suppose but, I still know (and own) several 45's and LPs...

That's a VERY COOL option! Thanks for sharing it with us!

RP

[bencar]

Originally posted by Rockpick
I'm a young one here I suppose but, I still know (and own) several 45's and LPs...

That's a VERY COOL option! Thanks for sharing it with us!

RP

You are among the few who actually know that owning a 45 does not have to refer to a weapon, but instead it refers to a small Record

I know I have a very rare option in my Plymouth, now all I need is a better job that utilizes my antique car hobby knowledge, car knowledge, and basic Computer knwledge, and maybe I'll be able to afford to cotninue owning my Plymouth with it's rare option. After all, 45 years is such a short time to have had a car around, I want to add at least another 30 to that

[bencar]

Originally posted by Mike Phillips
Thank Ben for sharing this with the forum, I think it pretty cool myself.



Mike

Thanks for the three thumbs up compliment.

I get quite a kick out of the reaction from people when they see that 'Record Player' in my Plymouth, and an even bigger kick out of it when I play a 'Record' in that Player for them. Of cousre I really floor them when I tell them how long that Plymouth has been owned by our family, like since June 13, 1960.

[SingingSabre]

That is one of the coolest things I've ever seen!

I was thinking how awesome it'd be to have one of those the other day...I have a couple of albums I'd love to be able to play in their original glory (AC/DC - For Those About to Rock, and some STYX ones, too).

Wow!

Do they even still make those?

[bencar]

Originally posted by SingingSabre
That is one of the coolest things I've ever seen!

I was thinking how awesome it'd be to have one of those the other day...I have a couple of albums I'd love to be able to play in their original glory (AC/DC - For Those About to Rock, and some STYX ones, too).

Wow!

Do they even still make those?

No, those 'Record Players' went out of production in the early 1960's, probably due to the problems presented by keeping vinyl records in an environment that was, to say the least, not at all conducive to the long life of your records. Also, Radios themselves had gotten much better by the mid 1960's, FM Radio was coming into it's own, and then along came 8-Tracks and Cassettes.

Of course even if those 'Record Players' were still in production, you wouldn't be able to play Albums in them, the Players were generally a 45 RPM format, with some of the earlier versions running at even slower speeds than that

[DFTowel]

Originally posted by bencar
A 45 is a 'Single Play' Record, with each side containing one song. The Record was played at 45 RPM, hence it's name, a 45. Now I'm feeling mighty old here, since I not only know what a 45 is, but I own quite a few of them that I bought brand new

I was being facetious, someone said they had never seen a 45" as in 45 inch not 45RPM. I have a huge 45 collection ever since I was a kid. Everything from Elvis, Monkees, Beatles, Sinatra, even such records as "Greetings from Camp Granada," the Old Philosopher and others now long forgotten. I have my old tube fired RCA 45 record player that is in perfect shape, the Bakelite (predecessor to plastic) gets a coat of Zaino twice a year!

[SingingSabre]

Originally posted by bencar

No, those 'Record Players' went out of production in the early 1960's, probably due to the problems presented by keeping vinyl records in an environment that was, to say the least, not at all conducive to the long life of your records. Also, Radios themselves had gotten much better by the mid 1960's, FM Radio was coming into it's own, and then along came 8-Tracks and Cassettes.

Of course even if those 'Record Players' were still in production, you wouldn't be able to play Albums in them, the Players were generally a 45 RPM format, with some of the earlier versions running at even slower speeds than that

Oh bugger! *snaps*

[bencar]

Originally posted by DFTowel
I was being facetious, someone said they had never seen a 45" as in 45 inch not 45RPM. I have a huge 45 collection ever since I was a kid. Everything from Elvis, Monkees, Beatles, Sinatra, even such records as "Greetings from Camp Granada," the Old Philosopher and others now long forgotten. I have my old tube fired RCA 45 record player that is in perfect shape, the Bakelite (predecessor to plastic) gets a coat of Zaino twice a year!

Ah, I see. Hey, that tube fired Record Player would go nicely with my Plymouth's Tube fired Radio, my Desktop tube Radios, and my Blaupunkt Tube Stereo.

[rusty bumper]

Great thread!

I grew up in the 1960's, but I don't remember seeing anything like that in a car.

I still have my 20 year old Technics linear track turntable in my HT setup. The needle cartridge itself listed for about $200.00!

I remember the days when the 8 track tape player was king. I got mad when cassettes made them obsolete, lol.

AM radio was popular in the 60's too. Jay Thomas was a DJ for WAYS radio ("Big ways" as it was called) in Charlotte in the late 60's and early 70's. He later went on to fame in the LA area radio, and on TV.

Technology has come a long way in the last 40 years or so.

[bencar]

Originally posted by Rusty Bumper
Great thread!

I grew up in the 1960's, but I don't remember seeing anything like that in a car.

I still have my 20 year old Technics linear track turntable in my HT setup. The needle cartridge itself listed for about $200.00!

I remember the days when the 8 track tape player was king. I got mad when cassettes made them obsolete, lol.

AM radio was popular in the 60's too. Jay Thomas was a DJ for WAYS radio ("Big ways" as it was called) in Charlotte in the late 60's and early 70's. He later went on to fame in the LA area radio, and on TV.

Technology has come a long way in the last 40 years or so.

If you look in a 1960 Plymouth "Owner's Manual", or the Factory "Shop Manual", the unit is shown. These Player's weren't too popular, mainly due their relatively high cost for the time, and the fact that a car is hardly the best environment in which to keep one's vinyl 45's.

[Duke]

Re: My 1960 Plymouth's 45 rpm RCA Record Player

That Ap-1 of yours is a pretty one bencar. I restore them myself.
I have 8 of them at this point that I am working on. The ARC players are the same as the RCA with only a few differences.

Mighty pretty car ya got as well..

Duke

[bencar]

Re: My 1960 Plymouth's 45 rpm RCA Record Player

Most notable difference, you won't find the ARC Player detailed in the Factory Shop Manual, the RCA, is. The Factory Shop Manual gives complete details on the RCA unit, showing the Mechanism, Hook-up, and wiring of the unit itself. The other, more immediately obvious difference, the ARC unit does not have the RCA Logo on the front of the unit.

Thank you for the compliment on my Plymouth, which we've owned since it was new.

That Ap-1 of yours is a pretty one bencar. I restore them myself.
I have 8 of them at this point that I am working on. The ARC players are the same as the RCA with only a few differences.

Mighty pretty car ya got as well..

Duke

[dvtldav]

Re: My 1960 Plymouth's 45 rpm RCA Record Player

I never had a record player in my car, but a friend of mine did. We thought it was cool that we could listen to the music we wanted to and not have to listen to the radio. I had a '57 Chevy Bel Air that I put a Reverb unit in. That sounded neat at the time. But like a dummy I got rid of the '57 in 1970.

Dave

[bencar]

Re: My 1960 Plymouth's 45 rpm RCA Record Player

I guess though the method has changed, the motivation hasn't, when it comes to an alternative to music chosen by some programming guru. These days, I use an MP3 Player as my alternative to annoying Radio.

I never had a record player in my car, but a friend of mine did. We thought it was cool that we could listen to the music we wanted to and not have to listen to the radio. I had a '57 Chevy Bel Air that I put a Reverb unit in. That sounded neat at the time. But like a dummy I got rid of the '57 in 1970.

Dave