WOW GM 8 Tract $1300

[hamjet]

I remember back in 1970 my cousin got a cassette player in his car and I had 8- tape. he was showing it to me and I asked how does he find the beginning of the next song, because there were no channels like the 8-track. I stuck with my 8-track for many years after that. funny thing is, in very cold mornings the 8-track slooowly drifted to the next channel from the grease being cold..

['68OrangeSunshine]

Bill Lear, inventor of the LearJet, also invented the 8-Track [legend says, so he could play tunes while flying]. While it may have been superior high fidelity in aerobatic manuevers at altitude (for the period) -- I've had issues with tape stretching and also the inside rubber roller going gummy and contaminating the heads. My Dad's '73 Lincoln Continental had one, worked OK until it gummed/jammed up. Lo-Fi at best.
Never as good a system as the Norelco Compact Cassette.
The Hawker-Siddeley [later British Aerospace] AV8A Harrier was equipped with a cockpit cassette recorder. Ostensibly, so the pilot could record reconnaissance/observation notes while in flight, but I know for a fact (as a former Marine Air Wing AV8A avionics trouble-shooter) that some of the younger sh!thot fighter pilots played their own rock'n'roll mix tapes especially on the longer hops. I would wager the cassette deck was a superior audio component when pushing the envelope in a combat-manueverable high performance jet aircraft.
A $1300 price tag on a military avionics component would not be out of line, but for that kind of money on an 8-Track, I'd want the '67-'72 truck it came in, too.

[Tuff Gong]

I am the owner of this item. It is cool to see all the comments this post has generated. You definitely wouldn't buy this for the sound quality, lol. You would be a fool if you thought thats what you were getting. What you do get is a great conversation piece. You also get a rare nostalgic accessory that takes you back to the earlier days. For me, that's what these trucks are all about. I didn't buy my truck because it had modern features and great fuel efficiency. I got it because it's awesome and it continually reminds me of my childhood. I enjoy hunting for all the hard to find parts that make these trucks even more special. I'm sure there are quite a few people out there just like me. For others it's the paint job, the restoration process, the rims, etc.

[saskred]

I have to agree that obviously no one would be purchasing an 8 track for their truck because of the amazing sound quality and high tech design.... You may as well ague about buying a gen I small block over today's engines as being a stupid idea...

That being said - many people - myself included - are on the hunt for rare period correct accessories. And to me the pinnacle of period correct accessories are those produced and sold by GM. Must also be the same opinion of many others based on the successful sale prices of these accessories on ebay.

In my opinion - that 8 track is worth $1000 -- to the right buyer. The GM cb radios are even starting to sell for as much as $400 for these trucks. Speaking of that - someone got an amazing deal on a NOS gm cb for the 65-70 ish year trucks on ebay recently - $150

There is another 8 track for sale on ebay for 67-72 trucks that looks a little different. It looks like those that came in Cadillacs and when I asked the seller why he thought it was correct for 67-72 trucks he said he had install instructions and all the dated documentation specific to 67-72 trucks. I know everything I've read on this forum says the above pictured 8 track with GM on the door is the only correct one - but looks like the one this guy has may also be correct.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-67-68-69...lTZApk&vxp=mtr


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[70cst]

Originally Posted by Brian Atkinson

I am the owner of this item. It is cool to see all the comments this post has generated. You definitely wouldn't buy this for the sound quality, lol. You would be a fool if you thought thats what you were getting. What you do get is a great conversation piece. You also get a rare nostalgic accessory that takes you back to the earlier days. For me, that's what these trucks are all about. I didn't buy my truck because it had modern features and great fuel efficiency. I got it because it's awesome and it continually reminds me of my childhood. I enjoy hunting for all the hard to find parts that make these trucks even more special. I'm sure there are quite a few people out there just like me. For others it's the paint job, the restoration process, the rims, etc.

This will be bought by the guy who has a high dollar restore who wants to add that final touch - Supply and demand is the name of the game. You wont see many GM 8 Tracts up for sale. That's what is special about this 67-72 truck hobby. We have high dollar trucks and we have trucks that are daily drivers - we have work trucks and everything in between. Good Luck in your sell.

[factorystock]

Originally Posted by 70cst

This will be bought by the guy who has a high dollar restore who wants to add that final touch

IMO, that's exactly what this is all about, the one final touch.... or two...... that puts the vehicle over the top at shows. Technology is not the issue in most cases, it's something that is not easily obtainable, either factory or period aftermarket, that the other guy won't have.

[hamjet]

No, 8 tracks don't sound better as mentioned but thats not what I'm looking for. It's the period correct, cool factor. just like some are still running AM over FM. Some are running stock factory correct engines over the new and improved fuel injected engines because it's what they want to do. It comes down to, YOU DO WHAT YOU WANT WITH YOURS, OTHERS WILL DO WHAT THEY WANT WITH THEIRS...ok, I'm off my soap box. LOL

[Mollzyie]

The finer points of 8-track





.... Said no one ever .

[70cst]

I do have a GM 8 track that has been internally refurbished - I still need to do the cosmetics.

I bought this NOS RCA 8 Track-AM FM radio a couple years ago - not sure if I will ever use it.

[weq92f]

Here ya go...

[70cst]

Originally Posted by weq92f

Here ya go...

Now that is cool ...

I have heard of such options but you don't see these tat often.

[chewychevy67]

I have an 8 track for my truck because when I drive my truck I want to feel like I'm in 1967. I have a few tapes I like ready for it when the truck is done. And it's quite the conversation piece.

[saskred]

Originally Posted by chewychevy67

I have an 8 track for my truck because when I drive my truck I want to feel like I'm in 1967. I have a few tapes I like ready for it when the truck is done. And it's quite the conversation piece.

I agree with you 100% on this. Nothing to do with audio quality etc

[70cst]

Originally Posted by chewychevy67

I have an 8 track for my truck because when I drive my truck I want to feel like I'm in 1967. I have a few tapes I like ready for it when the truck is done. And it's quite the conversation piece.

Spot on ...

[palallin]

The distinction in audio quality between a cassette and an 8-track is irrelevant in the case of the vast majority of players/environments. One thing I will say, however, is that I have lost far more cassettes to automobile players than I have 8-tracks. 8-track players just don't seem to chew up tapes.

[James the III]

Originally Posted by palallin

The distinction in audio quality between a cassette and an 8-track is irrelevant in the case of the vast majority of players/environments. One thing I will say, however, is that I have lost far more cassettes to automobile players than I have 8-tracks. 8-track players just don't seem to chew up tapes.

The difference is that in the early 70's what did you find in a home.. 8 track players or cassettes..
sure the oem's didn't really care about any distinction in audio, it was what does most buyers have in their homes that they might want to play in the vehicle..

[special-K]

Cassette . At least that's how it was in my world. It was 8-tracks in cars and reel to reel or cassette in home. Of course, turntables were most common by a long shot...everyone had those. I had a dual head cassette by Teac, IIRC, as well as real to reel (which I just sold last summer). As far as OEM equipment, 8-tracks went out and it went to AM/FM Stereo in the '70s with no tape options available. The '70s saw am explosion in FM stations and people moved away, for the most part, from AM. In the '70s is when cassette got big but aftermarket. Toward the later '70s it went to in-dash and that's when you started seeing OEM AM/FM Cassette offered.

I realize putting a GM accessory 8-track is about cool factor, not technology. My part of the conversation here hasn't been about comparing technology. What I am saying is back then when GM offered this 8-track I chose to have a cassette deck. So, those are also from the era and add cool factor to a truck. They didn't have CD, satellite radio, or MP3. I still play cassettes, they sound great as when I started driving in '71, and they fit in the dash. I have had 1/2 dozen of these GM 8-tracks. I bought them because I am into the rare and unusual as well as that which is not reproduced. I had a collection of all that kind of stuff, such as tissue dispensers, drip rail mouldings, grille guards, etc and sold it all. I'm more into the basics now and don't plan any more pristine factory correct restorations. I don't have a museum. I only want what I can use now. I can use a cassette deck. And, now that they are considered obsolete by so many I think that gives them all the more cool factor. Era correct aftermarket stuff is just as cool as OEM stuff to me. Hickey fans will agree and so will vintage speed buffs. as far as trucks goes, I dig having accessories like saddle tanks, cargo hooks, Bartens bumper, aluminum slots, snap on tonneau covers, etc.

If someone else wants an 8-track, that doesn't bother me and I don't care how much they pay. I do what I can and am secure with others doing whatever they want. I just know I was listening to cassettes in my vehicle at the same time these trucks were still being sold. I also put a cassette deck in the '72 C/10 I bought in '73, my first truck