1985 Fiero Radio Repair! | Saturday Projects
2021 ж. 5 Ақп.
330 690 Рет қаралды
Getting AMPed for this project! And by getting amped, I mean absolutely loathing the entire experience. Yes, it is satisfying seeing things come together, but it's also satisfying doing anything else in the world. If you excuse me, I am going to go shovel some dirt.
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Music
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To everyone saying I routed the belt wrong and also that I should clean the volume potentiometer to get rid of the static fully, GUESS WHAT?! You're absolutely right. Thank you so much for pointing these out to me, I really appreciate it :)
@@Jon_A. someone who understands that the point of this project is to not let things go to waste and to gain new skills and experiences in the process, you absolute ding dong.
I can't believe you angered the hardware gods by putting all the screws back in TWICE! You have courage my man.
I thought you were putting the belt on wrong. HEEHEE. We have all done it
Dude I was having a nervous breakdown when watching you put everything together with that belt wrong. Glad you noticed it :)
@@RonaldFinger please rephrase...i dont understand the sarcasm. it is lost on me. also id be careful alienating watchers of your channel and name calling.
This is one of those projects that on one hand you think, "Is he ever gonna get that Fiero done?" On the other hand, you are going to be sorry to see it come to an end.
Yup
The story of most project cars right here!
I hope he starts over with another car afterwards, I couldn't blame him if he doesn't though :D
This, Project Binkey, and Geoffrey Croker's Land Rover restoration
Yeah this is never going to be done... Because other things will eventually break
Easily the best restoration series on KZhead!
I’d vote for Project Binky but Ronald is fantastic.
Check out My Mechanics: kzhead.info/tools/MrMVIBtqFW6O0-MWq26gqw.html He mostly restores old tools. But, I believe him to be the best. Watch a couple of his videos and you'll see what I mean. You'll be glad you did.
@@Kenny_P_abz yea that guys also got a full blown shop an experience
@@bradleyj.fortner2203 he’s very entertaining but that’s an entire different style of video my friend
@@mercury0214 It's not entirely different. It's a restoration channel. He takes old junk and makes it nice again. Just like Ron is doing here. The only real difference is that he's working on tools instead of cars. Which I already acknowledged.
Once you're done, you better get video of going to the previous owners house to get her reaction when she sees the car again so you can share that with us!
"just like any problem child pressing a hot iron against it is the obvious course of action" Im dead lmfao
Oh did they use the hot iron too much?
This might have been the best Dad joke that I've ever heard..
Classic. How do I subscribe to your newsletter???
@8:30 . Obvious experience Ronald gained from babysitting jobs to aquire money to fix the job. 😏
As a middle school teacher, I can confirm the accuracy of this statement.
I am disabled, seriously ill and I don't have a drivers license, so I have absolutely no reason to watch car restoration videos, yet every time I see the notification for one of your videos I cant help but pause what I am watching, and watch your videos straight away!
That's what I thought when I started watching Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman's Long Way Round series. That was 10 years ago. A positive turn in my health means I'm days away from buying my first motorcycle. But even before that, the hope that their adventures brought me healed me more than any other type of medicine. Hang in there, buddy!
I'm absolutely not interested in cars, i'm here for Ronald lol.
Its entertaining and I think we all appreciate both the attention to detail and the practical one bite at a time approach. It gives us all hope for any problem we face, even when its not a basket case Pontiac.
Hope you feel better
@@ChairmanMeow1 Thank you!
Ronald deserves an industry award for this series. I'm completely serious. Any employer would benefit from having him on the team.
Businesses have to move a lot faster than this except museum restoration shops.
Agreed. He’s sharp, inquisitive, undaunted by challenges and completes the task.
it really blew me away how he takes the same patience to explain each part of the radio just as the car, seriously amazing work
12:33 lmao, dude you got yourself a V A P O R W A V E deck
a shame he got rid of it
I'm deeply appreciative that you decided to keep and fix the OEM head unit than slapping a aftermarket one :"3
Yep. She's only original once.
Adding a BT module inside hooked directly to the amp would be a welcome mod. Kepping it OG but working with new stuff.
@ bluetooth tape adapter would sound just as clean without any fiddling around inside. annoying that you would need to charge it every so often, but sound quality, top notch (and if he doesn't mine the wire to circumvent having to charge, the 3.5mm adapter is all the better/easier). now just need to have phone manufacturers stop removing headphone jacks.
@@darkmagician1184 you could steal 12 volts from somewhere in the radio and step it down to 5, and then the tape adapter wouldn't need to be charged if you kept it in there all the time
@@darkmagician1184 If you are not a purist of sound or the base device is not great the tape adapter is fine, but its not great, the digital audio is turned to analog electric signals then into magnetic pulses, then picked up by the head of the tape wich reads the magnetic changes, then turn to electric pulses, preamplified, and then gets to the amplifier, a lot more steps and ways to get noise amplified than a BT module directly conected to the amplifier part of the stereo. But I agree that phones need to keep the audio jack, I dont like BT that much but having broke so many aux cables I understand the appeal now.
I'm really glad that I found this channel. One of the best on KZhead.
love the “neighborhood creepo” 'stache
I wish that this series would never come to an end... 🥺 Hint for the casette player: I think you are very very close! I used to repair and clean many of these old casette players, and my assumption would be in this case that as You mentioned, may be the belt is tight a bit, this is normal, usually, the RPM of the cheap versions are not controlled by microcontroller, but there is a tunable resistor (potentiometer) you can tune the engine PRM with, this can be on the PCB or inside the motor, but there is a hole covered with some cross-cut sponge like material, you can push a little screwdriver through. The tape speed should be around 4.26cm/s, but if you have a well known track, you can adjust the speed 99% fine, just via ears. ;) The other thing that can cause meowing are 1. that the grooves the belt are running in, can be dirty as well, these should be cleaned also. 2. The 2 rubber rollers can be dirty,. These can be cleaned only during operation, beacuse it is so hard to reach the whole surface and apply enough pressure on the ear cleaning pick to be able to remove the thousand year old dirt... 😉 On the other hand, the rubber roller may (does) shrink, especially when the car was sitting outside for decades, this should be checked also. During play, the roller is pushed to the chrome plated axle via spring, check there is enough spring force, so the tape won’t slip during play. I assume that the chrome plated axles which drive the rubber rollers can be turned easily by finger (of Finger 😉😜). If these inspection are performed and meowing still exists, the clutch mechanism(s, since You have autoreverse) should be checked. If the clutch is so hard, and the spring of the rubber roller(s) not tight enough it may happen that the tape is slipping between the roller and the chrome plated axle, but this situation is quite rare I think. If the meowing is the same independently from in which direction You are playing the tape I think the clutches are fine. (there is a very little chance that both are wrong exactly on the same way, I think) One remark: if You wish to use the player with other audio sources as you showed via smartphone, there is a much simpler way than using that horrible sound quality audio adapter tape: the cables ftom the 3.5mm jack connector can be soldered directly to the input of the amplifier module. Usually this is where the 3 cable (red, white, ground) of the head, (or more (?) cable in your case, since You have 2 heads becase of autorevese) is soldered on the PCB. I hope that this would help! Sorry for the novel! 😉 BR, Gery
If you are keeping the original head unit I wait total solder in an aux Jack. This would be a good Saturday project.
I was able to get an aux jack into my Clarion head unit from similar vintage RX7 by doing something similar. However, you need to trace the cassette mechanism and figure out how it turns off the radio when you insert a cassette. You'll need some sort of switch or relay connected to a button to perform the same function when you want to listen to your auxiliary input...unless you want to hear the radio playing over it.
@@chrishuyler3580 If you are a ghetto fabulous or super bubba wiring and circuit man you can just not plug the antenna in.
WOW - nice, very nice description. For using any other Source like Smartphones there are Bluetoozth or radio Frequency Adaptors available to "stream" the Sound via own Frequency or BT - no soldering or wrecking of the original Radio necessary
@@FRITZI999 those radio frequency adapters sound like compete garbage and even the best ones will limit you to FM frequency range. If you want dynamic highs and lows, it’s not difficult to hard wire an auxiliary input or Bluetooth chip.
Honestly, your content is easily the most entertaining and enjoyable on here. I’m tired of all the “influencer” crap pushed through KZhead algorithms, so your videos are a welcome breath of fresh air..as opposed to the hot air blown up our a$$ daily. A genuine “thank you” for all the work, dedication, and perseverance on this project. I know it’s a LOT of work, but all your subscribers appreciate it much more than we can express.
All of, and the only, stuff I watch is DIY/how to/ and so on. Eff the rest. The beauty of it is, I get to choose. Oh, wait, just like turning the channel or turning the TV off!
When I saw "Made in Japan" on the radio, then I knew it was worth fixing. Good job Ronald, keep up the great work.
As any 1980s kid knows, all the best stuff is made in Japan.
@@rich_edwards79 The tape mechs are German. (Blaupunkt)
Some of the components might have come from Japan, but that radio was almost certainly made by the Delco Electronics factory in Kokomo, Indiana.
@@dashcamandy2242 I'd say it's an Alps mech, that's why "Made in Japan", and not "Made in Germany"...
I can still remember the ignorant phrase "Jap Crap" being tossed around about anything from over there. That was by the generation ahead of me mostly. It is neat to see the perspective changed. I've always been a fan of Japanese produced goods. From motorcycles to salt shakers, I've got plenty.
GM should give you an award for such a detailed and good restoration you are doing by yourself. I enjoy every chapter of the series. Greeting form México!
I remember the dimming of the display when the panel lights were turned on in my mom's 86 Grand Am. That's just how they worked.
We've got an 86 Trans Am radio packed away waiting for the day we could afford for it to be repaired. I have some electrical and soldering background and this particular video has shown me - hey, I can totally do this and not fuck it up. Thanks for this and all the other awesome videos in this series.
Same era caddy and pontiac high end units swap right in
I redid a 1987 Radio Shack Scanner, and yes I've disassembled it completely and reassembled it TWICE. It took cojones but I was tired tired tired of it sitting on my bedstand not working right.
Replace all capacitors, rework all soldering point, use contact spray cleaner in every connector and potentiometer, replace Belt, remove old grease, lub it. In 99% of time it should be ok.
Yep, on those older radios, just cleaning off the conformal and resoldering every joint you can get to can do wonders. The wiggle test isn't enough, you can get a bad signal through an overheated joint that crystallized. Reflowing any you can get to is the best way to make sure that isn't your problem, and really doesn't take long.
I just recommended your restoration to a luthier who was wondering if there was an audience for a multi video series watching him built a heritage Irish stringed instrument from scratch. I mean who is going to follow a kid tearing down one of GMs most cultish iconic platforms and painstakingly rebuild it to near factory specs in his garage over 2 freaking years? Apparently there are thousands of us enough to actually follow your patreon. And we are glued to our screens as you do the minutia of following the signal to a little lightbulb that 99.9% of us would just ignore. And one viewer who like turtles. I am again saddened to note that this project is coming to a close. But there you have it. The car is nearly done and you did it. And you brought us along for the ride in which now we find ourselves invested in your success. I hope the Canadian Luthier does plan on doing a similar series. I hope if he sees your series he will understand that an audience exists for such projects. Cars and Guitars. What else can I say?
What’s his channel? I’d watch the hell outta that
@@IsaiahKeiser twoodfrd Just as its spelled. 👍
It's oddly satisfying seeing an oddball Fiero be restored to factory condition.
*Puts Ronald singing "I don't know what I'm doing, I hope I don't fuck this up"on loop to remind myself to forge ahead, be creative and have a sense of humor about everything. Your subscribers love you. Never change except in the goal to improve who you are as a human being. You are an amazing young man who provides hope the rest of the younger generation will pull their heads out and stay alert.
I love that you spend so much time on a crap factory radio just to keep the extra bit of originality. I think this might be the best (non-over the top) car project on KZhead. The other category obviously goes to BOM and Binky.
After a mere 9 years project binky is spraypainted, so only 10 years to go and it will be done :)
Gingium has some of the best most professional (yet “homemade) projects
Man I remember way back when I watched part one of the Fiero restoration when it was posted 4 days ago man it was so long ago
That was 4 and some years ago man a simpler time
@@yodathegreatandpowerful3104 it really was I miss those days
@@zackstopzackstop8091 indeed no corona all you had were school (or work) and whatever was on youtube
@@yodathegreatandpowerful3104 WHAT.
It feels like yesturday
There's just something interesting and satisfying about watching someone go to great lengths to restore an obsolete piece of technology that most people would throw away and replace with something newer.
I’m gonna be sad when this series is over.
Sadly it is
Such a fan, I wish this series would never end 😢
Totally agree
No worries, apparently
Its old enough that the tape idler wheels (that the capstans roll against) have to be hard. They make a liquid that softens the wheels back to new. Also demagnetize the heads. That will make it sound better. If the belt is the right tension, not too tight or loose, the capacitors on the speed control board might need to be changed.
also couldve got a cd - tape recorder and downloaded some non copyrighted music to tape. also demagnetize the heads works. he couldve worked around that issue easily. that 80's music background music he uses...just tape that.
Rubber Renue. It smells bad, but it works!
The low speed is probably because he installed the belt wrong and stretched it a bit. Look closely and you'll notice both capstans are turning in the same direction, which is not right.
@@enzoperruccio good catch, that would do it. I noticed how he wrapped the belt around both pullies but did not stop to analyze it. Suprprised it is playing at all.
@@jked7463 I mean, you shouldn't be surprised at all ;). This mechanism is like two separate players joined together, which means that, as long as at least one of the capstans gets movement in the correct direction the machine will work just fine.
Your skills and discipline are great. You are a model of a successful American man. Take it from an old geezer bookmaker, you're the real thing.
Hall & Oates cassette tape? This kid has an old soul . . . A good, old soul . . . Rock on Ronald . . .
12:31 Instant Vapowave Music for you car...
I was honestly expecting Floral Shoppe
Ronnie is channeling his inner dad with the stache and glasses. I feel like he's gonna call me "Champ" and then offer to take me in his Fiero to go get ice cream.
Never say no to free ice cream and a ride in a Fiero.
That “we just got a letter” remix moved me to tears
"Not gonna happen" *The same synthwave track everyone has heard in a time lapse on some vlog or another*
Why the hell does this video make me nostalgic for a time that ended like 15 years before i was born
Born.... *again*....
.......because your instincts tell you that it was a much better era👍......trust me, it was awesome.
I disagree, I was there too. The 80’s sucked. I suppose it’s a matter of perspective.
The engines were in the infant stage of emissions control so the horsepower was anemic. But that also made it exciting when a manufacturer eeked out another 5 horsepower. Now a days, someone mentions 700 hp and we say but so and so has 1000 hp. Other than the hp, the cars were more honest then. They were not rolling computers that did everything for you. You had to know where you were going, how to get there and drive the car!!! Driving was fundamental. The best driver was the fastest.
@@DanaTheInsane yeah, I was born in 75' and I don't have good memories of the early 80's......but I guess that the late 80's into the 90's was the awesome part. The 90's by far were the best but the cool cars and such from the earlier eras were still around......quality or not😏...
Hall and Oates: Who's this Ronald guy playing our stuff?
lol. "were going to lose millions of $$$$$$$ on this!!!! who is this finger guy!!!"
@@aaronrichards2842 Best bit: the highest-charting single from that album, peaking at No. 11, was "So Close." Could you EVER have a more appropriate song title?
Anyone know which Hall and Oats song that was?
@@irukhan07 halfway there
@@irukhan07 kzhead.info/sun/ZdZyZaWdgXiuZJs/bejne.html
I had a 1984 Fiero. My mother worked at Delco Electronics and she had a engineer friend that knew I had a Fiero and knew the OEM radio left much to be desired. He told her to have me drop the car off one morning at the gate. He put a OEM Bonneville radio in. It was really nice because it had the EQ built in and all the lights on the radio were red, which matched the interior lights of the Fiero perfectly. When I sold the Fiero I kept the radio and installed it in another Fiero. This time it was a 85. Loved that radio. I really like these videos.
I was an electronics major in the 80's. Thanks for caring about our craft.
This is my favourite car on the internet, so many episodes, ups, downs, dramas, and good times. That was a really fantastic demonstration of undaunted common sense. Great work Ronald, looks like you are on the home straight.
Have you heard of Binky? :-)
18:30 made me smile... you've got some loyal subscribers... including me. Been here since the Iron Man helmet video...
Unknown forgotten feature: press the top volume button while the radio and car is off,without key in and the time will pop up
Does anyone know the trick of programming 7 stations, not just the 4? Press them in pairs.
You can even set the time if you have the patience! Though these radios aren't ever "fully" functioning. If you step into an 80s GM vehicle that somehow still has one of these it's always broken at least one way. Even Ronald's has a broken clock and radio component.
@@spod2998 mine works compleatly fine... knock on wood though lol
I wish there were more restoration videos like this on KZhead. I like older cars, but I’m not a “gear head” and I get tired of the endless parade of the typical “classic cars” that people restore (i.e. how many Mustangs can you see in a lifetime). It’s nice to see someone spending the time to restore a car that means something to them rather than playing to the masses.
Ronny: -"...the display doesn't work and neither does the tape deck." My immediate thought after having watched many Techmoan, Technology connection, LGR and 8-Bit guy videos: IT'S THE DRIVE BELT! IT HAS TO BE!
I suspect there's a lot of overlap between viewers of car restoration and retro electronics restoration/ resurrection channels.
@@rich_edwards79 I suspect so too. I know I'm nostalgic about the past that I didn't even live through, so I watch videos where people review old tech. I love seeing really grimy, mucky things get cleaned, so I watch car detailing videos and rug cleaning videos etc. And I love seeing things get built from the ground up, so I watch restoration videos and videos where people build things like log cabins and stuff like that.
7:57 "Tha bigga tha glob, tha betta tha job"
I know that's the joke, but on something special, using a magnifier to make a proper solder joint should be the call. I'm glad the repair worked.
shouldn't it be...the betta tha Job...the bigga the glob?
85, I remember it well. This ride has been alot of fun. Good job kid. Re live the nostalgia of the 80s for all of us oldsters that were in our teens back then. I was driving a 1974 Honda 350XL Motorcycle back then as my first mode of transportation, but I remember the afternoon that a rich boy buddy got a brand new car and brought it to school. A 1985 Pontiac Fiero, Red.
18:49 sums it up perfectly. you took something most ppl wouldn't bother with, turned it into something amazing and connected with us in a special way.
The copyright gods have spoken. I hate having to reupload a masterpiece
The actual music used in the montage: Eyes to See it by ELEF kzhead.info/sun/kraqg92NjXiGqHA/bejne.html
@@Novusod I pay for a license to use music from artlist
My favorite part of this series is the running edit gag of you jumping in to tell yourself "Nice move smart guy. Good going."
This is going above and beyond on a restoration for a Fiero.... Most people would throw this radio in the trash and replace it with something much better and more modern. Ronald, it's quite impressive, you are truly dedicated to a full restoration. Still.... I think that radio belongs in the trash.... just my opinion.
I was 14 when this car rolled off the assembly line. Every time I watch your videos, I fall in love with the Fiero all over again!
One of my favorite things about this project is how you've kept as much original 'stuff' as possible. Nice touch with the old Delco! This video reminded me of how bad car stereos used to be from the factory.
Not only were they terrible, but the car makers would create oddball shapes so your couldn't easily replace them with something better. Think of the 1988 Cavalier and Grand Prix....this was long before double din as well. Ones like the fiero you could pull that out and buy a scosche adapter that added a little tray underneath to take up the extra space. It was a blessing when they started actually taking car audio seriously and put decent stereos in vehicles.......I say "decent" meaning that they are fine for most people......I'm trying to remember (other than Lamborghini) who started putting higher end audio systems in vehicles. I think it was Bose who first teamed up with them.....
@@muskokamike127 YES! Someone that knows the pain. When I was young I wanted to blast my music but the factory stereos were so bad that it just sounded like a distorted mess until you went and bought a good system, amp, speakers, etc. Now, the systems are mostly pretty solid (admittedly, I don't blast my music like I used to). I remember Bose being one of the first true audio companies to partner with someone for car stereo equipment. I don't remember who it was either.
As a former inspector for an electronic assembly company, I am deeply disturbed by how much stuff leaves factories only to fail because of poor solder joints. That's one of the first things to look for, and usually one of the easiest to see, right behind missing or backwards components.
@@TheaterGeek2007 Not always the easiest to see.....I've seen some that look perfectly fine....except it was a cold joint so the solder never actually made good contact with the stem.......all it took was a little more heat and the solder attached to the component.....but even still: this is a 40 year old vehicle.....no doubt there's a few failed connections in it......
@@BoomerKeith1 Yup, right there with you! Nowadays I'm lucky if I have the radio on at all lol..... A little google search turned up Delco Bose in a 1985 Cadillac.....I seem to recall BMW or ?? started putting Blaupunkt head units in.....
Why i get "I would walk 500 miles - The Proclaimers" in my head XD
@@rhodesm6683 haha, your welcome... Cheers from Eppelborn Germany ;)
Ronald, you are the finger we'll all missed, but didn't deserve. Thanks!
You are living my dream. I always wanted a Fiero, but never got the chance.
Discovered this channel in march (first lockdown). One year later, I'm still in love
Hey Ronald, nice work. It was the thumbnail that got me to watch your video. I immediately knew that was a Delco Electronics radio. Not because I had a Fiero, but because my dad worked for Delco Radio, which did one more iteration to Delco Electronics. He worked for them from 1960 to the early 90's. There is a reasonable chance one of his patents is in that unit of yours. He has since made the great heap and is no longer scribbling out the differential equations on his church bulletin (possibly not listening entirely to the service?). But he was always working on mathematical electrical engineering equations even when not at work. Math, Physics, and engineering was his passion, and Delco Electronics made it possible for him to use that passion to raise a family. We were all truly thankful for his career and the existence it provided, and as a result, I was raised as a GM kid. Delco Electronics was a pretty interesting place. When my dad hired with them in the 60's, it was all about the power transistor. He used calculus and and algebra to figure out biasing of the circuitry to build transistor based audio amplifiers for cars radios. But then in the 70's Delco Electronics made the decision to start making their own integrated circuits. Commonly know as ICs. To do this, they also grew their own silicon. Nobody else was growing silicon except for the dudes in silicon valley and in Japan. But there they were, in Kokomo Indiana, growing vertical columns of silicon, then slicing wafers of silicon, masking off layers in what was almost was a photographic process, to build complete transistor circuitry onto wafers, that then would be sliced up and placed in an IC packages. But with the mass exodus, all research and development left Kokomo for suppliers who I guess are now located in China. It is sad to drive by the Research and Engineering building in Kokomo, for to this day it stands empty. A lot of thinking, long hours of problem solving and maybe even some stale cigarette smoke is still echoing around in there. I don't know if youtube lets you place links in comments, but in homage to my dad here is a link of his patents while he worked at Delco Electronics: patents.justia.com/inventor/burtron-d-schertz Thanks for reminding me of my upbringing, my Dad, Delco Electronics and even the beloved Fiero! I sooo miss my Dad to this day. Carry on your content creation Ronald! And I look forward to more of your content. I subscribed!
Wow Alan! I checked out the link (it does work) and I'm very positive that some of your dad's patents are in my unit. That is absolutely incredible. Thank you so much for taking the time to share! It's because of the very, very rare comments I get like this why I love making these videos.
@@RonaldFinger Well I probably should have also stated that your open song was basically my mantra growing up. Being that my dad was an engineer, he allowed me to dissect just about anything. It was a form of learning for me. But I definitely felt the feelings that you so nicely put into song at the start the video. (I really did not have any confidence, and still suffer a bit from that today) So I was hooked by your song right from the start. All thru my life I always wanted to be an engineer like my dad. I liked making things but I also was a bit lazy. I only wanted to do what came easily. Most of it revolved around taking something apart and rebuilding something different. I was the weirdo kid who took a soapbox derby wheel set and my parents bed sheet and made a sail car to tool around my neighborhood. I was creative at being a "maker" but not very motivated by school. I loved school but only for the social side of it. Long story short, I never reached a high enough algebra skills to actually be good at calculus. I mean I could memoize enough to be a c student, but not what it takes to actually use the tools as needed to be an engineer. Luckily, when I went to college, I could study computer science which allowed me again to squeak by (and build things), but not without all of the math requirements of electrical engineering. I never reached the level of my dad's brain power. No patents in my name! But I do know that he was proud of me, my creations, and my work. Oh! I also want to throw in this point: when you were reviewing your work on the fluorescent display and the incandescent bulbs, I again was reminded of a time that I learned that cars dim their dashboard lights when you turn the headlights on. Fun little things in life that most folk never notice, but it was cool to see you find that morsel as well. Thanks for the reply, thanks for being you, thanks for making content, and here is to Burt Schertz and all the others at Delco Electronics! (looking forward to future content!)
You are restoreing a vehicle that many people have forgotten about, or don’t care about. However, that doesn’t matter. You are doing a wonderful job. Truthfully, I haven’t followed along as much as some, but I can tell the quality of your videos has improved a lot. I haven’t seen any restoration videos where someone disassembles the radio. Most would have fit a Pioneer Super Tuner 3 in the dash which is what would have been done in the 80s. Really nice job with this series. I prefer classics from the 60s, but I enjoy what you are doing here. Keep up the good work. Thanks for taking the time to produce the content.
Really nice to see, that there are more people around my age who wants tape decks in their car.
When restoring an old circuitboard, that has been, and most likely will be, exposed to moisture, a fresh coating of sealant is in order. This prevents electrical issues, like fires and such.
FYI: the "little wheels" in the tape deck are called 'Pinch rollers" They can be cleaned of magnetic tape coating like the head and capstan with iso alcohol. In addition, hard and glazed ones can be rejuvenated lightly with # 400 - 600 paper. It can help speed issues. Back in the day there were wet cassettes for preventative maintenance and repair. So glad you got a belt.
So, this resonated with me more than most. In 1994 I had my first car and was 16. The radio lights were bad and it rarely worked. I knew nothing about electronics other than RC cars but I decided to do exactly what you did. I tore out the head unit and began to trace what was wrong. I ended up replacing some bulbs with LED's (yes, I knew nothing about resistance), and after days of discovering, I got it all working properly and it looked factory and I was thrilled. I am sure that a 1980's Fiero and a 1980's Subaru share the same pathetic sound system so I too know exactly what excitement you felt with this project. Great job as always! I am glad to see this at 42 years young. Props to you for giving me a time machine today in my memory banks. If I could go back and do it again I would in a heartbeat.
These were very high quality stereos back in their day. My father had an Astro-van with the same stereo he bought in 85, but it had a small Equalizer on it too. He played LOTS of tapes in it. The front-loading tape drives used in these is much better than the side-loading tape mechanisms used in the newer Delco, and practically all aftermarket stereos (Most of which are built by a Chinese company called "Tanashen" These decks, when new had VERY stable sound with minimal amounts of wow and flutter. My father used to play George Winston piano music in his.
Well done Ron to keep the original deck! That took a lot of guts to take that all apart, to try to fix it, but you pulled it off. great job!
Opening to blues clues😂👌
Dude that deck takes me back to every GM I owned for over 20yrs. Chevette to Bonneville to Silverado, plus many more...one stop parts bin special. XD
Just so you know... This is the best series on the internet.
"I don't know what I'm doing..." I thought I was the only one singing that song. ;D
Thats literally my fixing it jam....I heard it out loud and was like...WTF ?
My complete respect and admiration for getting that old bird running again. You have the patience of a saint.
here's the thing: i understand nothing of cars or electronics, but i'm having a hell of a good time watching you revive the fiero. cheers.
I have to say, I never skip a single second of your videos. The subtle comments make me laugh out loud. Cheers to you man, and can't wait for more of your videos.
The wow and flutter issue could still be a belt issue. The method I use to get the right size is threading a string through the tape path, measuring the string and multiplying the length by .95 to get the proper belt length.
I want to see you drive it to the previous owner you bought it from and show it to him. You promised him you woul take care of it. I would love to see the reaction now that you have made the Fiero whole once again.
So glad you kept the factory radio! Nothing spoils an older car more than a periodic incorrect radio
Ah, the old Delco UM6 radio. Rebuilt/repaired many of those at an A/C Delco radio shop. Blown belts were so common, I could speak the part number from memory. The '84 one way play deck belt number is 1224370, if anyone is interested. Cold solder joints plagued all GM radio's from that era. Great job getting the display going.
Hey, this is joe from the future... that next episode you uploaded was awesome👍
When doing soldering on circuit boards it's ideal to using the thinnest solder you can get to do the job.
no the thinnest suck big time as it is for smd.
Awwww the memories!! My 1984 Buick Skyhawk had the exact same stereo. Ahhh to be 16 again!!
This post caused me to get off my rear end and pull out my own car radio and fix it. Power of suggestion and following by example.
Dude where is the contact cleaner and lithium grease 😅
Definitely should've used these.
I'm willing to bet that the Auto-Reverse doesn't work in the configuration that you showed in this video. You have the belt on incorrectly, both the capstans are turning the same direction. It's a little difficult to explain, but the belt has to go under the capstan closest to the motor, where you have it going over it. The far capstan is fine.
Thank god, I thought I was the only one who noticed it. This could also be the reason the deck is running slow, since the belt is a bit tighter than usual.
God I love the sound your Fiero makes. It's a red two door coupe with pop-up headlights and when turned on it sounds like an asthmatic vacuum cleaner.
Can’t tell you how many times I listened to the Top Gun sound track back in the 80’s on that cassette deck in my mom’s 86 fast back as a kid. 😂
I like turtles
Me too!
Man I love frogs
yes you are
I have a circa late 80's Alpine Head unit you can have to replace that Delco unit. lol
First car, a 1986 Buick Century and my second car a 1992 Chevy Astro van both had similar variations of that radio cassette combo. I had no idea how this video was going to be such a nostalgia hit.
You have got to be one of the most dedicated car enthusiasts I've ever seen. Not that it's crazy to fix a radio... but you easily spent more time on that than anyone else ever would. I'd have been like "well, that don't work" and thrown an after market HU in. But Mr. Ronald here is all about being perfectly period correct no matter the time investment.
Finally!!!!!!!
12:17 - _"It's what the people want!"_
Nicely done! The 80's were indeed a great decade...IMHO!
Glad you saved the original radio unit. It’s nice to keep the car stock & original. Great job on the car. Looking forward to the next video. 👍🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
8:30 bruh..... i almost spit my water all over my screen...
Let’s gooooooooo 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Ahh a man of culture, you watch Polecat324 too
@@joshuamorehead6124 >:)
This video is so inspiring. Repair before tossing out. Your very calm demeanor makes your projects very enjoyable. Thank you!
My parents had a Pontiac 6000 with this same radio, only it was the version without the tape player. Brings back such memories.
@5:14 When you flick on the marker lights, it sends power to the deck to make the VF display dim. (edit) which you figured out later on!
bro, u had a perfect vaporwave maker before you lubed it :(
Mr. Ron you are a talented, patient and brilliant man. After the third time of taking this radio apart, I would have thrown the thing in the trash. Brilliant Job!
I love that you have put this much love into a humble Iron Duke Fiero. Wonderful job.
parasitic draw, oh more current increased resistance equals the lights go dim..
Adding a bluetooth receiver would “upgrade” that headunit. 😬😅
Came here to say the same thing. Come on Ron, hook that old girl up. Bluetooth Hall & Oates!
Man that brings back great memories! I had that same tape deck in a 86 Grand Am. Great memories indeed.
The first 6 seconds really accurately describe how most of my projects start