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Drive in speakers

Mike Szadaj

Mike Szadaj

Well-Known Member
Local time
3:51 AM
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Location
St. Clair Shores, Mi
A few weeks ago I bought a pair of speakers with the holder at the Michigan Antique Radio Club swap meet. They are stamped as being from the Starlite Theater in Bay City, Mi. I used a length of PVC pipe for a post, and a tree stand for a base. My plan is to display them near my car at shows. I had to replace the speakers and the cords. I would like to install some kind of audio source to play music through them, car themed songs. I am going to paint the post and base black. Here is the result so far.

2221.jpg
 
Maybe you could have the audio source in your trunk, and run a lead up through the base.
 
The top of the holder comes off, and there is some room inside. If I could put the audio device inside, it would eliminate the possibility of someone tripping on a wire. I am thinking of something along the line of an Ipod.
 
I would buy a small bluetooth speaker and hook it up with bluetooth via your Ipod or Iphone and fit it inside the speaker case. Kind of like this guy does with vintage radios.

 
I worked part time for a guy that owned three drive-ins. Most of the speakers had tamper proof screws holding them together. they can be removed using a small sharp punch to turn the screws. Most also had cheap small 3-4 inch 8 ohm speakers in them. It was a weekly repair item at the theatre as the weather and insects would destroy the paper cones. Also several speakers were cut off and taken by movie goers every week. I would have given new speakers to people to keep from repairing. I think we paid about $4 each for the replacements.
Your post just reminded me of this as the drive-in are now gone or destroyed.
thanks
PT in Tennessee
 
My brother and I got drunk and forgot to remove the speaker from the car before he took off. Fortunately, the window was partially down, it didn't break the window out of the old mans station wagon but it made one hell of a racket! Sobered us right up! 440'
 
The problem with anything Bluetooth is I want the sound coming out of the drive in speakers. If you install a Bluetooth speaker inside the speaker case, then you have the problem of replacing batteries or recharging. Last and probably most relative is the fact that I am far behind the times as far as new audio technology goes, so I don't have anything that is Bluetooth compatible.
 
I saw a guy with the exact same set up at a local car show. Not sure exactly how he set it up, but it was cool.
 
I like your creative use of supplies to make a stand!
 
Mike Szadaj said:
The problem with anything Bluetooth is I want the sound coming out of the drive in speakers. If you install a Bluetooth speaker inside the speaker case, then you have the problem of replacing batteries or recharging. Last and probably most relative is the fact that I am far behind the times as far as new audio technology goes, so I don't have anything that is Bluetooth compatible.
Click to expand...
Thats why i said install the blue tooth inside the drive in speaker housing.
 
Yep, drove off with them after a few beers, did it a couple times till my girl (wife) who was more sober said, don't forget the speaker jerk. Don't hear anything about speakers any more, but I do hear jerk now and then.
 
most are rechargable with a usb cord. So it would be possible to have the connector in the spot where the original cord comes out.
 
I have been working on the speakers. I bought a small, cheap MP3 player. I replaced the worn out original speakers. I wired the speakers up to a jack to plug into the player. I painted the pipe and stand black. I ran threaded rods from one side to the other through the pipe and stand. I downloaded 30 car songs onto the player. Each speaker is hooked up to one channel, so the sound is in stereo. The third photo is with the top off showing the wiring and player. To charge it or add songs, I just unplug the player from the speaker jack.

471.jpg 472.jpg 473.jpg
 
You should do whatever you can to make sure that doesn't tip over, because it will definitely fall towards your car, like dropping a slice of bread, it almost always falls butter side down.
 
Outdoor theaters would be a destination now with social distancing. Used to get the shittiest tasting eats there. I remember getting set in a spot to watch the movie and the speaker was crapped out or flawed with the sounds of painful ear cracking...so relocate to another spot with a better speaker. Those days seem so far past...ahh guess cuz they are!
 
I did that years ago, pretty cool car show prop. Had it until I saw one fall over into a street rod with high dollar paint. Knocked over by a spectator. Put a big crease in the door. Stopped putting it up after that.
 
Always some risk at shows where people walk between the cars and try to assure a good amount of space between them for folks to walk by and look in the car. Most are watching their little ones but then there are a few who don't. Buddy was peeved when a little kid jumped up on his running board like a trampoline on his old pickup - a board not for stepping on after his huge resto. When they have parking spotters only interested in getting as many cars in as possible wanting to have you park closer to the next, I wave and shake my head nada...I'm moving in another foot or two away pal. WE pay to show our cars while the spectators usually pay nothing...go figure. We pay boatloads of cash restoing and pay to let people look at them. Used to be 5 bucks, now most often 10, and some are now charging 15 or more. I don't need another friggin dash plaque, coffee mug, or pen! Keep that **** and charge less. Maybe charge spectators a buck a person...a lousy buck to contribute to the necessary expenses, charities, and such and keep our costs a little less?
 
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