Speaker Grills for 356 C

[Bob Lee]

Sabastian-
Thanks for posting those great pictures. I am also of the belief tha the material you show is the only cloth that was original for speakers in the 356 C production. I do have a few points I'd like to add for consideration-
1. I believe that not all 356 C cars with the sorta round speakers received the cloth. I think that some of the cars received the sorta round speakers with only the metal grill.
2. When the C speakers were installed, both speakers were wired to a junction block. The junction block accepted the wires from both sides, and then a single pair went down to the radio. I have attached a picture of one of these junction blocks. I think this same block might be shown in your top picture, in the box, next to the speaker.
3. Current brown electrical wire sold at the hardware store looks different than original brown speaker wire. Close, but not the same and if you'v ever seen the original stuff, you can tell the difference.

Thanks again- great stuff.

Paul

Paul,
This is a dealer install kit from Blaupunkt which was used on I would guess 95% of the cars with radios, the factory installed radios (about 5% of the cars with radios) used a little bit different cloth, a bit more nubbey if you will, like the one I posted in the earlier post that came out of a C coupe with a factory installed Blaupunkt.
These Blaupunkt kits were use by other car builders as well....Very cool to see one complete
As a side note Becker installed radios did not use cloth on their grills, unless you requested it at the dealer.

Back in my speaker hole I go 8)
Bob Lee
356 Registry member 16135
Porsche 356 Club member
912 Registry member 1588-R

[Roy Lock]

Bob, my radio was installed by the factory and it is exactly the same as Sebastian's photos. No difference.
I am the second owner of this coupe, I bought it in1975 when very few people cared about authenticity and I have the Kardex on the car to show that it was factory installed.
The material is not rubberized as you stated.

[Joris Koning]

I am no expert on this matter. However wouldn't it be logical that the kits supplied to the aftermarket dealers were the same as those supplied to the factory by Blaupunkt? Why would they change the cloth on one versus the other one? Even if the speakers + grills were supplied to Porsche in bulk instead of individual kits like the one shown by Sebastian you would think the cloth would be the same.

[Joris Koning]

Forgot to say, the cloth pictured by Cliff and Sebastian is also what I have seen over the years for this particular speaker/rim set up.

[Charlie White]

Here's a fact from a Blaupunkt Factory listing of "Car Radio Installation Kits". They show TWO different radio installation kits for Porsche 356 B/C"

Complete Kit No.
2-1600-A Group C 84928 - $25.00
2-1600-F Group B 84925 - $28.60

The listing shows installation kits for: BMW, Citroen, DKW, Ford, Fiat, Jaguar, Mercedes, MGB, Opel, Peugeot, Renault, SAAB, Simca, Volvo, VW, NSU and more. To make things interesting, a particular manufacturer of cars may have idential installation kit part numbers for different models of the same manufacturer, but no part number is the same from one manufacturer to another in the listing.

CW

[Bob Lee]

Bob, my radio was installed by the factory and it is exactly the same as Sebastian's photos. No difference.
I am the second owner of this coupe, I bought it in1975 when very few people cared about authenticity and I have the Kardex on the car to show that it was factory installed.
The material is not rubberized as you stated.

Roy,
Who said it was rubberized?? Once again the factory used at least three different types of grill cloth. No one is saying yours is not factory installed...But what do I know If you believe that only one style of cloth was used who am I to say your wrong

Back in my speaker hole I go
Bob Lee
356 Registry member 16135
Porsche 356 Club member
912 Registry member 1588-R

[Bob Lee]

I am no expert on this matter. However wouldn't it be logical that the kits supplied to the aftermarket dealers were the same as those supplied to the factory by Blaupunkt? Why would they change the cloth on one versus the other one? Even if the speakers + grills were supplied to Porsche in bulk instead of individual kits like the one shown by Sebastian you would think the cloth would be the same.

Joris,
It was Porsche in the early days they used everything and anything too complete a order, that's why these old cars are GREAT no two are the same

I'm now moving on to a new rock
Bob Lee
356 Registry member 16135
Porsche 356 Club member
912 Registry member 1588-R

[Roy Lock]

Bob, I meant to quote your "nubbey" and mistyped.

The material you showed is an original Mercedes Benz speaker cloth. There is a guy on EBay that has been selling this sstuff lately. Here is his latest auction:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Radio-G ... 3a6ef7b747

Again, this is not only my opinion, but those of others on this forum. We have heard from an old time Porsche dealer that had an interest in 356's and Porsches of that era and he says that the only material he remembers is the grey cloth with a silver thread as shown on Sebastian Gaeta's original Blaupunkt installation kit. He says that this is the only kit he remembers being used.

[Bob Lee]

Bob, I meant to quote your "nubbey" and mistyped.

The material you showed is an original Mercedes Benz speaker cloth. There is a guy on EBay that has been selling this sstuff lately. Here is his latest auction:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Radio-G ... 3a6ef7b747

Again, this is not only my opinion, but those of others on this forum. We have heard from an old time Porsche dealer that had an interest in 356's and Porsches of that era and he says that the only material he remembers is the grey cloth with a silver thread as shown on Sebastian Gaeta's original Blaupunkt installation kit. He says that this is the only kit he remembers being used.

See I told you what do I know, Porsche only used one grill cloth
Back under my new rock I go
Bob Lee
356 Registry member 16135
Porsche 356 Club member
912 Registry member 1588-R

[Paul Hatfield]

I also know of only one cloth that has been fully vetted as original.
We understand your claim that you personally know of two.
Not sure the claim is validated or vetted.
Paul

[Bob Lee]

I also know of only one cloth that has been fully vetted as original.
We understand your claim that you personally know of two.
Not sure the claim is validated or vetted.
Paul

Paul,
UNCLE!! I have already wrote that "What do I know" There is only one grill cloth that Porsche used because they said so Just because I own or have owned one owner original 356's that have factory installed grill cloth that is different it must not be true
I now need to focus on Iran possibly getting a nuclear weapon

Back under my rock I go 8)
Bob Lee
356 Registry member 1588-R
Porsche 356 Club member
912 Registry member 1588-R

[Charlie White]

Paul,

What constitutes "validation" or "vetting" of something about 356 Porsches? Does someone's claim to be an original ower suffice? Does an original owner whose car was such and such mean that all like cars were such and such? Does someone's memory suffice? Are memories of years ago sufficiently accurate to taken as absolute? Does "the original owner told me so", suffice? How does the orignal owner know? Do opinions count, there are lots of them? Does seeing lots of something count? Lots of something isn't everything. Not picking on you, I know you have a very nice original car, but this is a subject that has bugged me for quite a while. Who are we to believe? What are we to believe. What suffices as proof, vetting, validation?

CW

[Bill Waite]

Hmm... any of you guys heard that old saying about beating a dead horse?

[Charlie White]

Yeah Bill, but it's fun..............

CW

[Jim Breazeale]

Hmm... any of you guys heard that old saying about beating a dead horse?

Hi Bill

I'm with you! Let's change the subject to speaker plugs. I think the speaker plug in the kit photographed by Sebastian has been replaced with a later plug. How is that for tossing a turd in the punch bowl? I have always assumed that the plugs for the 356 period were like the one I have pictured. The one shown in Sebastian's picture is from a later era.
Would I like to have that kit for my display case? You bet!!!!!!!

The one on the right is the one I think is correct for that kit.
Paul, Roy

What say you guys?