Subtle mods for the HL?

[Simon]

how about the radio from a rover 25? the radio sits in the normal place and the radio display is the clock!!! it looks cool.....got the radio just looking for a clock and the cable

There's loads on ebay. Search for Rover clock or Rover radio!

Mind you...why bother - when would you actually use a cassette anyway and can you really be fussed with all those adaptors etc. I fitted an MP3 CD player radio (VDO DAYTON...nearest I could get to Philips) and it looks as if it was always meant to be there having a black face and orange illumination (it switches to green).

[D87SMW]

There's loads on ebay. Search for Rover clock or Rover radio!

Mind you...why bother - when would you actually use a cassette anyway and can you really be fussed with all those adaptors etc. I fitted an MP3 CD player radio (VDO DAYTON...nearest I could get to Philips) and it looks as if it was always meant to be there having a black face and orange illumination (it switches to green).

Good call.

I have a basic Philips radio/cassette in my car (from a VP, still got the standard one spare like a headless chicken). As I can't stand the quality of tape playback I bought an MP3 player>Cassette adaptor from eBay. I've found though, it's a lot of fuss buggering about changing albums etc. whilst driving. Needless to say I don't use it that much.

I have contemplated fiitting my Sony radio/CD player (which has amber or green option), however I found I could connect all but the speaker connectors using an adaptor I have. I'll have to get round to buying the connector I need then I might just fit the CD player.

Back on subject, I am all for good tunage in the car but there ain't no way I would cut original wiring to fit an after-flea-market head unit. If using adaptors, fair play.

[/Ramble]

[John S]

I'm fitting the original Philips R681 stereo to the turbo but with an FM modulator 10 stack CD changer and 100w x 4 amp / upgraded factory fit speakers.

[Simon]

You can get Philips CD radios that fit such as the 25 and 45 models from ebay, although most of them are cassette players. You can go to an ICE dealer and get the EDI adaptor cable for the remote display which you fit instead of the clock. VDO Dayton do similar radios with CD for the Vauxhall range, too. The external display can be fited in place of the clock with a bit of modification, but a much cleverer mod is to forget about ED head units and fit a Rover 25/45 Trafficmaster clock instead - again you get these from ebay.

I wouldn't call a VDO Dayton head unit an after flea market unit - remember for Philips read VDO Dayton! The one I've got (CD5405 MP X) was OE fitted in some Rover 75's branded as a Philips.

Other "OE" options you could fit are the line-fit 25/45/75 Din 1 range from Iovox - you can get a radio cassette (CR80) a CD tuner (CD80) and a radio/cd/mp3 as well and even a CD multichanger can be connected.I've heard however that these are none-too-reliable...

[Simon]

Correction: You can't get a Philips ED CD/tuner combination for a 25/45, only a radio cassette!

I'm currently trial fitting an MG Rover Trafficmaster Alert clock in the Maestro and have prototyped some neat covering bezels to tidy the inevitable void where the clock used to be on the MK II dash. I've cut these on the laser cutter, imprinting the Austin Rover logo that applies to our cars. This could also be used for the 25/45 external clock/radio display unit which shares the same physical dimensions and method of attachment as the Trafficmaster clock. When I'm happy with the fit, I'll release details...

[Simon]

I'm fitting the original Philips R681 stereo to the turbo but with an FM modulator 10 stack CD changer and 100w x 4 amp / upgraded factory fit speakers.

A nice period find would be the R682 which has RDS but looks similar to the 681, or you could try and find the RDS/CD radio version of the R682 called the R9-something...optional on 1991 pre-facelift Rover 800's.

[John S]

Finding any CD player made around 1989 even on Ebay is tricky, but I may be on the lookout as the orange bulbs are a real pain to replace.

[Simon]

Finding any CD player made around 1989 even on Ebay is tricky, but I may be on the lookout as the orange bulbs are a real pain to replace.

Not hard (just a bit fiddly having to undo loads of screws etc) to renew your illumination on your 681 using wire ened 12v bulbs and orange gel caps that provide the orange glow. You can get replacement bulbs from a car radio dealer and you can cannibalise any 570/670 etc in the scrapyard because it has basically the same chassis, and the 670 has the same autoreverse tape transport mechanism. When the tape mechanism on these refuses to play, it's usually worn or broken up flywheel "tyres" -again, not a hard fix in itself. I'm no expert, I've just done a lot to these units over the course of time...

[Guest]

or you could try and find the RDS/CD radio version of the R682 called the R9-something...optional on 1991 pre-facelift Rover 800's.

Do you mean the R984? I have one of these. It's a single CD player and RDS radio.

Dean.

[Simon]

That's the one - I couldn't remember the number at the time. They were coupled with another DIN-1 size unit which contained a "100 Watt power amp" whatever that's meant to be?? (as in, I know what a power amp is and what it does, but the 100W bit could be very misleading...).

[Guest]

That's the one - I couldn't remember the number at the time. They were coupled with another DIN-1 size unit which contained a "100 Watt power amp" whatever that's meant to be?? (as in, I know what a power amp is and what it does, but the 100W bit could be very misleading...).

Probably peak music power, one channel only driven, on a good day with an over-charged truck battery driving it.

Steve H