Jump to content

Citroën GSA radio suggestions


Sam Glover

Recommended Posts

There’s a hole under my left elbow in my Citroën GSA and filling it presents an opportunity. Unfortunately, while I like cars and radios to an “inappropriate” degree, car radios aren’t on my nerd spectrum. I am therefore lighting the nerd assistance alert beacon.

The interior is two-tone brown-on-brown, with embellishments in brown. Being a GSA, it can swing freely between 70s kitsch and 80s spank.

Below is some pornography to set the scene.

Ideally, of course, it needs a tiny CRT display linked to a ZX Spectrum with a speech synthesis cartridge and Death Star exhaust port targeting capability.

Suggestions will be most welcome.

1982 GSA 1.jpg

1982 GSA 2.jpg

GSA 3.jpg

1981 GSA07.jpg

1981 GSA05.jpg

1981 GSA11.jpg

1981 GSA09.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you’ve got a smart phone then that will be a way better headunit than any headunit. You can get amazing little digital amps that you can hide away with EQ and Bluetooth built in, so your phone will auto connect when you get in and provide all the banging tuneage you need. 
 

Most crucially, this frees you up to put whatever the hell you want in the gap- a full size LCD screen that displays the the waveform of the music you’re listening to in lurid colours/ text of the track in a suitable font (probably doable on an arduino with a display shield), or just run a ZX spectrum emulator on a raspberry PI. Either way, you could definitely get something reasonably consistent with the dash aesthetics. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Fabergé Greggs said:

Most crucially, this frees you up to put whatever the hell you want in the gap- a full size LCD screen that displays the the waveform of the music you’re listening to in lurid colours (probably doable on an arduino with a display shield), or just run a ZX spectrum emulator on a raspberry PI. 

Good answer!

The function of the radio is of minimal importance. Though I like both in isolation, I rarely feel the urge to enjoy cars and radios simultaneously.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Sam Glover said:

Good answer!

The function of the radio is of minimal importance. Though I like both in isolation, I rarely feel the urge to enjoy cars and radios simultaneously.

So fit something period and match the colour & brightness of the illumination to the dash, so you've got a lighty-up thing that fits with the rest of the car. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, Sam Glover said:

...but when did soiled 80s car radio tat suddenly become so expensive?

I think you are right, but only the best stuff from the best brands at the moment, but the rest will follow. I sold ICE from a motor parts store in the early 1980s and it was expensive to buy.

But then eighties cars have gone that way so way no surprise really. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/16/2021 at 2:40 PM, dollywobbler said:

I may have something that will fit the bill - I seem to have quite a few stereo/cassette players of dubious effectiveness, but which may well look the part. Can have a rummage next time I'm at the unit if you like. I also received a Citroen accessory brochure which I'm sure did show various options for the GSA.

That would be fabulous, Ian.

It's annoying that I can't un-see the ridiculous TV On The Radio 1980s fantasy unit. Google has dredged up Yoko models for sale in Russia and Germany...

https://www.ebay.de/itm/Yoko-CCTV-1-in-dash-TV/393112382944

...the latter being very tempting indeed. The white noise displayed on its screen is exactly what I'm taking about. Modern.

s-l1600.jpg

s-l1600-1.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Sam Glover said:

That would be fabulous, Ian.

It's annoying that I can't un-see the ridiculous TV On The Radio 1980s fantasy unit. Google has dredged up Yoko models for sale in Russia and Germany...

https://www.ebay.de/itm/Yoko-CCTV-1-in-dash-TV/393112382944

...the latter being very tempting indeed. The white noise displayed on its screen is exactly what I'm taking about. Modern.

s-l1600.jpg

s-l1600-1.jpg

Nice! The analogue TV transmitters were switched off a while ago, so you're not going to have much luck receving pictures. Not to worry though, an RF modulator is all you need to watch your favourite stuff from youtube via your phone, or just load a mega cheap media player with all your favourite citroen adverts on repeat. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When I bought my GS (blue interior) off its first owner, he told me that the Philips radio fitted was apparently the only radio-cassette on the market that was designed to fit vertically - to do with how the cassette player worked - maybe it was specially resistant to the dose of fagash and biscuit crumbs that it would receive with every cassette as@Dead_E23. suggests. The radio was black and looked ok but it's a ridiculous place to put it. My wife's GSA had a beige / brown interior but I can't remember the radio at all. Could it have been a beige radio?

Sam how are you going to watch the little TV with the screen below your elbow? A former Korean colleague of mine in Seoul in the 90's was keen on adding tech to his otherwise forgettable car. His sound system would make your ears bleed and his high level brake lights were stroboscopic to entertain the following driver. He fitted an aftermarket airbag system - bags fitted just below the sun visors - he was safety conscious. He also fitted a TV that he could watch whilst driving. It was about a 6 inch screen - a cathode ray tube so it was about 10 inches deep. It was mounted on a spike screwed to the top of the dashboard.  He could remove the TV which left this spike pointing straight at the him - but at least he had an airbag.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...