E30 Cassette Radio

[Mwishlist]

Hey, looking for an original E30 or E28 cassette radio. Must look good and radio part / display work - cassette part I could care less about. I'd prefer one without the fader knob but can use that one possibly. I may go down the e36 radio later but right now I really want an original one that I can slap in the dash with no modifications.

Thanks!

[Benjamin_Button]

I have a working non premium sound head unit if you're interested.

[randywalters]

Hey, looking for an original E30 or E28 cassette radio. Must look good and radio part / display work - cassette part I could care less about. I'd prefer one without the fader knob but can use that one possibly. I may go down the e36 radio later but right now I really want an original one that I can slap in the dash with no modifications.
Thanks!

Does your car have the factory premium sound (with the amp next to the antenna motor and the bigger rear speakers)?

I think some of the E30 radios won't work unless the car came with the premium sound package. I tried my 88 is premium radio cassette (with separate bass and treble slide levers) in a regular non-premium 89 325i and it wouldn't put out any sound, so it apparently needs to be used with the amp that comes on the premium cars. It works fine in my 88 is.

Just sumthin to look into before plunking money down on a factory radio that may not work in your particular car.

[Mwishlist]

Thanks for the info Randy, I'm not using the factory amp or wiring, as it's been butchered, I plan on running it into an Lci8 and them an aftermarket amp, so I don't think it's a problem as long as the radio has speaker outputs for front and rear. My car is a vert with separate tweeters and an amp in the trunk.

Benjamin, I'm still not too familiar with the radios, can you post a pic of the front if yours? Does it have a fader built in or do it use the separate fader?

[John in VA]

E28s & E30s used a fader switch mounted near the head unit - not internal.
I have examples from each series, and can get you pix this weekend if you haven't already found one.

[agent]

^ That's not necessarily the case across the board for E30s. Late(r) PS cars with the IR "pyramid" radio did not have a dash fader.

[John in VA]

Late(r) PS cars with the IR "pyramid" radio did not have a dash fader.

Correct - thanks for the clarification.