The eight-track player went out in my '66 Mustang convertible recently. It was hard enough to listen to Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii the 1,099th time - but silence was even worse. My Mother's Day request was a new radio for my car. I thought a reasonable gift at around $100.
My husband didn't want to do anything to the dashboard - so I suggested we install the radio under a seat or in the trunk. But how would we change the channel, he asked. I didn't care - I just wanted music. I'd just have to suffer through commercials.
Then we decided to add Sirius to the convertible, since I already had it in my everyday car. I e-mail Sirius and ask them if there are any models that don't require an FM tuner, explaining that it's an older car that we are trying to install the radio in. Yes, they say. My husband goes to Best Buy, where they tell him there are no models they sell that can run without an FM tuner. We e-mail Sirius again. This time they say there are no models that can operate without an FM stereo. We give up.
Today, I got my radio in. Alpine with tiltable face plate installed under the seat - new speakers - CD player - MP3 player - detachable face plate - infrared receiver - remote control. Total price: $600. I about had a heart attack. My husband's response: You get what you pay for. (And, of course, he wants to drive the convertible tomorrow!)
So if you pull up to the light in Jackson next to a 35-year-old woman with the music REALLY loud in an old Mustang convertible, it's probably me. I put my B.B. King and Eric Clapton CD in - and now I'm ridin' with the King too! ;)
