Although, I still have a after market cassette deck in my Fiero, the other two Fieros don't. Lexus finally was the last hold-out for factory cassette decks for their fleet. I wonder if after market stereo companies have killed the casstette too? I must admit-my cassette player never skips a beat.


Cassette tapes disappear from new-car dashboards

For all of you who were planning to pack up your oldies tapes and go shopping for a 2011 car, there is bad news: You're too late. According to experts who monitor the automotive market, the last new car to be factory-equipped with a cassette deck in the dashboard was a 2010 Lexus.

While it is possible that a little-known exception lurks deep within some automaker's order forms, a survey of major automakers and a search of new-car shopping websites indicates that the tape deck is as passe as tailfins on a Caddy.

In most respects, that's not a bad thing.

Although the technologies behind the compact tape cassette, which was invented by Philips, improved through the years - longer play times, better tape quality, Dolby noise reduction - magnetic tapes were subject to wear. They stretched and wound themselves around the innards of the drive mechanism, and their cases melted in hot weather.

Still, for more than two decades the cassette ruled the road. It offered less distortion and higher fidelity than its predecessor, the wobbly eight-track tape, a positively primitive format.

But the cassette's epitaph was being written with the arrival of the compact disc. The CD, not subject to wear because it was read by a laser beam and had no physical contact with the player, delivered even less distortion, even higher fidelity - and remains the ubiquitous audio source in new cars.

Audio seers say that the CD, too, will eventually fade away. Technology marches on, and automakers are wary of becoming stragglers in that parade.

For now, a variety of high-quality tape decks remain available for self-installation. And should you one day make the leap to a modern digital music player, the files could be accessed through the cassette slot using an adapter readily found in electronics stores.

The cassette tape was warmly received in the 1970s, and it co-existed for decades with CD hardware. In the 21st century millions of drivers are still attached to their tape libraries - the homemade party mix tapes as well as store-bought titles - that provided durable, portable alternatives to vinyl records and eight-tracks.

That nostalgic affection for tape holds no sway with automakers, though. For the 2011 model year, no manufacturer selling cars in the United States offers a tape player either as standard equipment or as an option on a new vehicle. The most recent choice for a factory cassette deck was the 2010 Lexus SC430.

"'Lexus was the last holdout," said Phil Magney, vice president for automotive research for the IHS iSuppli Corp., a firm that analyzes technology industry. "We actually stopped tracking cassette players in cars some time ago. Now the question the automakers are asking is, how long has the CD got to go?"

The answer may lie in the progressive ascendancy of the digital music device, especially those using the MP3 and similar file formats, as the preferred source of music in cars. The iPod and its ilk are easing the journey along the path to the increasingly popular concept of file storage known as the cloud - that place in the Internet ether from which music is streamed, generally through a Web-connected mobile device that communicates with the car by a wireless Bluetooth connection.

"'We went from radio to tape to optical and then to flash memory or a hard disc drive, and now we're moving away from memory and to storage of our tunes in the cloud," said Mike Kahn, director for mobile electronics of Sony Electronics.

It's nothing radically new: Ford's Sync infotainment system, developed with Microsoft, employs a similar technology, and at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last month, a host of carmakers, including General Motors, Mini and Toyota, showed off similar streaming options.

Among the choices offered by Sync is Pandora Internet radio, a cloud-based service that lets users customize music programming to their preferences. In many of these systems, the Bluetooth pathway streams content from a smart phone. An app specific to the particular source is downloaded to the smart phone, enabling it to communicate with the in-car system.

The director of industry analysis at the Consumer Electronics Association, Steve Koenig, expects carmakers to continue to support CDs while at the same time marketing USB connectivity for portable players and in-dash slots to accommodate flash memory cards that hold tunes. Eventually, he expects automakers to shift to Internet radio services.

Even satellite radio's time has passed, he said.

"'It was a savior to the aftermarket, but in terms of subscription-based models like that, the sun is setting."

Complicating the choice for drivers and automakers is the multitude of choices.

"Right now," Koenig said, "we typically have copies of our songs on a CD, on our computer, on our iPods. We may have downloads on our phone."
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-b...RK.DTL#ixzz1FxRuZEld

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"Friends don't let their friends drive stock."

good article
yes - I have ditched CD in my cars as well
rigged mini-plugs for MP3 players + satallite radio

I'm actually looking for a head unit that has either ports for multiple devices ie flash drive or internal storage, and portable devices as well as satellite/internet access.

By a show of hands... who has less than a 1 terabyte hard drive in their Fiero.

Everyone?

I swapped my cars AM/FM/CD players all for AM/FM/CD/Cass players except the van. I just use an adapter to play my MP4 player in it.

Still have a tape deck in the Indy, because I am trying to keep it original...but the 86 BP notch, which is getting all my custom ideas, now has a CD player from a firebird.

I will be the last digital switchover on the planet. Only after they stop making CDs and cassettes completely. I still tape all my travel CDs so they dont get ruined bouncing around in my truck. Its a 2005, and came with the tape deck.

[This message has been edited by tbone42 (edited 03-08-2011).]

Mine still has what it came with. Mabey in the next few years that may change but right now it's good.

LOL 2010 Lexus with a tape player, and I thought it was weird that my 01' Audi had a tape deck / cd.

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i never knew the newer cars still had cassette decks. my fiero still has the original radio in it and the cassette player works fine i just never use it or the radio.

My 87GT still has the original am/fm/cassette with graphic equalizer and sub woofer..all stock although I did replaced the stock subwoofer with one of Rodney's a few years ago along with the dash speakers. My 88 GT has an am/fm/cd from a 98 Grand Prix. My IMSA has an am/fm/cassette and a 10 CD player. However the car is rather loud and I really am unable to enjoy the songs.

Any more it is hard to find cassette tapes.

I have an updated Pontiac cassette equalizer. I rarely listen to it or the radio. I prefer to listen the ole car as it travels down the road.

I installed a CD player in my car and only used it to play CDs twice. I have been cleaning out my place of legacy physical media and CDs and DVDs are now gone and I am glad. Physical media is a pain to deal with. Tapes wear out, CDs get scratch, and they take up lots of space. HD radio, and MP3 players are all that I need.

Who am I kidding. Radios are for cars that have mufflers.

I have a Monsoon CD deck in my Fiero, but I still have a cassette deck in my 2000 TA. It has the CD changer in the trunk. It's the only functioning cassette deck I still have.

my 84 sport has its am/fm cassette player. anything else would just be wrong in a Fiero. Im on the search for cassettes.

88 gt still origonal tape deck, dont ever want to give some punk kids a reason to want to break into my car, My 86 had a nice stereo system and top of the line car alarm !! trust me it didnt stop them from taking what they wanted and they caused more damage to the car to stop the alarm !!
My vote stay stock

quote Originally posted by Custom2M4: LOL 2010 Lexus with a tape player, and I thought it was weird that my 01' Audi had a tape deck / cd.

Yup, my thoughts exactly. I was surprised my 01 Audi had the cassette/cd head unit, heck I've never even tested to see if it works (but I bet it does)

quote Originally posted by Pyrthian: good article yes - I have ditched CD in my cars as well rigged mini-plugs for MP3 players + satallite radio

Totally agree. The era of the physical spinning media are over. Modern cars will just have a pre-amp and a bluetooth and that's it. Old school will be a 1/8" plug for the iPod.

Still have the original however I have never used the cassette deck just the radio

Original Radio/Cassette w/ equalizer here. Tapes still playing well and the unit "really" looks original.

Hey, I have to admit, it would be cool to adapt a MP3 plug to it all!!

[This message has been edited by Kevin87FieroGT (edited 03-07-2011).]

quote Originally posted by KaijuSenso: Yup, my thoughts exactly. I was surprised my 01 Audi had the cassette/cd head unit, heck I've never even tested to see if it works (but I bet it does)

We used the cassette player in our 2000 Audi as an mp3 player input using
a cassette line-in adapter (looks like a cassette tape with wires and mini-phono plug hanging out of it).

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Jim Martin
White '86 GT
California

Question: Why say cassettes...cds themselves are obsolete. I personally Haven't used a CD in years. ( When I say cd I also mean dvd for audio purposes. )

Bluetooth all the way.

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"Grammar is important. Capitalization is the difference between helping your Uncle Jack off a horse & helping your uncle %@&$ off a horse."

quote Originally posted by Cliff Pennock: Reading this thread made me drool and forget my name.

Up until recentley i dident have a CD player or tape dek in my fiero. Seems lately CD's are starting to be on there way out. I know alpine is making a generation of radios that do nothing but play SMD cars Zip drives and there primary function is full ipod compatibility, That radio got sold with my jeep but I know I havent used a CD regularly in years. Even when I got my Solstice the 1st thing thing i did was order the GM pal link so that i could use my ipod on my radio while charging my ipod and having full control of my ipod from my radio. Its getting really sad. Just a couple months ago i tried using a VCR so i could watch Stephen kings the stand on my VCR. It took me a little while to relearn the VCR and i cant even begin to tell you how irritated i was waiting for those tapes to rewind.

But in all fairness... My IMSA does still have its tape deck i just refuse to use an actual tape in it (i use a tape deck adaptor.)

The future is coming gentlemen.

[This message has been edited by pontiackid86 (edited 03-08-2011).]

I think I've only bought a couple in my life... definitely none in the past 20 years thats for sure. never really used them in cars. always swapped out for a cd player. I guess the question is.. why???

quote Originally posted by Jim_Martin29: Cassette adaptor, about $5, available just about anywhere. I've seen them at Target, Walmart, CVS, Radio Shack (of course), Best Buy. Just slip it in the deck and plug the mini audio phono plug into your mp3 player headphone jack.

I bought one of those devices thinking I could then listen to whatever was plugged into it. However, I soon discovered that if the stupid little belt that drives a tape in the tape deck is no good, then the cassette adapter won't work either (even though no tape needs to be driven). (And it looks like a helluva job changing that stupid belt.)

My car was missing its factory radio/cassette player so I installed one of the CD/radios that forum member Kru was selling; its from a Grand Am so the colors and illumination match perfectly with everything else in the Fiero. However, I've been on the lookout for an original 80s GM cassette radio so I can switch; I miss my cassettes.

I might feel differently if I was an audio buff but I'm not.

My 84 has an aftermarket cassette deck. Works ok. Car is most likely going to be used for parts, no sense in changing it.

My 85 has the original cassette deck. Not sure if it still works.... but it is going to be removed for some extra gauges, me thinks. I will use an old ipod directly to an amp, should I want some extra noise.

quote Originally posted by madcurl: Although, I still have a after market cassette deck in my Fiero, the other two Fieros don't. Lexus finally was the last hold-out for factory cassette decks for their fleet. I wonder if after market stereo companies have killed the casstette too? I must admit-my cassette player never skips a beat. Cassette tapes disappear from new-car dashboards

I have an after market stereo in the Formula, It came with the car so I had no choice. Now get this, in the 06 Town & Country factory installed is a AM/FM/CD/CASSETTE!!! Who in their right minds in 2006 justify a cassette deck?!?!?!?!?

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88 Formula CJB Arrived Finally. #689 of 1252
Time to start Working TONY!
There are Two kinds of Fiero's : Notchies and Donors!

Personally I like having a "hard copy" of my music so as long as CDs are avaliable, I'll get them and use them. Although, I did get my mp3 player (iPhone technically) and have been looking for ways to hook it up to my cars. Only issue I have with CDs these days is not having enough space to keep them in my car and the idea of just hooking up an iPod and shuffling through my entire library does seem easier.

I have the factory ETR radio in my 86 GT. Unfortunately, the belt for the cassette deck doesn't work any more. So I'll probably get a Dual CD deck so I can plug in my MP3 when I'm not in the mood for one of my 11 hour CDs.

quote Originally posted by Kento: I have an after market stereo in the Formula, It came with the car so I had no choice. Now get this, in the 06 Town & Country factory installed is a AM/FM/CD/CASSETTE!!! Who in their right minds in 2006 justify a cassette deck?!?!?!?!?

I would like to have such a combination.

Hehehe still got one in my choptop.

I was at Best Buy today however looking for it's replacement.

yes, have original cassette player&it works

When the factory deck crapped in 09, another went in. I don't own one music CD, plus I like the cassette/iPod adapters better than the FM tuners.

quote Originally posted by Hockaday: Question: Why say cassettes...cds themselves are obsolete. I personally Haven't used a CD in years. ( When I say cd I also mean dvd for audio purposes. ) Bluetooth all the way.

I just use a Bluetooth smartphone and RDP into my home PC so I can play anything on my home PC in the car.
(ok, I don't - but a co-worker does it. Pretty cool.)

20 yrs.ago i owned a fiero and had lots of cassetts to play in my car. well thay all still work , not to bad either. most the tapes i made. nothing but memories for me and my wife.

Yep, have an Eclipse 4502 installed right now with a CH3083 8-disk CD changer, but as soon as I find a new frame for the car, I'll be putting in an Eclipse CD3200

When i first got my Fiero it had a cd player but it was messed up, didn't read any cd's so i replaced with with a cheap one just to listen to them. Now I have recently been seriously thinking of installing a cheap casset player cus of this.



Be alot easier to carry a small cheap little mp3 player where i have all the songs i like on it instead of a whole bunch of cd's.

The problem with the cassette adapter is that if your cassette deck is dead then the adapter won't work.

Right now I've got a DVD in dash in the choptop but since DVDs are on the way out too, I'm going to replace it with a digital media receiver head unit (no CD/DVD.) But I still have DVD players in the sunvisors if I really feel the need for spinning media.

quote Originally posted by jscott1: The problem with the cassette adapter is that if your cassette deck is dead then the adapter won't work. Right now I've got a DVD in dash in the choptop but since DVDs are on the way out too, I'm going to replace it with a digital media receiver head unit (no CD/DVD.)

And the problem with THOSE is they usually have a hard drive, which has small fragile moving parts, and SSD's don't have good capacities/speed/price yet.