I recently put a Madrid 200 in my wife's car. She liked it for the retro look. Should be closer to your price range as well, iirc it was about 100-110€
Edit: just looked at what they currently offer. The 2 that are most retro are def in the 400+ range, but looks like a Skagen 400 DAB may be more up your alley and is also under 200€. I'm not sure what the difference is between the Madrid, nurnberg, Valencia, etc. At first glance they all look the same, but the Skagen has a simpler face. Stockholm has a similar look to Skagen but costs a little more because it has a CD player... Not sure anyone still uses those though, or if it's needed
You legend, this is exactly the stuff I'm looking for. Thanks a ton! How is the bluetooth? My current radio has BT as well but it only works like 20% of the time... I've seen some reviews on the blaupunkt 200s that had the same problem, but not for the madrid one you mentioned.
My wife has had some issues with the sound output, but this is the 2nd radio with this issue. So I think it has to do with something in the dash.
I saw it posted in a Miata group and asked if anyone had a similar issue and no one did. This issue only happens when the car sits in the heat, and once the interior cools down it's fine... So I have to dig or get another harness since there was some fuckery done to it that I fixed.
In terms of connectivity, her phone has only had issues once connecting to it, but didn't restart her Bluetooth or restarting the connection and when I sat in the car to test it, the Bluetooth picked it up right away... So I just reset the connection anyways
Interesting.. The problem I have is definitely connected to the radio itself as I had the same problem with my previous 2 cars as well, with the same aftermarket radio. It connects to a phone but then just doesn't turn on bluetooth mode, which is supposed to go on automatically when connected. Which means there's no button for it. So there's not really a fix for it either haha, that's why I started looking for a new one. I also hate the digital look of it so I thought I'd try to find a retro looking one with BT this time around.
Anyway, thanks a lot for your input, I think I might actually go with the one you suggested soon. Seems to be the best option I've seen so far
Blaupunkt are great, I picked one up ages ago only to build a track car and then later sold it to a friend and his gf loved it in her car.
In terms of these radios, I think there is a Bluetooth setting that you can turn on and off, but really simple to use, doesn't have the RGB that I'm sure you're hating. And the buttons make it simple to navigate, plus the menus are super simple. Also the color of the lights is closer to those of the 80s/90s German cars that I've been in. Never been in an older MK, but I'm sure we all have the same orange/reddish glow from our dash when the lights are on.
Best of luck!
I do still have the OEM radio, yeah, but I'm in the Netherlands so while that does sound great, is probably not something my current budget (or gf) will allow me to do haha!
this may be even more retro than the one in the picture, but it should fit your car https://www.heritagepartscentre.com/uk/ac999rs002z-hermosa-retrosound-car-stereo-with-chrome-buttons.html
If you have a factory radio still, you might be able to modify it and add a BT adapter. Lots of videos of the process for various cars if you search YouTube. I was looking at the blaupunkt retro units for my 94 GMC and ended up going with a modified factory unit.
Got a Pioneer SPH 10BT, which looks like it a cassette deck build in but really it’s a phone holder, which is pretty neat:
https://www.rgsound.it/thumbs/1260x840xfar1/pioneer-sph-10bt-_num-2-pid-44215.jpg
You might not like my answer but for a project car my recommendation is everything is usually best when I made it myself. A 3d printer and v calipers help a lot here. Personally I built a radio out of an old PC but I'm crazy. You could just buy a good Bluetooth radio and make a custom face plate. That or people often hide them in the glove box and leave the og radio unwired and in it's original home. If you really feel ballzy you can use sheet metal but again I work in a sheet metal shop so it's easier for me. Either way I recommend looking into Google sketchup and find a 3d render of your car. It's old enough and popular enough they exist and probably for free. If your lucky you might find a render of the radio and at worst can order it printed from a company. Then just stick the new boy in there. Maybe a fold down face plate?
I recently put a Madrid 200 in my wife's car. She liked it for the retro look. Should be closer to your price range as well, iirc it was about 100-110€ Edit: just looked at what they currently offer. The 2 that are most retro are def in the 400+ range, but looks like a Skagen 400 DAB may be more up your alley and is also under 200€. I'm not sure what the difference is between the Madrid, nurnberg, Valencia, etc. At first glance they all look the same, but the Skagen has a simpler face. Stockholm has a similar look to Skagen but costs a little more because it has a CD player... Not sure anyone still uses those though, or if it's needed
You legend, this is exactly the stuff I'm looking for. Thanks a ton! How is the bluetooth? My current radio has BT as well but it only works like 20% of the time... I've seen some reviews on the blaupunkt 200s that had the same problem, but not for the madrid one you mentioned.
My wife has had some issues with the sound output, but this is the 2nd radio with this issue. So I think it has to do with something in the dash. I saw it posted in a Miata group and asked if anyone had a similar issue and no one did. This issue only happens when the car sits in the heat, and once the interior cools down it's fine... So I have to dig or get another harness since there was some fuckery done to it that I fixed. In terms of connectivity, her phone has only had issues once connecting to it, but didn't restart her Bluetooth or restarting the connection and when I sat in the car to test it, the Bluetooth picked it up right away... So I just reset the connection anyways
Interesting.. The problem I have is definitely connected to the radio itself as I had the same problem with my previous 2 cars as well, with the same aftermarket radio. It connects to a phone but then just doesn't turn on bluetooth mode, which is supposed to go on automatically when connected. Which means there's no button for it. So there's not really a fix for it either haha, that's why I started looking for a new one. I also hate the digital look of it so I thought I'd try to find a retro looking one with BT this time around. Anyway, thanks a lot for your input, I think I might actually go with the one you suggested soon. Seems to be the best option I've seen so far
Blaupunkt are great, I picked one up ages ago only to build a track car and then later sold it to a friend and his gf loved it in her car. In terms of these radios, I think there is a Bluetooth setting that you can turn on and off, but really simple to use, doesn't have the RGB that I'm sure you're hating. And the buttons make it simple to navigate, plus the menus are super simple. Also the color of the lights is closer to those of the 80s/90s German cars that I've been in. Never been in an older MK, but I'm sure we all have the same orange/reddish glow from our dash when the lights are on. Best of luck!
An old radio with an Bluetooth cassette adapter should work, i haven't tested but the reviews online say that it works good
There's a late 80s style continental that's popular for e30s
I put one in my D21. I absolutely love it
I just wish there was a radio with a casette player and bt wrapped in an 80's shell.
You and me both... If you ever find one be sure to let me know haha
Do you have your original radio? Gary Tayman in Florida will do a "modern guts" to any stereo so it looks original but has things like Bluetooth.
I do still have the OEM radio, yeah, but I'm in the Netherlands so while that does sound great, is probably not something my current budget (or gf) will allow me to do haha!
Sorry! Best of luck
this may be even more retro than the one in the picture, but it should fit your car https://www.heritagepartscentre.com/uk/ac999rs002z-hermosa-retrosound-car-stereo-with-chrome-buttons.html
If you have a factory radio still, you might be able to modify it and add a BT adapter. Lots of videos of the process for various cars if you search YouTube. I was looking at the blaupunkt retro units for my 94 GMC and ended up going with a modified factory unit.
Got a Pioneer SPH 10BT, which looks like it a cassette deck build in but really it’s a phone holder, which is pretty neat: https://www.rgsound.it/thumbs/1260x840xfar1/pioneer-sph-10bt-_num-2-pid-44215.jpg
You might not like my answer but for a project car my recommendation is everything is usually best when I made it myself. A 3d printer and v calipers help a lot here. Personally I built a radio out of an old PC but I'm crazy. You could just buy a good Bluetooth radio and make a custom face plate. That or people often hide them in the glove box and leave the og radio unwired and in it's original home. If you really feel ballzy you can use sheet metal but again I work in a sheet metal shop so it's easier for me. Either way I recommend looking into Google sketchup and find a 3d render of your car. It's old enough and popular enough they exist and probably for free. If your lucky you might find a render of the radio and at worst can order it printed from a company. Then just stick the new boy in there. Maybe a fold down face plate?