Becker Europa II Install on 3.0cs

[Vintage56]

Hello everyone. I am new to the BMW ownership club having been a buyer and seller of early 911's and C2-era corvettes for a few decades. I recently purchased my first vintage BMW, a 1971 3.0cs, Polaris and Red Leather interior without air conditioning or a radio. I am not sure what ever became of the radio, but there is a dangling ground wire under the heater vents in the console, another in the trunk under the rear shelf behind the back seats and two welded-in panels that filled what once were holes for rear deck speakers in the shelf. I am NOT planning to cut open anything and will hide speakers under the seats and mount an antenna discreetly with velcro in the interior. I plan to add Bluetooth to run my iphone music through the radio. Honestly, I am not quite sure that I will even use the radio as I love the music the older engines make streaming along the highway!

I plan to buy a Becker Europa II stereo and install it in the console opening which, as I say above, is wide open presently (see photo). The radios I am looking at whether at Becker directly or on eBay all seem to be intact but I want to fully understand the bit & pieces, panels, brackets, and surrounds that I will need to install it before I buy anything. I have gotten different information from different people on what is needed. With the console being open, I located a radio surround at CS Werks in Germany (see photo). But how exactly does the Europa II mount to the dash? Any details would be appreciated. I have searched the Forum, and cannot locate exactly what I need: a complete picture of the parts shown and how they all come together to hold the radio in place. Thanks for any guidance.

 

[merdad]

Hello everyone. I am new to the BMW ownership club having been a buyer and seller of early 911's and C2-era corvettes for a few decades. I recently purchased my first vintage BMW, a 1971 3.0cs,
Polaris and Red Leather interior without air conditioning or a radio. I am not sure what ever became of the radio, but there is a dangling ground wire under the heater vents in the console, another in the trunk under the rear shelf behind the back seats and two welded-in panels that filled what once were holes for rear deck speakers in the shelf. I am NOT planning to cut open anything and will hide speakers under the seats and mount an antenna discreetly with velcro in the interior. I plan to add Bluetooth to run my iphone music through the radio. Honestly, I am not quite sure that I will even use the radio as I love the music the older engines make streaming along the highway!

I plan to buy a Becker Europa II stereo and install it in the console opening which, as I say above, is wide open presently (see photo). The radios I am looking at whether at Becker directly or on eBay all seem to be intact but I want to fully understand the bit & pieces, panels, brackets, and surrounds that I will need to install it before I buy anything. I have gotten different information from different people on what is needed. With the console being open, I located a radio surround at CS Werks in Germany (see photo). But how exactly does the Europa II mount to the dash? Any details would be appreciated. I have searched the Forum, and cannot locate exactly what I need: a complete picture of the parts shown and how they all come together to hold the radio in place. Thanks for any guidance.

View attachment 173573

I just bought an install kit from Christoph and is s great addition.

12 BMW E9 Radio Konsole - CS Werk Bonn

Produktname: Blaupunkt - Grundig Radiokonsole mit Blende für E3, E9 und neue Klasse Inhalt: Blaupunkt – Grundig Radiokonsole mit Blende, komplett mit Schrauben, Umbau auf DIN Schacht möglich Blende: neu Typ 1, Ausschnitt 87 x 35 mm (optionale Blenden erhältlich im Shop) Sonstiges: Bleche neu...

www.cs-werk.de

 

[Vintage56]

Hi and thanks for your response. What brand and model radio is yours? It appears to have a smaller face plate than the Becker and so wasn't sure that would work for all models.

 

[boonies]

Welcome to the forum.

The Coupes originally came with smaller face radios. I am sure there is a German "DIN" associated with the large and small face radios and others may know the specific description.

The version @merdad shared would be correct for our coupes. Below is a link to an example that is presently for sale on eBay (NMNA). It is probably an earlier radio and the face plate shown in the auction could be deleted. What is nice about this version is that there is a chrome cover for the raised portion of the radio.

Becker Radio Europa II Stereo MU with Aux amplifier Untested | eBay

<p>We bought this a few years ago to install in our 1966 Mercedes, but sold the car and now we have the stereo. This is a Becker Europa model LMKU. We’ve never installed it and can’t guarantee that it works.</p>

www.ebay.com

 

[merdad]

Hi and thanks for your response. What brand and model radio is yours? It appears to have a smaller face plate than the Becker and so wasn't sure that would work for all models.

Mine is Blaupunkt Frakfurt that I believe was original to BMWs

 

[Arde]

The front plate in your picture seems perfect. That matches a single DIN period radio. Double DIN radios are too big in my opinion. The plate supports the front of the radio and gets partially covered by the radio fascia. You can use screws through the console, they are presumably already drilled if there was a radio. I had none (and I hate drilling holes on my couple or my teeth) so the plate is wedged in and supported by the console trapezoidal shape that cannot slide down.
The weight of the radio can be supported with the kit Merdad shows, or improvised with a 90 degreed metal bracket you can make/bend.

The best looking external antenna option is the one DQ installed in his car, but I do not have the link... Interior hidden antennas work fine for FM stations, but not always for the longer wavelength of the AM dial. I have the feeling the AM spectrum is a wasteland in any case where I live....

 

[Vintage56]

From a personal preference perspective, I like the versatility and the look of the Becker Europa II stereo even if it is not the radio that may have been available for these cars at the time they were ordered. I plan to add Bluetooth. My E9 is a Euro coupe, but cannot tell what radio was installed in the car back in the day. It's all been removed except for the few wires I mentioned.

 

[Stevehose]

My car was dealer deliverd with a Europa II and glove box cassette player so definitely period/model correct. Because they require the external mini amp hidden up in the passenger footwell, they don't take to powering a modern power amp (too weak without, distorted with, its mini amp) so I go Bluetooth direct to a power amp with subwoofer and have the Europa mostly for looks. I can switch to it if I want but never do. I have it wired such that turning on the Europa also turns on the power amp so the Europa lights up and looks cool when in use.

 

[Vintage56]

Hey Steve, nice to meet you here.
Is your E9 with A/C?

Can you tell me what pieces I need to install it correctly? Thanks again

 

[Stevehose]

Hey Steve, nice to meet you here.
Is your E9 with A/C?

Oops, looks like mine is a Europa, not Europa II. Yes, it's a US delivered car.

 

[JMinPDX]

Blaupunkts are cool, I’ve got one in my 02 and NK, but I’m partial to Beckers too. Tons of good information and photos in “Show your Radio” thread.

Show Your... Radio(s)

Ok it's the official Show your Radio thread. Anything goes! If you love listening to music and have a single DIN - post up? If you have an old post radio, tape deck, etc. Post up. I'd love to see some old Beckers or anything with a fancy backing plate. I was gifted a Blaupunkt Frankfurt. I...

e9coupe.com

A lot of posts from a couple of guys I’ve been missing lately.

Being in NJ I assume you’re aware of Becker Auto Sound.

Becker Auto Sound LLC Classic Becker Radio | Saddle Brook NJ

Get repair, full restoration, and fully restored outright purchase for radios at Becker Auto Sound LLC. Visit 101 US RT 46 West today.

www.beckerautosound.com

They rebuilt and added bluetooth to my Becker Grand Prix 3.5 years ago when I lived there full time. Still works great.

 

[teahead]

Becker made a modern car radio that looks vintage

Just stumbled across this, they're are a few on Ebay but very expensive: https://www.classicdriver.com/en/article/becker-mexico-hi-tech-retro

e9coupe.com

 

[merdad]

A lot of posts from a couple of guys I’ve been missing lately.

We all miss those guys. Comeback pretty please

 

[jmackro]

The Becker Europa radio on ebay that Boonies shows in post #4 is referred to as a "Europa II" in the auction title, but the radio in the picture is simply labeled "Europa". I'm not authority on vintage Becker radios, but I'm skeptical that it's a "II". Its face size is small, so it would fit the original cut-out on an A/C equipped e9 (like in Stevehose's post #10), or that adapter for non A/C cars that Merdad shows in post #2.

I have a Europa II in my coupe and it required enlarging the cut-out (if I were doing it again today, I would have gotten a different radio and not have modified the opening). I believe it uses what is referred to as a full-sized DIN cut out. Note that my radio is labeled "Europa II". It is contained in one box; e.g., it doesn't have a separate auxiliary amplifier like the "Europa" shown in the ebay listing posted by Boonie.

My point is that Becker Europa radios were produced over a number of years and came in a variety of models with different mountings and cut-out configurations.

 

[rsporsche]

my understanding is the Europa / Europa II came in both the DIN cut out as well as the small cut. that being said, the small cut is much more rare. i have only seen a couple listed on this site (over the last 5 years or so)

 

[bmwwalter]

my understanding is the Europa / Europa II came in both the DIN cut out as well as the small cut. that being said, the small cut is much more rare. i have only seen a couple listed on this site (over the last 5 years or so)

I still have the original holder for the radio and another Parts

 

[dave v. in nc]

I may be reading between the lines, but I think Vintage56 is possibly interested in also adding air-conditioning...which will look like jmackro/stevehose photos and fitment, as opposed to the photo from Merdad which has no air....so probably looking for the aluminum air con frame (or 3-d printed copy) with radio cutout (jmackro shot) rather than just the radio surround...correct? ...and air-con console pieces as well?

 

[Vintage56]

Dave, thanks for your response. No sir, I am not looking to add A/C to the car. I am trying to keep it all correct original if possible.

 

[dave v. in nc]

Much easier...when you asked about "pieces necessary..." I mis-interpreted.

 

[//My5UV]

I seriously considered fixing my Grand Prix but decided it was faster to swap in a retro classic unit. Can't decide what to do about front speakers. First order of business is to figure out how the mono speaker is wired but I'm guessing the previous owner only hooked up the nonworking stereo outputs to the 6x9's on the back shelf. Good enough for podcasts for a while. Keeping all the original parts, of course!
Next priority is to fix the AC before next summer