Joseph Atkins

Ok guys, here is a good one.

When we got my C4 it came with an awesomely mounted phone. It was so awesomely mounted that it made us suspicious that it was a factory or dealer installed add on.

We have all of the original paperwork and sure enough it looks like the dealer installed this phone.

The phone still works great and i would LOVE to get it working again. The PO of the car told us that Sprint/Nextel would activate it, but since I work in the tech industry I know that there is no way I can roll up to my local sprint store with my 27 year old phone and expect them to know WTF it is without some details.

Has anyone ever seen this phone before and know anything about it. Google is totally clueless.

The phone is a Tactel System Inc MI-569096-B Serial C-10404s4

It's obviously made for the car because the "guts" are under the passenger seat and sit perfectly on top of the bolts for the seat. It also has the ability to beep the horn for incoming calls (that's a riot)

I'll post some pics of it.

Joseph Atkins

http://twitpic.com/aba9wt

http://twitpic.com/abaa5z

http://twitpic.com/abaace

dukeallen

I'm surprised to hear anyone would service/activate anything that old, but if they will, I'd go for it. All I could find in a search is that Tactel was a phone company (big help lol), nothing on that model.
It must have belonged to an 80s power player. Make sure there's no 27 year old lines of coke under the seats.

Sweet 90

Cool, Here are the pics

vittal

Wow that phone looks cool!
I'd wanna have it in my car.

Is the communication system still in use in the US. I mean you guys have 3G, 4G, GSM whatever.

I remember when my dad got his first car phone it was as big as my first car. It used a system called NMT that went out of use a decade ago.
It was a Benefon TDP40.


I hope you get it working.

Joseph Atkins

Yea I'm out of ideas on this one. I am not even sure that the Tactel i'm finding on google is the right one.

Silver96ce

If it is 27 years old it is an analog system phone. All analog systems to my knowledge were shut down in 2008 so there is no provider available to turn the phone on to be used. In other words, it is a nice doorstop.

Joseph Atkins

Ok so now we know it can't be used, would you a.) leave it in the car or b.) take it out

It's such a cool rare thing I'm inclined to leave it in.

Nowhere Man

when dad bought his old 91 Convertible I found a box just like that behind the pass seat under the carpet. along with all the wires. the phone was long gone when he got the car. the holes were still in the dash

Joseph Atkins

If I had the passenger seat out you would see a long thin brown box that is almost the size of the bottom of the seat. It bolts down between the "legs" of the seat and fits nice and snug, it's definitely designed for the car. If GM made it or some aftermarket made it I have no clue. But the wires for it come out the front of the box on the floorboard, are fed under the carpet up the side of the dash and out through tiny holes in the center console. It's all in the carpet, they never put holes in the dash itself.

Whoever put it in did a damn good job, it's been installed by someone who gave a damn about the looks. The "arm" even locks into base with a key lock...I don't have the key but I guess the thought was you could unlock it and disconnect the RJ11 cord in the back and lift that whole arm out if you wanted to take it out or remove it for security.

dukeallen

I'd be tempted to leave it in too, unless it's in the way. It just looks right for an 80's vette.

ejscarfo

Cruisinfanatic

When I bought my 85, I soon joined a local vette club.
At a meeting one night at the local Chevy dealer who sponsored us, a salesperson walked in and presented a mobile phone for sale for our cars.
Only $1299 installed
didn't ask what the monthly fees where

92ragtop

If you leave it in, where will you mount your 8-track player and CB radio?

I would ditch it, but that's just me.

dukeallen

Please...those go in his C3, of course

jon0108

are u kidding me? Please I couldnt resist

93Rubie

My 93 HAD the remnants of an old car phone in it. The mounting plate left 4 holes in the dash it and the phone are long gone. I took out the wiring that ran in the dash along the pass. side door sill and back into the radio receiver compartment under the storage cubby. The antenna ran up onto the hoop I had to remove it as well. All hidden from view.

Kinda neat but glad that dead weight is out of my race car.

Chuck Tribolet

A cellular phone that old has to be analog. Do the majors even
support analog any more? But if you really want to activate it, give
it a try. Don't tell them how old it is, just tell them it's an analog
phone.

On the other hand, that old, it might be a pre-cellular mobile phone.
No way that's going to work.

Chuck

Joseph Atkins

I went in and modded the phone to work as an iPhone mic and speaker so now she's back in the car as a usable phone..hahaha

The looks you get at stoplights are priceless.

ghlkal

That is awesome!

Did your Vette have an external antenna for the phone?