Well, I guess the technical answer is that the tube is the replacement for the transistor, which produces amplified power for the stereo. (audiophiles or EE's please correct me if I am wrong here.) The CD/MP3 player isn't affected by, or does not bypass the tube, in the same way that a rack cd player or ipod would work if connected to a tube amp in a rack stereo system. The practical answer though is that it looks cool and "old' while being modern. Kinda cheezy, I know.
I think you won't be able to hear the "benefits" of a tube amp with a blown Hemi. They tend to be lower-powered but "sweeter" sounding amps, much more suited for classical music and jazz. The main problem with tube amps is that while a transistorized amplifier will "clip" when it's power limits are reached (make a flat spot on the top of the sine wave that our ears hear as music.) which sounds a bit like static (and does bad things to your speakers), the tube amp will do much worse and much more costly things. Cool looking unit though.....
What he said, lol. Yeah, I mean, even If I were running an electric car, I assume all the jostling of being in a car would not be the ideal environment for a tube amp. And with an open motor, no one will be able to tell the difference. I just want to see that purple glowing tube in the dash.
OK, I just looked at the unit a bit closer. Belay my last....looks like it has a tube buffered input stage and transistor amplification. The tube section smoothes out the "bumps" inherent in the sine wave of digitally reproduced music, making it more pleasing to your ear. If it were a true tube anp, it would A) have very little power by today's standards (maybe 6W for a car unit) and B) Be very heavy, and C) use a LOT more power than similar solid state units. See how cool transistors are? I've seen and listened to very high end SET (single-ended triode) amps that are rated at a mere 18W that sell for upwards of $10,000 a pair. But you have to be veeeeerrrrryyyy quiet when you listed to them.
It's a Hot Heads adapter for Chevy to Hemi distributor Distance is 4" above deck surface, hope this helps.
Splinter, Thanks for enlightening us on the head unit. I was always wondering how a pure tube unit would draw enough power and not put out too much heat in a car set up. The answer is that its not a pure tube unit. I figure the tube will have to be replaced every year or so, but like I said, I just want the purple glow.
Yes! It does! Thank you! That's the thing they don't tell you about the adapter; what the actual height is for adapting an SBC unit. Thanks for the help!
Neat build, I'm likein' the hybrid tube stero too. I can't tell from your picture, but it looks like the tube is behind a cover? I would hope, kinda suck to burn yourself on your tunes makin' machine.
I'll have some new pics soon of the painted body back on the frame, ready for final assembly. The shots of the sanded body don't look all that different from the unsanded ones, at least on the computer.
Here's a couple of pictures of the body undergoing the finishing touches before final primer and paint. Sanding is a slow process and doesn't look that great in pictures, but here's testament to the high standard the Oddball guys hold them to in wanting to make sure their work looks just right. Hopefully we go for primer and paint at the end of the week, or begin the process. After that, its the home stretch of just bolting it all together.
The body just got primer'd yesterday, and painted yesterday night/today. Its easy to tell from the pre-primer pictures how much attention to detail the Oddball guys give their work. Once the paint dries, we are in the final stretch of final assembly. Hopefully that shouldn't take too long, cause I know I am just itchin to drive it!
Diggin most parts of this build. Big mean blown Hemi, black paint, cool lookin grille shell, good tire/wheel choice. Kinda iffy on the bags on the rear as I've got a feeling I'll see pics of this thing looking broken with the rear tires higher than the decklid. I think most rods sitting like that look like ass. Not diggin the visor or the gauges or the graphics, they're hokey crap tacked onto a good build. My opinion anyway, even if you didn't ask for it.
Thanks for the honest feedback. I used bags more for ride quality than the "laying frame" look, which I am not a fan of either. This is meant to be a hot rod, not a custom, but I have to admit to being soft when it comes to wanting a more supple ride if I could hide the bags. As for the visor, gauges and graphics, I figured some folks on here wouldn't like em, but aside from the visor, the gauges and trunk graphics are easily replaceable/covered if and when I tire of them. I guess I kinda like hokey crap. But that being said, I'm sure that in a few years this car won't look exactly like it will in a few months. Thanks for the honest feedback.
Thanks Man. I actually got the seats from a dealer in the UK, Europa Specialist Spares and Motorsports. I couldn't find a dealer in the US which had them or could get them, and after hours of googling, I found Europa's website, AND they were on sale. Also, when I ordered them over a year ago, the exchange rate was a bit more favorable. Shipping was cheap if I took the option of super slow freight delivery (5 weeks). I haven't checked with any of the US dealers since then, but Sube Sports had indicated that eventually they would be stocking them. Oh, they are Cobra Roadster SS's.
I like the hokey stuff. Gives it character. "Dead Man's 9 of Spades" Here is what Google says about the 9 of Spades: Nervous, romantic, unconventional - the 9 of Spades people can turn all these qualities into working assets and they do when they use their talents for service and concern themselves with the world at large. These people are closing one phase of their soul-evolution and are being initiated into another. None of them are undeveloped or unaware and it is that very awareness that disturbs them. Due to their emotional conflicts, "psychic" illness often develop and they may, for a time, be incapacitated for active work. The placement of this card gives evidence of the power to overcome their difficulties and they often contact some wise and kindly man who sets them back on their feet and instills in them the self-confidence that should never be lacking. These are truly great people and they must be made to realize it. Truer words have never been spoken!
36Couper, I think you just named the car. Thank you very much. That is a very interesting post on the nine of spades. I never knew that so much meaning was attached to each card. I'm going to have to look up the meaning of the other cards in the deck later. But for now, back to the closure of my soul-evolution.
Cool. I've met Stony though he doesn't know me. When I had my roadster Stony gave me his business card that had a quote on the back from the Highway Safety Act that clearly indicated why I could drive a fenderless car in Ontario. I never had to use it but I carried it with me anyway. He definitely does out-of-the-box thinking......and that's a good thing. You should bring the coupe by our car club on your way home with it.
The Jalopy Journal
