8-track Bluetooth adapters are a thing

When it comes to classic cars, entertainment options can be limited. You're often stuck with an old cassette deck and AM/FM radio, or you can swap it out for an ugly flashy modern headunit. [Jim] had a working 8-track set in his Corvette and didn't want to trade it in. So he set about building a simple Bluetooth to 8-track adapter himself.

The hack is simple, with [Jim] picking up a Bluetooth-to-cassette adapter from the shelf. These simply pick up audio via Bluetooth and route the analog audio to a magnetic head, which is largely similar to the head that plays the tape. Pumping audio to the magnetic coils in the adapter head creates a changing magnetic field essentially the same as the audio tape passing in front of the cassette player head. It doesn't matter whether you work with an 8-track player or a regular cassette. Put the magnetic field in the right place and it will work.

The cassette adapter's electronics are simply placed inside an old 8-track tape, with holes cut into the chassis for the charging port and on the switch. Then all you have to do is insert the adapter into the 8-track deck, pair it via Bluetooth, and you can crank up the music.

Others have also had success with Rube Goldberg's hilarious methods. [Techmoan] took a classic 8-track cassette adapter, which is actually self-powered by the deck, and just popped a Bluetooth cassette tape inside. It worked surprisingly well, and it was interesting to see how it all worked on the inside. We even saw a 3D printed device on TikTok.

So if you have an old Corvette, especially from that era with the Doug Nash 4+3 drivetrain, this might just be the hack for you. Alternatively, you can hack Bluetooth into just about any regular stereo; we have a guide on how to do it. Video after the break.