So my GTA has a car phone in it. I'm curious. Has anyone ever hacked one these to work as a handset that connects to a cell phone? If so, how hard is to repeat such a feat.
If it isn't realistic I'm still going to leave it in the car. It's on a mount by the radio that looks very clean, like it belongs there. It compliments the digital dash and systems check screen quite nicely.
Google: "Bluetooth vintage telephone"
I would imagine the guts from one of those could be made to work in an old car phone.
You wont be able to activate the current handset for a couple of reasons.
1) The phone companies have taken down their old analog networks so they no longer broadcast a signal that your handset can read.
2) Law requires that all handsets activated have to be E911 capable. E or Enhanced 911 requires that the handset have GPS capabilities so that if you call 911 they "might" be able to better locate you. I say might because though it is law that the handset must have the capability, it is not law they your municipality's 911 system actually has the capability.
You might try canabalizing a an Old School, Retro handset.
See if you can hide the earpiece portion in your earpiece and see if you can hide the mouthpiece in your mouthpiece. From there, you might be able to reuse your existing coil cable to replace this thinner coil cable and hide your current phone in the center console or glove box.
The irony of this old school handset is that it relies on a 3.5mm jack which is also quickly becoming old school in itself as it is replaced by Bluetooth on many new handsets.
I'd try to find a bluetooth one to canabalize and hardwire power it through the cord.
I have nothing value to add, i am simply here to encourage you. I dont know why but for some reason as soon as i read this i thought that a working original car phone in that thing would be so cool. Maybe im a hipster and didnt realize it.
On the Mercedes, you can get a bluetooth puck that snaps in place of the Motorola flip phone in the center console, then you can bluetooth to that and use the factory phone stuff.
There may be options like that for OEM car phones but probably not much for the old Motorolas and Alpines.
I finally figured out how to get the phone off of the hook without breaking it. It appears to be an NEC 11A. Date sticker on it from October of 1989.
I think i'd be cool if the keypad worked, but simply being able to use it as a handset would be novelty enough. Plus I highly doubt this would get any real use even if it did work, so it makes little sense to put too much effort into it. If I do anything with this it'll I'll probably go the cheap handset hacked into this case route.
It's also likely illegal to hold the handset to your ear while driving. :)
Oh it definitely is.
You have an 80's GTA. It has a car phone. It was owned by a drug dealer, look for baggies before driving it
In reply to Patrick:
Don't worry I know. My last 3rd gen Firebird was full of pills when I got it. Actually, it was full of pills, was stashed behind somebody's shed, and had a possibly human size hole in the windshield. It also had a Kentucky plate yet I got mailed a Tennessee title. Definitely the shadiest car I've ever been involved with.
My E55 had a Startac with it; wow, styling! Of course it was still active then....
My old AMG 5.6 SEL had one of those NEC in a Burl box off the Trans tunnel.
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