Bad Ass Clairtone 7980 AKA CF100 Mod-Resto

I started collecting a short while ago, and have approx 30+ boxes in my collection. The one thing i have been missing is a box that can give me true kick ass sound. This spurred my project:

Take a stock unit and turn it into a crazy wall shaking box, with detailed highs that don't scream at higher volumes. I wanted a box that represented me. Keep in mind I don't have crazy skills like some of the people on here, and I make plenty of mistakes lol. For the most part i would say i'm fairly handy.

Anyways here's the beginning of my Resto-Mod:

As I said I started with a stock Clairtone 7980, both tape decks didn't work, pots were all scratchy, unit was 8 out of 10.

Some stock pictures before i started working on it as a reference....

Tear down...

That's in pretty good shape for a starter box.

Can't wait to see the mods.Digging all the pics so far.

Damn the body on that is clean! I love some resto mods, hopefully while keeping some OG.

blu_fuz said:

Damn the body on that is clean! I love some resto mods, hopefully while keeping some OG.

Click to expand...

No doubt! I want to keep the look of the box, but want it to be a sleeper....

More tear down pictures.....

Tear down went without major hiccups.

Next step was to see if my choice of woofers would fit.

Those magnets are crazy big!

Them are Cerwin Vegas!! Better reinforce that box!!

Next step:

Choose tweeters that will work and make the necessary mods... used a foster tweeter with the same bolt pattern to outline the excess plastic to be removed.

You can see the difference in the magnet size between the original paper tweeter and the 1" soft dome CV tweeter. I also had to shave and sand to get the final shape needed. They are very close and fit well.

I'm lovin everything about this.

This is where things got a little tricky for me. The increased weight of these components wreaked havoc with the 30 year old plastic.

Using the Boomboxery forums, I researched other posts where people had faced similar challenges and enlisted a donor box.

Using my trusty Dremel I removed the uprights/mounting points i needed. JB weld was used to fasten the parts to the frame. JB Weld was also used to reinforce any plastic that was stressed or showed cracks.

Once the glue had set ( 24hrs later ), I mounted all the speaker components.

Next step was trial and error...Adding and removing dampening materials. Reassembling the unit to test the sound.

The goal was to find a balance between volume and quality. While not causing over heating or a soft mushy bass. I also had to content with all sorts of rattles, creaks, etc.

My concern is that the amp components are already overstressed in a C100 that I can't imagine how long they will even last with speakers this massive..... I hope it all works out for you.

blu_fuz said:

My concern is that the amp components are already overstressed in a C100 that I can't imagine how long they will even last with speakers this massive..... I hope it all works out for you.

Click to expand...

Hi Blu_Fuz

I don't really understand why they would be over stressed additionally. The combined components impedance is 6ohms ( 5.7 ). If i am not mistaken the original impedance was 4ohms. The efficiency of the woofers 92db @1w, that should be inline or better than the original components.

I assure you I'm not trying to be argumentative, I'm trying to understand and to learn from the forums experience. Obviously the age is a major factor, and I have already purchased a new class D 150w x 150w @ 8ohm stereo amp. I am also seeking out a solution for a power supply. Do i build something? I haven't got that far. For the amp to function at the full power rating I would need 24v+ volts.....


As i see it here are the obstacles I need to over come:

Amplifier - Under Powered
Power supply - Needs to be more robust
Improve harmonics of a plastic box - Combination of matting and Dynamat
Keep existing preamp board?
Keep overall look OG - Change inside but not the outside

Next steps finalize the sound deadening materials...

Added the crossovers, and rewired the speakers...