1985 300zx GL - Everything is great and working but the cassette player. Tape goes in, (radio shuts off and antenna goes down strangely, is that normal?) but nothing happens. I've pulled the radio out but it doesn't reveal anything wrong.

Are these repairable and who does it? I'd like to keep the car stock, and get the player working again as I did a vanity plate "MX TAPE"

I have looked for replacement radios on Amazon and Ebay. Little luck.

Any suggestions would be great.

And yes, I did search the local junkyards for mid 80's Z's. No luck.

Thanks to anyone who responds!

mac,not being a wiseguy , but I bet Jay Lenno knows the answer to something like this , somebody with the bucks and with COMPLETELY restored 60's vehicles , Now I get "Antenna-TV" and there's a "media -outlet" called ReV 'N thats all about cars & such , has peolple like Stacey David ,etc. Two Guys' Garage etc. and I saw a Co. that sells & possibly fixes ,or knows where a unit may be restored - Vintage Stereo Radio I think - something like that , I believe located in Midwest ? And hey, maybe J Lenno might have a Q &A forum out of his podcast and you get a "Souvenir" of a reply from him - that would be cool

I recently gave all my old cassettes to a buddy who still uses them.

On to your question, Cassette players are driven by a rubber belt. The first suspect would be this belt. Generally these were fairly accessible once you open the units up as they were something of a wear item. And being 30+ years old, it might have simply broken.

This could be repaired if you can find an old school repair place, not many of them left. Frankly, if I were you I would dump out the original deck and buy a streaming/CD setup. You can still by new radios

https://www.ebay.com/p/Panasonic-CQ-RG1 ... 377&chn=ps

that have cassette, so unless your looking to keep the stock look get that old deck out of there. Mine broke after 13 years and I did a CD with a changer, replaced that deck about 7 years ago with iPod capable deck, I will get rid of that one when it dies for a streaming radio.

you wil get much better sound quality out a newer unit, also if you have the old speakers they are crap and you can upgrade those. I also put a new amp in and my sound is amazing with Kenwood speakers, Alpine deck and Alpine power booster (and a Bazooka tube, nobody does that anymore but in 97' that was standard.