I was thinking of putting a period Becker radio into my SL and using a portable with an FM modulator to do CD's/MP3.I figured the portable could be safely stored in the trunk or glovebox for more theft protection.

I found one,a europa AM/FM/Casette unit in a 123 about the same age as my car.The radio itself had a multi pin DIN wire going to an outboard box with 2 speaker connections and a power line to the electric antenna switch.
There did not appear to be any direct speaker connections to the radio like the newer "digital" face units have.
Question #1:Is this outboard box an amplifier unit?...meaning the radio has only low level output?
#2, Could I run the radio output directly into an outboard amp if an "amp" of some kind is necessary?
I've never seen one of these with this setup before?
There was also a AM/FM only unit I didn't take the time to pull out.

Are either of these worthwhile,or would I be better off with something more "modern".There is a nice Cd player in there now but I worry about someone cutting up the soft top to get in to take it.

From what I remember, that box drives the amplifier box via a nine pin DIN cable. It came from a very late 70s W123

What year is your SL? I have a few 81-85 Becker 612s I don't want somewhere, I'll give you one for the price of a sixer of cheap beer and shipping. I'll warn you, the sound output on the Beckers is VERY poor, but they look period. I'm talking 5-7 watts/channel! And a limited vocal range on top.

If you're worried about theft deterrence, look into a quality alarm. Clifford is a great brand or the high end Viper. Of course with some window tint and to remove any articles that would raise an eyebrow to the would-be thief (i.e. CD unit face plate)... then bring into the house, store, or lock in the trunk.

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