Look what I got...

[scalebowler]

Just got back from vacation today and check out what I brought back. Turns out that before we left I found a 4 screen drive-in that was two minutes from our hotel so I called them up an hour or so before we left to go see a movie and they said they had some and told me to stop by the snack bar when I got there and ask for someone. So I did that and the guy comes out with two speakers and said that they might actually work and they have everything on them. The only thing not there is the junction box which they did have a lot of boxes sitting on poles with nothing hooked up to them so I am going to call back and see if they might sell me one of those too. Only charged me 20 for each speaker which is not that bad and I even got to sit outside afterwards and watch some movies. It was a really clean theater and it was really fun. They still had some speakers hooked up and running. Also while waiting for the movie to start I found two of the early pop can pull tabs on the ground. Nothing too exciting but I thought it was pretty neat that they were still there and intact after being outside for about 30 years or so. (I did take them home though) And on the way back I found 6 cork lined 7up caps at an antique store for $5.00 so I had to pick that up. They were used but they are in pretty good shape and I have been looking for some for a while now.
Here are some pictures of the speakers. Took these at the hotel last night.

[Jim]

Congrats on a nice find ! ! !
Did he have any with volume knobs...?

[scalebowler]

Congrats on a nice find ! ! !
Did he have any with volume knobs...?

Thanks!
None that I knew of but I did see on some website that they said there was a knurl on the volume controll shaft of these speakers so they did not use knobs. Not sure if that is ture or not but I did not see any speakers there with knobs. But they did have some strange looking junction boxes in the field. They had a large plastic dome on the top that was either blue white or green and some of the poles had some electrical boxes on the side of them and others had some wires cut close to the ground next to the pole which makes me think at one time they had heaters too. I am going to call them up tomorrow though to see if they might sell me a junction box too.

[scalebowler]

Also I found out that the company that made these speakers is still around and they STILL make drive-in parts. Here is their website incase anyone wants to know where to get new parts for speakers. http://www.speco-usa.com/SiteResources/Data/Templates/template1.asp?docid=518&DocName=Drive-In%20Parts

[Creighton]

Good score. Those will polish up great. Don't recall the speakers at the two drive-ins I went to as having knobs. The lenses were for lights for before and more importantly after the movies. Never saw any heaters.
Creighton

[scalebowler]

Good score. Those will polish up great. Don't recall the speakers at the two drive-ins I went to as having knobs. The lenses were for lights for before and more importantly after the movies. Never saw any heaters.
Creighton

Thanks! I actally plan to keep them looking like this kind of because this is how I remember seeing them. Never have seen new ones sitting at the drive-in but then again I have only gotten to go to a drive-in twice. I did see that they have at least 200 speaker housing backs hanging from the ceiling of the workshop part of the projection booth. I really want to find a junction box now. I just need to call them up again and see if they will sell me one and if they would ship it (shipping might be a problem though).

[Pat Pixley]

Here are those famous white knobs for speakers I  have a set that I'm keeping for my next set of speakers.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=400122606678&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

[collecture]

That listing has ended, but here is a current auction - $9.95 BIN
http://cgi.ebay.com/Two-New-White-Famous-Drive-In-Movie-Speaker-Knobs_W0QQitemZ390204860926QQcategoryZ778QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp4340.m263QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DSIC%26its%3DI%252BC%26itu%3DUCI%252BIA%252BUA%252BFICS%252BUFI%252BDDSIC%26otn%3D20%26pmod%3D400122606678%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D7950354092623766868

[rayg]

Cool. I got a few over 25 years ago the hard way... drove off with them still in the car....  Around me they are re-purposing  the old (home of the Lions LOL) Pontiac Silver as Drive-In. The park lot slopes just right and it has 3 screen. It opened in 2006, but it closed in 2008 and just reopen this spring under new owners. It isn't exactly the same as the old days but to get to watch movies again on the big screen under the stars is close enough for me.

Ray 

[scalebowler]

Cool. I got a few over 25 years ago the hard way... drove off with them still in the car....  Around me they are re-purposing  the old (home of the Lions LOL) Pontiac Silver as Drive-In. The park lot slopes just right and it has 3 screen. It opened in 2006, but it closed in 2008 and just reopen this spring under new owners. It isn't exactly the same as the old days but to get to watch movies again on the big screen under the stars is close enough for me.

Ray 

I would love to have them build a drive-in around here. Nothing like sitting outside watching a movie.