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BIC Venturi Formula 1 rehab

lakeeffect

lakeeffect

Super Member
I've got some BIC Venturi Formula 1's that I bought back in the mid-70's that I want to rehabilitate. I always liked their sound and I have a sentimental attachment to them as well. I know that they're not terribly sophisticated nor sought-after pieces, so I want to be sensible in my approach.

Over the years, the original 8" woofers failed and were replaced with no-name generic drivers that are now dry-rotting themselves. I see original equipment BIC-080A speakers come up on eBay occasionally but I wonder if using 40-year-old replacement parts is a good idea. Should I just seek out a suitable aftermarket driver or try to find and maybe rehabilitate an OEM part? Obviously I don't want to spend a ton on a middling speaker like this but I do want to get close to the way they sounded when new. I'm new to speaker rehab, so I'm looking to learn.

I also see conflicting info on whether they were 4-ohm or 8-ohm speakers (I believe they were 4 ohm) so if anyone has a spec sheet that would be great.

Thoughts?
 
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i have the ones and love em. i think the original drivers sound amazing, but i think the boxes are beginning to rattle a bit
 
I've got a pair of F2s, which i believed used the same 8" woofer. It has a rubber surround, which hasn't seemed to have deteriorated too badly, if at all. Assuming the 'Bay offerings are similar, I'd have no hesitation in trying them. If I remember correctly, they were rated at 8 ohms.
 
Thanks for the responses. I scored 3 speakers on eBay that should be salvageable. I figured I should grab them while they're available, I don't know when I may see more.
 
Good luck with this project.....gotta keep the old BICs around. Feel free to post pics on your progress.
 
KRab said:
Good luck with this project.....gotta keep the old BICs around. Feel free to post pics on your progress.
Click to expand...
Yeah, pictures would be great, especially behind the woofer. I'd like to see the internal shape of the ''ventury'' loading.
 
Let me give it a shot ... sorry for the poor cell phone pics. Except for the 8" speakers, what you see is the way it came from the factory.

The cabinet backs are glued so the only access to the cabinet is through the speaker holes. A 3/4" piece of MDF mounted beneath the woofer forms the 3/4" slot, or venturi. The slot extends about 3/4ths of the way into the cabinet, then a piece of styrofoam, a half-cylinder, "wraps" the slot up behind the speaker. I hope that makes sense :)
BIC_Venturi_1.JPG
BIC_Venturi_3.JPG BIC_Venturi_2.JPG
 
turboyam said:
Oh!!! thanks a lot!, always wanted to know!
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Same here. I seem to recall a cutaway drawing in one of the BIC ads from the 70's, just wasn't sure. I do recall seeing BICs in stores and wondered if they were some variation of a Dynaco vent.
 
If I had the time/woodworking skills, I'd refinish the cabinets on my Formula 2s. This is a hobby, and there are some things that have worth far beyond resale value. If you have the means and motivation, I'd say do it....just for the experience and the enjoyment of the final product. Turning something relatively mundane into something unique is its own reward.
But that's just my opinion....YMMV and all that. Enjoy.
 
KRab said:
If I had the time/woodworking skills, I'd refinish the cabinets on my Formula 2s. This is a hobby, and there are some things that have worth far beyond resale value. If you have the means and motivation, I'd say do it....just for the experience and the enjoyment of the final product. Turning something relatively mundane into something unique is its own reward.
But that's just my opinion....YMMV and all that. Enjoy.
Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more and will be ordering some real wood veneer soon. :D A big part of the reason I'm messing with these speakers at all - aside from the sentimental value - is because I get a kick out of keeping old stuff looking good and working, even if it's not always a financially sound decision.
 
[ I put some grilles together for my Formula 2s, using the PE frame kit and JoAn speaker fabric in black. They look ok, and are cheaper than the original foam...although the burnt orange would've been better yet....
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KRab said:
This is a hobby, and there are some things that have worth far beyond resale value.
I'd say do it....just for the experience and the enjoyment of the final product.
Turning something relatively mundane into something unique is its own reward.
Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly...
 
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