has anyone upgraded their radio for the 1st gen, where can i get the right mounting kit and wiring harness if i need them? and how do u install it. and sometimes my speakers will go on and off , usaually one side of speakers, either left side or right, go off completely and on again, any idea how to fix them?

thanks, Will

 

Will,
Without knowing anything about the 1st gen's, but knowing the era a little bit, I'm guessing the radio is one of the "two shaft + nose" variety. If this is the case, the easiest fit will be an aftermarket radio of the same type, which are becoming increasingly hard to come by, for anything of decent quality. You could cut out the opening to fit a standard ISO/DIN flatface style stereo in it's place. This would not be that difficult, unless you have to cut throught any metal.
As for the wiring harnesses, any reputable installation shop may carry one, if they are still being made. If not, use a DMM to find your switched 12V, and constant 12V if available. If you're unable to find the ground and/or the constant 12V, you can just run new ones, and splice into the harness that comes with the aftermarket stereo. The speaker wires can be traced back to the speaker, to find the colors, unless they are like mine, where, after the leave the initial harness under the dash, all four speakers share the same colors.
The speakers cutting in and out the way you describe would usually be caused by one of two things - one, the stereo itself is shorting them out, in which case, replacement would fix it - or two, the speaker wires are shorting out, in which case you'll need to run all new speaker wire (which isn't nearly as difficult as it sounds)...

 

thanks for ur info, i found out for the face, i can just use the orginal radio face and make a opening thats big enough to fit the aftermarket. but for the wiring its hard to find which wire goes which, for example the ground and the antena, i burned several fuses already. ill buy more. and how do u connect the splice wire together really tight, do u recommend welding them or just use electrical tape. and i think eventually i can make it all work. thanks

 

One note is to always use at least 16 guage (AWG) wire, preferably stranded primary wire, if you can't get good OE type wire, for all power splices.

As for the splices, there are really only two options, if you want it done decent or better. The first, and preferred method is to solder (weld) all of the joints. Since this is going to be stranded wire, the best bet is to slightly fan, or seperate, the strands some, and then twist them together tightly. Then use your soldering iron / gun to heat the wires, not the solder. Then, when the wires are hot enough, you apply the rosin-core or silver solder. Make sure to never use acid-code solder for electrical connections. Then, after the solder has flowed into the joint, and cooled, you either use heat shrink tubing (slipped over wire BEFORE the splice), or if you have it, Tommy Tape (an electrical type tape that, when stretched tight, and wrapped well, will bond to itself, and leave no seams, etc., this product is also commonly called Cold Shrink Tape.) For the iron / gun, if you expect to spend a lot of time soldering in the car, it can actually be more benficial to splurge a little bit, and get a small, portable butane soldering iron. No cords to worry about, and it'll cool faster also.

The other method is the classic crimp-on butt-splices, such as those you can find at Wal-Mart or your local auto parts store. However, to make good connections with this method, it's best to have a GOOD pair of crimpers, not those $5 - $10 specials you find at Wal-Mart. A good pair will run about $25 - 30, but will last forever. If this is the only time you forsee ever doing this type of work, though, you could get by with a cheap-o set of crimpers, but make sure that you bear down on them real hard when squeezing, and then, GENTLY tug on both sides of the joint, to ensure they are snug. If you tug too hard, you could actually break the wires, and have to redo the joint. When finished here, insulate the same as above, heat shrink tubing, or tommy tape.

If you HAVE to use electrical tape on the joints, make sure you pull it VERY snug as you wrap it, and use those little wire tyes (Zip ties) on both ends, and pul them very tight, to keep the tape from un-raveling.

I hope this helps. If you'd been local to me, I'd have done the install for ya on the serious cheap end.

 

thanks, thats actually more info than a amateur like me can handle. but ill definitely use your advice. i live in southern califonia area, how bout u?

 

I live in the lower panhandle of TX. I'm still a DIY myself, but I had a comp level car I built myself out of an 87 Ford Mustang coupe, about 7 years ago. Learned a LOT building that system.

the simplest way to make the connections for someone who's just starting would be to use the butt-splices and a decent set of crimpers. A decent set will have a deep channel to lay the wire itself in, then have, for lack of better wording right now, a "tongue" on the other side of the jaws. The reason for these is, if you look inside even the best butt-splices, you'll notice that they are really nothing more than a metal "roll", which includes a 'seam', where the ends of the metal met. You want the 'tongue' on the crimpers to rest on this seam as you begin the crimp, which will bend the ends of the seam in, on the wire end, making a much morte secure connection than just a pair of pliers, or the other type of crimpers, where they just have two "crescents" cut in each side. That type makes a poor electrical connection, but makes a decent mechanical connection.

Then, tape some cheap-o electrical tape, and wrap it TIGHTLY around each seperate joint. Use wire ties (also known as zip ties - those little plastic ties that lock when you puch the one end through the other) to secure both ends of the tape, to prevent un-raveling.