Radio Help

[nav nole]

I have a 1998 GT Mustang and it has the 460 mach stereo system in it. First off I heard you can only use ford speakers in this model because the amps will not work.

Also I am trying to take the panel off the radio...how to I go about doing that without breaking anything?

If you have an advice or learned something while dealing with this difficult radio system please let me know. Thanks for any help.

 

[LaserSVT]

I have been doing car stereo installation for 15 years and can say the Mach 460 system is stupid. I have it in my 96 Cobra. First the system has three amps. One under the stereo in the dash and two more under the rear parcle shelf attached to the "sub box". The amp under the dash is for the front and rear 2.5 inch full range speakers (the ones by the mirror with the MACH badge) and send a 300hz and up signal to them. The other two amps control the front door and rear shelf "subs" and send them a signal of 300hz and down. The door 6x8 and rear 6x8 are 8ohm speakers running mono (no left/right seperation). I had new speakers in the door and had to send the tweeter signal to the door 6x8 and so I lost all the mid-bass. Last night I replaced the factory deck with a Pioneer Premier DEH-P390MP and the difference is amazing! I ran all new speaker wires to the doors and bypassed the whole factory amp and crossover system. I also ran new wires to the rear 6x8 wich are still stock. The Pioneer is the only deck that has the ability to bridge its rear outputs with a low pass x-over to drive subs. I did that and sent a signal of 160 hz and down to the factory 6x8 subs and then used its internal x-over set to 50hz high pass on the door speakers. The sound is way better than what the stock deck could do and the old factory 6x8 in the back give a decient amount of bass until I can afford a mono amp and small sub to replace them and then run them full range for some rear fill. I highly reccomend going this route. Thje Pioneer is only $130 at Cruthfield and will come with a pocket to replace the factory cd and will come with the wire harness (which I did not use since I ran new speaker wires). As far as removing the stock deck you need to go to NAPA and get the Ford radio removing tools ($5) to get the deck and cd player out. You dont need to remove the trim around the radio to rplace the deck. After the radio is out you just remove the trim piece around the gear selector than you can remove the radio bezel by gently pulling on it form the top by the vents if you still want to pull it off for some reason. Hope it helps

 

[nav nole]

Thanks, that is a great help.

 

[LaserSVT]

Forgot to add that if you just replace the 6x8s and wire them the same as the stock ones were the amps will shut down when you crank it because the stock ones are 8ohms and usually new ones are 4ohms and the stock amp cant handle a 2ohm load. Not to mention you wont have any highs.