Radios. Is There Really A Difference?

[jcgafford]

Is there truthfully a "premium" tape player that works with the factory amp in a 1992? Or will any radio from 87 to 92 work? All the connections seem the same and the amp connections are separate from the radio so that should not be a problem. Ford lists two options without e/q control but the description of the premium radio fits every fox radio i have ever seen since about 1990. The description for the non premium reminds me of what my brother had in his 84'. What gives???

 

[S&B]

it depends which option your car has, it its premium sound your speakers should be wired to the output from the amp under your pass side seat. If it did not have that option then the speakers are wired to be powered from the deck. Thats how it should be. I wouldn't go crazy with getting the best factory HU ever the premium one with the e/q control would sound like junk compared to what is offered today. The paper speakers , and outputs of probably 3-6 watts rms for the deck and 8-12 watts rms for the amp are not enough to deliver the ranges of sound at volume.

When I wired in my new HU in my cobra I replaced the factory amp with a 2 channel for the front components placed that under the seat just like the factory amp and ran the rears off the HU I had to tap into the wires right under the seat where the factory amp was installed . I did have all the harness behind the dash but the speakers were not working with the factory non premium harness.

hope that makes sense

 

[jcgafford]

alright. so i pulled a tape head unit from a fox vert and cleaned it up real nice. went to install it and my wiring harness, which is factory, has only one connection that looks to fit. the other is fatter with round pin connectors instead of the flat pin "L" shaped connector that the radio requires. what gives? was there another additional harnes that went from the radio to the main harness in the radio hole? mine also has a secondary harness in there which i believe was for the amp but it too has the wrong connections for the radio... are premium radios a totally different beast?



edit: looks like the harness did differ based on what was ordered with the car.

 

[jcgafford]

after searching many different threads, ebay and pm'ing members here i am still at a loss. my harness has 5 outputs. one is the antenna, another is an "L" shaped connector (for the back of the radio i assume), the other next to or off of the same branch of the harness as the "L" shaped is a 12 ROUND pin connector, the other two are smaller 8 pin connectors one has round pins the other strait (these are bundled with the antenna connection off the same branch of the harness). i cannot find a pic/ diagram or explanation for this setup. i assume this was the premium with amp and eq but have no proof. i am at a loss and don't know 100% what i should be looking for in a amp/radio combo for it or if it even is an amp radio combo. help?