Hi does anyone know if you could put a radio, and a CD Changer into my 88 RX7, The changer is from an 97 F150, and I was looking at buying it, but not sure if it could be done.

 

Anything can be done. I would measure it first and make sure that it will fit okay without cutting your car up. If you can get a wiring dio. for the Radio it should be no problem at all to wire in assuming it fits. If you know your **** you might not even need a wiring Dio.

 

If you have the changer cable, then it should be pretty straight forward.

You'll need a set of Ford radio plugs and a set of Mazda radio harness plugs and just match the colors.

If you don't have the changer cable, don't bother even trying. Buying the cable is more than radio and Changer is worth.

You will probably also need to switch to either a series 5 radio panel, or make sure you have a series 4 panel for cars without CD players (in other words has the side panels on the radio opening).

In all honesty if you can into my shop wanting to do it I would charge you so much for labor you would think twice, or at the very least I would try and talk you out of doing it. Unless you have professional radio installation experience it may not be worth your time or effort.

 

the changer is from the ford. what about the radio?? they need to work together. you can't mix / match brands etc. this is a stock ford changer?? or something he had aftermarket in it?

 

yeah, I am assuming on my reply that you had the Ford radio to go with the changer

 

I don't actually have it but, I was going to buy the headunit, and changer off him, it is from a 97 ford F150, and I have been talking with him all night, becuase it didn't actually have the changer cable that plugs into the headunit, he just cut it at about 6 inches back from the changer, I asked him to see if he could get the cable, and he said he really does not want to that because he would have to tear up his whole dash.
And I am not a proffesional installer, this would be my first car installation, I have had experience with home stereos, shouldn't be to much harder.

 

If he cut the changer cable with the radio still plugged in to its power plugs he may have fried the controller

 

He told me from the beggining that he had a proffesional do the installation, he had an MP3 cd player put in. I don't think, a proffesional would have cut it, though. If he had done the installation, he might have done that, anyway I told him I didn't want to buy it unless, I got the whole cable, or at least both ends with some wires attached still so I could splice them back together. Thanks for all your help, If I had boughten it I probably would have, ran into one of these problems, also my radio surround has the side rails still on them, I thought that it looked like it would fit in there.

 

I disagree. I sold my uncle a CD player from my 93 T/A. It was a Kenwood. (not that it matters) He installed it in his 1981 Bonnevile in like 5 minutes. Its not hard, you can do it. My uncle had no freakin'clue what he was doing neither, although he is a mechanic.

 

You are talking about an aftermarket stereo from one GM to another... I would laugh if it couldn't be installed in 10 minutes.

yes it does matter being a aftermarket radio, like a Kenwood, over an OEM radio.

There is a considerable difference however from a pre-90's ISO mount mazda and a post '95 ford wiring, radio, and blaupunkt mounting.

 

very possable.. just dont understand why you cant buy a aftermarket cd-changer they are better quality and you will prob. like it better.. one place i would look is www.tmselectronics.com it's not much of a site but good prices, good people, good product

 

The reason is I have some extra computer parts laying around and I was going to trade them to him for his cd changer.

 

I figured that would be your response. He also took that same CD player out of the bonnevile, and put it into a 73' Buick LeSabre, not GM, and not made for CD Players. THe only reason I let Circuit City install my X-Plod was because installation was free. Dude, you can do it yourself, its not that hard. Haynes manuals probably have this process in them.

 

Dude it is easier to install an aftermarket radio, CD changer and 4 speakers, rather that fit a OEM car radio into other cars.

A Le Sabre is a GM, and even though its a 75 car, their radio dimensions are basically the same as todays GMs.

I agree with Icemark, customers who used to bring other OEM radios for their car, would end up being over charged.

Remember that connecting the cables is one thing, and doing a "clean" installation is another.

 

Some Ford cars have a AMP, you will either need the amp to, or use a BTL and a aftermarket amp. I am not saying this is the case with the F150, but check before buying it.

If he cut the changer cable, that might be the end of the story (Icemark is right), and\or the price of the changer cable is OUTRAGEOUS!!

 

Thanks everyone, but he was telling me today, that it has premium sound, which means that it has a amp, else where in his car, and there is way to much other stuff to worry about, I guess I won't be going with it, no more thanks everyone for helping me, avoid a huge problem.