Factory CD player install

[pork chop]

My truck came with the am/fm cassette player. I would like to upgrade to a factory CD player. I have looked at some on eBay, and my connections are different ( I have two tall thin connectors while the ones on eBay have one like that and two square connectors). How can I put one in?

[weareweird69]

Technically, you can...

Its not really an upgrade for you. If you get that CD Player, youll need to get the adapter harness anyway, and its not gonna sound any better.

However, the radio doesnt put out enough juice to power the speakers, so you'd have to get the amps, and the harness for it. Since the factory CD players were made for the Premium Sound system, which, was anything but.

Your better off buying an aftermarket CD player and getting the harness for it.

I had a 96 F150 with premium sound. It sounded like premium crap. Upgraded to an aftermarket CD Player and it sounded MUCH better.

[pork chop]

The problem with aftermarket CD players is that they almost all look like unadulterated crap to me. I am sort of an originality dork - I like to put stuff stock. I also don't really care about a big honkin stereo - I mostly listen to AM anyway. My wife wants to be able to hear CDs, so that is why I am looking for a CD player. How difficult is it to find/install the premium sound package?

[weareweird69]

It wont be easy, since you'll need to find a truck that had the amps. Youll need the amps, the wiring to the amps from the truck, and the wiring from the amps to the radio, then youll have to re-do all the speaker wires to come FROM the amp, instead of the radio.

[pork chop]

Crap, I was afraid of that. Does it have to be a truck, or can it be an expedition/explorer/sedan or whatever?

[weareweird69]

Well, they kinda need to be out of a 95-96 truck so that the amp bolts in correctly.

They arent easy to come by, since usually the only trucks that had them, were Eddie Bauer trucks, and well, they werent always optioned with the premium radio

[superduty4x4]

You would be time and money WAY ahead to just get a decent, affordable aftermarket head unit.

Walmart.com: Sony Xplod CDX-GT25MPW Car CD Receiver: Auto Electronics

Kenwood KDC-MP145 CD receiver at Crutchfield.com

Very simple, no fancy features, affordable, simple install.

[weareweird69]

Yeah Im with you, but he doesnt like aftermarket radio's

[pork chop]

Oh, I agree that the aftermarket units are a better deal. I just don't like the look of most of them. There was an Alpine unit that I liked, but it appears to be obsolete.

[superduty4x4]

Originally Posted by weareweird69

Yeah Im with you, but he doesnt like aftermarket radio's

That' why I tried to find a few examples of some basic radios that might be more up his alley