My recently acquired '79 F-150 has an original radio, but it doesn't work. There are no door speakers either.
I was considering getting one of these: https://www.classiccarstereos.com/19...BoCY5IQAvD_BwE

They claim to be a direct fit - so wiring shouldn't be an issue. Does any have experience with one of these? How hard was the install? Will running door speakers be an issue? I have put 2 aftermarket stereos in 2 previous vehicles, but these old trucks are a little different.

 

I don't have any experience with these but it sure looks like it will fit.
Wiring won't be an issue. If you have done other vehicles you should be able to do this.
If door speakers is all you want there are wiring harnesses available that are reproductions of OEM wiring......






Maybe others that have already done similar will chime in...
Good luck!

 

I may be asking the wrong question but how do you know the radio doesn’t work if there’s no speakers?

 

To answer your question I would go a different route. It is a neat little radio but over priced, very finiky and hard to navigate. Bite the bullet and do the work to put a Pioneer or what have you in it. We put one of those in a C10 and I am not happy with it. It is a PiA to setup and navigate features and touchy as hell.

 

Thanks a lot! Can you link me to these wiring harnesses please?

 

Very valid point. Lol. I assumed because there is no dash illumination.

 

Take a look at Dennis Carpenter's site......

https://www.dennis-carpenter.com/tru...o-speaker-wire

 

I really considered this as well. I'm just not too comfortable trimming on the dash panel, and I don't have the skill to create a bracket for the Pioneer to work.

 

I would pass on them. As stated they are overpriced pieces of junk. A friend is a car audio guy and has put them in a few classic cars. Everyone came back with either a malfunction, or hated it so bad they wanted something else. I like the classic look and just think the new DIN radios just don't look right IMHO. This same friend and I have toyed with the idea of taking a factory radio that wasn't working, and basically just using it to control a bluetooth amplifier. Volume **** works as normal, and have a momentary rotary switch for track ahead, track back. Factory illumination wires as normal.

 

I just put one of those in my 76. Works good so far. I have only used it a couple of times. It has a bunch of different ways to adjust it so it’s easy to make fit.

 

Wasn't there a guy on FTE who would add an AUX input and maybe a couple other mods to the factory radios?

 

The door speakers and the speaker grilles are the same as 1969/70 Mustang.