Fox Body Radio
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Ditch the paper speakers. Even a budget head unit with some cheap contemporary speakers are better than what came in there.
mikestang63
SN Certified Technician
coupestang2
Active Member
Your car is an 89 I take it, none of today's radios will look stock or close to it.
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oldskolbus
Founding Member
What I did is ditch all the factory stuff. Disconnect the factory amp. Run new speaker wires. Newer head pieces have more power then the factory amp will give you. When you have the carpet pulled up on the sides, run a set of rca cables, remote cable(single wire), and a power wire. You will thank me later when you want to run a amp to power the back speakers.
You dident say a year. Sig says 89 and if its anything like the 90 I had, ditch it all. I had 4+ and 1- coming out of factory head unit. If u mount aftermarket right they don't look bad.
I wrecked my 1990 5.0 lx around 2002, so its been a while but there was a reason I switched it all out
You dident say a year. Sig says 89 and if its anything like the 90 I had, ditch it all. I had 4+ and 1- coming out of factory head unit. If u mount aftermarket right they don't look bad.
I wrecked my 1990 5.0 lx around 2002, so its been a while but there was a reason I switched it all out
This is the way it is.
Factory car audio back in the late 80's was crap. The speakers were crap, and the head unit was crap.
First, the speakers:
The factory equips these cars w/ a 3.5" dual cone in the dash, and a 6 x 8" dual cone in the rear quarter panels.
A dual cone. Not to be confused with a two way speaker.
A dual cone speaker has a paper "cone" in the middle of what amounts to a one way speaker. When comparing, a two way speaker has a woofer (1), and a tweeter (2). 2 way. The separate drivers in the speaker handle the chores of reproducing the music specific to their design. A tweeter reproduces the high, and mid high frequencies, and a woofer reproduces the rest, including the bass.
When you have a dual cone, you have an attempt by the designer to isolate the high frequencies w/ that cone in the middle of the woofer, but it still sounds like crap. Not only is there that dual cone thing, but the speaker itself is a 98lb weakling, The woofer is lightweight paper, (typically torn, rotten, or disentegrated by the time most owners get around to replacing them). But even if the speakers were brand new, the magnet is this tiny, chicken peen sized thing that just reeks of inadequacy. The magnet is embedded w/ a voice coil that is attached to the speaker w/ two wires, that when "signaled," act on the woofer electrically to cause it to move in and out.
A chicken peen sized magnet will not act on the woofer w/ any real persuasion.
So, when it comes time to replace these items w/ aftermarket stuff, you get speakers w/ magnets so big that you end up having to clearance the dash to get them to fit. Big, bull nut sized magnets. No worries though, it only takes a slight amount of clearancing, and the factory grille still manages to fit, and cover those manly speakers that are now beneath.
Even if you did nothing other than that, the system will sound vastly improved over what you had before.
But.......
The factory head unit is crap.
Aside from the obvious, the most important job of the head unit is to provide two things:
Dynamic range, and power.
Dynamic range is the "space" between the lowest low, and the highest high frequency that you can hear. It's measured in HZ, and the range is 20 hz- 20,000 hz. Typically,....(if you're still young, and....),You haven't stood around top fuel cars w/o ear protection, haven't went to one too many Poison concerts (one is too many), or you didn't sit on a F/A gun line in the Army BS'n the #1 gun crew w/o your ear plugs,....you still may be able to hear somewhere in the 40hz - 18khz range.
80's Factory head units are built to reproduce FM. That, and cassette tapes. FM dynamic range is typically somewhere in the 80- 15 khz range. Not too bad.
The biggest reason for replacing the factory head unit is it's lack of power, and the distortion that comes as a result of that.
Most factory head units reproduce some where in the 2-6 watts per channel range. That's two to six watts....per channel.
it only requires a chicken's peen amount of power to drive chicken peen speakers. That kinda of weakness typically resulted in speakers being played too loud by a head unit not capable of doing the job, it all gets distorted, and the C.P. speakers finally blow a load and die.
The factory realized that they couldn't keep half-stepping so they added external amplifiers to drive "improved" speakers. What they typically added was a proprietary amp that came w/ a bunch of THD, and sounded only marginally better than the stock stuff that came before.
It still is crap. You'll never be able to play My Milkshake w/ any degree of street cred w/o replacing the factory HU w/ either a good high power head unit, or a combination of that and external amplification.
Replacing the factory stereo is a reversible thing now a days if you're concerned w/ a "other than stock" appearance. I'd much rather look at a HU that is too "modern" for my dash than put up with the Fred Flintstone fidelity doing nothing leaves me with. Power equals punch. Power equals fidelity.
Having a high power head unit isn't just so it'll go loud cleanly, it also will sound fuller at all volumes, simply because there's more of it on tap. (Think big-block torque vs 4 cylinder weaniness).
There are also companies that build remote car stereo systems for guys that want the factory unit in dash, but the better sound that can be had from the new technology available today. But that invisible stuff comes at a premium when compared to direct replacements, and I think it's clunky to operate.
So in the end it all comes down to simple animal genitalia.
Chicken peens or Bull balls,.......which one is best for you?
Factory car audio back in the late 80's was crap. The speakers were crap, and the head unit was crap.
First, the speakers:
The factory equips these cars w/ a 3.5" dual cone in the dash, and a 6 x 8" dual cone in the rear quarter panels.
A dual cone. Not to be confused with a two way speaker.
A dual cone speaker has a paper "cone" in the middle of what amounts to a one way speaker. When comparing, a two way speaker has a woofer (1), and a tweeter (2). 2 way. The separate drivers in the speaker handle the chores of reproducing the music specific to their design. A tweeter reproduces the high, and mid high frequencies, and a woofer reproduces the rest, including the bass.
When you have a dual cone, you have an attempt by the designer to isolate the high frequencies w/ that cone in the middle of the woofer, but it still sounds like crap. Not only is there that dual cone thing, but the speaker itself is a 98lb weakling, The woofer is lightweight paper, (typically torn, rotten, or disentegrated by the time most owners get around to replacing them). But even if the speakers were brand new, the magnet is this tiny, chicken peen sized thing that just reeks of inadequacy. The magnet is embedded w/ a voice coil that is attached to the speaker w/ two wires, that when "signaled," act on the woofer electrically to cause it to move in and out.
A chicken peen sized magnet will not act on the woofer w/ any real persuasion.
So, when it comes time to replace these items w/ aftermarket stuff, you get speakers w/ magnets so big that you end up having to clearance the dash to get them to fit. Big, bull nut sized magnets. No worries though, it only takes a slight amount of clearancing, and the factory grille still manages to fit, and cover those manly speakers that are now beneath.
Even if you did nothing other than that, the system will sound vastly improved over what you had before.
But.......
The factory head unit is crap.
Aside from the obvious, the most important job of the head unit is to provide two things:
Dynamic range, and power.
Dynamic range is the "space" between the lowest low, and the highest high frequency that you can hear. It's measured in HZ, and the range is 20 hz- 20,000 hz. Typically,....(if you're still young, and....),You haven't stood around top fuel cars w/o ear protection, haven't went to one too many Poison concerts (one is too many), or you didn't sit on a F/A gun line in the Army BS'n the #1 gun crew w/o your ear plugs,....you still may be able to hear somewhere in the 40hz - 18khz range.
80's Factory head units are built to reproduce FM. That, and cassette tapes. FM dynamic range is typically somewhere in the 80- 15 khz range. Not too bad.
The biggest reason for replacing the factory head unit is it's lack of power, and the distortion that comes as a result of that.
Most factory head units reproduce some where in the 2-6 watts per channel range. That's two to six watts....per channel.
it only requires a chicken's peen amount of power to drive chicken peen speakers. That kinda of weakness typically resulted in speakers being played too loud by a head unit not capable of doing the job, it all gets distorted, and the C.P. speakers finally blow a load and die.
The factory realized that they couldn't keep half-stepping so they added external amplifiers to drive "improved" speakers. What they typically added was a proprietary amp that came w/ a bunch of THD, and sounded only marginally better than the stock stuff that came before.
It still is crap. You'll never be able to play My Milkshake w/ any degree of street cred w/o replacing the factory HU w/ either a good high power head unit, or a combination of that and external amplification.
Replacing the factory stereo is a reversible thing now a days if you're concerned w/ a "other than stock" appearance. I'd much rather look at a HU that is too "modern" for my dash than put up with the Fred Flintstone fidelity doing nothing leaves me with. Power equals punch. Power equals fidelity.
Having a high power head unit isn't just so it'll go loud cleanly, it also will sound fuller at all volumes, simply because there's more of it on tap. (Think big-block torque vs 4 cylinder weaniness).
There are also companies that build remote car stereo systems for guys that want the factory unit in dash, but the better sound that can be had from the new technology available today. But that invisible stuff comes at a premium when compared to direct replacements, and I think it's clunky to operate.
So in the end it all comes down to simple animal genitalia.
Chicken peens or Bull balls,.......which one is best for you?
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The factory radios suck. I never listen to mine, as the car is not a DD. If it was a DD I'd need to invest in a good stereo.
For me, paper speakers are fine. I actually spent $$ finding a set along with putting in a 1993 CD player and amp. Sounds a tad better than the original 1988 radio/amp. A $25 Bluetooth adapter from Amazon lets me play my phone through it.
In terms of quality of sound....eh. Don't expect much. I just listen to the exhaust really.
Sent from my big ass iPhone 6 using Tapatalk
For me, paper speakers are fine. I actually spent $$ finding a set along with putting in a 1993 CD player and amp. Sounds a tad better than the original 1988 radio/amp. A $25 Bluetooth adapter from Amazon lets me play my phone through it.
In terms of quality of sound....eh. Don't expect much. I just listen to the exhaust really.
Sent from my big ass iPhone 6 using Tapatalk
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You can always explore this avenue:
http://www.classiccarstereos.com/ford-radios.html
Replica of a 72-79 Torino head unit. There are others (of course) but something like this with Bluetooth or an AUX jack in it, is probably all you would ever need.
I like this one:
and this one:
1971-1989 Ford Galaxie USA-630 Features:
http://www.classiccarstereos.com/ford-radios.html
Replica of a 72-79 Torino head unit. There are others (of course) but something like this with Bluetooth or an AUX jack in it, is probably all you would ever need.
I like this one:
and this one:
1971-1989 Ford Galaxie USA-630 Features:
- AM-FM Stereo
- 300 Watts (4 x 75 Peak, 4 x 45 RMS)
- Electronic Tuning & Volume Control
- USB Port
- Ability to add Bluetooth with optional BluKit accessory
- Direct iPod Connection & Control (Classic Wide Connector)
- Direct CD Changer Control
- 2 Channel RCA Aux Input for iPod or Satellite Radio Tuner
- Alpha Numeric id3 Display for MP3/WMA (USB)
- 4 way fader
- L/R Balance
- Digital Clock
- 12 FM and 4 AM Presets
- 4 Channel RCA Pre-outs for an external amplifier
- Bass & Treble Controls
- Power Antenna Lead
Ha....didn't think the V3 was going to be loud enough, so I went with an old school V1.
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