Mopar Radio in my Fairmont!

Discussion in 'General Automotive Tech' started by Stormin' Norman, Dec 30, 2008.

  1. Stormin' Norman

    Stormin' Norman Well-Known Member

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    Last edited: May 11, 2009
  2. Stormin' Norman

    Stormin' Norman Well-Known Member

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    Now I've got the dealer and Canadian Ford HO on the hunt for the part number. The dealer told me that all the Canadian dealerships send their legacy radio repairs to the USA:

    http://www.unitedradio.com/automotive/

    They won't deal with consumers or used car lots, but they will answer questions.

    Here's their home page. They do consumer electronics repairs too.
    http://www.unitedradio.com/
     
  3. Stormin' Norman

    Stormin' Norman Well-Known Member

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    Still in hot pursuit of the infamous switch, for which I now have the part number (D9ZZ-18B853-A), I keep finding some rare sites. This one offers a collection of free PDF sites, including a complete schematic for a highend Power Amplifier Schematic for the car. You buy the parts (all listed) and solder it up, ending with a 2-channel (2-speaker) 270 Watt amp at 8 ohms. But the site has free files and links to many others and no Ads!:
    http://www.schematicsforfree.com/

    And his car hobby is Roadsters (also with lots of links):
    http://www.roadsters.com/welcome/

    This one does have Ads, but far more ways of searching for even rarer circuits and other manuals:
    http://www.ebooksquad.com/2009/03/02/build-your-own-high-power-hi-fi-car-audio-amplifier.html

    Anyway, one member at a Maverick site thinks he might have my switch, maybe. Once I see it, I'm pretty sure I can find or modify it for the job, if the price is too high.
     
  4. Stormin' Norman

    Stormin' Norman Well-Known Member

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    Back to the Ford dealer this morning. The switch changed in 1983 to the two-wire type and got a different part number:

    Original Ford Fox number was:
    D9ZZ-18B853-A

    It has 8 wires to the AMP, 7 wires to the speakers and 5 from the radio.


    1983 Ford Fox Number was:
    E3DZ-18B853-A

    It has only 2 wires.

    The Amp looks identical on the outside.
     
  5. Stormin' Norman

    Stormin' Norman Well-Known Member

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    Good thing I've got a lot of hair, because this one almost became a real hair-puller.:whew:

    Mine is a 1979. The Amplifier is from a 1984 Mustang. The radio is from a 1984 Cougar. Both are Ford's Premium Sound units.

    I've got the 1979 Wiring diagrams (EVTM = Electrical/Vacuum Troubleshooter Manual) for mine. HandyAndy lent me his 1981 Fairmont/Zephyrs EVTM. And I found copies of Ford radio diagrams only for a 1988 TBird using 6 speakers - rear only are amplified.

    Well, the wire colours get changed between model years for the Mustang (I got the Haynes/Chilton at the Library for those) and luckily they show the changes from 1979 to 1988. But the TBird diagrams are way off because they changed to rear mounted, JBL amps. Even the GRND wires are a different colour. Black to the radio, red to the amplifier.

    Anyway, I got it sorted it out.:banghead3:
     
    Last edited: May 31, 2009
  6. Taranau

    Taranau Well-Known Member

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    Cheeses wheezes !!! Why can't they just leave things the same? Or,at least,leave the one wire the same color thru the whole system? Changing the color of the ground wire half way thru the system,just doesn't make sense...I'm surprised you didn't have to get somebody from your local bomb squad to help you figure it out.:disagree:
     
  7. Stormin' Norman

    Stormin' Norman Well-Known Member

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    My own wire version of Rubick's Cube. :rofl2:
     
  8. Stormin' Norman

    Stormin' Norman Well-Known Member

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  9. Stormin' Norman

    Stormin' Norman Well-Known Member

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    For Whining purposes, here's the Premium Sound (Factory amp) setup from the 1984 Mustang and the matching radio from a 1984 Cougar.

    may0509radio03.jpg may0509radio04.jpg

    What you don't see is the rest of the Octupus wiring on the Amp from the Radio and TO the speakers.

    I found a 1988 Cougar/TBird diagram (wiring is almost identical to 1984, but can be matched to the 1979/1980 Farimont wiring hookup.)

    This is the Factory AMP diagram
    88premwoeq.jpg

    This one is modified for an Aftermarket AMP (if you don't want to buy a custom connector harness) and retain the old amp in place.
    88premsamsstereo.jpg

    The big difference, besides more amp power, is that the second one shows exactly which speaker wires are amplified. Ford produced a Quadrasonic system in the late 1970's and then swapped to a 2-channel amplifier system. Only the two rear speakers are amplified. AND, since these diagrams are from a 1988 TBird/Cougar system, the AMP was mounted in the Trunk (back of back seat and passenger (RH) rear quarter).

    A smaller, but important, difference is that the post 1983 Fox cars had the AMP switch wired into the radio, not a separate switch like from 1979 to 1983. And one more difference is that the switch in 1979 to 1980 had the Radio (10 wires) and AMP (8 wires) running to the switch. From 1981 to 1983, the switch just powered the AMP, and the Radio handled the Amplified speaker circuit. Not all Ford Stereo radios were for Premium Sound systems. The wiring is different to the AMP/speakers.

    It's not likely that many people will do this, but I figured I'd list the problems and differences. If you do decide to, GET the EVTM (Electrical Vacuum Troubleshooter Manual) for your car, and borrow (Library) the Haynes (Chilton doesn't have the wiring diags) for the car circuit that you scooped the AMP/Radio from. Otherwise, buy and aftermarket Radio and AMP. This is a real brain-twister, CSI, restoration challenge. Luckily there aren't many of these left in the Junkyards. You may never have to do it.:)
     
    Last edited: Jul 6, 2009

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