It's been awhile so I'm not sure if this is the right place for this question, but I have tried searching for a match for this Ford car radio. It had been sitting on a shelf for years. I know it is from 1987-1989 or close to that. But it doesn't seem to match anything, not the Mustang, T-Bird, Bronco, or Crown Vic, could it go to a wagon? The only serial numbers (besides a faded and worn out barcode which turned up nothing) are on the mounting brackets which turned up a 1969 Mustang...I know this radio is not for that. I'm looking to sell it but need to know what it goes to first. Thanks!
My best guess is a 1992-93 Town Car. We rented a brand new Town Car in 1992 and drove it from Memphis to St. Louis and back, and it had that exact radio in it. That said, Ford used the same radio in a LOT of cars, but I remember that toggle-volume thing from that Town Car specifically. -Mike
there will be a part number on it ! it will tell you the year look for a long series # that will start with a E..or an F followed by a bunch o numbers
THAT is the 1988 - 91 version of the head unit in the High Level Sound System available in the Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Town Car. This was the top of the line system, from JBL. In 89 it was a $625.00 upgrade, the single most expensive option I had on my Grand Marquis. It also has AM Stereo capability. For 88/89, it came with a 6 channel amp and 6 premium JBL speakers. For 90/91. with the redesigned dash, they came with a 4 channel amp and 4 speakers. These head units were designed to work only with the JBL amps, as there is no 'normal' speaker wire harness and no internal amp or pre-amp. The sound quality when the system works in absolutely out of this world rich and true. The trouble now is getting the proper amps to make them work. The speakers seem timeless. I'll be installing all 6 from the 89 into Nora when I get a good head unit. The factory speakers that go with that head unit are power hungry things, too. The dash and door speakers were 4 - 6 ohm, and the 6X9s were 6 - 8 ohm resistance. They need amps to work properly.
Well, this makes me perk up! I suppose it might be worth it to find some plugs at the junkyard and try to bench test this? Or is that possible? I always prefer to test my parts before I sell them off. Well, except my '78 Toronado radio, I gave up on searching for the plugs for that one and sold it as-is.
The only number I can find is a faded and worn number under a barcode on the underside of the radio, on the plastic face. It turned up nothing unless I'm reading it wrong?
That is the same radio I have in my '89 XR-7 with the premium sound. It would have also been used in the Thunderbirds. I don't know about previous generations or other platforms, but that radio would have been used in that chassis from '89-'93.
The head unit changed for 92, so that is only 88 through 91. It was not part of the Premium Sound package, although the speakers do say Premium Sound. That head unit was only in the High Level Sound Package which was about $200 more expensive than the Premium. The power supply lines are on the standard Ford plug pigtail. Easy as pie to find. The problem is the line that runs to the amp in the back of the car. It is specific to the application, whether 4 or 6 speakers, and the head unit will only work with the factory amp. Something about frequencies. The amp in my 89 went south on me, and there was no other amp the unit would work with. I was very disappointed. The only real value to that head unit is for someone restoring a car that needs it and has the rest of the system.
So in a nut shell, I can't do anything to test this except to power it up unless I happen to find some rare sound system to get the plugs from? Sounds like it needs to go to eBay in that case. Only worth what someone is willing to pay (as always). But it's nice to know it was top of the line, thanks for the info guys!
