I think I want to upgrade to a CD player but I figure I will go with a 4th Gen CD so it kinda looks original. I don't want to have to modify my harness so will the newer CD just plug in?? How much can I expect to pay for a good 96-01 factory CD player? I've seen it in a few other 91-91 Firebirds and it looks good and your still able to switch back for shows and what not.

------------------
www.TransAmGTA.com THE 3rdgen Firebird Site!
1992 GTA (226 made), 1 of only 18 "Dk. Jade Met." 92 GTA's, My Window Sticker, LB9, 700R4 4-Speed, T-Tops, Grey Leather, EVERY available option except U1A.
Current Mods/Upgrades: 80 Series Dual Outlet Flowmaster, TPIS Air Foil, K&N Air Filter, and Mobil 1.
Future Mods/Upgrades: None but a complete restoration.
Best Track Time: 14.6sec@96.6mph

"If it ain't broke, fix it til it is!"
Webmaster www.TransAmGTA.com
My 3rdGen Firebird Message Board!

[This message has been edited by 92GTA (edited June 15, 2001).]

 

92GTA...

I have done exactly this....taken a factory 1999 Grand Am GT's in-dash CD player, and wired it up to the 86's wiring. At first, i thought it wouldnt work, but it worked out great. Didnt look like it was gonna fit, but fit perfectly, after i modified the housing that holds your air condtioning controls and radio. The top part of the back of the new CD player extends out further than the rest of the back part of the radio. So i had to trim and cut room for this on that mounting bracket. As for how much it cost. Well, i got mine from a kid that works in an audio place for $200 bucks in brand new condition. He had a custom stereo put in. Before i bought his, i called to several dealerships, to find pricing info, and they all told me between $700-900 dollars. I lucked out with this kid though. Anyway, i have seen these at junkyards for $150-250 dollars, but if they dont work, you usually cant take them back. With that kid, if it didnt work, he would have given my money back. But the wiring isnt all that difficult. He wired and soldered an adapter for me, because the plugs on the back of the new CD players from Pontiac arent the same as the harness ends on the 86's. So he wired me up a new harness that was about 30 bucks, but didnt charge me. And i think i might have needed another end adapter that may have been 15 or so. I am not quite sure. Either way, its not hard at all, and the system works perfecly...i have NO complaints. The best part is, it looks STOCK. I have gotten many compliments on it. The only thing you have to be careful about is if your speakers are amplified...if they are, it may not work, or there may be distortion. Mine werent, so everything went smoothly. Good luck.

I will try to post a pic for you in the next couple days.



------------------
1986 WS6-Equipped 5.0 TPI Trans Am
Random Tech High-Flow Cat
Two Chamber Flowmaster Muffler
Megs Custom 4.5" Stainless Steel Rolled Tips
1999 Grand Am GT In-Dash CD Player w/Equalizer(fits like '86 original)
5% Tint On Rear, 35% On Sides
http://www.pitt.edu/~zyhst/trans86/

OTHER RIDE:
1998 C5 6Spd. Corvette Coupe
Silver w/Gray Leather Int.
12/14 Options
Stock(for now)
Best 1/4th: 13.5 @ 104.4MPH

[This message has been edited by PhantomTPI (edited June 15, 2001).]

 

That sucks, the whole point is that I don't want to modify anything...

 

92GTA...

Yea, unfortunetly the bracket for the stereo will have to be modified a bit beacuse of the clearance issue. The harnesses just need adapters and need no modifications. Keeping the car original is important, but thats something that no on will be able to see anyway. Its unfortuate though...i know how important it is keeping the originality of our rides sometimes. I will actually email you the pics of how mine came out...i cant host them anywhere.

------------------
1986 WS6-Equipped 5.0 TPI Trans Am
Random Tech High-Flow Cat
Two Chamber Flowmaster Muffler
Megs Custom 4.5" Stainless Steel Rolled Tips
1999 Grand Am GT In-Dash CD Player w/Equalizer(fits like '86 original)
5% Tint On Rear, 35% On Sides
http://www.pitt.edu/~zyhst/trans86/

OTHER RIDE:
1998 C5 6Spd. Corvette Coupe
Silver w/Gray Leather Int.
12/14 Options
Stock(for now)
Best 1/4th: 13.5 @ 104.4MPH

[This message has been edited by PhantomTPI (edited June 16, 2001).]

 

92GTA...

Unfortunetly, the one person i know who has a digital camera is having problems with it...it doesnt work right now. I will email you pics as soon as i can get a pic developed. Sorry about that.

------------------
1986 WS6-Equipped 5.0 TPI Trans Am
Random Tech High-Flow Cat
Two Chamber Flowmaster Muffler
Megs Custom 4.5" Stainless Steel Rolled Tips
1999 Grand Am GT In-Dash CD Player w/Equalizer(fits like '86 original)
5% Tint On Rear, 35% On Sides
http://www.pitt.edu/~zyhst/trans86/

OTHER RIDE:
1998 C5 6Spd. Corvette Coupe
Silver w/Gray Leather Int.
12/14 Options
Stock(for now)
Best 1/4th: 13.5 @ 104.4MPH

 

Thanks, I did find a picture that is exactly what I'm looking to do though

 

now that is sweeeeeeeeeeeetttt!!!

------------------

click below to check out....
www.formula350.com

or click below to email me
webmaster@formula350.com

 

92GTA...

Damnit!! Someone beat me to it!! Before i even looked at this post, i sent you a pic just like that of my setup. its the same pic, pretty much...just not as good of a quality. Anyways, like i said..it shouldnt be hard. Hope it works out!

------------------
1986 WS6-Equipped 5.0 TPI Trans Am
Random Tech High-Flow Cat
Two Chamber Flowmaster Muffler
Megs Custom 4.5" Stainless Steel Rolled Tips
1999 Grand Am GT In-Dash CD Player w/Equalizer(fits like '86 original)
5% Tint On Rear, 35% On Sides
http://www.pitt.edu/~zyhst/trans86/

OTHER RIDE:
1998 C5 6Spd. Corvette Coupe
Silver w/Gray Leather Int.
12/14 Options
Stock(for now)
Best 1/4th: 13.5 @ 104.4MPH

 

man that looks great. if i didnt already have a stereo i would try that. i loved factory CD player i had in my 99 MONTE but i sold that car so i could get my IROC. oh well.

GREAT JOB guys!

------------------
Jarrad
1990 IROC-Z L98 350 TPI
TH-700R4
G92- 9 Bolt Borg-Warner 3.27gears
Bright Red Hardtop/ Grey "Custom" Interior
NOT STOCK, NO WHERE CLOSE!
NEW RED PAINT and WELD PROSTARS.

DAILY DRIVER: 1991 GREY S10 2.5L/5SPD -FOR SALE. leaving for army.

 

Hey, thanks for the pic anyway man! Sweet, I see your car has the subwoofer option too, I wish they still had been doing that when my car was made

 

You are putting this into a 92 GTA, right? The harness wil just plug right in. I grabbed a cassette deck out of a 95 T/A and put it into my 84 S/E and I didn't have to make any modifications at all to the dash. Try and find the deck out of another F-body and it should mount right up.

Chris

 

well the factory plugs changed in 89 or so ,, from the two wire three plug style to the oneplug style, Im pretty sure all the newer radios will just plug in , wheather the dimesion is the same i dont know , but I would recomend a aftermarket cd player like a clarion Proaudio which is a Highly better unit, and all you need is the install wiring plug and the installation kit and if you can find it get the metal kit. which will come with three different face units a flat , one that prodruds about an inch and another one which is 1.5" or 1.75" , I have the flat one i had to modify the back of the radio pod , but it looks great and much better then the factory radio's

 

92GTA...

Yea, my car came with the subwoofer option....and that thing actually rocked for a long time...too bad it blew shortly after high school ended. I now have a set of 6x9 kenwoods back there, and up front, a pair of 4x6 Polk plates. Sounds good...i will still keep the woofer control though, as i will rig that as a switch for when i get a subwoofer. Anyways, the 99 radio sounds awesome, and it never skips a CD(unless the cd is scratched real bad like some of mine). Good luck man.

------------------
1986 WS6-Equipped 5.0 TPI Trans Am
Random Tech High-Flow Cat
Two Chamber Flowmaster Muffler
Megs Custom 4.5" Stainless Steel Rolled Tips
1999 Grand Am GT In-Dash CD Player w/Equalizer(fits like '86 original)
5% Tint On Rear, 35% On Sides
http://www.pitt.edu/~zyhst/trans86/

OTHER RIDE:
1998 C5 6Spd. Corvette Coupe
Silver w/Gray Leather Int.
12/14 Options
Stock(for now)
Best 1/4th: 13.5 @ 104.4MPH

 

The GM stereo should fit. The only difference in the factory stereos is the way they mount in the car. I just put a CD player in my 86 Olds 442. The CD came from a 98 Tahoe. I needed no mods, not even cabling. Metra makes a wire harness that converts the existing cable end to the newer style. I plugged one end into my wire harness and the other end right into the stereo. It works great and cost $23 for the cable. I can always put the original radio back in to restore originality. Metra is what most stereo installation companies use for wiring harnesses

------------------
87 IROC 350 TPI with less than 10k original miles
93 Z28 Pace Car #494 of 645
86 Olds 442 (All Original)
My IROC Website
Northstar Camaro Club of Minnesota