I'm in the process of installing a system in my truck, and it is my first time doing so. There are a few questions I have that I'm hoping someone here can answer for me.

1) My truck is so old that I don't even know the exact date. My guess would be that it's a 1983 or something like that. What powers the head unit in a vehicle like that? Will I need to buy some sort of adapter? It's a Toyota.

2) Do I only have to run one RCA cable from the amp to the head unit, or do I have to run 3 (front speakers, rear speakers, and sub)?

3) Is there anything I should absolutely know about installing a system?

Thanks in advance.

 

Well here's a start...
1) Basically what you need from your truck for an aftermarket head unit is:
1. Constant 12v. In a truck that old I would run a fresh wire right to the +ve side of the battery. You could find an unswitched 12v at the fuse panel.
2. Switched 12v. Turns the stereo on. Find a switched supply at the fuse panel.
3. Ground. Make your own.
Check the factory stereo wires, if you can figure them out they're all there too. I doubt they have wire harness adapters for that old a truck. Not sure though.

2) Depends. If running your speakers on the internal head unit or an external amp.

If they are externally amped then:
The sub amp requires one set of RCA's.
Front speakers require one set of RCA's
Rear speakers require one set of RCA's

If you run your speaks (not sub) from the head unit then the speaker wires start from the head unit.

There is a whole hell of a lot to know about this stuff but I suggest you hook the grounds up first and install the fuses last. Safety first you know.

Good luck!

Gene

 

duvo, here's a couple links that are good references:

bcae

12volt

And a general Toyota wiring guide. Don't know how applicable it is to your old truck.
Toyota general wiring guide

A guide for stereo removal for '89+, might help.
csh

So there's an old toyo pickup out there that isn't rusted out?

 

"So there's an old toyo pickup out there that isn't rusted out?"

Haha. Ummm, not quite. I'm 17 and I can't afford anything else. I'm putting a nice flatdeck on it next week though, so that should take care of the rusted box. [img]tongue.gif[/img] My brother actually gave me the stereo equipment, so I'm stoked but I can't afford to have it put in professionally. Besides, I'm the kind of person who likes to fix his own stuff.

I think I actually have a wiring harness, but I don't know if it's a)the right one, and b)easy to put on without special tools or something. I found a plug in the glovebox that looks like a wiring harness I've seen on the net. All I've got on the back of my head unit is a bunch of RCA female plugs, an S-video plug and a 12-or-so pin plug connector, so that doesn't give me any hints as to how I'm supposed put a bunch of wires in my head unit.

The problem with me is that I've never done anything like this before and I don't have anyone to talk to about it. My brother just had it installed by a&b or something, and he's out of the country anyway.

Anyway, thanks a lot for your help Fever.

BTW, I've got:
MTX 10" subs
Alpine speaks in the back
6x9 coaxial speaks in the dash
Sony Xplod amp (it's about 5 years old)
Panasonic deck

Sorry no serials or anything. Like I said, I didn't buy the stuff.

 

I checked the Metra website, doesn't look like there is a listing for an 1983 pu. This might work: http://www.scosche.com/scosche/connectors/TA01.asp

Does the truck still have a factory deck in it? My bro has an 86 flatdeck, single cab, we did up a nice little system, let me know if I can help you at all. [img]graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

 

Sounds like before anything else you're going to need the connector that plugs into the panasonic deck. That connector has all the wires that need to be hooked up to the truck, or to the adapter wires (hopefully the one you found in the glove box) that plugs into the stock harness.
Your brother should have it. The deck's not much good without it.

The rca's send the signal to your amp/amps. There should also be an antenna hookup.

Around here they use so much salt during the winters those poor old toyos rusted like crazy. Especially the boxes. Drivetrains run forever, bodies rust away. The new flatbed sounds like a good idea.

 

I just found out today that I'm missing the plug that goes in the back of the deck, and the problem is that it's in my brother's pathfinder... which he sold 6 months ago. Now, the guys down at my local A&B sound said that those plugs are unique to each head unit model . That sounds like complete and utter bull to me, as in my whole life I've never seen a plug to something electrical that's unique to each model. Are they jerking me around?

@JeepBeats...

Nah, the deck is long gone. My bro owned the truck before me and he had this same system in it. He then took it out and put it in a pathfinder, then took it out again when he sold the nissan.

I hate working with secondhand stuff.

[ July 27, 2004, 03:06 PM: Message edited by: duvo ]

 

LMAO...well at least you figured that out.

I'm not 100% but I don't think you were getting bs from that guy. From what I see these plugs are not universal and you probably have to find a model specific one. Do they deal in Panasonic? Can they order one?

Call the guy who bought the pfinder...he may still have it?

Good luck.

 

I was just wondering, is it okay to put the power wire and the ground wire on the amp without prong terminals? I ask because the prong terminal that came with my schosce kit are too big to fit my amp, so I have to put just the wires in the clamps.

 

Well, I'm all finished with the install. Everything worked out great, and I've got one nice system in place.

Thanks for all the help!