XD Sedan Radio

[Nath 1,975]

Hey guys, so as I get closer to getting this thing registrable I'm trying to think of what else needs to be done.

 

Anyone have any suggestions as to what to replace the old AM radio with? Looks like it's one fixed unit though so rather than messing with it I'm thinking it may be be better to fit a new head unit into the centre console box and leave the old one as is. 

 

Also what about speakers? The old ones seem pretty crap, but I don't really want to start cutting holes in the door cards or anything for new ones.

 

Curious to know what others have done with their XDs. Not after anything too obnoxious, just something a bit better than the old AM only radio in it now, without having to start cutting up too much inside the car.

[SLO247 1,713]

You can get new radio surrounds for a normal single din unit.

 

4x6 in the dash sides, 5x7 in the rear shelf is the factory sizes.

 

Xfs had 4" in the dash sides with a ported plastic box mounted to the old 4x6 holes.

[steve mcqueen 1,796]

Get rid of the old AM thing and replace it with a basic CD unit from Pioneer or Sony.

As SLO says you can buy new radio/cd surrounds which you may need?

See here.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Ford-Falcon-XD-XE-Radio-dash-facia-plate-only-Grey-NEW-/110997315440?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item19d7f49f70

 

If your like me, music/sound/radio is important in the car so buy some good speakers for the front dash

and get some 6x9's for the rear. Make a good solid MDF parcel tray for them to fit into.

Cut it with a jigsaw and bobs your uncle. 

 

Wire the hole shebang up with some speaker cable from say Jcar or Supercheap etc, 

grab some cable ties from Big W or some cheap place like that to tie all the wiring out of the road

and do i nice neat job, should be able to have a great sound, nice looking unit in the car over a weekend.

[Nath 1,975]

Great posts guys, definitely food for thought there. Will definately look into making an MDF parcel shelf.

 

One thing I noticed though is that the console seems to be one solid unit, taking the radio out means that all the a/c and hazard light/choke controls and stuff goes with it

 

 

 

Possibly what I could do is remove/cut the bottom out of the ash tray in front of the T-Bar, and put the head unit there?

 

Or where the blanking plate (for a cassette player I'm assuming?) goes?

[Mr Polson 10,214]

Clock I think went in that blank area...

[Nath 1,975]

Haha, a clock must have been an optional extra back in 1981 then... This must have been the poverty pack.

[Mr Polson 10,214]

Passenger side mirror was still an option on XD so clock probably was as well.

[SLO247 1,713]

Clock was an option. S packs and Fairmont's etc had them.

 

That dash is four pieces. Radio surround is one, then clock surround, ac control surround and the vent surround are all separate.

[SLO247 1,713]

The vent surround has two screws going down vertically. Swivel the vents to see the heads.

 

Ac and stereo surrounds are held in by nuts behind the knobs. Need a deep socket. Can't remember if 7/16 or 1/2.

 

Clock one has a screw hiding in the back behind the blanking plate.

 

Be really careful with it all, old plastic doesn't always like being disturbed.

 

The plug for the clock may well be there. Let us know. Square plug. If you fit a clock be sure to get the XD/early XE one with the big numbers.

 

The later one with the small numbers has a different plug.

[Nath 1,975]

The vent surround has two screws going down vertically. Swivel the vents to see the heads.

 

Ac and stereo surrounds are held in by nuts behind the knobs. Need a deep socket. Can't remember if 7/16 or 1/2.

 

Clock one has a screw hiding in the back behind the blanking plate.

 

Be really careful with it all, old plastic doesn't always like being disturbed.

 

The plug for the clock may well be there. Let us know. Square plug. If you fit a clock be sure to get the XD/early XE one with the big numbers.

 

The later one with the small numbers has a different plug.

Cheers,

 

So in that case I'd just need a head that fits the radio surround then, or get another surround like the one Steve posted?

 

I'm almost tempted to put it in the ashtray slot just for the sake of leaving the original stuff there.

 

Is this the clock?

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/XD-Falcon-siemens-digital-clock-green-illumination-/281465032300?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item41889f8e6c

 

 

Should get to taking it apart tomorrow afternoon sometime.

[SLO247 1,713]

That's the correct clock. That's the right Facia too, not sure how they mount though.

 

I usually sell the clocks for $20. Only got two late ones at the moment though.

 

There isnt enough clearance behind the ashtray. Stereos these days are pretty long.

[Nath 1,975]

Ahk, well if that's the case I'll take it apart tomorrow, order the clock and the fascia if they'll fit and go from there. Can get the unit ad speakers from Repco whenever.

 

Too bad I don't know shit about wiring... One way to learn though.

[Mr Polson 10,214]

Radios are easy to wire, there's normally about 12 wires (you'll only need to use 11).

Two wires for each speaker, acc power for radio, constant power - you'll have to hook this up to the fuse box or something as cars as old as x series didn't have constant power wires - and an earth. The other wire would be for automatic aerials but you won't have one of them.

[NZXD 2,328]

The vent surround has two screws going down vertically. Swivel the vents to see the heads.

 

 

Ac and stereo surrounds are held in by nuts behind the knobs. Need a deep socket. Can't remember if 7/16 or 1/2.

 

 

Clock one has a screw hiding in the back behind the blanking plate.

 

 

Be really careful with it all, old plastic doesn't always like being disturbed.

 

 

The plug for the clock may well be there. Let us know. Square plug. If you fit a clock be sure to get the XD/early XE one with the big numbers.

 

 

The later one with the small numbers has a different plug.

 

I've found with my GL base model XD that it has the full loom, including all the wiring for a/c and electric windows, mine in NZ assembled so possibly they used one loom for all models.

[bear351c 10,270]

Ashtray 'plate' is a great place for 2 or 3 Autometer gauges............

[steve mcqueen 1,796]

You wont lose your AC, or hazzard lights etc by removing the stereo, they on separate panels.

As someone else said

"pull the knobs off your radio, undo the small thin bolts that hold it in place"

tube socket, size 13mm or 1/2, i have used long nose pliers to get them off to.

 

Use the existing power and negative wire's for your new unit.

wire up speakers and presto.

 

Now my pics.

This is the stereo i was running in my XD many moons ago.

 

It was in the dash with this.

 

It run door and dash speakers and the 6x9's i had in the rear parcel tray.

Now only yesty, i made another parcel tray from MDF for my current project which is an XD but XE and XF are almost the same, they so close.

I had the old Ford Factory parcel tray as a template and i traced around it for the same basic shape. Then using the 6x9 speaker template that comes

on the speaker box i traced it onto the MDF and cut it out with a jigsaw.

 

Then once it was all trimmed up (the jigsaw is an awsome little machine) the speakers fit like this.

 

Ill dress the MDF up with a bit of automotive carpet you can buy from Bunnings, ill throw some light, thin foam, (just buy a yoga matt from Big W for it)

on it, glue it with some spray adhesive, its just to help prevent vibration you mite get and ill screw it down at the front, which will be under the back seat

once you pull it out for the install. You shouldn't have to cut your metal parcel tray (i didn't have to cut mine) but if your having issues with clearence

buy some of these just to 'lift them up' a smidge.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/6x9-inch-BLACK-CARPETED-MDF-SPEAKER-SPACERS-32mm-adaptors-carpet-DOUBLE-HEIGHT-/250956926060?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3a6e32cc6c

 

Just a foot note....

When making the MDF rear parcel tray, you will have to trim a little more of the sides which run down the C pillar to clear the sides of the roof

that come down. Also, you mite have to 'taper off' the back edge of the MDF to fit under the back window rubber (just use a file or grab some

60 grade sand paper and place it round a smooth block of wood then sand away. 

Ive made about 4 of these things now in my life time for different X falcons all needing a tweek here and there for best results. Once you made it

you will get a great sound from your new stereo.

Let us know how you get on.

[bear351c 10,270]

Yep, good stuff Mr McQueen. Did the same in my FC. Had a Gas tank in the boot, had to lift the 6x9's by 30mm.

 

So, you've made 4 or 5 of these, how much for a black one.???

[steve mcqueen 1,796]

Thanks Mr bear.

Made one for my old purple XD about 20 something years ago, i used 4 ply i think for that puppy.

Made another for a XF i had years ago to, i on sold that car.

Made one for Nana, another XF.

Made one for dads XM. We didn't put speakers in it, just needed a parcel tray.

And did this one for project goldie only yesty.

[Nath 1,975]

Sweet post. I'll pick up all the stuff I need during the week, hopefully should hook in to it next weekend if everything goes to plan.

[Nath 1,975]

Get rid of the old AM thing and replace it with a basic CD unit from Pioneer or Sony.

As SLO says you can buy new radio/cd surrounds which you may need?

See here.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Ford-Falcon-XD-XE-Radio-dash-facia-plate-only-Grey-NEW-/110997315440?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item19d7f49f70

 

If your like me, music/sound/radio is important in the car so buy some good speakers for the front dash

and get some 6x9's for the rear. Make a good solid MDF parcel tray for them to fit into.

Cut it with a jigsaw and bobs your uncle. 

 

Wire the hole shebang up with some speaker cable from say Jcar or Supercheap etc, 

grab some cable ties from Big W or some cheap place like that to tie all the wiring out of the road

and do i nice neat job, should be able to have a great sound, nice looking unit in the car over a weekend.

Gonna order one of those fascia plates, it doesn't come with the mounts though. Can I roll with the existing mounts for the old one or will I have to source others?

 

Just ordered that clock. Does it go straight in or do I need to change anything (other than removing the blanking plate)?

[wagoon 2,429]

I have always liked putting the stereo in the glove box if you want to keep the dash looking original. Its not hard to run power and speaker wires to the back of the glove box. Buy a stereo that has a remote so you dont have to lean over to change stuff. You may need to remove the back of glove box to make it work though

[SLO247 1,713]

You just need to fit a few screws for the clock. It screws in and the trim clips on.

[steve mcqueen 1,796]

Should be a case of just removing the blanking plate for the clock, the wiring plug maybe there behind it????

The clock just screws into place and then plug and play if the Factory plug is there.

 

Been awhile since i stuck my head in a XD dash, (i only have the stereo left now its hooked up in the shed)

but i think there is a bracket at the back the new unit will slide into???

And see how my purple/blue facia has the holes? i drilled them and the plastic behind it and used small small 

allen head screws to mount and hold it in place in the front.

The small small allen head screws i used were from a xf fairmont speaker door trim but you could use anything.

[scottly 475]

I vote for what Wagoon sugested leave the car standard put the CD player in the glove box. If you don't want to do that I'm pretty sure you can run car audio off a iPad, ipod, usb not sure how but people are doing it a lot these days

[Nath 1,975]

I'm not so much worried about it looking original, more that I can put anything I do to it back to original condition later on if I need to.

 

I'd say buying a new fascia and drilling into that if I need to would be the way to go, can just put the old one away somewhere in case I ever want to change it back.

I'll get the fascia before I buy a unit to make sure it'll fit reasonably well.