Hey guys I'm continuing the resto on a customers 71 Delta 88 and trying to finish up installing the dash and all components. We've opted to install a modern radio in the factory location and I'm just about done wiring the radio and speakers up. I have one question however.

The stock connector to the radio has 3 wires...black, gray, and yellow. Black appears to be ground and yellow is accessory power I believe. What is the gray wire?

The new radio requires an accessory power line and a constant 12v line to power the clock when the radio is off. Is the gray supposed to be a 12v constant by any chance? Right now I have no power coming to it at all. Maybe I have to run a constant 12v to the radio from the fuse box somewhere? But I still need to know that the gray wire does so I can make sure whatever else is tied into it functions properly.

Thanks.

 

Yellow: ACC +
Black: Ground
Grey: Instrument Lights

You'll have to pick up a constant 12v from the BAT tap on the fusebox, or straight through the A/C grommet to the horn relay on the other side of the firewall.

- Eric

 

Great thanks. Didn't occur to me that it would have a seperate wire coming in to illuminate the radio when the lights were on but makes total sense. Just terminating that end with some shrink wrap shouldn't hinder any other lights it looks like.

I already have the radio and speakers all wired in and working perfectly. Putting the rest of the lower dash on now. The new radio almost looks like a factory unit except for the glossy black finish.

 

Please take a photo of that radio when you're done and post it here. I've got a '73 Olds wagon, full-size, and it has the same dash as the car you're working on. I'd love to see what a professionally-installed radio in the dash looks like.

 

It's only a cell phone pic and the top switch is out right now but you can get the general idea. By the way...does anyone have a power top switch for sale that'll fit a 71?

IMG_20110811_095251.jpg

 

Looks great. Thanks!

 

Not that it's of great consequence, but here's a photo of the aftermarket AM/FM/cassette radio I put in my '73. It's an '80s-era JVC unit that was made back when you could still get aftermarket radios that fit the old style dash openings. Those are still made now, but there is only one manufacturer that I know of. I got this for $2 at a garage sale. It was so cheap because the seller didn't know if it still worked. For $2.00, I'll take a chance on anything. I tested it at home, and it worked fine.

The car originally had an AM-only radio that played fine, but I wanted the FM capability as well.

Of course, it doesn't play CDs, but I use satellite radio almost all the time now when I travel, and I can move the satellite unit into this car and hear it over the radio by tuning it to a certain FM frequency. So I don't miss the CD. The cassette part doesn't work, but I don't have any cassettes anymore, anyway, and, hey, what did I expect for $2?

 

Nice. If you just want to keep your stock radio but have cd and iPod capability check out a product called the RediRad. I have a magazine article coming out in Auto Restorer Magazine next month on installing one.

 

Does the radio you are installing have 'automatic display dimming'? If so you could use the gray wire so the radio 'knows' when to dim the display.