Has anyone modified the radio bay in a 2001 F150 to mount a stock cassette/cd unit? Looks to me like the top could be cut out without harming the integrity of the dash. Any caveats or problems to avoid? How did you do it?

All my life I wanted a big red truck, and now I got me one!! But it kinda hurts inside to cut up my new baby.
Thanks,
Dave

 

I think I would find a stereo that fits!

 

Valid point, but I pulled this cassette/cd from my other truck (2000 Ranger) so the price is right. The look "fits", and it sounds great. The faceplate is not the issue. The top of the radio bay slants down about half way back, and the unit hangs up.
There is alot of space above the top for the unit, and the top piece (plastic) doesn't appear to be mission critical for the soundness of the dash. Just hoped there was someone who had tried this.
Thanks,
Dave

 

I have done it to two diferent trucks and my wife's expy. You can do the safe route and go to the dealership and get the right bracket since that radio was available from the factory. It is not part of the whole dash. It is a seperate piece,

I took a small saw with fine teeth and cut veritcally upwards and removed the top portion of the radio support that your talking about. One of the trucks has had it in for about two years with no problems. Be careful of associated wiring and there is electronic module on top of the dash interior. Other than that, a piece of cake. 15 minutes of careful trimming and you've got it.

 

That's the information I was looking for!! I'll run down to the dealer and check out the bracket, but what's giving me doubt is that my 2001 owner's manual does not list the cassete/cd unit as an available option, the closest is a cassette model with "cd changer compatibility" and a multi-disc changer mounted under the seat. Thanks for the reply.
Dave

 

PRCRBOY:
Your info was right on!
I ran down to the parts dept. The guy behind the counter wasn't motivated to help me put a radio from a 2000 Ranger into a 2001 F150. "We don't do that. You'll have to buy a new radio." Sooo, a quick trip to Wally World to pick up a small keyhole saw. I first cut across the back, just above the metal mounting socket, then cut up both sides hugging the sidewalls. Cut just enough to let the top hinge out and up as the radio was pushed in... click, click and it was done!
Got my old favorite cassette/cd unit in my brand new truck. Life is good!!
Thanks again.
Dave

 

I have cut the back and up the sides but it still hangs up on the right side, the antenna connected to the bottom right corner I believe is the culprit from allowing that side to go all the way in. Any suggestions?

 

Shouldn't be ant. It plugs into the back. Check to make sure the wiring is not in the way. Push it down toward the ashtray when installing the radio. Also, when cutting make sure you get the whole back piece. There can't be any piece of it left.

I read the other threads. I hope this works for you. It worked perfectly in my 00 expy. Another thing to watch for, there is a module located above the stereo on my expy. The radio fits fine, but be aware of this because mine is tight. I also have the 6-cd radio in mine. I installed the factory dvd to go with it.

 

Ok, cool!
I finally got it to work, the problem seemed to be in the wiring that needed to be moved towards the ashtray as well as the little white plastic piece on the back of the radio that fits on the little metal tongue support needed to be ground down a bit to allow it to slide in all the way.

Much Thanks!

 

In my 99 Expy XLT I have the premium sound package and noticed that I do in fact have a subwoofer in the little compartment behind the rear wheel well on the drivers side. I am not getting any bass out of it, is it blown or is my new CD6 in-dash unit not capable of utilizing it? The wiring harness only has 2 plugs that plug into the back of my CD6 and those are the only 2 ports on the back of the headunit.

 

Sorry to say, yes. The subwoofer is fed on the 8 pin connector out of the old radio. I don't know if there is a simple fix for it or not. Other than buying the audophile 6cd. You might be able to use a converter to get the signal back there. I'll do some digging and let you know.

 

Awesome! That would be most appreciated!!

 

The only thing I've come up with is to replace the radio with a premium style unit or buy a line level converter. Run wires from the rear speaker over and use the converter to make a low level (rca style) input for the amp (it only take one channel). The trick is figuring out which wires are which on the amp. Here'w what my service manual says- power and grounds are seperate and controlled elsewhere, BN/OG is audio - and RD/BK is audio +. Now there is another wire DG/VT that is called audio mute, I'm not sure if it requires a signal to mute or to unmute. Try this and see if it works.

Second thought is to make it easier is to make the connections behind the radio. Hook on to two speaker wires and then to the convertor straight into the other connector. www.installdr.com will help with color codes. DG/OG and WH/LG should be front right speaker though

 

Cool, some good info on that site!

Here's my deal though, I want to try to use the stock subwoofer with the Ford cd-6 in-dash that I already bought. I havent read anywhere online where the factory sub is incorporated into either of the plugs on the vehicles wiring harness(there doesn't appear to be a 3rd separate plug to go into the headunit for the factory sub like a lot of people are describing). Is it possible that the factory sub wiring is in one of the 2 plugs on the expeditions harness and that the sub in there is blown or is it not even feasible for the sub to run out of one of those 2 plugs? Or is it possible that Ford put a sub in there without running wiring for it all the way back to the headunit for it?

 

I have never seen one without the third plug. The wire colors I gave you came straight from my ford service manual for that year. Now when you say premium, is that wrote on the speaker cover on the door? If so, its not the premium system that includes the sub. It was "super sound" and if the sub is factory then the third plug will be there. Can you pull the sub box and check to see if it is infact wired to anything.
Also, if your door doesn't say premium, recheck behind the radio for the third plug.

In that year, I believe the super sound was called Mach.