Hey ya'll. First off I'm new here so I'll introduce myself. Name is Dwain, from Louisiana. Primary truck is an 1982 F100 bought off a friend of mine. Kinda young so this is my first truck and I'm loving that it runs fine but still has plenty of stuff for me to tinker with. Anyways, that's about it, now onto my post
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As it stands, my truck only has the stock AM tuner in it. While I love the original-ness of it...I hate that I have no music. So I'm looking to install a radio. I'm currently looking at going about it one of two ways. 1. is to just remove the stock AM and replace it with a new one. Few problems. First it seems the truck is so old they don't have wiring harnesses for it? Second I'm worried it would detract from the value if I ever decide to sell it (not likely, but just in case.) My number 2 plan is something my cousin pulled off where he installed a stand alone radio/cd players+two speaker boxes in his 82 GMC. The only wiring necessary was a power wire if I'm correct. The old boy that had this truck before me had a CB radio so there this black (I'm assuming power?) wire just a dangling there ready to go. So could ya'll help me out? I need advice on which of these two methods is best, any new methods ya'll suggest, any help at all! THank ya'll.

 

Method #3. If you know where a late 70's early 80's Ford car or truck is located, get the radio from it and see if it works.

I got a junk 78 Granada from someone to get the front spindles and stuff from to put on my 65 mustang. They wanted the engine and the tranny, but nothing else. That was when I had my 1980 f150, and it came with a AM/FM/8 track radio that didn't work. The Granada radio did work, and was a AM/FM mono type. It plugged right in and looked factory. I then also found a AM/FM stereo radio in the trunk of the Granada, and it worked also, but was a little dirty and the volume control was scratchy. But it was the same type, and would have fit exactly in the same spot and would have looked factory also.

P.S. One thing you will find with the old factory radios when they work. Their sound quality is ok but not the greatest. But they really pull the stations in better than a cheapie radio you get a Walmart or somewhere.

 

Any Radio out of a Mustang, Granada, Ford Van etc... between 1982-1984 is a direct swap. You will have to add the stereo speakers and the harnesses and rubber conduit into the doors, but you will have to do that anyway.

Any car radio from the mid to late 70's up until 1981 will work also, but the connectors on the radio are slightly different as they changed in 1982. So a little wiring will need to be done.

The options for radios back in 1982 were:

1: AM radio
2: AM/FM Mono
3: AM/FM Stereo
4: AM/FM Stereo 8 Track tape
5: AM/FM Stereo Compact cassette

The standard radio was no radio at all.

There was also a factory CB option, but finding one of those would be darn near impossible...

 

I got this:




Which became this:





I forget in what year the wiring connectors changed but that stuff can be dealt with pretty easily....

 

Option 4: Get the face plate and radio from a later truck. Somewhere along about '85 the radios had DIN sizing and the faceplates changed to accommodate them. But, I do not know if the wiring is the same such that it will plug in, although both types require all the same circuits so you should be able to do the swap with minimal wiring changes.

HOWEVER, the type of fake wood trim also changed, so you'll need to get the instrument panel trim as well for it to match. And even then it may not match the door trim depending on what you have.

 

up untill 1980-1981 rubber connectors for the radio...

1982-1996+ Plastic connectors for the radio....

 

Our resident expert hath spoken, all bow.

Here is how I dealt with stuff on my 1981:

 

A: If I didn't know better I would think you are being sarcastic. Glad both Explorer and I know better.

B: Wait! What are those extra instruments? That's a good place to...oh, you don't have A/C. But, there is the iPhone cubbyhole. (Remarkable that Ford thought that far ahead.) Maybe I could use that?

C: Gee, you did the shots when installing the radio I'll bet. I think they have a term for that. Any chance you can turn some of the text another color. These old eyes are having a hard time reading it.

 

Least I know I came to the right place for help! Thank ya'll! I'ma start searching for one of them AM/FM radio with the cassette player.

 

LK - You did come to the right place. There are people on here that have done just about anything you can dream up, and they are quite willing to help.

As for the radio, you now know of lots of options, so can go looking and will know when you find something whether or not you can use it. Good luck!

 

I agree with GL, you have come to the right place. I bought my bezel from someone on here. The thing is that I chose not to get a factory radio. I got a newer CD player and I just put some speakers behind the seat. I know that's being lazy, but I at least have my music. My 85 F-150 ain't all original, but it is mine. Heck, a lot of the parts I have on it now and are going to install are from a 94. Its represnts me, a guy raised in the 90s, but born in the 80s. The reason I didn't just fix up the 94 is because I love the early 80s bullnosed trucks, and because the frame was broke.

Either way, I wish you the best of luck on getting that radio. If I ever come across one before you do, I'll tell you.

 

You also need the brackets that screw onto the top & bottom of the radio and that also screw onto the dash, I suspect finding those will take time. I'll prolly try and look 'em up in the parts catalog sometime, see if they're available NOS anyplace.

As was mentioned, the trim pieces are also needed; one style has holes for radio *****, the other for electronic controls. Finding one of those that's in decent shape and that also hasn't been hacked up is also gonna take time.

 

Ok, so it's gonna be awhile before I'm able to get to the yard and see what I can come across. While killing some spare time on the internet, I came across this...RetroSoundUSA.com - Classic Radio Systems, Speakers, and Accessories. They don't have one specifically for an '82 F100, but they have one for an '82 Granada. and if the set up for the two is the same, could I maybe just get that version and put it in mine? Just a Plan B in case I can't come across a filler. Thank ya'll again!

 

Yes you can go that option. They also made or make factory radio replicas that look almost like the original factory radio, so this may be an option for you too.

Something that will fit a 1982 Mustang also...

 

I went and looked at that retrosound link, those look pretty cool! USB, SD card reader, aux input, RDS stuff on the display, that's pretty slick, I'm glad somebody makes those.

Mine's got Dolby and can take chrome tapes (if the drive bands are still good, I'm not sure I ever tried to play a cassette tape in the thing, prolly cuz I expect everything inside to be dry-rotted).

Oh, yeah, those brackets................