Actually the method is... 1. Unhook wires at radio.... Done... They are in a horrible location and they do nothing but blast you in the ear and ruin sound stage
This video has single handidly made me change my mind and cancel my order of the RetroSounds radio. I love how it looks almost OEM, but with that much difficulty of an install, I’d rather just save some money and go with one of the single dins that go where the cassette player was. Thanks for the video. Very detailed
I guess I live under a rock somewhere because I just discovered RUclips and your Channel. I've been working on cars for over 35 years and your advice is definitely solid. Thank you for all you do.
As you were pulling out the trim on your a pillar I caught myself telling you to be careful not to break the tabs, and then boom, you broke the tabs. I felt deflated for you! Been there!
You can buy the connectors that plug into the GM connectors. 1. Saves having to run wires. 2. Easier, neater, cleaner job. NO spare wires under the dash. 3. Let's you reverse it easily when you sell the vehicle. Plug in the OEM radio.
I agree. Especially after replacing the entire dash harness after the previous owner hacked the *hit out of it putting another radio in. Check out Metra 70-1855 for right harness adapter.
Hi Eric! That bought back memories... 51 y/o lapsed HiFi freak during the 80s, did some audio work on my own cars as a younger man in the very late 80s / 90s. As a European, we were "lucky" enough to have standard DIN or double-DIN slots back in the day, and the Japanese and Germans were kind enough to supply us with a plethora of aftermarket units to choose from, CD autochangers (remember those?), outboard amps, speakers a-plenty, subwoofers... Ah, those were the days! Anyhow, my main takeaway from that era is that the most important thing (cheapest, too, to start with...) is to replace the OEM speakers with size-compatible, aftermarket quality brand stuff. Now, looking at your truck, space is a premium, and you have to go with what room you have, but honestly, those speakers will not cut it, given their size, no matter how big a magnet they have compared to the originals. Step two, also suggested in other comments, is a subwoofer. Back in the day I used to have a big, tubular thing running off a separate amp., but given the size of your cab, a flatter unit mounted under a seat should provide you with all the bass you need, especially since the human ear cannot "locate" low frequencies, you can mount a sub. basically anywhere you want/can and get good bass. Time was, I went to the trouble of routing huge-gauge wire from the battery to my amps, replace all speaker cabling with higher gauge-stuff (waste of time, effort and money) the whole 9 yards. Youth, eh...? Anyway, speakers first, subwoofer, then maybe amp(s) and head-unit, really depends on what you want from your system. Oh, the total strip-out seems like a golden opportunity to change the carpet, no? Keep those excellent videos coming, greatly enjoyed!
For rattles, I like to get foam insulation tape and stuff it between anything I can when I have a dash apart. It stiffens things up and provides some cushion to other areas.
Whew, you got me good, the first view of the entire dash taken apart I thought "not a chance in hell am I replacing these speakers if it takes that much work..."
A handy installers tip for speaker installs or head unit.... anything you leave behind in the dash should be wrapped with bubble wrap or some type of insulation so it won't rattle later. Also install foam tape on both sides of the speaker so the adapter rings don't rattle. It also helps seal the compartment aiding the sound output of the speaker!
They make a wiring harness for the speakers,that would have saved you a lot of time. Thanks for NOT cutting the factory harness, the next owner thanks you in advance. Keep up the great work I enjoy your videos, all the way in Georgia. I have a 97 extended cab and they are great trucks to own.
Eric, Great Install & So Glad You Got To Do It! :-) I Bought My GMC Sierra Pick Up 1991 Just 31 Years Ago Brand New & The Speakers Have Always Been Great. 7 Years Ago My Cassette Player w/Graphic Equalizer Went Out Then 6 Years Ago My Radio Went Out But Both Still Light Up. Ok, I am a Old School Man who years ago there were Junk Yards you went into & there was never a cover charge. You found what you needed & took it out & paid the Man with his Trusted Pup who ran & owned the Junk Yard a Dollar Or 5 or 10 Bucks for the small items like a Radio or Cassette player. No big deal. Today where have the Junk Yards gone? Ok there are a few from all 50 states & they only want to take recent model vehicles & parts from them & then put them on a computer listing. So for 7 years have missed all my Cassette tapes I still have & radio stations when I come into a City that still have Radio stations to broadcast from. Yes I have seen my Radio & Cassette player on Ebay & Amazon, ouch, before I pay what they are asking for. OMG I call it in simple terms HighWay Robbery. I have kept my GMC Pick-Up Truck in Minty Condition. It is my life line & living in Rual Mountains of America, has been a real void in my life without music to enjoy. I never have asked for much in my life, the basics have always been enough. So when something from the very basics in life becomes a void, it leaves one feeling empty inside. I just keep inside hoping & praying for that Radio & Cassette player to appear. I never have expected anyone to give me, as have always paid for what I have in life. Was just born & raised different. Have always been a Gifter Forward to others in the journey have & continue to live. If you know of anyone in your networked field of expertise, I would sure be thankful & grateful for the heads up Eric. always, Tommy :-)
A word of WARNING about cutting the tabs with snips for all watching. If you're not careful, you might deform the rim of the speaker, thus upset the cone, thus mess the tolerance of the magnet/wire system that drives it. Personally, after many fu*kups, i recommend a cutting wheel. Shavings can be mitigated by putting tape on the tabs before cutting.
Those speakers are not worth more than five bucks and that car stereo is it worth more than ten bucks.... It's Chinese made and put in American box and sold for American prices... I looked up
i’m so glad to hear that you call a head unit as well.... because I have friends all the time saying “ I just bought a new deck” and I’m like What the heck is a Deck?! Do You mean Head Unit?!”
Thank you very much for doing this video! I've got a '90 K1500 Sport and this has helped me realize I'm leaving the radio as is. I took it to Cartoys when I first got it and they straight up refused to do an install saying exactly what you said, you have to take pretty much everything a part and that brittle plastic likes to break.
Did this to my 89 chevy 2500 as only my second radio install. Real pain in the butt compared to my first, which was an 06 silverado. Seriously wish this video had come out back then XD
Just recently installed new stereo in my car last weekend, put in one of those self-amplified under-seat subwoofers, fantastic combination with a set of components (with crossovers) in front, can highly recommend underseat sub and components, otherwise your retro look radio is great
Eric, thanks for final posting this video. You have reminded me what a PITA it is to installing a radio. Also, you didn't give a ring endorsement of the radio so I should also thank you for saving me $400. Between the money and the hassle, I am just going to stick with the stock radio. -Alex
I installed a set of Boston Acoustic plates in the corners of a 90 model when it was new, & I swear I don't remember having to pull all of that to get to the rears. Memory sure fades after 30 years!
I already know how to do this but I always wanna stop bye and show appreciation and love. Me and the kids love watching ur repair videos and the day in the life was awesome keep up the videos hope they don’t end have a great day
Those rear speakers remind me of when I helped my Dad replace the rear speakers in a Toyota Previa. There were grilles that if they were removable you could pop them off and get right to the speakers...you could see the screws through the grille, but nope. EVERYTHING back there had to come off to pop the side panels off enough to get to the speakers.
)I just did this. Replaced a non-working factory radio with another ( better ,working, factory) radio. Ordered connectors to use the factory speaker harness with new aftermarket speakers. Sounds Awesome!
Thanks man getting ready to do a radio swap with my 90 Silverado, looks like a full days worth of work just for the radio. So I am going to do everything inside in addition and make it a 14 day job because those clips look too #$%^ brittle to mess with more than once. Peace out dude. :)
@Friendzone Boy If it's a sponsored video, I say so at the beginning of the video. I purchased and installed this radio myself. Retrosound did not provide it.
By watching this series I gained enough spazzz to attack an old 99 chevy sitting around. He started this dads truck thing 5mths ago, I watch for about 4 videos and could stand myself so I started in on it and low and behold I have an old truck that starts and drives between the lines and tells which way it going. OH! it stops too. Eric you're good reel good I mean.
Ahh EricTheCarRadioGuy, i think you did great :-D I'm not too happy with those crimp connectors, maybe adjust the tool for a better crush. I like the channel in the rubber door seal. shame that all cars don't have them.
I have a new solution over crimp connectors that will be in next weeks videos. In my experience it’s all about the tool. A good crimp tool makes all the difference.
Buy the connector that will plug into the factory plug and give you ends to splice into so someone can put the factory unit back in later. These are usually less than 20 bucks, also make a small jumper to go from the speaker to the factory plug for the speakers. Many times the plug wires will pull out of the factory connector going to the speaker and attach to the speakers less wires run, and rattle after install. Many times the connector will come with the kit to install the head unit plastics and one last thing do not power it on without the antenna connected at this is used as a floating ground on many head units.
Was thinking the same, does take the afford of saving the speaker cables, but cuts the main loom and even very short so you cant ever re-solder them... :P
I was thinking the same thing... I believe this one would have worked. www.amazon.com/Scosche-GM02B-Aftermarket-Receiver-1988-2005/dp/B0004FQRLC/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=1994+gmc+truck+radio+harness&qid=1563536136&s=gateway&sr=8-3
I normally do that also, but due to the configuration of this radio I don’t believe there is one available. Also, I don't see what the big issue is about this. I only cut 3 wires. The rest were speaker wires.
@@ericthecarguy Its not a big deal just not the standard way a car stereo is installed. Any place that offers the radio and dash plastic would have the harness in stock as this is a common swap. I did one in mine friends chevy truck about 10 years ago. It's easy to be a critic when you have installed hundreds of alarms, speakers and after market radios. You do you, it's your truck and you can install it any way you want, but this advice was for someone who wanted to use your video as a tutorial. If I wasn't half the chicken I am, afraid of the youtube comments I would make my own videos. Eric you make great entertaining videos and have my upmost respect and I have learned a lot from your content. I just found it funny the wires for the speakers you left to rattle around and then hacked the wires in the dash for the head unit the exact opposite of that a good car stereo installer would do. You installed the sound system like a car mechanic which is what anyone who watches you video would expect. I orders some of those shrink wire connectors those were amazing when installing lights on my tractor to seal out the water. The addition of a cheep base shaker under the seat will solve the base problem and not take up valuable space.
This is pretty cool, I like the factory look of this head unit. I'll have to check it out, I know retrosound can be a bit pricey. I doubt Eric will want to dive in to change speakers again but there is actually plenty of room in the trucks for more potent speakers I used a set of 4 Rockford Fosgate speakers and the fit just as easy as these low profile units, and honestly I don't feel like I need a sub in my single cab.
awesome! If you need some bass, maybe think about a small shallow mount powered subwoofer? I had one under the seat of my ford ranger, kenwood KSC-SW11, it sounded good and not so loud that people outside can hear it and won't shake the mirrors, just adds some bass, later!
If you wanted to really know the polarity of the speaker, Briefly- just for 1 second, touch a 9 volt battery to the terminals and watch which way the cone moves. The polarity of the speaker is that of the battery, if the speaker moves outward, your +/- are correct; if it moves in turn the battery around. Be very careful with the battery and just do it for 1 second. A run-down 9 volt battery would be great for this test. With speakers like your 4x6 it really doesn't matter, but if you are going through multiple passive crossovers and such the polarity can change. Good job by the way, that looked like a lot of work.
I'm saddened that you didn't use speaker wire adapters. They're just small lengths of wire that have connections to accept the factory speaker wire. I used them all the time when I was installing stereos and speakers.
Very informative. I'm not super impressed with the fit for a factory replacement. The upside is it looks factory enough to keep your side glass whole in less than optimal parking conditions.
Hey Eric, good work. that blue power antenna wire is used for you amp remote turn on. And that is 1 reason I ALWAYS solder and heat shring my wiring harness for car stereos, well really for almost everything. I'm sure you know all that but anyway. That is a killer setup, always wondered what to put in those model trucks for stereo with like no dash room. You did a great job buddy, keep up the great videos.
Hey Eric, just found something the other day I think you will get a kick out of. The tool box (jack storage) compartment, the long bolt down into the floor you said was hard, had lock tight on it, if you look at the top of it it's a bolt......... you simply use a 9/32 I think, Took mine out in 10 seconds with a ratchet.
Hey thank you for this video installed my retrosound unit in my 1992 GMC sierra...thanks for the wiring instructions...super...works flawlessly...again THANKS!!!
In my car, I wanted everything to be as bone-stock as possible - including not cutting or damaging any factory wiring. So when I replaced the speakers (the originals were dry rotted and not functional anymore), I bought wiring harnesses that plug into the factory speaker connector and then the other end has the connectors that match aftermarket speakers. Also helps ensure you get positive and negative connected properly. Keeps things cleaner and preserves your factory wiring setups. For the Chevy C/K, I believe this is the harness you would need: www.amazon.com/DKMUS-Harness-Vehicles-Speakers-Connector/dp/B01MZ5KDGT
I've done a ton of aftermarket radio installs, and after watching this, I'm glad I have never come across one that did not go in a DIN opening. I cringe for the future of contemporary cars that have gotten away from that standard and have all the controls for the vehicle going though the "head unit." God forbid that thing ever dies, you might as well scrap the car!
When leaving old factory wiring harnesses unused: Wrap the end in electrical tape: It'll reduce the amount of rattling and noise it makes while hanging down there inside the body. I'm sure there is probably an even better method, but odds are anyone installing a radio or speaker or tearing open their dash has some electrical tape on hand, and the tiny bit of compression it adds to the surface can go a long way to quieting all those tiny little impacts it makes with the metal as you drive around. Also, I tend to label any custom wires I add with masking tape and a Sharpie. May not be legible in 10 years, but if I come back in 5 years, I'll know what's what at first glance.
That's a lot of broken clips to have to deal with. 30-year-old GM plastic is *not* what you'd call "structurally sound." I hope you were able to get most of those clips glued back on. What a pain!
Thanks for breaking things so I don't have to. Great Video. If you played a RUclips music video through your radio would that comply with their terms of service?
Good video. I'm in the process of redoing my stereo in my '91 Sierra. Thanks for going through the entire removal of the rear panels; this will come in handy when I get around to doing the speakers. A few things though, you don't just "call those positive". The speaker itself should have either a + or a red dot to indicate positive. The other being, my factory stereo, had a EQ in the dash above the ash tray. You never showed how you covered this. And this video was for a Retro Sound stereo. Not all that helpful in installing a normal DIN stereo as far as the wiring goes.
Not sure if you’re aware of this but on GMs and Fords you insert the key into the ignition and turn it one click backwards for the accessible mode. Not sure if that allows you to turn the wheel but it does allow you to turn on the radio and roll the power windows up and down. Just an FYI, but I’m sure as a mechanic you probably already knew that.
Was wondering who that 'slim chap with the beard' is...it's 'Eric The Car Guy'...So used to watching videos made in winter seeing you in a shirt caught me out...I need to sort out the 'Tunes' in my van...it's about number 360 of the 'fixes' needed at the moment...One day, Eric...ONE DAY!!
It cannot be understated just how lucky you are for having a radio set that's made to refit the existing space and made in the same spec. Rarely, do you get one that's so well camouflaged and usually you have to hide them under a flap because they contrast so ugly with the rest of the car.
I'll be doing the same to my 1993 K1500 Suburban. Thank you for showing us everything not to do. I have to replace the dash so I might have an easier install than you did (???).
Yep, installing radios can be frustrating - but you make it look (sort of) easy. As always. And remember two things: it beats shoveling shit in Lousiana, and 2) nothing's complicated unless you complicate it. Thanks for making complex stuff uncomplicated. Now take a break. Hell, take two - they're small.
if something is made to be specific to this truck, like that headunit it really should be a plug and play from the start, you shouldn't need to cut anything, those speakers should have come with stock plugins soldered on them and that headunit just plug right in and mount the amp in the old location and instructions on how to route the wiring to the different parts. it's one thing if it's a universal setup, but this was built specifically for this vehicle and nothing else. Side note for the FIRST time in doing radio installs, having done at least 8 head unit installs (8 different cars not 8 different headunits) over the years I finally ran into a similar setup to this, Helping my brother install his headunit we soldered and heat shrunk the harness of the new radio to the adapter harness, went out to the truck to plug it in and the plug was different, thinking we made mistake number 1 of radio installs (not checking the harness first) we went to every parts place in town looking for an adapter that fit the plug that came out of the stock radio, we don't find one (just ones like we already have) and so we head back to my house to go looking online, as a last ditch effort (because his wife really wanted everything hooked up so she could finally get her subwoofer) we are checking every wire in that area of the dash, this is when I notice the wire that we have now confirmed did indeed go to the headunit (oddly one of the wires that went to the dash trim panel around the stereo also fit one of the 2 stereo plugs), I follow that wire down and it goes to a silver box, I reach down and feel 2 plugs going into the other side of the box, so we unbolt and remove the box, sure enough there are the plugs we have been looking for for connecting our wire harness to.
Actually, the harness I thought was for the "Newport" radio was an adapter to plug into the factory wiring harness. That said, I don't consider it a big deal that I cut 3 wires to hook it up. Thanks for your comment.
I have ran new wires for the mids and highs but only because I was running them on an amp. I used the factory harness to have the stereo/ head unit power tweeters. I really prefer to just either strip/ crimp the wires or buy the plug if not running an amp. Much cleaner without the extra wire.
so just FYI i think the "New Port" connector is actually where you plug all the connectors from the factory GMT400 radio harness into. then the loose wires on the "New Port" plug can be wired to the loose wire from the retro sound radio plug so you DON'T have to cut the factory plugs off the trucks wire harness!!!
You are correct. However, I don't think cutting 3 wires is all that difficult to repair to put it back to stock if someone wanted to. Thanks for your comment.
Installing rear speakers:
Step 1: separate body and frame
Step 2: strip body down to bare metal to expose all screws.
Actually the method is... 1. Unhook wires at radio.... Done... They are in a horrible location and they do nothing but blast you in the ear and ruin sound stage
@@mcf3778 This is my plan for my 88 GMC. Ear speaker location ROFL
@@pragmatist4life142 the tuners under the dash up above the gas pedal
This video has single handidly made me change my mind and cancel my order of the RetroSounds radio. I love how it looks almost OEM, but with that much difficulty of an install, I’d rather just save some money and go with one of the single dins that go where the cassette player was. Thanks for the video. Very detailed
I guess I live under a rock somewhere because I just discovered RUclips and your Channel. I've been working on cars for over 35 years and your advice is definitely solid. Thank you for all you do.
Thanks!
Welcome
As you were pulling out the trim on your a pillar I caught myself telling you to be careful not to break the tabs, and then boom, you broke the tabs. I felt deflated for you! Been there!
You can buy the connectors that plug into the GM connectors. 1. Saves having to run wires. 2. Easier, neater, cleaner job. NO spare wires under the dash. 3. Let's you reverse it easily when you sell the vehicle. Plug in the OEM radio.
I agree. Especially after replacing the entire dash harness after the previous owner hacked the *hit out of it putting another radio in. Check out Metra 70-1855 for right harness adapter.
Where can you get them so i don’t have to do all of that wiring
My son and I are gonna be drinking coffee and watching this before he goes to school again!
Hi Eric! That bought back memories... 51 y/o lapsed HiFi freak during the 80s, did some audio work on my own cars as a younger man in the very late 80s / 90s. As a European, we were "lucky" enough to have standard DIN or double-DIN slots back in the day, and the Japanese and Germans were kind enough to supply us with a plethora of aftermarket units to choose from, CD autochangers (remember those?), outboard amps, speakers a-plenty, subwoofers... Ah, those were the days!
Anyhow, my main takeaway from that era is that the most important thing (cheapest, too, to start with...) is to replace the OEM speakers with size-compatible, aftermarket quality brand stuff. Now, looking at your truck, space is a premium, and you have to go with what room you have, but honestly, those speakers will not cut it, given their size, no matter how big a magnet they have compared to the originals. Step two, also suggested in other comments, is a subwoofer. Back in the day I used to have a big, tubular thing running off a separate amp., but given the size of your cab, a flatter unit mounted under a seat should provide you with all the bass you need, especially since the human ear cannot "locate" low frequencies, you can mount a sub. basically anywhere you want/can and get good bass.
Time was, I went to the trouble of routing huge-gauge wire from the battery to my amps, replace all speaker cabling with higher gauge-stuff (waste of time, effort and money) the whole 9 yards. Youth, eh...?
Anyway, speakers first, subwoofer, then maybe amp(s) and head-unit, really depends on what you want from your system.
Oh, the total strip-out seems like a golden opportunity to change the carpet, no?
Keep those excellent videos coming, greatly enjoyed!
I really like this truck and what your doing. I'm stoked you and your dad have this relationship.
Oh man, all this work just to hook up a freaking radio, you are a very patient man....
Wdym it didn’t even take him 30 minutes lol
For rattles, I like to get foam insulation tape and stuff it between anything I can when I have a dash apart. It stiffens things up and provides some cushion to other areas.
Please be careful because 87.5 FM might file a copyright claim against you for using their static..
Ha! Right?
😂
@@campbell0162ij
Whew, you got me good, the first view of the entire dash taken apart I thought "not a chance in hell am I replacing these speakers if it takes that much work..."
A handy installers tip for speaker installs or head unit.... anything you leave behind in the dash should be wrapped with bubble wrap or some type of insulation so it won't rattle later. Also install foam tape on both sides of the speaker so the adapter rings don't rattle. It also helps seal the compartment aiding the sound output of the speaker!
@Chris J , I suggested something I thought he might have immediate access to, doubting he had neoprene tubing.
They make a wiring harness for the speakers,that would have saved you a lot of time. Thanks for NOT cutting the factory harness, the next owner thanks you in advance. Keep up the great work I enjoy your videos, all the way in Georgia. I have a 97 extended cab and they are great trucks to own.
Eric, Great Install & So Glad You Got To Do It! :-) I Bought My GMC Sierra Pick Up 1991 Just 31 Years Ago Brand New & The Speakers Have Always Been Great. 7 Years Ago My Cassette Player w/Graphic Equalizer Went Out Then 6 Years Ago My Radio Went Out But Both Still Light Up. Ok, I am a Old School Man who years ago there were Junk Yards you went into & there was never a cover charge. You found what you needed & took it out & paid the Man with his Trusted Pup who ran & owned the Junk Yard a Dollar Or 5 or 10 Bucks for the small items like a Radio or Cassette player. No big deal. Today where have the Junk Yards gone? Ok there are a few from all 50 states & they only want to take recent model vehicles & parts from them & then put them on a computer listing. So for 7 years have missed all my Cassette tapes I still have & radio stations when I come into a City that still have Radio stations to broadcast from. Yes I have seen my Radio & Cassette player on Ebay & Amazon, ouch, before I pay what they are asking for. OMG I call it in simple terms HighWay Robbery. I have kept my GMC Pick-Up Truck in Minty Condition. It is my life line & living in Rual Mountains of America, has been a real void in my life without music to enjoy. I never have asked for much in my life, the basics have always been enough. So when something from the very basics in life becomes a void, it leaves one feeling empty inside. I just keep inside hoping & praying for that Radio & Cassette player to appear. I never have expected anyone to give me, as have always paid for what I have in life. Was just born & raised different. Have always been a Gifter Forward to others in the journey have & continue to live. If you know of anyone in your networked field of expertise, I would sure be thankful & grateful for the heads up Eric. always, Tommy :-)
A word of WARNING about cutting the tabs with snips for all watching. If you're not careful, you might deform the rim of the speaker, thus upset the cone, thus mess the tolerance of the magnet/wire system that drives it. Personally, after many fu*kups, i recommend a cutting wheel. Shavings can be mitigated by putting tape on the tabs before cutting.
aserta Lol do what. Cutting those tabs ain’t going to affect nothing man Look at what he is cutting.
Those speakers are not worth more than five bucks and that car stereo is it worth more than ten bucks.... It's Chinese made and put in American box and sold for American prices... I looked up
aserta .. hahaha , does this look like a high end sound off install ??
@@888johnmac if it was high end or not the rears should have been deleted
@@1BigDaDo that things 319$ far from cheap
GM Service manual: to install rear speakers, disassemble entire car. install speakers.. reverse procedure..
Those just get deleted... Who wants a 4x6 blasting into your ear
Not far off.
@@mcf3778 me
I DO NOT miss the days of installing car stereos/amps/speakers! Holy....
i’m so glad to hear that you call a head unit as well.... because I have friends all the time saying “ I just bought a new deck” and I’m like What the heck is a Deck?! Do You mean Head Unit?!”
Thank you very much for doing this video! I've got a '90 K1500 Sport and this has helped me realize I'm leaving the radio as is. I took it to Cartoys when I first got it and they straight up refused to do an install saying exactly what you said, you have to take pretty much everything a part and that brittle plastic likes to break.
I don’t listen to music much but I like to put my phone down and listen to your videos over Bluetooth 😂
The sound of your crimpers is extremely satisfying.
Did this to my 89 chevy 2500 as only my second radio install. Real pain in the butt compared to my first, which was an 06 silverado. Seriously wish this video had come out back then XD
Just recently installed new stereo in my car last weekend, put in one of those self-amplified under-seat subwoofers, fantastic combination with a set of components (with crossovers) in front, can highly recommend underseat sub and components, otherwise your retro look radio is great
This is why i have been living with the ststic. Maybe one day I'll get motivated and rip onto it. Thanks for the video.
Eric, thanks for final posting this video. You have reminded me what a PITA it is to installing a radio. Also, you didn't give a ring endorsement of the radio so I should also thank you for saving me $400. Between the money and the hassle, I am just going to stick with the stock radio. -Alex
Great video but you forgot to tip the Wire Strippers 🤣
Yeah, I did that to my 1990 Chevy as well. Minor improvement in sound. Knowing what I know now, I would have just installed door speakers.
I installed a set of Boston Acoustic plates in the corners of a 90 model when it was new, & I swear I don't remember having to pull all of that to get to the rears. Memory sure fades after 30 years!
Man, I installed stereos in the 70s & 80s. This reminded me how NOTHING ever went as planned.
Yep, same here. Yikes!
I already know how to do this but I always wanna stop bye and show appreciation and love. Me and the kids love watching ur repair videos and the day in the life was awesome keep up the videos hope they don’t end have a great day
Thank you!
I’ve been waiting for years for someone to explain how to do it the right way.
Those rear speakers remind me of when I helped my Dad replace the rear speakers in a Toyota Previa. There were grilles that if they were removable you could pop them off and get right to the speakers...you could see the screws through the grille, but nope. EVERYTHING back there had to come off to pop the side panels off enough to get to the speakers.
I just got mine today and I have no idea what I’m doing. But after seeing your video I think I can do it. Truck is already apart since I’m painting it
"Biased towards the rear".. lol. *I like butts and I cannot lie*
)I just did this. Replaced a non-working factory radio with another ( better ,working, factory) radio. Ordered connectors to use the factory speaker harness with new aftermarket speakers. Sounds Awesome!
Thanks man getting ready to do a radio swap with my 90 Silverado, looks like a full days worth of work just for the radio. So I am going to do everything inside in addition and make it a 14 day job because those clips look too #$%^ brittle to mess with more than once. Peace out dude. :)
You really should do unboxing videos, it gets us all pumped up for what is to come.
I’m glad you liked the roll out this week. Thanks for the feedback.
He did he unboxed the radio before installing it
Ryan Scherbluk 🤦🏻♂️😒
You didn't seem all that impressed after all that work ....I think under seat subs and amp would correct the situation.
Cheers
Meh. I don’t listen to music much when driving. For me, the engine the best soundtrack.
Listening to music while driving is for those who is trying to ignore the problem sounds in their vehicle. 🤣🤣🤣
Something tells me he was paid too sponsor this product.
@Friendzone Boy If it's a sponsored video, I say so at the beginning of the video. I purchased and installed this radio myself. Retrosound did not provide it.
And a rear speaker delete would really help that sound stage
Enjoying the "Dad's truck" series more so than the Fairmont. Keep up the good work Eric!
By watching this series I gained enough spazzz to attack an old 99 chevy sitting around. He started this dads truck thing 5mths ago, I watch for about 4 videos and could stand myself so I started in on it and low and behold I have an old truck that starts and drives between the lines and tells which way it going. OH! it stops too. Eric you're good reel good I mean.
Ahh EricTheCarRadioGuy, i think you did great :-D
I'm not too happy with those crimp connectors, maybe adjust the tool for a better crush.
I like the channel in the rubber door seal. shame that all cars don't have them.
I have a new solution over crimp connectors that will be in next weeks videos. In my experience it’s all about the tool. A good crimp tool makes all the difference.
Eric is sporting the old man with reading glasses look. Haha looks very knowledgeable haha
Buy the connector that will plug into the factory plug and give you ends to splice into so someone can put the factory unit back in later. These are usually less than 20 bucks, also make a small jumper to go from the speaker to the factory plug for the speakers. Many times the plug wires will pull out of the factory connector going to the speaker and attach to the speakers less wires run, and rattle after install. Many times the connector will come with the kit to install the head unit plastics and one last thing do not power it on without the antenna connected at this is used as a floating ground on many head units.
Was thinking the same, does take the afford of saving the speaker cables, but cuts the main loom and even very short so you cant ever re-solder them... :P
I was thinking the same thing... I believe this one would have worked. www.amazon.com/Scosche-GM02B-Aftermarket-Receiver-1988-2005/dp/B0004FQRLC/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=1994+gmc+truck+radio+harness&qid=1563536136&s=gateway&sr=8-3
I was gonna say basically the same thing...
I normally do that also, but due to the configuration of this radio I don’t believe there is one available. Also, I don't see what the big issue is about this. I only cut 3 wires. The rest were speaker wires.
@@ericthecarguy Its not a big deal just not the standard way a car stereo is installed. Any place that offers the radio and dash plastic would have the harness in stock as this is a common swap. I did one in mine friends chevy truck about 10 years ago. It's easy to be a critic when you have installed hundreds of alarms, speakers and after market radios. You do you, it's your truck and you can install it any way you want, but this advice was for someone who wanted to use your video as a tutorial. If I wasn't half the chicken I am, afraid of the youtube comments I would make my own videos. Eric you make great entertaining videos and have my upmost respect and I have learned a lot from your content. I just found it funny the wires for the speakers you left to rattle around and then hacked the wires in the dash for the head unit the exact opposite of that a good car stereo installer would do. You installed the sound system like a car mechanic which is what anyone who watches you video would expect. I orders some of those shrink wire connectors those were amazing when installing lights on my tractor to seal out the water. The addition of a cheep base shaker under the seat will solve the base problem and not take up valuable space.
Nice work Eric your doing great that truck will be awesome when its all done.
Thank you!
This is pretty cool, I like the factory look of this head unit.
I'll have to check it out, I know retrosound can be a bit pricey.
I doubt Eric will want to dive in to change speakers again but there is actually plenty of room in the trucks for more potent speakers I used a set of 4 Rockford Fosgate speakers and the fit just as easy as these low profile units, and honestly I don't feel like I need a sub in my single cab.
For the first time in the entire build series, 9/32 is the first SAE. I did everything on the truck with an SAE set.
im so glad i did my stereo with my engine swap as well , as the truck was mostly apart.
awesome! If you need some bass, maybe think about a small shallow mount powered subwoofer? I had one under the seat of my ford ranger, kenwood KSC-SW11, it sounded good and not so loud that people outside can hear it and won't shake the mirrors, just adds some bass, later!
ryry998 Just vibrates your ass why’ll you drive around lol
If you wanted to really know the polarity of the speaker, Briefly- just for 1 second, touch a 9 volt battery to the terminals and watch which way the cone moves. The polarity of the speaker is that of the battery, if the speaker moves outward, your +/- are correct; if it moves in turn the battery around. Be very careful with the battery and just do it for 1 second. A run-down 9 volt battery would be great for this test. With speakers like your 4x6 it really doesn't matter, but if you are going through multiple passive crossovers and such the polarity can change. Good job by the way, that looked like a lot of work.
polarity doesn't matter so much. As long as you have them all hooked up the same you should be good.
I'm saddened that you didn't use speaker wire adapters. They're just small lengths of wire that have connections to accept the factory speaker wire. I used them all the time when I was installing stereos and speakers.
What’s up Eric! I miss your old intros with Pentera’s 5 minutes alone 🔥🤘🏼 great video as always 👌🏼
With all that interior removal, might as well just do new carpet too. That's quite the involvement.
I love the Christmas lights on the windshield :D
Hey Eric that plug that you said was for the (flag ship) radio that was so you don’t have to cut the wires on the factory plugs . Great video !!!!
Yes, that is correct. I didn't realize that at the time.
Lmao you totally got me when u said remove everything. I was like God Damnit!
Thanks for the extra effort. That sound system has more dongles than an Apple computer.
Very informative. I'm not super impressed with the fit for a factory replacement. The upside is it looks factory enough to keep your side glass whole in less than optimal parking conditions.
Hey Eric, good work. that blue power antenna wire is used for you amp remote turn on. And that is 1 reason I ALWAYS solder and heat shring my wiring harness for car stereos, well really for almost everything. I'm sure you know all that but anyway. That is a killer setup, always wondered what to put in those model trucks for stereo with like no dash room. You did a great job buddy, keep up the great videos.
thanks enjoyed the video! Maybe a sub woofer under the seat will make it sound better
Just saved me a heck of a time trying to get all of that off
Hey Eric, just found something the other day I think you will get a kick out of. The tool box (jack storage) compartment, the long bolt down into the floor you said was hard, had lock tight on it, if you look at the top of it it's a bolt......... you simply use a 9/32 I think, Took mine out in 10 seconds with a ratchet.
Hey thank you for this video installed my retrosound unit in my 1992 GMC sierra...thanks for the wiring instructions...super...works flawlessly...again THANKS!!!
In my car, I wanted everything to be as bone-stock as possible - including not cutting or damaging any factory wiring. So when I replaced the speakers (the originals were dry rotted and not functional anymore), I bought wiring harnesses that plug into the factory speaker connector and then the other end has the connectors that match aftermarket speakers. Also helps ensure you get positive and negative connected properly. Keeps things cleaner and preserves your factory wiring setups. For the Chevy C/K, I believe this is the harness you would need:
www.amazon.com/DKMUS-Harness-Vehicles-Speakers-Connector/dp/B01MZ5KDGT
I've done a ton of aftermarket radio installs, and after watching this, I'm glad I have never come across one that did not go in a DIN opening. I cringe for the future of contemporary cars that have gotten away from that standard and have all the controls for the vehicle going though the "head unit." God forbid that thing ever dies, you might as well scrap the car!
When leaving old factory wiring harnesses unused: Wrap the end in electrical tape: It'll reduce the amount of rattling and noise it makes while hanging down there inside the body. I'm sure there is probably an even better method, but odds are anyone installing a radio or speaker or tearing open their dash has some electrical tape on hand, and the tiny bit of compression it adds to the surface can go a long way to quieting all those tiny little impacts it makes with the metal as you drive around.
Also, I tend to label any custom wires I add with masking tape and a Sharpie. May not be legible in 10 years, but if I come back in 5 years, I'll know what's what at first glance.
That's a lot of broken clips to have to deal with. 30-year-old GM plastic is *not* what you'd call "structurally sound." I hope you were able to get most of those clips glued back on. What a pain!
Well, it stays together and it doesn't rattle. I suppose that's good enough.
@@ericthecarguy That is what the foam bits are for :P
Plastic cars will never be. Plastic has a very small "shelf" life when exposed to the hardships of a car life.
I used to work on these a lot back in the 90's when they were "new". All those clips and plastic bits broke in the same exact ways then, too!
Thanks for breaking things so I don't have to. Great Video. If you played a RUclips music video through your radio would that comply with their terms of service?
In my experience one of the most effective ways to stip a wire without ripping copper strands is to simply bite the plastic off with your teeth.
cave man retro...
Dude, thats maybe the most ingenuity ive heard in quit sometime. It works rather well and its free. I like the cut of your jib.
Silly Putty works great for removing metal shavings and metal dust from magnets.
Great tip!
Good video. I'm in the process of redoing my stereo in my '91 Sierra. Thanks for going through the entire removal of the rear panels; this will come in handy when I get around to doing the speakers.
A few things though, you don't just "call those positive". The speaker itself should have either a + or a red dot to indicate positive.
The other being, my factory stereo, had a EQ in the dash above the ash tray. You never showed how you covered this.
And this video was for a Retro Sound stereo. Not all that helpful in installing a normal DIN stereo as far as the wiring goes.
Hey Eric, Where is Rudolh, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen to day? LOL. I love your videos, keep them coming :D
I had a 91 Silverado and always hated that radio. I'm now glad I never tried to tackle doing something about it...
Great video Eric! Your glasses make you look cool : )
Not sure if you’re aware of this but on GMs and Fords you insert the key into the ignition and turn it one click backwards for the accessible mode. Not sure if that allows you to turn the wheel but it does allow you to turn on the radio and roll the power windows up and down. Just an FYI, but I’m sure as a mechanic you probably already knew that.
On some older ignitions, yes, that's how it works, but not on this one unfortunately. Acc is just one click forward.
"Not saying you have to remove the steering column to install your radio" but it helps 😂😂 whoops wrong guy lol
Was wondering who that 'slim chap with the beard' is...it's 'Eric The Car Guy'...So used to watching videos made in winter seeing you in a shirt caught me out...I need to sort out the 'Tunes' in my van...it's about number 360 of the 'fixes' needed at the moment...One day, Eric...ONE DAY!!
Good job, you're braver than me!
It is so much easier relocating your head unit to the center of your dash
Zip ties are your friend when installing a new stereo system
It cannot be understated just how lucky you are for having a radio set that's made to refit the existing space and made in the same spec. Rarely, do you get one that's so well camouflaged and usually you have to hide them under a flap because they contrast so ugly with the rest of the car.
Sure is gonna help me with my change out of radios with CD player and Bluetooth capable.
After watching this I’m taking my truck to Cartoys and have a new system installed.!
That's a ton of work just for the stereo and speakers
I'll be doing the same to my 1993 K1500 Suburban. Thank you for showing us everything not to do. I have to replace the dash so I might have an easier install than you did (???).
Yep, installing radios can be frustrating - but you make it look (sort of) easy. As always. And remember two things: it beats shoveling shit in Lousiana, and 2) nothing's complicated unless you complicate it. Thanks for making complex stuff uncomplicated.
Now take a break. Hell, take two - they're small.
The poetry in this video 😂
if something is made to be specific to this truck, like that headunit it really should be a plug and play from the start, you shouldn't need to cut anything, those speakers should have come with stock plugins soldered on them and that headunit just plug right in and mount the amp in the old location and instructions on how to route the wiring to the different parts.
it's one thing if it's a universal setup, but this was built specifically for this vehicle and nothing else. Side note for the FIRST time in doing radio installs, having done at least 8 head unit installs (8 different cars not 8 different headunits) over the years I finally ran into a similar setup to this, Helping my brother install his headunit we soldered and heat shrunk the harness of the new radio to the adapter harness, went out to the truck to plug it in and the plug was different, thinking we made mistake number 1 of radio installs (not checking the harness first) we went to every parts place in town looking for an adapter that fit the plug that came out of the stock radio, we don't find one (just ones like we already have) and so we head back to my house to go looking online, as a last ditch effort (because his wife really wanted everything hooked up so she could finally get her subwoofer) we are checking every wire in that area of the dash, this is when I notice the wire that we have now confirmed did indeed go to the headunit (oddly one of the wires that went to the dash trim panel around the stereo also fit one of the 2 stereo plugs), I follow that wire down and it goes to a silver box, I reach down and feel 2 plugs going into the other side of the box, so we unbolt and remove the box, sure enough there are the plugs we have been looking for for connecting our wire harness to.
Actually, the harness I thought was for the "Newport" radio was an adapter to plug into the factory wiring harness. That said, I don't consider it a big deal that I cut 3 wires to hook it up. Thanks for your comment.
I also set my stereo bias to the rear 😁
Great video! This was super helpful. Thank you for this!
Thanks Eric
I have ran new wires for the mids and highs but only because I was running them on an amp. I used the factory harness to have the stereo/ head unit power tweeters. I really prefer to just either strip/ crimp the wires or buy the plug if not running an amp. Much cleaner without the extra wire.
Needs a 90's Bazooka Tube behind the seat for that added bass. Just a small 8" tube would probably be more than adequate to fill that gap in sound.
It would, but I don't really care about the sound. I mostly drive around listening to the engine.
@@ericthecarguy What kind of exhaust do you prefer and is there any advantage to a dual exhaust system?
love this series.
Boy! Aren't you glad they saved that seventeen cents making the harness too short?! :)
so just FYI i think the "New Port" connector is actually where you plug all the connectors from the factory GMT400 radio harness into. then the loose wires on the "New Port" plug can be wired to the loose wire from the retro sound radio plug so you DON'T have to cut the factory plugs off the trucks wire harness!!!
You are correct. However, I don't think cutting 3 wires is all that difficult to repair to put it back to stock if someone wanted to. Thanks for your comment.
Jesus Roosevelt Christ!! I guess I'm going to rock a Bluetooth speaker
Shout out to the $8 Harbor Freight heat gun!! 😂😂
Well done as usual Eric
Great video, id love a video of all the features.