My 1987 Two Door Crown Victoria AKA THE BROWN BLOB

[packman]

I was looking back at this thread and saw how you did your air/oil separator bracket for the valve cover-to-TB; very nice! I just got a 90* piece of aluminum, cut it to size (ugly cuts too), and stuck it on there.

[87gtVIC]

Thanks everyone. Finally got my stock radio swapped back in for more stock like appearances.



To be honest my car came with the 6 button preset radio with rectangular connectors in the rear but I picked this up at the u pull it for super cheap and it works! All I did was swap in some new cassette deck belts to ensure it will last a bit longer. One of the belts were thrown when I first went to test it.

Thrown belt:



I hooked the radio up to my existing sound system utilizing an AudioControl LCQ-1. It is a line out converter and is what takes the speaker level in from the headunit and converts it to line for my amps. It also functions as an equalizer as well as automatically giving my subwoofer the proper frequencies.

I am very happy with how everything turned out.



For the LCQ-1 I made up a bracket that floats just in front of the subwoofer. Installed four rivnuts (8x32) to secure the device to the bracket and installed three rivnuts (1/4x20) into the decklids inner structure to secure it to the car. I mounted a rubber bumper on teh back side to give it some support against the subwoofer as well as installed some sticky foam padding to the surface that bolts up to the underside of the decklid. It came out very nice. I used speedwire (4 pairs of of speaker wire plus one amp turn on wire for a total of 9 wires in one jacket) to run from the headunit to the LCQ-1. I picked up power from my existing trunk mounted distro. I then crimped on some ferrule connectors so the wires would be securely fastened to the unit. Ran a couple new RCA cables to the subs amp as well as the main speakers amp and all was well. Again very happy.

[Tiggie]

Awesome work. I love the look of a stock radio. Oh my how times have changed!

[gadget73]

yeah the stock ones just look proper. Still think I'll modify mine for RCA outputs, but mostly because I can.

[DerekTheGreat]

Audio Control is still around? I use a C101 Series II equalizer in my home audio listening room, I dig it. They make good stuff. Nice looking radio by the way, those are my favorite. Love the weight to the volume knob, feels great.

[87gtVIC]

Awesome work. I love the look of a stock radio. Oh my how times have changed!

Whats old is new again. lol I am loving the look.

yeah the stock ones just look proper. Still think I'll modify mine for RCA outputs, but mostly because I can.

Fancy paints. I didnt want to even do the aux mod because I did not want to ruin a good thing here with a working radio.

Audio Control is still around? I use a C101 Series II equalizer in my home audio listening room, I dig it. They make good stuff. Nice looking radio by the way, those are my favorite. Love the weight to the volume knob, feels great.

Yes. The nice feel of the volume knob is worth mentioning. A buddy of mine also reminisced about audicontrol. I am very happy that I decided to remove it from the 86 town car I found it in while junkyarding earlier this year. At the time I pulled it I didnt think I would ever install it. After some research I found the AudioControl LCQ-1 and decided that will make things work nicely with the pre-existing amps and such. I was dead set on the stock look in the dash.


I have made up a bracket that holds a rather nice 12 aux plug that mounts to the passengers side inner most front seat track bolt and reveals itself just at the leading edge of the passengers side seat corner. There I will plug in my VicTsing FM Transmitter.


I am planning on grabbing some keyed power and constant power and placing a factory junction block under the passengers side of the dash in addition to a factory ground buss. This 12 aux plug will be wired there. I want easy power, keyed power and ground under the p.side dash. Think I may find all that within some unused connectors right at the p.side kick panel.

[DerekTheGreat]

EEF EMM! No static at all!

Seriously though, FM sucks, don't waste your money on a transmitter, you'll be disappointed with the reduction in audio quality. Least I was. That volume knob doe. Yup, definitely going to utilize that type of radio for the next box I install a radio in. Haven't bought a new one in several years though.

[matth825]

Very true that what’s old it new again! It looks great! Stock head units are the only things that look right in a box. 20 years ago I would have said differently lol. I like how you used the line output converter to feed your aftermarket amps. I may have to do something similar with mine. I’m not so much into subwoofers anymore...I’d be happy with 4 upgraded speakers driven by two dual channel amps.


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[87gtVIC]

I agree that it will not be as good as it can be utilizing the fm transmitter. It is a compromise. It is more for the clean aspect of everything. No wires etc. I can plug a usb stick with music into it as well, though over the FM band again. OH and hands free calling!

I think I will pick up another radio if I come across it in the junkyard. It is just too damn cheap not too.

[87gtVIC]

Very true that what’s old it new again! It looks great! Stock head units are the only things that look right in a box. 20 years ago I would have said differently lol. I like how you used the line output converter to feed your aftermarket amps. I may have to do something similar with mine. I’m not so much into subwoofers anymore...I’d be happy with 4 upgraded speakers driven by two dual channel amps.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks.

One of the first thing I did to this car back in 2006 was pull the stock radio out (wasnt working anyways) and put in an aftermarket one. I look back now and shake my head.

There are MUCH MUCH cheaper routes to take to achieve the same result. I believe basic line out converters can be had for around 10.

I took a gamble on this LCQ-1 from ebay used. I lucked out. Works great and if I had an ear for audio I could actually tune it. lol It is certainly not necessary purchasing something like this unit.

[87gtVIC]

Here is the bracket I am talking about. You just loosen the inner most front seat track to seat bolt and slide the bracket in then back. Tighten down the bolt while holding the bracket in position and you are good to go. Installed pics to come once I actually do the install. It is made from some hefty plate steel. Used the bandsaw to make all the cuts after I first made a cardboard template. Bench vice and hammer for the bends and drill and tap for securing the 12 aux outlet to the metal.






Again..lovely how the photos decided to rotate on their own.

[gadget73]

One thing about the 4 button style, they seem less prone to death than the later ones. Not sure if its because they use physically larger parts that are more durable or what.

[DerekTheGreat]

I def snag all the JBL-Ford badged ones I can find as well as that weird transition year where they have an adaptor for the square to rectangular plug incorporated into them. Rare finds for me. So far I only have one of those and a premium labeled one. I've grown to like my Sony in place of the factory deck. Still sounds pretty damn good and it isn't a total eye sore.

[87gtVIC]

This was the deck I had in there.

https://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Car/CD-Receivers/DEH-P4200UB

Not the right illumination color but I did like it. I put it in 10 years ago after the car was painted.

I could sell it if anyone is seriously wanting to purchase it. It even comes in the original box with all manuals, remote, keys and plugs. Will bolt directly into the box panther dash as I left the custom made mounting plate to it as well as spacers to space it out properly right behind the dash trim EVEN a back support that slips into the factory rear mounting provision. Has RCA outs for front rear and sub or speaker wires if one is running without aftermarket amps. Has USB right on the face you can plug music into.

It looked good. But stock is stock!

From back in April:

[DerekTheGreat]

Here's what mine looks like in there:


It's a Sony of some sort. A lot of thought went into selecting the stereo of choice, that was the least obtrusive I could find. When on, headlights off, it illuminates white. Headlights on, green just like the rest of the car.