Aftermarket radio/CD install for '90 Miata?

I'm interested in replacing the EOM radio/cassette (2 small knobs on
lower left) in my '90 with a FM/CD combo. I also want to install a
pocket in the void which will be under the new unit.

Sources/Directions/Advice appreciated. Not interested in moding the
existing unit. The car came w/o headrest units which I will install
and place on the rear channel.

Chip L

On Wed, 12 Dec 2007 05:38:00 -0800 (PST), Chip L
> wrote:

>I'm interested in replacing the EOM radio/cassette (2 small knobs on
>lower left) in my '90 with a FM/CD combo. I also want to install a
>pocket in the void which will be under the new unit.
>
>Sources/Directions/Advice appreciated. Not interested in moding the
>existing unit. The car came w/o headrest units which I will install
>and place on the rear channel.
>
>Chip L

having gone through this twice (once with my '90 and again with my '94
when my '90 got totalled earlier this year), assuming that you'll be
replacing the old stereo with an aftermarket unit yourself:

http://www.the12volt.com/installbay/...tail/1363.html

can be used as a reference n identifying which wire should connect to
what.

in general, once you purchase the aftermarket unit you want, go to an
auto stereo place, go 'round back, slip a few bucks to one of the
installers and explain what kind of mounting hardware you need,
including the desire to have some storage space beneath the new unit,
he'll likely be able to rig you something out of his used stuff for a
fraction of the cost of a mounting kit.

headrest speakers: IIRC, all miatas are wired so as to have a plug
underneath each seat where the wiring harness can be connected.
wiring harnesses can be purchased or salvaged. a coat hanger should be
all you need to run the wire through the seat (there may or may not be
a hole in the foam already but you should be able to feel through the
foam where the hole is in the frame so as the run the harness down the
back of the seat underneath the upholstery - you'll probably want to
snip the middle ring that holds the upholstery together in the back)

i'd recommend going with 3.5" speakers vs. any stock or aftermarket
plastic box enclosed option. i'm quite pleased with the eclipses i'm
using, but to fill out the bottom i also installed a JL stealthbox
subwoofer.

the pic found at the following website should give you an idea of how
to place a 3.5" in the exisiting space:

http://www.rpm-design.com/mx-5/mods/...adrestspeakers

but rather than discard the plastic covers (you'll see what i'm
talking about once you unzip the upholstery) as the site owner
suggests, i trimmed the sides off to make them 2 dimensional and
retained them as protection. and any basic aftermarket unit will
supply sufficient power to drive them; a crossover and separate amp
(an option the site owner has) are superfluous IMO. if anything, i
have the fader set slightly biased towards the front (door) (also
aftermarket) speakers and elected not to install the door tweeter i
thought i'd need). i find the overall frequency response to be quite
satisfactory for my listening tastes which are fairly broad.

i hope this has been helpful.

barry


--------
"any words spelled incorrectly are probably typing errors"

On Wed, 12 Dec 2007 05:38:00 -0800, Chip L wrote:

> I'm interested in replacing the EOM radio/cassette (2 small knobs on
> lower left) in my '90 with a FM/CD combo. I also want to install a
> pocket in the void which will be under the new unit.
>
> Sources/Directions/Advice appreciated.

miata.net garage, product reviews.

Leon

> Not interested in moding the
> existing unit. The car came w/o headrest units which I will install and
> place on the rear channel.
>
> Chip L





--
Leon Bess Bozo .)

Barry,

Incorrect about " all Miatas " came with the wiring for "head rest
speakers". The "base" model came with no radio or wiring for head rest
speakers. They were dealer installed if you ordered them. My '91 came
with no radio or wires.


Bruce Bing '03 LS

On Wed, 12 Dec 2007 23:20:46 -0800, (BRUCE HASKIN)
wrote:

>Barry,
>
>Incorrect about " all Miatas " came with the wiring for "head rest
>speakers". The "base" model came with no radio or wiring for head rest
>speakers. They were dealer installed if you ordered them. My '91 came
>with no radio or wires.
>
>
> Bruce Bing '03 LS

the seats definitely weren't wired in my '90 but IIRC once i took a
seat out for a different reason, i discovered that i *could* have
connected the wiring harness to the clip that was there.

from an engineering/manufacturing viewpoint, it wouldn't be that cost
effective to withold certain wiring out of an entire bundle, whereas
it wouldn't be that big a deal to manfacture seats with and without
headrest speakers.

--------
"any words spelled incorrectly are probably typing errors"

"barry" > wrote in message
...
> On Wed, 12 Dec 2007 23:20:46 -0800, (BRUCE HASKIN)
> wrote:
>
>>Barry,
>>
>>Incorrect about " all Miatas " came with the wiring for "head rest
>>speakers". The "base" model came with no radio or wiring for head rest
>>speakers. They were dealer installed if you ordered them. My '91 came
>>with no radio or wires.
>>
>>
>> Bruce Bing '03 LS
>
> the seats definitely weren't wired in my '90 but IIRC once i took a
> seat out for a different reason, i discovered that i *could* have
> connected the wiring harness to the clip that was there.
>
> from an engineering/manufacturing viewpoint, it wouldn't be that cost
> effective to withold certain wiring out of an entire bundle, whereas
> it wouldn't be that big a deal to manfacture seats with and without
> headrest speakers.
>
> --------
> "any words spelled incorrectly are probably typing errors"

My base '96 came with the wiring harness for the headrest speaker from the
radio that ended on the floor under the seats. I had to acquire the rest of
the wiring and thread it up to the headrest. I also had to gouch out enough
foam in the headrest to position the speakers. I don't think they work
properly. If I fade to the rear, I have to turn the volume up so much that
the front speakers still dominate. I can't really get a balanced sound.

I have a 96.5, so I theoretically do not have the "Jeff Anderson" problem,
but maybe I do. Never figured it out.

On Thu, 13 Dec 2007 10:35:52 -0600, "Frank Berger"
> wrote:

>
>"barry" > wrote in message
.. .
>> On Wed, 12 Dec 2007 23:20:46 -0800, (BRUCE HASKIN)
>> wrote:
>>
>>>Barry,
>>>
>>>Incorrect about " all Miatas " came with the wiring for "head rest
>>>speakers". The "base" model came with no radio or wiring for head rest
>>>speakers. They were dealer installed if you ordered them. My '91 came
>>>with no radio or wires.
>>>
>>>
>>> Bruce Bing '03 LS
>>
>> the seats definitely weren't wired in my '90 but IIRC once i took a
>> seat out for a different reason, i discovered that i *could* have
>> connected the wiring harness to the clip that was there.
>>
>> from an engineering/manufacturing viewpoint, it wouldn't be that cost
>> effective to withold certain wiring out of an entire bundle, whereas
>> it wouldn't be that big a deal to manfacture seats with and without
>> headrest speakers.
>>
>> --------
>> "any words spelled incorrectly are probably typing errors"
>
>My base '96 came with the wiring harness for the headrest speaker from the
>radio that ended on the floor under the seats. I had to acquire the rest of
>the wiring and thread it up to the headrest. I also had to gouch out enough
>foam in the headrest to position the speakers.

why? exactly how big are these speakers you're using? the main thing
is to keep the foam from pressing on the leads.

>I don't think they work
>properly. If I fade to the rear, I have to turn the volume up so much that
>the front speakers still dominate. I can't really get a balanced sound.

i suspect that your wiring is crossed somehow. there's a page at
12volt.com for the wiring for 94-97 to use as a reference, though
truth be told, i think they're pretty much the same as the 90-93.

>I have a 96.5, so I theoretically do not have the "Jeff Anderson" problem,
>but maybe I do. Never figured it out.
>

jeff anderson problem?

and we're agreed that the seat may need to be wired (which i referred
to as the wiring harness), but that wiring from the stereo to the
bottom of the seat should already be there? though what i originally
did was run wires from the head unit down the middle under the carpet
past the stickshift, etc. and then spliced it all together under the
center console. it worked.


--------
"any words spelled incorrectly are probably typing errors"

Well as I said, my '91 did not come with a radio or wires for the seat
speakers. The plug for a radio was there, but no other wiring that came
back past the dash. When I put in a radio ( non-OEM ) I had to get a
plug to match and wire to the radio wires then add rear speaker wire and
disconect-plugs. The Clearwater spraker kit came with wires to run down
the back of the seats and I needed to add the connecting plugs.

It sounds like the later Miatas came with the wireing in place.

Bruce Bing '03 LS