2004 Stereo upgrade with Classic style radio

Mkingsbery

Mkingsbery

Member
Last seen
Joined
May 20, 2021
Thunderbird Year
2004
Going through some upgrades on my pcr. I wanted Bluetooth capability.. not a fan of the big touchscreen head units out there. I just didn't like the looks of something so modern. So I went retro.. I'm not crazy about the black dash panel, looking into matching with colordyes.


Changed out the speakers too..


Overall I really like the looks of the retro radio and the audio frog speakers are unbelievable. I added a quadrophonic Amp too.. not super powerful but just enough to wake those frogs up.

You guys think I need to worry about matching that dash insert to the gray?

20211022_161729.jpg
 
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I think the 11th Gen cars can handle a modern/current upgrade better than they can handle the 50’s/60’s throwback version that you went with. Not sure that any colour matching will overcome all that chrome.

Love the music selection . I don’t imagine we‘ll be around long enough to experience “old guys” getting nostalgic about ‘Lil Wayne or Young Thug .
 
I think the 11th Gen cars can handle a modern/current upgrade better than they can handle the 50’s/60’s throwback version that you went with. Not sure that any colour matching will overcome all that chrome.

Love the music selection . I don’t imagine we‘ll be around long enough to experience “old guys” getting nostalgic about ‘Lil Wayne or Young Thug .
Yeah the chrome is more than I was thinking as far as appearance but I really liked the old am/fm look. I have some plans for the dash that will probably tone that down and make the black insert irrelevant. Thanks for the feedback
 
I think it looks fantastic, if it was mine I’d stick with it !!
 
Yeah I've put a bunch of aftermarket radios in 60s cars and that look is best relegated to those era cars. Just my opinion.
But I bow to whatever anybody wants in their personal cars; here is my selection: A modern Kenwood with GPS, bluetooth, hands free calling, backup camera and steering wheel controls. Just couldn't live with the 'ole factory Jam-O-Matic 6 CD-player.
 

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i installed a kenwood touch screen in my 05 thunderbird. It’s really nice and I’m happy with it but if you really don’t want to touch your dash look at the poly planer marine site. They sell an amp with an mp3 input and a Bluetooth input. Plenty of power and it can be all concealed. Maybe $200 in parts. Control everything with your smartphone.
 
Going through some upgrades on my pcr. I wanted Bluetooth capability.. not a fan of the big touchscreen head units out there. I just didn't like the looks of something so modern. So I went retro.. I'm not crazy about the black dash panel, looking into matching with colordyes.


Changed out the speakers too..


Overall I really like the looks of the retro radio and the audio frog speakers are unbelievable. I added a quadrophonic Amp too.. not super powerful but just enough to wake those frogs up.

You guys think I need to worry about matching that dash insert to the gray?

View attachment 19359
I wouldn't worry about the black so much. Looks fine to me.
 
Going through some upgrades on my pcr. I wanted Bluetooth capability.. not a fan of the big touchscreen head units out there. I just didn't like the looks of something so modern. So I went retro.. I'm not crazy about the black dash panel, looking into matching with colordyes.


Changed out the speakers too..


Overall I really like the looks of the retro radio and the audio frog speakers are unbelievable. I added a quadrophonic Amp too.. not super powerful but just enough to wake those frogs up.

You guys think I need to worry about matching that dash insert to the gray?

View attachment 19359
Wish I'd known this. Got a Sony system. Very nice but takes a great deal of room. Then again, Apple Play and monitor quite helpful. One big lesson - Backup camera is useless with top down.
 
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