I was wondering if the 2gen factory stereo is a direct fit for my 84 SE. I would also like to know what year did mazda stop putting tape decks in the 7's and went just with the radio and CD player?

Thanks,

Mike

 

the 86-88 radios will mount into the 84-85 dash, or 84-85 sotck radio brackets.

the speaker wiring is different, 84-85 uses a din cable, 86-88 just uses regular wires.

89-2000 uses totally different plugs, but you could do it

84-85 stereo is way better than the fc radios. except the tape deck, those wore out fast.

ive got plenty of 84-85 radios, if you need one

 

Thanks. Did mazda ditch the tape deck in the 2gens? I would like to get a mazda factory CD player that would fit in my 84. Of course, it has to have the beautiful orangish, red lights.

 

no they had the tape deck in every rx7.

i did this in like 1993, the other thing to watch for is that the FB stereo is a preamp out, and the fc's can be depending on the model. but since you have to run new speaker wires anyways, its not a big deal

 

Ok. Is there a way to run my MP3 player from the factory SE stereo without having to use that FM tuner gadget?

 

they do sell cassete that has a audio jack at the end

 

yes the fm tuner is not to clear either.
get the cassette!

 

Thanks guys.

 

I adapted my 85 to a regular wire clip from a 86 with out cuting my wiring harness and its really esay, all it did is bypass that rear amps so u can use a aftermarket stereo. all the amps and the old wiring is left untouched and not cut in enyway. plus second gen rx7'd did have cd players, I think they had them in 89 or 90 to 91.

 

i need help on this one

bought a second gen 88 oem radio and i need some one to tell me how to connect it from the wires of a first gen, or any way that i can connect it to

 

can anyone draw the diagram of the second gen wires that connect at the back of the redio

 

The 10AE second gen had a CD player I believe.

 

or you could get the cheap durabrand cd player they sell at walmart, the orange glow is an exact match to the first gen glow, and i think its only like 30 bucks lol

 

what year is your 7? this is crucial due to the wiring harness being different on certain model years.

 

in light of my comment being totally unclear, even to me i'd like to ellucidate, or illuminate, or a word like that, anyways

in the FC the CD becomes optional in mid 87, it was available from then to the end of production in 1991.

the CD player did not replace the tape deck, the cd was added, so every FC (except maybe a super base) has a tape deck.

so they did have a tape deck in every rx7, but some of them ALSO have a CD.

i hope that is less confusing

 

its an 85 and the radio is an 88

 

I've had an FC deck in my FB for about 15 years (see the pic). All in all, it's an OK swap. I also installed a pair of JBL 6.5" speakers in the front doors to replace the 4" ones in the kick panels.

1. The FC deck is black, so you'll want to paint your surround to match -- otherwise it doesn't look at home.

2. The CD player isn't great. Even when adjusted properly, it will skip over some bumps. The technology is old, and the performance isn't quite up to modern standards.

3. There are a pair of "occupant" buttons at the bottom of the deck that are supposed to alter the sound field based on how many people are riding in the car. Some engineer in Japan had too much free time -- they look interesting, but don't do much.

4. The mounting isn't identical, but you can drill holes in the FB mounting brackets to make it align properly.

5. The look does match the FB lighting perfectly. A friend who had an FB and didn't know any better said "Oh, you got the upgraded stereo".

6. The general operation of the deck is very nice and intuitive. Aside from the useless occupant buttons, it's well done.

7. You shouldn't be playing CDs anyway. Get yourself a good MP3 player and forget about those little discs.

The nice thing about the FB is that the opening is a double DIN. That means there are many nice aftermarket decks that will fit the opening. Nowadays you can get navigation, bluetooth, MP3, I-Pod/I-Phone interface, file storage capability, backup camera, selectable lighting colors, movie playback, and a cappuccino dispenser all in the same deck. It'll set you back a few bucks, but the technology available these days is awesome. I've been thinking about upgrading. Navigating with my I-phone just isn't as good as having a real turn-by-turn.

Another option is finding a newer Mazda OEM deck, but you'd miss out on the orange lighting, some of the other features, and the cappuccino.

 

Do you have a radio, cass, equ, for a 1985 gsl-se. Mine is dead.

 

last reply 10 yrs ago. nothing for sale here. get your post count up and post in the classifieds.