If you want to retain the function of the factory tape deck, I've written up a tutorial here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...it?usp=sharing

I have since improved the design, eliminating the function of the tape deck, but also eliminating line noise and tape deck motor noise. In this case, you de-solder the tape deck motor wires, cap them with heat shrink, then instead of wiring into the "aux in" wires, you wire your inputs directly to the L and R audio out from the tape deck. This way, you don't need a blank tape, any tape will do, and it bypasses the noisey signal of the tape deck circuitry.

Outstanding! Really appreciate it. I'm going to give this a go very soon. Thanks for the quick and detailed reply.

Feel free to hit me up via email or Facebook if you have any questions.

Nice of you to offer. Turned out I got lucky on this. I just bought this car a month ago, and when I looked more closely at the after-market equalizer the previous owner had installed under the seat, I noticed that there are aux-in RCA jacks. My iPod works through that. Very simple solution.

Brilliant. I'm curious to learn more about your setup. Could you post some pics and a description of the full configuration?

Thanks!

I’ll do my best to describe it, although, as you’ll see, there are a couple of things about the set-up I don’t completely understand myself right now. I don’t know if pictures will help, so for now I’ll just include the schematic for the after-market equalizer. That’s what first made me realize I might have a simpler solution, at least for myself.

My car is an ’82 GS I bought a month ago. It still has its stock stereo system, which includes the tuner, tape deck, and 5w booster underneath the seat. At some point, the previous owner (a bright, helpful guy who is also on this forum, although I don’t know if he is active) added a Realistic equalizer/booster. When I took a closer look, I saw that the equalizer has aux-in RCA plugs. However, those plugs were already being used. I realized that the stereo itself was using those plugs, rather than using the “main” wiring in the center of the schematic. I figured all I had to do was wire it as seen in the schematic and that would free up the aux-in plugs for my iPod—and it worked.

Only two points of confusion:

The stock 5w booster is still included in the system. So I guess the wires run from the stereo (and tape deck?) to the 5w booster, and then to the Realistic equalizer/booster, and then to the speakers. There are so many wires involved, honestly, I didn’t want to trace them all down, especially when my quick rewiring worked. I can tell you that the output wires from the 5w booster are what were plugged into the RCA plugs on the Realistic equalizer.

Also, I noticed that before I did anything, when I turned the fader knob one way, all four speakers worked, but when I turned it the other way, none of them worked. So I guess, in essence, the system was thinking all four speakers were rear speakers (or front speakers). Or maybe the job of fading gets passed along to the equalizer (did I mention I’m not a tech guy?). For now, I left it that way, because all four speakers work, and my iPod is integrated, so I’m happy for the moment.

I hope this makes sense and is easy to follow.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...58dbdac0ac.jpg