96 GT CD Player Removal??

[turbo96]

I have a 96 gt vert with the stock radio w/cassette, and the stock cd player in the lower din. My plan was to remove the stock cd player and make it a location for my boost controller and wideband gauge. If I unplug the cd player I lose the audio output from the radio. (I can faintly hear it in just one speaker when it is cranked up) I didn't think I had a mach 460 stereo - don't see any of the tags and it sure doesn't have the same sound quality as my 99 GT does. There is something mounted behind the radio/cd player, possibly an amp?? Both the radio and the cd player have the square connectors (from the bit of searching that I did this indicates I have a mach 460 system? is this correct) How can I make my stock radio work without the stock cd player? I would prefer to not buy an aftermarket head unit and adapters.

[redlined50]

How many speakers do you have?

[turbo96]

I believe I have four. One in each door and one in each of the side panels next to the rear seat.

[ttocs]

sounds like you have what is a combination of the two, that is an amp under the radio...

Disconnecting the slave cd however should not make a difference on the radio from what I remember.

[96gtsofttop]

Do you have the speaker pods that are setting on the top of the door panel all the way to the front. If so its a mach system. If not then it could still be amplified. Because the cd player on the stock systems is a slave you are gonna lose your sound when you unplug it. That goes for the mach or the straight amplified. At this point you can either replace the stock unit or buy the gauge pod that replaces your factory clock and holds 2. 2 1/6 gauges

[turbo96]

I figured it all out. This car came with the premium sound system. It is not a mach system, there are no speakers on top of the doors. The premium uses an amp mounted behind the cd player. I ended up getting an aftermarket head unit. Even with all the adapters I still had no sound but the head unit powered up. More research showed that the premium cars also came with the basic wiring harness installed (just not used). I used the one adapter to get my power and grounds, then looked in the dash and found the harness plug for the speaker wiring for the basic system. Tied the basic speaker wiring directly into the aftermarket head unit and all is good. Sounds much better than the factory amp did.

[BoostinGT]

you have to remove the small premium sound plug from the cd player and you need a small stub that plugs in the radio to bypass the cd. its a small plug that looks like the one on the cd but its just a plug w no wires on it.

[sperold]

I am thinking of installing an original radio and CD player in my 96. I now have an old clarion aftermarket head unit with a built in CD that I am not crazy about.
Am I going backwards?
Do these systems work reasonably well?
I have the same set up as the original poster of this thread (I think).

[BoostinGT]

The factory radio will not sound as good as aftermarket, The factory radio has low pre outs and the factory radio has a bass roll off, which means the louder you turn it up the less bass you will get. Aftermarket is the better way to go for sound quality.

[krisrayner]

Thread revival here...I ran into the same issue. Removing stock CD player to make room for guages on a 96 GT with Premium sound. Didn't find the answer, but I figured it out.

Square 6 pin connector at CD player has terminals for left signal in/out and right signal in/out. Jumper the terminals to their prospestive mates and sound returns without having to have the CD player plugged it. You now have room for your guages and don't have to mess with an aftermarket radio.

[Goats]

I do know the Mach system you don't have to worry about that cause I went from stock to aftermarket head unit and than to cd removal with no effects