MACH 460 Wiring in the '00 R

[TcM-668]

Just a note for the FAQ, that I know our moderator is compiling(wink, wink, hint, hint), that for the new owners of '00 Rs, your car has the wiring inplace for the Mach 460 Sound System...

If you get the appropriate adapters(found at most fine AutoSound stores) you can drop a system into your car, and not have to hack up the existing wiring harnesses, or waste many days building your own custom wiring harness....!!!

The door speaker wires are already in the doors, complete with the funky Ford speaker connectors...

The rear deck has the wires taped on top, under the deck cover...Just remove the back seat(carpet and board) and pop 2 trim clips and snake it out...you can bend it a bit, and It'll come right out...If you insist on removing the side trim in the back, there are 3 trim clips on the outside, and 1 under the upper window molding (IE not worth the effort, I broke a mounting tab on my lower molding, resort to bending and cajoling the deck cover out )...You'll find 2 funky Ford speaker connectors there.

Door and Deck Speakers are 5x7s...I went with Boston Acoustics, and put a bit of weatherstrip foam around the housing to isolate and seal the speaker from the deck/door. You do have to drill 4 holes for the doors.

NOTE ---- To get the door panels off, pull out th window control panel, and unscrew it, remove the door handle cup, and 2 screws, and pull up and towards the inside of the car and the panels come right off, reverse the proceedures to reinstall(Install the lower clips first, and thenpress the door panel to the door, and whack, whack, whack on the top, until it seats...More cussing on how to figure that out...)...needless to say I think the neighbors have filed a complaint with the home owners association for me desecrating thier fine neighborhood...

The main power/speaker connectors are taped up behind the glove box to the main harness. It is a grey, and black set, and an phone type clip for the Mach460 Amp. The grey connector is for power, ground, illumination, remote turn on(IE amplifier) and Remote Antenna. The black connector is for your speaker harnesses....

Anyways, I guess I am the only one to desecrate my car by putting a stereo in it...

Next up...Air conditioning, traction control, and cruise control...

Hope this helps some other poor soul...hehehehehe

Don...

 

[Cobra-R]

Don,
If you need help getting a clock wired, just let me know.

 

[TcM-668]

I forgot about the clock...that must go where the other hole is !!!!

That makes sense now...Since I found an xtra set of speaker wires and such, I was going to put in another stereo, wire them together, so I would have surround sound...

But now you mention the clock...! I really need one of those so I can do my own timeslips. I could write down the start time, then start counting as I make my runs...making notes as I go...hehehehehe

I felt like a fool, after all that time, finding the harnesses in there...:bash:

Just trying to help the other newbies...


Don...

 

[NJ2000R]

Thanks, Don.....although I enjoy the sound of my engine, there are times where a stereo would be nice....I'm going to keep an eye out for a mach system, as I was happy with the one in my 99 cobra and expedition....

PS: The hint-hint was cool....is it the webmeister, or moderator who's compiling the R data???? :dw: :dw: :dw: :dw: :dw:

 

[TcM-668]

00 R FAQ

I brought it up as a joke, that we should have an FAQ about the car, and all the little idiosyncrasies of it...I had hoped that there was something like that out there, to help us all in finding our ways with our cars, but I guess there is not...

If nothing else, I guess I'll do it, so that I can leverage it in exchange for geting listed in the Registry..!!! If I don't get my way, I'll take my FAQ(thats right MY FAQ) and go home...

Usually when I don't get my way, I'll lay on the ground, and kick my feet and scream or use crude language in the forums and try to pick fights but that does not seem to be working here (these people are way too laid back.)...I gotta come up with another tactic to get my way...I would try and throw daddy's money around, but I make more than he does, so I can't take away is S/S check for no reason....now the GT-40...that might be a reason...

If not, I'll sell all of my cars out of spite and get a GT-40...that will show them...!!!hehehehehe

Seriously, if nothing else, I'll start compiling info for the newbies...I know we are all in uncharted territory, but it seems we could prevent re-inventing the wheel everytime another R comes along...

Don...
Friends don't let friends drive Chevy's...

 

[Andy M]

Originally posted by Cobra-R
Don,
If you need help getting a clock wired, just let me know.

HeHe!! Since I installed my new oil temp gauge, my clock is for sale now!! :bash:

 

[Cobra-R]

Originally posted by Andy M
HeHe!! Since I installed my new oil temp gauge, my clock is for sale now!! :bash:

I pawned mine off on a certain Colorado member.

 

[Terry Moenich]

So are you saying ALL the wiring is there for a Mach 460? On a 95 R the wiring provided was only for the basic stereo, to upgrade to a Mach 460 required a whole new car loom.

So If I got the componants out of a salvage yard its plug and play?

What adapters do you refer to?

Your help is greatly appreciated.

 

[TcM-668]

From what I understand, the difference between the Mach460 and the base line unit is an extra set of cables or two that go to the amp and such...on mine, it had the connectors for the "Premium" sound system in addition to the base stuff. Extra speaker cable harness, etc.

It should be fairly simple to just drop in a factory system, or drop in an aftermarket using harness adapters. The harness adapter has a factory connector on one side, and bare wires on the back side, and basically would emulate a factory head unit. that way, all of the power, ground, antenna power, etc are all right there, tie that into your stereo harness, and just plug it right into your factory connector...same applies to the speaker harness connector.

On the speaker side, Ford uses a funky 2 conductor connector for the speakers, you could just cut them off, and tire your wires into the cut end, stuff the bare wire to the speaker into the connector and tape off, or look for a speaker connector converter. It does the same thing as the radio adapter, and would just plug right into the factory connector.

I'll take some pictures of my 93 that is pulled apart, and post 'em...so you'll have some idea of what to look for...

Don...

Now I need to figure out where to tie in the clock...

 

[Andy M]

A question for you guys? At the risk of sounding like a complete idiot (oh well, too late.. :bash: )

What exactly is the "Mach 460" System? I assume a model number for some fancy smancy Ford factory sound system? right? What does this thing come with ? is it radio only ? includes CD player/changer ?? Is it a single DIN height unit or double?

By the way Don, Steve Broussard (the guy you met that night from Lake Charles with the R) also has put a stereo in his R... aftermarket though! So, you are not the first and only one!

 

[TcM-668]

I did not figure I was the first...!! heheheh...seems like the first to document the process though...maybe not...

anyways, the Mach 460 sound system is a complete AM-FM-CD with a separate amp for speakers and I think it came with some form of a subwoofer...maybe not...it is just a very nice factory sound system...I think it was designed by Bose...just the fact that they left wiring in the car for a radio was a god-send...

The stereo I put in my car is a Sony CDX-M650 AM-FM-CD/Changer controller with the Active Black Panel(TM) and 4 Boston Acoustics 5x7 coaxial speakers... they fit perfecty in the door and deck positions, and have decent frequency response...
and given that there is no sound deadening material in the car, the quality is not phenomenal, but is tolerable...

It is great for those days when I want to hear more than the engine, road noise and wind, or when I am stuck behind a police officer doing less than the limit, and the fine folks on the road are afraid to pass him, and I can't get the car up to full rant ...hehe hehe..

On a side note...I just got clocked at 157 in a 65 on Hwy 290 and got a very, VERY STERN warning....turns out the DPS Trooper was a big Mustang Fan, and he did not feel like doing paperwork...He got to look under the hood, and wants to take a spin with me sometime...I told him you have me license, just write it down, and let me know and we'll go play...he said he'd think about it and get back to me...he said that we could not break the law while he was in the car though...but I digress...

Don...

 

[Terry Moenich]

Thanksfor the info. I installed a radio using the adapter you speak of(I think) in my 95 R. It was easy, but it was a Pioneer. I would really like a factory Mach 460 in this R.