radio install question for a 1981 CJ5

[1981CJ5]

Just got my new clarion marine grade stereo today. Question is, were all jeeps wired with the same wiring harness? I mean, should there be a hookup for a radio even if the jeep does not have one?

If not, no problem. One more question, which wire is constant hot and which is the "accessory wire", hot only when ignition is on?

It will be nice to finally have music as I am going down the highway. Do you think my choice of a marine grade stereo is wise or just wasted money? Thoughts were that it should withstand the elements it will be subjected to.

Joel

 

[jay79cj7]

A marine grade stereo is probably a wise choice. I opted for the Tuffy security console, which is more or less rain proof. At least no problems so far. I really like the radio positioned there too.

My CJ has the radio spliced into the wiring harness, but I know some had stereos as stock, so I assume some had at least some form of a harness. The only sure way to know what wire is what on these old, and often tampered with wires, is to pull out the tester. I forget what color the wires you are looking for are in my cj. Good luck.

 

[TwistedCU]

Money well spent. Of all the brands I used to install (it's been a while), Clarion was the best combination of price and quality. They also had the fewest returns for service. The marine grade will prove worthy if it gets damp/wet inside your dashboard.

 

[wm69]

My jeeps had the factory stereo and there isn't any wiring harness. Look on the bottom of your fuse box (right corner on mine) and there is a hole for a spade plug labeled "radio". My factory radio had a power wire (red) going there, was grounded by the mounting bracket, and had speaker wires going to each speaker (wires were connected to speaker and stereo with a plug in the middle; if you took your factory speakers and stereo out, those wires went with them) That's all the wiring there was for a factory stereo, so no harness involved. Run your red (accesory) wire to that radio hole in the fuse box (put a spade end on the wire and plug it in), run the yellow wire (constant hot) to the "clock" hole in the middle of the fuse box (use spade again), run the ground wire (black) anywhere you have a bolt going into metal (I put a screw into the bottom lip of the dash, stripped the end of the wire, and put the bare end under the screw, tightened it up). Then you have to run wires for your speakers (speaker wire will come with any new speakers you get) Oh, and if any of you have factory AM/FM radios out of a CJ laying around, I got $230 bucks for mine on ebay (some guy restoring a CJ to all stock).