Installing a Chinese car stereo in a 1998 Ford Windstar
 

Well, this has been a journey.

I THINK I can handle the electrical. At least, I have the appropriate Metra harness winging its way to me from the land of the free, coming to the land of expensive (Canada). That, plus a whole pile of soldering, should handle the hookup.

Although it doesn't help that China screwed up the schematic. Check out the wiring diagram, which is stuck to the top of the unit:


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...9b50a89ac7.jpg

The rear left speaker has solid green for negative, and green/black for positive. And the right rear speaker has... WHAT? Come again...

I'm betting it's white for negative, and white/black for positive. That would be in accordance with the other three speakers. But there's no way to tell for sure.

What I'm NOT sure about, is how to mount the unit. The Ford radio has those cute 4 holes on the faceplate; insert your official radio removal tool (or a bent clothes hanger) and unlock the radio. It slides out, and all the cables unplug from the back.

Naturally, the Chinese radio is nothing like the Ford. So the trick now is, how do you mount a Chinese car stereo in a Ford Windstar?

Well, they supplied me with this bracket:


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...23053f6031.jpg

It fits, moderately snugly, into the hole left by the Ford radio. It bottoms out. It does not click or lock into place. It is purely a friction fit.

The Chinese radio slides into this bracket, and does lock into place. And with all the trim pieces applied, the installation looks... Okay. Sort of a moderately tidy, definitely aftermarket installation.

Here's my question: isn't that tin bracket supposed to be positively fixed to the vehicle? Don't we want more than just a friction fit?

Because after several thousand miles of potholes and manhole covers, vibration is gonna loosen that bracket up, and the radio will probably slide around in the hole.

Has anyone else worked with these brackets? Any idea how to use them?

I'm all ears...>Charlie