[mustangandy190]

I got a 2000 Mustang a couple months ago, and I feel it is time to add a better stereo. This is just the basic stereo, and not the Mach 460.
First off, I bought 2 subs & amp and box for $60 from a buddy. They are 2 10" Kenwood subs 300 total watt i think, and a 600 watt MEI amp. (I have no clue when it comes to these kinds of things)

Also, went in and bought a head unit the other day. It is a Panasonic CQ-C7113U. Also bought the proper wiring harness recommended by the salesperson. I also have a wiring kit for the amps good for up to 750 watt total output (i think), and 10 feet or 16 gauge monster cable.

I have no clue of what to do, so any help would be very greatly appreciated!

[shinerstang]

I would say the best way to start:

1. Get a Ford adapter harness for your stereo. It will save you from splicing.
2. You will find the stock speakers will need to be upgraded. You have 6x8's, but 5x7's work too.
3. Do you have preamp outputs on your headunit for the subs? If so, you made your life easier. The sub cables, sub wires, and the remote lines need to go under the carpet in your car. You also have to ground the amp. I've found that drilling a small hole in one of the fold-down seat brackets works the best. The remote wire tells your amp to go on when you turn on your stereo. If not, it will be on all the time and drain your battery. If not, then you need to splice a speaker wire and run it to the amp. The amp may or may not have a line-level input. Check before getting started.
4. The stock wiring to your speakers should suffice as long as you're not putting an amp to the speakers. All the sub stuff gets wired in the trunk.
5. Make sure when picking out a sub box to make sure it fits in the trunk. I've known people not to check.

[mustangandy190]

thanks for the info, I have the proper harness, my box fits, but now what i need to know is how to literally "set up" the head unit. I know i will need a plate to cover the CD player, but i have no clue on how to remove/insert the new deck.

Once again, your help is very much appreciated.

EDIT: I know have the tool to take out the factory deck

[bigwilly43729]

Originally Posted by mustangandy190

thanks for the info, I have the proper harness, my box fits, but now what i need to know is how to literally "set up" the head unit. I know i will need a plate to cover the CD player, but i have no clue on how to remove/insert the new deck.

Once again, your help is very much appreciated.

EDIT: I know have the tool to take out the factory deck

I have an 05, so I can't tell you how to get the old deck out, but the DIN harness for the aftermarket HU SHOULD tell you how to get the old deck out so you can install the new one. That is the hard part. As soon as you get the old HU out, putting the new one in will be a piece of cake as will the rest of the installation. The instructions for the wiring harness are pretty straight forward. I would personally solder the wires together, but as long as they are spliced tightly and aren't messed with later, you should be fine. Make sure you hook up your RCA's to the proper outputs. Some are for subs and others are for regular speakers. I got them confused and couldn't figure out why my 6x9's were pumping bass.

What do you mean by covering up the CD player?