Introduction

• Removing a Ford stock radio looks complicated but isn't. Once you get past the dash, there are only a couple screws and connectors. Most parts of the dash and the front of the radio are plastic, so care should be taken when removing the Ford stock radio.
  
  

Removing the Dash

• Take the faceplate off the dash covering the instrument panel. This is called the facia or reveal molding. Since this covers all years, all possibilities are covered. The dash will have male plugs with a metal snap on the end of them that snap into holes in the metal or plastic parts of the dash, to hold it on. It will very likely have a few screws to support it. Look for two screws above the speedometer; they will be oriented straight and hold the panel up above the speedometer. There are screws on many models on both sides of the dash between the door and the dash. These are covered by a removable piece of the plastic dash. The last screws, if any, are along the bottom of the panel covered by the lower part of the dash on the driver's side. Remove the 7mm screws on the bottom of the lower part of the dash and remove the panels to expose the lower screws for the panel.
  
  

Removing the Radio

• Once the panel is removed, take the screws out of the radio retaining plate and pull the radio out far enough to detach the electrical connector and the antennas. When replacing with an aftermarket radio, the job can be made much easier and will look more professional if an adapter harness is bought with the radio. This harness is made specifically for the vehicle and the new radio. It will plug into the original connector and to the new radio without having to cut all the wires and having to determine which wires go to which speakers. They can be bought at any stereo shop and do not come with the radio.
  
  

Radio Wattage and Conclusion

• Buy a new faceplate at the same time, because not many aftermarket radios are the same dimensions as the stock radio. It may be necessary to buy a kit that gives faceplates to adapt to any Ford. Sometimes, the radio store will not have individual specific faceplates. Without the faceplate, it will be difficult to install the radio since the aftermarket radio is usually much smaller in dimension. Get a radio with a minimum of 35 watts per channel for good performance. A radio that states 35 or 40 watts is not going to sound good, unless that is per channel. Take the total watts that the radio puts out and divide by 4, and that's how many watts per channel the radio has. A 40-watt output radio divided by 4 is only 10 watts per channel. When the volume is turned up, distortion will be high.