I have a 97 F150 that came with the am/fm/cassette and the cassette finally went out... so today for 10 bucks i landed on a deal for an 03 am/fm/cassette and an 09 am/fm... will the 09 stereo be able to fit in my 97? and since its just an am/fm do i have any way to keep the radio without taking my antenna away and add an aux input for my ipod? If not... the 03 one appears it would fit... so i can roll with that but the 09 radio just looks smooth... thanks guys

 

Whats a cassette? Lol jk thats a good deal and im pretty sure the 09 one wont fit but if i were you i would just update an get a new aftermarket cd deck. Go on a website called sonicelectronix.com and they have awsome deals on decks. You can find a good one with built in ipod mode or a usb port for round $100(i highly recommend pioneer or alpine) and if you type in what car you have theyll send you a free dash kit so the deck will fit and youll even get a lil extra pocket too

 

yea I have been on the fence getting an aftermarket... I really just want to keep it looking as clean as i can and i dont really want to make that jump... and yes i know cassette is ancient... but it looks good imo i appreciate the input though!

 

I have a '98, and just went through this exercise myself. Yours may have an external amp like mine did (check to see of your old unit had an "auto set" button in the upper right of the unit. If so, you have an external amp, and would need a special harness (Metra makes one). As a result, even stock units would not work, since the wiring and plugs are different. One of the reasons I went aftermarket (with a JVC head unit) and used the special harness to route the low level (RCA jacks on the JVC) outputs to the external amp. So, going aftermarket might be a better solution, unless you were able to match part numbers with your broken one. And, FYI, a "cassette" slot in a head unit is merely used for an adapter to a stereo mini plug, used for MP3 players, Smart Phones, iPods, etc.

And, ToneLocs47, I found a single DIN mounting bracket that didn't have that useless pocket - it was a straight panel, that I drilled out and mounted a couple of toggle switches for future use, so it's actually more functional!