my wiring for my radio on my 1981 280zx is a nightmare. i cant figure it out it seems who ever owned the car before the guy that i bought it from had a amp and a couple of subs hooked up but now im just trying to install a new head unit and i cant figure it out anyone have any pics of what the stock wiring harness should look like maybe a online guide that can tell me the color code combo since none of the wire colors macth the harness i have thanks.

 

the easiest way i found to do it was to take a digital multimeter and start measuring the voltages, use common sence to find your ground, power, antenna power(might be the hardest) and ignition wires(and you should know where the antenna output is)... thats all you need and if you dont have a power antenna you dont need the antenna power wire...

 

well the thing is i bought an after market connector for a 280zx and none of the after market connections macth up to whats on there all as i have are these three lil connectors (will snap pics of ina few minutes) im thinking maybe they tore out the entier harness or is the after market connector i got crap it says its for a 79-83 280zx

 

I think the problem is there is no real after market connector. At least none that I've heard of. You'll be better off just splicing into a few wires and running new wire for the speakers. You only need a ground, a switched, and a constant power. Pretty easy install. Although I still can't figure out how to get my antenna to go up and down. It worked with the factory radio...

 

ya the confusing thing is i bought it after it was broken into and it appears that someone at one point had an amp and sub hooked up in it in short this is a wireing nightmare but no worse then my lincon ......that was horrible shutters at the nightmares. but thanks for the clarification i just wanted to make sure it wasnt something i was messing up or was missing but realisticly if they ripped out the harness the car wouldnt run or anything right ??

 

My brothers car stereo was stolen once. Some guy was apparently passing through town ripping off cars as he went down the street. He popped the door lock out without leaving a scratch on the paint, pulled the stereo and clipped the harness real close to the connector. Cleanest theft I've ever seen, I gotta give the guy props. I put in another lock and there was ample wire left to splice in a harness for an aftermarket stereo.

 

this is whats left of mine :\