I just got an aftermarket cd player, cause the '78 El Camino i just got had no radio/tape deck... nothing. So I go to hook it up and there is nothing to plug the cd player into. NOTHING!!! I can't even find where the speakers are anywhere in the car. I found one speaker in the center of the dash and thats it. The only plugs I can find in the radio slot are the antenna (which is in the winshield, which is soon getting replaced and i dont know what im gunna do about an antenna after the windshield gets replaced). Will gladly send pictures (if you think you can help) of where the radio is supposed to be upon request... ben@parrkerr.com PLEASE SEND ANY INFO THAT YOU MAY THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL!!!

Hate to break it to you, but that one in the dash IS the only speaker. You'll have to put in anything else you want. Look through some of the threads here, there's lots of ideas of what others have done.

When I started with my 78, there were five wires in the radio- the hot, the ground, the two to the mono speaker, and the antenna. You'll have to get some kind of aftermarket antenna if you're replacing your windshield.

DAMN IT!!! ok... so say i have four new speakers, and a new aftermarket cd player. where can i get the wiring to plug in my speakers in to my cd player, cause this isnt like a home theather system (left speaker goes in the hole labeled "left speaker"; right speaker goes...) also where can i get the right cord to plug my cd player into power (electrical) cause it aint there either.
i have a friend who did this (run new wires and speakers everywhere) in his '72 Nova Yenko, but he is being a dick and wont tell me anything.

Assuming your cd player is new, it should have come with a plug with 10 or so wires runnung out of it that plugs into your head unit. They should all be color coordinated to what they go to and you should just be able to follow the directions that came with your cd player. (one of these is the power, one is the ground, there's probably a remote power for a power antenna or amp, and the rest should be pairs for speakers)

If for some reason you don't have the plug or instructions, you can try finding them from a source like crutchfield.

my elky had the same problem. i had to run all new wires to the cd player. in your fuse panel you should have some empty 12v slots. some are labled acc. those are the ones you want to put the red wire from the cd player to. the ones labled 12v or bat is what you want to run the yellow to which is the constant hot. then you will have to run your speaker wires to where you speakers are at. it does take some time to do it but the end result is bliss. just take your time at use your brain. try not to run your speaker wires in the same area as the power wire. you will get a little wine. hopefully this will help you out. i've put a lot of stereos into cars so i've been there done that

thanks you guys you've been alot of help. I figured out the main problem i was having a problem with, but i needed this info also. The reason i posted this question in the first place was becaused i was confused. The cd player that i have is used and use to be hooked up to a 95? Accord... so from where the speaker wires are supposed to go, there is 2 white plastic things with several prongs coming out of of each. and i thought that it came out of the box that way, when really it was made to work with the accord. So i've been tring to find out how to plug my new speaker wires in to those little white boxes... I know im an idiot, this is my first car and i'm only 16, and i've obviosly never installed a car radio before. THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP.

by the way is there a place where i can just get a whole set of speaker wires, instead if buying them piece by piece?

Ben,

Ain't it fun being a young pup and having to learn new stuff? Three thoughts:

1. If you like this radio and really want to use it, you could consider taking it to an audio shop and converting to standard connector plugs and labeling the wires. That way, you could learn how to wire it to your Camino which is a good skill to know. And then, if you ever decide to change again, you can simply unplug it. Might cost you around $60.

A good technician can advise you on which plug-set to convert to so it can be matched in the future.

2. Or, take the radio to a good technician and just let them label the wires for you. You can easily blow a component if you try to figure the wires out by trial and error.

Then you could just dive in, wire it yourself and use bullet connectors making sure you carefully label each wire in the car.


You have probably figured out by now that wiring a Brand and Model specific stereo into a different car can be a real pain. There are reasons why you don't see it very often. For instance, some factory stereo's can have up to three seperate power supplies feeding it. One may be switched, one not. One may have a 15 amp fuse, and one a 5 amp. Which leads me possible Option 3:

Option 3. Sell it while you can and buy a head unit that slips in and has a basic wiring layout that will be easy for you to learn and do. I used to install car audio systems for a living and some of these proprietary systems I wouldn't even try to put in a Camino.

Just one perspective. Good luck.