- Joined
- Dec 4, 2025
- Messages
- 184
- Points
- 101
- City
- Pendleton
- State - Country
- SC - USA
- Vehicle Year
- 2008
- Vehicle
- Ford Ranger
- Drive
- 2WD
- Engine
- 2.3 (4 Cylinder)
- Transmission
- Manual
- Total Lift
- 0
- Total Drop
- 0
- Tire Size
- 235/70 R15
- My credo
- Complacemcy is the key by which tyrrany opens many doors.
I've been putting a lot of thought into my truck lately, specifically about the audio system. Right now it doesn't have one. The previous owner did the right thing and put an aftermarket stereo in using harness adapters and not slicing up the wiring, but the install wasn't very solid and it rattled going down the road so I ripped that piece of crap out - I mean, professionally uninstalled it, and have been riding in silence ever since, which is when the thinking started. I like the silence. No ads. No invasiveness. Just time driving the truck, and at night there's a warm glow from the climate control lighting in the double-DIN-size hole that I've pretty much chosen to leave open until I figure something out.
I had an idea to forgo the head unit entirely and mount a blank panel in the radio spot, then put a magnetic phone holder there. That way, I could mount the phone in landscape mode and use it for maps. Well, that got me thinking, "what if the phone was my head unit?" I only use the phone anyway, and if I want terrestrial radio, there's a few apps for that. However...
I don't remember who it was that got them, but somebody here bought some OEM Lincoln radios, I think. Either way, they didn't have speaker out, just line out, and that got me thinking: "why not integrate an OEM Ford radio with just preamp out," so I started cruising the 'Bay. Some late 2000's Audiophile and Shaker 500 systems as well as most of the Fusion radios were externally amplified, and all three systems had integrated aux ports - the most important part. Used units with clipped harnesses are available.
Disclaimer: If you are an audio purist, now's your chance to walk away.
I have a SoundStormLabs SSL8 all-in-one under seat subwoofer that I pulled out of my Festiva, and online I found a set of Jensen 6x8" speakers with a 2-channel, 200w Jensen amp for about $115. I've seen multiple conversations about the rear speakers in the standard cab, which I have interpreted to mean are mostly a waste of time due to their low position and firing angle, so this will be a 2.1 setup.
The sub will not fit under the seat, nor do I want to lose precious wubs, so the AIO will be oriented vertically and centrally on a carpeted MDF panel on the back wall so it will fire between the seats like a sports car system (Fiero, Corvette, Viper, etc.) The SSL logo will be replaced with the Ranger badge from the tailgate. I have other plans for that. I've also got two pairs of silk neodymium tweeters, one pair of which will live in the sail panels in the doors, as long as they don't interfere with the window air vents in the dash. The speaker location in the doors should be high enough to actually stage fairly well with the tweeters.
The phone is still going to be the primary input device, but I like the thought of an OEM+ appearance. I'll run the phone through an OTG DAC which will give me USB-C connectivity and PD charging via a buck converter powered by one of the 12v sockets I removed from the radio bezel, while adapting from USB to 3.5mm and again into the wired rear AUX harness of the head unit. At this point I should probably mention that I do not want Bluetooth.
The under-dash tray is the perfect location for relocating the 12v sockets, though my plan is to 3D print a replacement for the tray that fills in the area. That's not necessarily a part of this project, so I'll start a thread on that later. The reason I mentioned it, though, is because I am about to have three holes in my radio bezel. My version of the panel has two 12v sockets and a passenger airbag warning light. All 3 spots are going to be repurposed as switches, because the 12v socket locations "fit" 22mm switches, as long as you have the plastic insert ring.
The warning light will be relocated to the 3D-printed panel. The left 12v hole will be populated by a green, illuminated switch with a speaker indicator to enable/disable the subwoofer. The truck doesn't have fog lights but it does have a brush guard that will get some lights, so following Ford's weird layout, the right side 12v socket is getting a blue LED switch to indicate bumper lights. I need to measure the hole left after removing the passenger air bag light, but I'm mounting a set of Nilight backup lights to a hitch bracket I bought, and that smaller hole will house that light switch.
All in all, I hope to build a system that I can use CD's, AM/FM, and any media player I want, all while looking mostly stock. More to come as parts arrive. I'll throw some reference pics up soon.
I had an idea to forgo the head unit entirely and mount a blank panel in the radio spot, then put a magnetic phone holder there. That way, I could mount the phone in landscape mode and use it for maps. Well, that got me thinking, "what if the phone was my head unit?" I only use the phone anyway, and if I want terrestrial radio, there's a few apps for that. However...
I don't remember who it was that got them, but somebody here bought some OEM Lincoln radios, I think. Either way, they didn't have speaker out, just line out, and that got me thinking: "why not integrate an OEM Ford radio with just preamp out," so I started cruising the 'Bay. Some late 2000's Audiophile and Shaker 500 systems as well as most of the Fusion radios were externally amplified, and all three systems had integrated aux ports - the most important part. Used units with clipped harnesses are available.
Disclaimer: If you are an audio purist, now's your chance to walk away.
I have a SoundStormLabs SSL8 all-in-one under seat subwoofer that I pulled out of my Festiva, and online I found a set of Jensen 6x8" speakers with a 2-channel, 200w Jensen amp for about $115. I've seen multiple conversations about the rear speakers in the standard cab, which I have interpreted to mean are mostly a waste of time due to their low position and firing angle, so this will be a 2.1 setup.
The sub will not fit under the seat, nor do I want to lose precious wubs, so the AIO will be oriented vertically and centrally on a carpeted MDF panel on the back wall so it will fire between the seats like a sports car system (Fiero, Corvette, Viper, etc.) The SSL logo will be replaced with the Ranger badge from the tailgate. I have other plans for that. I've also got two pairs of silk neodymium tweeters, one pair of which will live in the sail panels in the doors, as long as they don't interfere with the window air vents in the dash. The speaker location in the doors should be high enough to actually stage fairly well with the tweeters.
The phone is still going to be the primary input device, but I like the thought of an OEM+ appearance. I'll run the phone through an OTG DAC which will give me USB-C connectivity and PD charging via a buck converter powered by one of the 12v sockets I removed from the radio bezel, while adapting from USB to 3.5mm and again into the wired rear AUX harness of the head unit. At this point I should probably mention that I do not want Bluetooth.
The under-dash tray is the perfect location for relocating the 12v sockets, though my plan is to 3D print a replacement for the tray that fills in the area. That's not necessarily a part of this project, so I'll start a thread on that later. The reason I mentioned it, though, is because I am about to have three holes in my radio bezel. My version of the panel has two 12v sockets and a passenger airbag warning light. All 3 spots are going to be repurposed as switches, because the 12v socket locations "fit" 22mm switches, as long as you have the plastic insert ring.
The warning light will be relocated to the 3D-printed panel. The left 12v hole will be populated by a green, illuminated switch with a speaker indicator to enable/disable the subwoofer. The truck doesn't have fog lights but it does have a brush guard that will get some lights, so following Ford's weird layout, the right side 12v socket is getting a blue LED switch to indicate bumper lights. I need to measure the hole left after removing the passenger air bag light, but I'm mounting a set of Nilight backup lights to a hitch bracket I bought, and that smaller hole will house that light switch.
All in all, I hope to build a system that I can use CD's, AM/FM, and any media player I want, all while looking mostly stock. More to come as parts arrive. I'll throw some reference pics up soon.
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