MPV radio in Protege?

[davejay]

Has anyone managed to fit a 1985-1995 Mazda MPV CD/Cassette/AM/FM unit in the 90-94 Protege radio space? I'm wondering if it will fit if the small bottom filler panel is removed from the frame (in the car) and if the top tabs on the radio (see the link below) are removed...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1989-1995-Mazda-MPV-AM-FM-CD-CASSETTE-NICE_W0QQitemZ8051437020QQcategoryZ38640QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I really want to get CD (well, CD and mp3 player, but that's another project) installed in my 93 Protege, but I want to do it as OEM as possible and without cutting into the center console...

[davejay]

Followup -- the thing that makes me think it will fit is this bezel from a 93 MPV:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1993-Mazda-MPV-bezel-for-radio-a-c-ashtray-89-95_W0QQitemZ7992684766QQcategoryZ40017QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Here it is with the cassette unit in:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Super-Nice-Mazda-MPV-AWD-Van-Wagon-Automatic_W0QQitemZ4626263262QQcategoryZ6318QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

(one of the pictures in the gallery)

It's got the same little panel at the bottom, presumably there to cover the hole when the AM/FM/Cassette was used, but that would be removed if the AM/FM/Cassette/CD was used...but that's speculation.

[firelizard]

Are those both double din? (your car and the mpv)

[davejay]

The two radios -- the one shown mounted in the MPV and the one I personally have -- are both 1.5 DIN; the larger radio (the one on ebay) looks to be 1.5 DIN + the CD portion of the radio; not sure if it's full double DIN or not. Kinda looks like 1.75 DIN...heh.

The important thing is that the little panel below the 1.5 DIN on the MPV looks to be the same size as the little panel below the 1.5 DIN in my Protege, and the MPV console accepted the larger radio, so presumably my protege would as well -- unless there's not enough space in the console itself behind the little panel.

And that's why I asked the question. Anyone make that work?

[jnorion]

Talk to Mazkid... he did a bunch of work with OEM Mazda stereos a while back, I think he mentioned the MPV as part of it.

[MazKid]

That radio should fit without the little spacer as you described...that radio/CD is RARE, my dad wants to find one for our '92, but I haven't really been looking.

I've never tried a MPV radio as I think it's just marginally better than the stock Protege radio. I'm using a '98+ Mazda radio/CD, plug and play, but a little creativity - or an aftermarket radio mount, is needed. Trimming the faceplate of the radio(or the oem radio surround, though if you use an aftermarket mount you won't have to do it...looks better the way I did it IMO) is needed but super easy and not damaging at all.

Hope that helps any. For a time I was using a 929 radio and graphic equalizer, with the equalizer in the center console cubby...had to extend the wires and add a connector...I thought it was awsome, then I tried a '98+ radio and it's dozens of times better in terms of sound quality and deepness. I'd suggest trying to find the '98+ radio in the junkyard, that's where I found mine, and now I'm using 2 of them, one in the Pro, one in the Miata.

Ohh! You gotta add a ground wire to this radio to make illumination work properly. It's super easy though, just a matter of cutting the stock ground wire and adding a terminal to the main radio connector.