What are the specs on the stock 79-93 amp?

crazypete · 09-07-2004, 09:07 AM

After swapping my stock nugget amp out for a kenwood, the sound sounds staticy then fades in and out for a few minutes (usually after I go over a bump or turn) then goes off till you turn the car off for a few minutes. I triple checked the wiring and it's clean. No crossed over wires or grounded cables or anything and the remote is clean and the amp has the red triangle lit up (meaning it has signal and is on) and it's triple fused so there really isnt anything grounded out. I though she was overheating at first, but after fanning that thing till it's cold, it still does the same thing. I thought I was sucking the juice from the battery but swapping wires to the alternator made no difference and the ammeter reads in the nominal range.

So I got tired of it and put the stock amp back in using the original harnesses and wiring and viola! No more problems. The sound is just as loud as with the kenwood but there's practically no bass. So I got to thinking...... can that little nugget amp power a 10 inch single JBL powerwedge subwoofer? Can the stock amp be bridged (left + and right - )? I would be beside myself with happiness to not have to have 2 amps. I have a filter for the woofer to take out the high signals. What I did before is I realized that there is only 2 channels in a stereo signal , L and R, so the back speakers are working on the same signal as the fronts. So I just hooked all 6 speakers to the front channel and used the rear channel for the woofer. Could the little stock amp handle this?

88fivepointoh · 09-07-2004, 01:47 PM

What is the serial Numbers to the amp and what brand?

crazypete · 09-07-2004, 02:46 PM

Well, the amp in distress is a kenwood kac646 with 50w/ch x 4 channels and bridgeable. What I was wondering was how much juice that little factory "premium sound" 6 speaker amp behind the factory head unit put out and if it would respond gracefully to bridging and if that would produce anything worthwhile on a 125 RMS speaker (8 ohm?) speaker. I'm pretty sure all the labelling on the factory amp is gone as I removed it from it's bracketing and have it just sitting happily behind the radio on the carpeting.

88fivepointoh · 09-07-2004, 05:49 PM

the factory amps sucks, and no it won't like bridging. It will heat and die. If you looking for clean power, run new lines to the speakers or splice in from the amp and bypass it. your only creating a serious bottle neck with the old amp.

88fivepointoh · 09-07-2004, 05:50 PM

the rms rating an them amps are under 12watts per channel.

GhettoPop · 09-08-2004, 08:18 AM

take all stock stereo pieces (receiver, amp, speakers) out and replace them, they are junk, especially if you want serious sound.

crazypete · 09-08-2004, 08:18 AM

That seems about right..

For all those that are thinking of doing this in the future...dont bother. The stock amp cannot be bridged because it uses a common - for the rear channel which..after 3 wiring sessions I am convinced is simply chassis ground. On regular signal, turned all the way up, it barely makes some noise in the woofer, nothing even considered bass.

So what I did is I hooked up the stock amp to the speakers as before (still surprised by how much sound the 6 speakers make on that crappy little amp. I guess treble doesnt need amplification: it sounds the same with the stock amp 12W/ch amp and the 50W/ch kenwood). I grabbed the kenwood and attached it directly to the woofer itself and ran a 5 wire pack, splicing into the left rear speaker's output for the amp signal (Most bass signal seems to be on the left channel....maybe this is a coincidence but it always seems boomier on the left channel) . Amp wires run directly to the battery. The woofer is now a self contained unit.

Earthshattering bass and plenty of treble. I think it is either 150 or 200 watts when bridged and the gains are all the way down so I dont crack the paint or blow out the rear window.

Do any of you good folks know where you can buy pairs of wiring connectors like the stock harnesses have. I need a quick disconnect more elegant than wirecutters in case the mustang gets requisitioned for cargo hauling.

crazypete · 09-08-2004, 10:11 AM

Stock radios are excellent for one really really important reason:

they dont get stolen. The prospective thief takes one look inside the car, sees that thing and goes somewhere else. They figure if someone still as one of those things in their car, the rest of the car cant be much better. Meanwhile, I have the signal amplified, a 12 disc radio transmitter cd changer, a subwoofer tucked away and so forth. I keep the car factory looking for the same reason.

All the radio needs to do is to recieve 88.1 and send some kind of signal to the amps. I dont even know if the tape deck even works, I doubt it.

88fivepointoh · 09-08-2004, 05:14 PM

Thats right crazy pete... The security factor is all there good for.

09-07-2004, 09:07 AM	#1
crazypete Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Boston Posts: 592	What are the specs on the stock 79-93 amp? After swapping my stock nugget amp out for a kenwood, the sound sounds staticy then fades in and out for a few minutes (usually after I go over a bump or turn) then goes off till you turn the car off for a few minutes. I triple checked the wiring and it's clean. No crossed over wires or grounded cables or anything and the remote is clean and the amp has the red triangle lit up (meaning it has signal and is on) and it's triple fused so there really isnt anything grounded out. I though she was overheating at first, but after fanning that thing till it's cold, it still does the same thing. I thought I was sucking the juice from the battery but swapping wires to the alternator made no difference and the ammeter reads in the nominal range. So I got tired of it and put the stock amp back in using the original harnesses and wiring and viola! No more problems. The sound is just as loud as with the kenwood but there's practically no bass. So I got to thinking...... can that little nugget amp power a 10 inch single JBL powerwedge subwoofer? Can the stock amp be bridged (left + and right - )? I would be beside myself with happiness to not have to have 2 amps. I have a filter for the woofer to take out the high signals. What I did before is I realized that there is only 2 channels in a stereo signal , L and R, so the back speakers are working on the same signal as the fronts. So I just hooked all 6 speakers to the front channel and used the rear channel for the woofer. Could the little stock amp handle this? __________________ 91 GT Carb conversion, holley 600 double pumper, edelbrock performer intake, FMS "C" drop springs, march 1000 underdrive pullies, crane 1.7 roller rockers, GT-40P headers, bassani x pipe, american thunder catback, FMS 4.56's, msd aL6, trunkmount battery, A/C eliminator kit, 3000 stall tci streetfighter, AOD with transgo kit, A+ servo, 300M hardened lockup shaft, kevlar bands and 28,000 gvw trans cooler, 3 core radiator, 300 lbs stripped with a full interior

09-07-2004, 02:46 PM	#3
crazypete Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Boston Posts: 592	Well, the amp in distress is a kenwood kac646 with 50w/ch x 4 channels and bridgeable. What I was wondering was how much juice that little factory "premium sound" 6 speaker amp behind the factory head unit put out and if it would respond gracefully to bridging and if that would produce anything worthwhile on a 125 RMS speaker (8 ohm?) speaker. I'm pretty sure all the labelling on the factory amp is gone as I removed it from it's bracketing and have it just sitting happily behind the radio on the carpeting. __________________ 91 GT Carb conversion, holley 600 double pumper, edelbrock performer intake, FMS "C" drop springs, march 1000 underdrive pullies, crane 1.7 roller rockers, GT-40P headers, bassani x pipe, american thunder catback, FMS 4.56's, msd aL6, trunkmount battery, A/C eliminator kit, 3000 stall tci streetfighter, AOD with transgo kit, A+ servo, 300M hardened lockup shaft, kevlar bands and 28,000 gvw trans cooler, 3 core radiator, 300 lbs stripped with a full interior

09-08-2004, 08:18 AM	#6
GhettoPop Gimme a Drink! Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: NYC Posts: 694	take all stock stereo pieces (receiver, amp, speakers) out and replace them, they are junk, especially if you want serious sound. __________________ 1990 GT,stock T-5,K&N w/o air silencer,March underdrives,FMS wires,timing@14*,PA Perf 130amp alt,Steeda Tri-Ax Shifter,Steeda adj quadrant/clutch cable/firewall adj,Centerforce II clutch,o/r x-pipe,Magnaflow SS catback,g-load brace, subframes,Bilstein struts/shocks,Autometer gauges, 136k and running strong!

09-08-2004, 08:18 AM	#7
crazypete Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Boston Posts: 592	That seems about right.. For all those that are thinking of doing this in the future...dont bother. The stock amp cannot be bridged because it uses a common - for the rear channel which..after 3 wiring sessions I am convinced is simply chassis ground. On regular signal, turned all the way up, it barely makes some noise in the woofer, nothing even considered bass. So what I did is I hooked up the stock amp to the speakers as before (still surprised by how much sound the 6 speakers make on that crappy little amp. I guess treble doesnt need amplification: it sounds the same with the stock amp 12W/ch amp and the 50W/ch kenwood). I grabbed the kenwood and attached it directly to the woofer itself and ran a 5 wire pack, splicing into the left rear speaker's output for the amp signal (Most bass signal seems to be on the left channel....maybe this is a coincidence but it always seems boomier on the left channel) . Amp wires run directly to the battery. The woofer is now a self contained unit. Earthshattering bass and plenty of treble. I think it is either 150 or 200 watts when bridged and the gains are all the way down so I dont crack the paint or blow out the rear window. Do any of you good folks know where you can buy pairs of wiring connectors like the stock harnesses have. I need a quick disconnect more elegant than wirecutters in case the mustang gets requisitioned for cargo hauling. __________________ 91 GT Carb conversion, holley 600 double pumper, edelbrock performer intake, FMS "C" drop springs, march 1000 underdrive pullies, crane 1.7 roller rockers, GT-40P headers, bassani x pipe, american thunder catback, FMS 4.56's, msd aL6, trunkmount battery, A/C eliminator kit, 3000 stall tci streetfighter, AOD with transgo kit, A+ servo, 300M hardened lockup shaft, kevlar bands and 28,000 gvw trans cooler, 3 core radiator, 300 lbs stripped with a full interior

09-08-2004, 10:11 AM	#8
crazypete Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Boston Posts: 592	Stock radios are excellent for one really really important reason: they dont get stolen. The prospective thief takes one look inside the car, sees that thing and goes somewhere else. They figure if someone still as one of those things in their car, the rest of the car cant be much better. Meanwhile, I have the signal amplified, a 12 disc radio transmitter cd changer, a subwoofer tucked away and so forth. I keep the car factory looking for the same reason. All the radio needs to do is to recieve 88.1 and send some kind of signal to the amps. I dont even know if the tape deck even works, I doubt it. __________________ 91 GT Carb conversion, holley 600 double pumper, edelbrock performer intake, FMS "C" drop springs, march 1000 underdrive pullies, crane 1.7 roller rockers, GT-40P headers, bassani x pipe, american thunder catback, FMS 4.56's, msd aL6, trunkmount battery, A/C eliminator kit, 3000 stall tci streetfighter, AOD with transgo kit, A+ servo, 300M hardened lockup shaft, kevlar bands and 28,000 gvw trans cooler, 3 core radiator, 300 lbs stripped with a full interior

09-07-2004, 01:47 PM	#2
88fivepointoh Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Rochester Posts: 553	What is the serial Numbers to the amp and what brand?

09-07-2004, 05:49 PM	#4
88fivepointoh Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Rochester Posts: 553	the factory amps sucks, and no it won't like bridging. It will heat and die. If you looking for clean power, run new lines to the speakers or splice in from the amp and bypass it. your only creating a serious bottle neck with the old amp.

09-07-2004, 05:50 PM	#5
88fivepointoh Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Rochester Posts: 553	the rms rating an them amps are under 12watts per channel.

09-08-2004, 05:14 PM	#9
88fivepointoh Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Rochester Posts: 553	Thats right crazy pete... The security factor is all there good for.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
polishing stock parts?	scale	Windsor Power	24	04-22-2002 11:57 AM
Question about stock cam specs	MustangGT1990	Windsor Power	11	04-03-2002 10:04 AM
Is a Ported Stock Intake Worth It?	Stang_Crazy	Windsor Power	9	09-28-2001 04:22 PM
5.0 stock cam specs?	Fostang	Windsor Power	1	05-16-2001 01:55 AM
LT's vs. shorties vs. stock headers	jonnyk	Windsor Power	9	01-01-2001 11:28 AM