Does anyone know if a new style toyota cd combo will work in a 2nd gen. I know they all have the double din setup. Any tips for the noob?

 

The din size should be the same (check depth). Also get part of the wiring harness (at a junkyard) if possible so you can connect it to your existing harness without much trouble.

 

I just took the stereo I had in my '85 4 Runner and put it in my '93 4Runner and the "fit kits" on both of them were the same. So, the '93 would fit in the '85 with some wiring work. I wouldn't be surprised if the newer CD would retrofit in a second gen. The only real problem might be the wiring. The plug in the 2nd gen might not match the plug in the back of the newer cd.
If it doesn't, this could come in handy: http://www.circuitcity.com/detail.js...qp=0&oid=41015
The wiring is labeled so it makes it really easy to figure out what goes where.
I had to do this on mine and unfortunately my old Pioneer was too old to match the newer Pioneer plug so I had to splice and solder all the wires and make my own harness. The Metra harnesses are nice too as all the wires are labeled (ie. front right speaker -, 12v, rear left + etc.)
Ultimately, I didn't really need to use it since it gave me all the info I needed to set up the wiring, but it was nice to use it to get some extra wire in there instead of trying to do all that splicing and soldering in a small hole.

 

No offense, but why on earth would you go to the trouble of putting in an OEM deck to replace and OEM deck? Honestly, do yourself a favor and get an aftermarket cd player and a pocket from Metra and a wiring harness from walmart. Same amount of work, same money spent (OEM cd player = amazingly overpriced junk), 100x better sound.

To answer your question any din, din and a half, or double din unit will fit

 

I have never liked cheezy aftermarket stereo's. I think they look terrible. Just too much overkill. Half of them are red or silver and the lights look like your at some cheap hotel.. I have had several head units, such as eclipse, sony, pioneer, clarion, and they have never sounded as good as a factory one would. I always thought they had a plastic sound to them if you were just listening to the radio. If you are a playing a CD then they typically do sound better. Just my preference, i guess

Thanks for the input though

 

The head unit will fit but if your getting the deck from a third gen you will need the amp as well. I've heard it won't work without it. It should just plug in. Try looking up Dr. Installs on the web. I can't find the site at the moment but they have a lot of good info and wiring diagrams that you could cross reference the wiring with.

 

Amen. I haven't swapped out my factory cassette because I hate the looks of the other receivers. It's as if they are all neon lights that blink "steal me."

There is another choice though, one I've considered. Nakamichi. Plain black, good sound, plenty of power and about $350 on Ebay (yikes!)

 

When my wife and I got married we decided that as wedding presents we would buy each other something that the other would not buy for themselves.
I bought her a different 35mm camera since the one she had was having problems with the light meter and she had been using the same one for years and wanted to try something different.
She bought me a Pioneer AM/FM cassette player knowing that I am a cheap ass that would never buy a half decent car stereo for myself and the deck in my '85 4Runner was dead
When I went to Circuit City to get a wiring harness to transfer the old deck into my '93 4Runner (the factory deck was messed up and anytime I hit a bump or tried to adjust the volume the sound quit) I went past the display for the new sound systems (note they aren't car RADIOS anymore) and the first thing I saw was a player that had a video of people surfing playing on the face.
All I can say is a quick tribute to C.M. Kornbluth: Beware the Marching Morons!