Replacing the Bose System
Don't know why you'd pay for a "bypass harness". All you need for a new system is:Batt power
Keyed power
Ground. Everything else (line wires, amp power, speaker wires etc)...you're running new/custom. Don't need any harnesses for that...or any bypasses either.
If you're not keeping the Bose speakers, you need to gut (or at least replace) everything.
Front right speaker Pink/Blk = Amp +
Front right speaker Black = Amp Ground
Front right speaker Lt Grn = Line level "+"
Front right speaker Dk Grn = Line level common "-"
Front left speaker Pink/Blk = Amp +
Front left speaker Black = Amp Ground
Front left speaker Tan = Line level "+"
Front left speaker Grey = Line level common "-"
Rear right speaker Pink = Amp +
Rear right speaker Black = Amp Ground
Rear right speaker Dk Blue = Line level "+"
Rear right speaker Lt Blue = Line level common "-"
Rear left speaker Pink = Amp +
Rear left speaker Black = Amp Ground
Rear left speaker Brown = Line level "+"
Rear left speaker Yellow = Line level common "-"
.
Pink = Amp Relay +
Pink = Power Antenna +
(Note, of the two pink wires, one is in the standard radio harness connector, and one is hardwired to the stereo and run outside the case to a separate connector, not sure which one is which)
Orange = +Hot all times
Brown = + Lights
Black = - Ground
Gray = + Dash lights dimmer circuit
Gray/White = (Electronic AC only) To AC control panel dimmer circuit
Front right speaker Clear = Shield for Line Level wires
Front right speaker Lt Grn = Line level "+"
Front right speaker Dk Grn = Line level common "-"
Front left speaker Clear = Shield for Line Level wires
Front left speaker Tan = Line level "+"
Front left speaker Grey = Line level common "-"
Rear right speaker Clear = Shield for Line Level wires
Rear right speaker Dk Blue = Line level "+"
Rear right speaker Lt Blue = Line level common "-"
Rear left speaker Clear = Shield for Line Level wires
Rear left speaker Brown = Line level "+"
Rear left speaker Yellow = Line level common "-"
This is all at the radio end. From the the Amp relay there is a pink/black wire that goes to the door bose amps, and to the C308 junction block which then has a pink to the rear bose amps.
Add to that the shielded line level speaker wires are 18 gauge, therefore on an 88 it is absolutely possible to use the existing wires to carry sound to new speakers.
http://hawking.stealing-fire.com/Bos...m_Wiring_1.jpg
http://hawking.stealing-fire.com/Bos...m_Wiring_2.jpg
Last edited by gpierce; Aug 30, 2018 at 06:30 PM.
Last edited by gpierce; Aug 31, 2018 at 12:42 AM.
Let's zoom in a bit and examine this using our eyeballs....
Now here is what I said. Reading what I wrote....and then using your eyeballs to look at each amp/speaker assy....please point out where my info was "plain wrong no matter where I got it from" -you know....so I can fix it. Would you do that for me please? Thanks. Here is the text...again.

Front right speaker Pink/Blk = Amp +
Front right speaker Black = Amp Ground
Front right speaker Lt Grn = Line level "+"
Front right speaker Dk Grn = Line level common "-"
...I don't know man. When I look at the thing called, "RIGHT DOOR AMPLIFIER/SPEAKER UNIT", I don't know what your eyeballs see, but MY eyeballs are seeing a box with ^those colored wires going to it. Shall we continue? I think that we should....
Front left speaker Pink/Blk = Amp +
Front left speaker Black = Amp Ground
Front left speaker Tan = Line level "+"
Front left speaker Grey = Line level common "-"
....Check. And I don't think I'm color blind. Let's keep going....shall we?

Rear right speaker Pink = Amp +
Rear right speaker Black = Amp Ground
Rear right speaker Dk Blue = Line level "+"
Rear right speaker Lt Blue = Line level common "-"
Rear left speaker Pink = Amp +
Rear left speaker Black = Amp Ground
Rear left speaker Brown = Line level "+"
Rear left speaker Yellow = Line level common "-"
Check and check. And just so we're clear....MY schematic is just like your schematic...right? Yes it is.
.
Last edited by Tom400CFI; Aug 31, 2018 at 01:29 AM.
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Really. How sure are you about that? Let's have a little closer look....shall we?
Let's zoom in a bit and examine this using our eyeballs....
Now here is what I said. Reading what I wrote....and then using your eyeballs to look at each amp/speaker assy....please point out where my info was "plain wrong no matter where I got it from" -you know....so I can fix it. Would you do that for me please? Thanks. Here is the text...again.

Front right speaker Pink/Blk = Amp +
Front right speaker Black = Amp Ground
Front right speaker Lt Grn = Line level "+"
Front right speaker Dk Grn = Line level common "-"
...I don't know man. When I look at the thing called, "RIGHT DOOR AMPLIFIER/SPEAKER UNIT", I don't know what your eyeballs see, but MY eyeballs are seeing a box with ^those colored wires going to it. Shall we continue? I think that we should....
Front left speaker Pink/Blk = Amp +
Front left speaker Black = Amp Ground
Front left speaker Tan = Line level "+"
Front left speaker Grey = Line level common "-"
....Check. And I don't think I'm color blind. Let's keep going....shall we?

Rear right speaker Pink = Amp +
Rear right speaker Black = Amp Ground
Rear right speaker Dk Blue = Line level "+"
Rear right speaker Lt Blue = Line level common "-"
Rear left speaker Pink = Amp +
Rear left speaker Black = Amp Ground
Rear left speaker Brown = Line level "+"
Rear left speaker Yellow = Line level common "-"
Check and check. And just so we're clear....MY schematic is just like your schematic...right? Yes it is.
.
Last edited by gpierce; Aug 31, 2018 at 02:41 AM.
.
Last edited by Tom400CFI; Aug 31, 2018 at 10:44 AM.
I'm not after anything exotic, just a solid, cosmetically stock looking install that plays well. I will use the Retro Sound Newport (non-bose version) receiver, as its direct fit 1.5 Din, looks close to stock, and has upgraded features such as blue tooth and a usb port. Simple enough.
I will also replace door and rear speakers with traditional 2 or 3-way non bose speakers. My questions are:
(1) Does anyone have experience with this type of conversion and what is your advice?
(2) What size speakers will fit into the door and rear deck area with minor mods to the bose speaker mounts?
I put 6 1/2" speakers in the doors, but I had to make a mounting plate and trim the stock opening about 1/2" to clear them. I also had to push the stock grills out 1/2" to clear the tweeters. The rears were a drop in affair in the cubbies behind the seats, but your coupe may be different.
(3) What advice on receiver/car wiring changes to accept the non bose unit in the dash board to power the unit and operate the power antenna?
You can only reuse the stock
power/ground/memory/power antenna wires, so any GM adapter for that era will work.
(4) Will I need to run all new speaker wire, or can I use the existing wires between the bose receiver and the speaker locations for the purpose of speaker wires?
Some here will say differently, but you should run new speaker wires. The stock wiring was designed to only carry a low power signal to the Bose amps. Use a electrical snake or coat hanger to get the new wires from the doors to the dash, starting on the door side first. I ran the wires for the rear speakers under the console, a coupe might be different.
Thanks for any info provided.
Last edited by Patsgarage; Aug 31, 2018 at 08:15 PM.
I ran my RCA cables over the trans tunnel, along the rear wall (behind the seat) over to one side and then up and over the rear "fender" under the carpet to the rear wall (ahead of the gas tank, below the hatch latch) where my amps are mounted. The carpet is super easy to remove/pull back on the C4 so running wires and hiding them is a piece of cake, IMO. You'll have to take the door apart to get the speakers installed anyway....once it's apart, it will be easy to run wires, IMO.
Although I didn't document every single little thing...you can read about what I did and see pics, right HERE
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Last edited by Tom400CFI; Aug 31, 2018 at 08:22 PM.
I ran my RCA cables over the trans tunnel, along the rear wall (behind the seat) over to one side and then up and over the rear "fender" under the carpet to the rear wall (ahead of the gas tank, below the hatch latch) where my amps are mounted. The carpet is super easy to remove/pull back on the C4 so running wires and hiding them is a piece of cake, IMO. You'll have to take the door apart to get the speakers installed anyway....once it's apart, it will be easy to run wires, IMO.
Although I didn't document every single little thing...you can read about what I did and see pics, right HERE
.
D.
Bought my stuff at carstereosonline.com.



















