I wired up some big Kenwood speakers (12", maybe) into the wires that had
fed the the little rear speakers that hung from the back corners of my '87
Syncro GL.  I noticed that the driver's door speaker was silent (had been
for weeks), and pulled the radio from the dash to wiggle some wires.
Suddenly, the music stopped and the smoke started.  My late 80's Alpine
tape deck was toasted.

I'm not sure now if the speakers drew too much juice, and killed the radio;
or if the wiggling of my admittedly shady installation caused a short.

The radio had been losing features and functions at the rate of one per
year for a while, so I don't miss IT.  But my commute is longer without
some background blather or music.  So, I seek the list wisdom on stereo
installation before I replace the radio.

1) Do those big speakers need special care in installing them, or can they
just tap into the existing wires in the rear of the van?  Can I run the
little factory speakers AND the big ones from the same wire?

2) If I buy a new radio and try to install it myself (fire extinguisher at
the ready), will it come with a wiring harness that matches the one now
hanging out of my dashboard?

Thanks for any thoughts shared.  I'm not opposed to paying a professional
car stereo technician to do the job, but I'd like to give it a try first.

Chris Wyatt
'87 Syncro GL
Fairbanks, Alaska