hi, my name is alex, i own a 88 toyota celica gt-conv
i am trying to help a friend install an original stereo for a 93 sc300

heres the thing, from my research, there were 5 different stereo's put into the sc300 from 2 manufacterers, pioneer and nakimichi :

Repair Pioneer
P6805 / KEX-M8146ZT
P6800 / KEX-M9161ZT
P1606 / KEX-M9261ZT
Nakamichi
N104 / C711UL0A
N504 / C724ULOA

reference link = http://carstereohelp.com/lexus.htm

i have also found installation instructions for the sc300
reference link = http://carstereohelp.com/stereoremovalLexusSC300Str.htm

also, i have been told nakamichi and pioneer are not cross compatable

i am also wondering if i can put in a stereo from an IS300 because it is one where cd changer is built into the head unit

heres my questions
1) where can i look for the car to tell me what kind of stereo came in it originally?

2) are lexus stereo harnesses same? or different for different cars? specifically the IS300 and SC300

3) whats the differences between the 5 stereos?

thanks

 

Alex, from my understanding even though there are 5 variants on the stereo you can actually trim the list to 2. Pioneer and Nak, each having separate distinct harness plugs. Now then...

1. Look in the trunk for the OEM cd changer. It'll either be Nak, Pioneer, or non-existent. If it's non-existent (meaning a cd changer was never in there in the first place) then it's a safe bet the car had the basic Pioneer head unit. If the cd changer says "Pioneer" or "Nakamichi" then you know what head unit corresponds with it.

2. No. Different models (LX, SC, IS, ect.) have different stereos and thus have different harnesses.

3. They are ALL outdated and prone to failure IMO. Even the most basic of aftermarket stereo's probably functions better than a 13-yr old OEM stereo.