OK all, I have in mind what I want to do re: the speaker wiring etc. My issue is, with the just-purchased Mexico and amp.

I simply do not know how to wire it. The radio/tape "head" has a power line, but then, apparently so does the amp. The cable going between the two pieces seems intact, and I will be fabricating tips to utilize in the speaker output "jacks" on the amp. Is the red wire on the amp for a hot lead? Can I wire the amp to the same power source as the radio head? I do not want to presume and then realize that I cooked something!!

Thanx for responses...kpb

I would think the amp would have key-on power and a ground, same as the radio.

You need to decide what speaker configuration you will use. With the high-end Mexico, it was probably four speakers - 2 in the footwells and 2 in the package shelf, with a fader control. You can buy the factory fader control and wiring from Becker for about $40. And probably the rear speakers as well. You need to find out how the front speakers were set up in your model.

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Chuck Taylor
Falls Church VA
'66 200, '66 230SL, '96 SL500. Sold: '81 380SL, '86 300E, '72 250C, '95 C220, 3 '84 280SL's '90 420SEL, '72 280SE, '73 280C, '78 280SE, '70 280SL, '77 450SL, '85 380SL, '87 560SL, '85 380SL, '72 350SL, '96 S500 Coupe

As I recall, the Mexico radio/amp unit has only one hot connection, the radio and amp are grounded and the two speaker channels connect at the amp. There may be an extra connection for power antenna use. The connections should be the same as the Stereo Becker Europa with the separate amp.
My Becker Mexico is in Virginia Beach now so I can't look at it to see if the hot connects at the amp or the radio. Normally the amp unit fastens to a bracket mounted above the passenger footwell. There may already be some threaded holes in that area for the amp bracket.
You don't need 4 speakers to use that radio. two can work nicely. How many are in your car now?

Happy Motoring, Mark

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DrDKW

My 108 came with the single front speaker with the mono Europa. I had intended to fabricate a plate in its place in which to mount 2 3 1/2" speakers but discovered the speakers I have are too deep to work in there although one will fit OK. I may also look for some 4" to mount in the footwells or under the dash. Whatever I put up front will be an enormous improvement over the factory paper cone which was split in three places.

I have some new 4x6 Blaupunkt two-ways which I will probably throw on the rear package shelf utilizing the factory 4x8 cutouts. They are not too big, but then, I do not need to rattle the windows. I planned to simply forego fader control by wiring the front(s) as one speaker and the rears as the other. Another option is putting the Blaupunkts in the footwells and get some 6x9 or 6 1/2 speakers for the rear shelf.

My black wire off the Mexico has a bullet connector which fits to the original wiring in the car. I assumed this was the hot lead but maybe it is the power lead for the antenna (which does not move). However, the only other wiring in the car is the single speaker speaker hook-up, thus my rationale for presuming the single wire from the mono was for the power. The red wire on the Mexico amp does not have a fitting on the end.

EDIT -- Pretty much have it figured out now, just trying to decide on speaker set-up/location. Watching that wonderbar move the indicator is pretty cool. Thanx.

This was a timely thread for me, as I recently bought a Becker Mexico on Ebay to replace my Europa II unit, as it did not have a cassette player - however, it is a stereo unit, with 4 speakers and the fader. However, the Mexico came w/o the amp - my before-I-yank-the-Europa question is, did that have an amp as well, or do I need to seek one out, from radioman.com or where-ever? I hate to take something apart and then find I need more parts!

Thanks for any info!

Karl G.

I ended up with a Mexico (now sold) as part of a package deal, and it did have an amp. But I think it also had the plugs for speakers. These are pretty wimpy units by today's standards and it would certainly sound better with an amp.

The authority on this is Ed Ebel - eebel@beckerautosound.com. He is very good about responding to emails.

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Chuck Taylor
Falls Church VA
'66 200, '66 230SL, '96 SL500. Sold: '81 380SL, '86 300E, '72 250C, '95 C220, 3 '84 280SL's '90 420SEL, '72 280SE, '73 280C, '78 280SE, '70 280SL, '77 450SL, '85 380SL, '87 560SL, '85 380SL, '72 350SL, '96 S500 Coupe

I have a Becker Mexico Cassette Radio. It is a mid to late '70s, chrome-face unit and it came with the matching amp, which is required as The 12 V. power lead and stereo speakers are connected to the amp. There should be a fat multi-wire cable from the casstte/tuner unit that plugs into the amp. I hope a previous owner of your Mexico didn't cut off this cable!
My '72 250 had a stereo Europa radio, with a similar amp that would probably work with the Mexico. The main difference between that stereo Europa amp and the later ones is a change from twin-pin speaker sockets to polarised pin & blade type sockets.
The earlier, pre '66 Europa mono units, also used a separate mono amp but I don't think it will work with the later stereo radios.

Happy Motoring, Mark

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DrDKW

I got rid of my 77 Mexico stereo years ago! Lousy by all standards! repaired by Becker, waste of money! If you not a real nut on old cars needing original parrts, Sony cassette stero fm,am, mp3 wiring, XM wiring, etc, etc. installed for $90! plays terrific, (this on a 450sl 1977) good luck to all, Abe G

My '72 250 sedan came with a 4 speaker Becker Europa stereo and it was not the radio that was lousy, but the speaker installation, especially the feeble pair of 2.5 inch Becker speakers in the front footwells. After the original radio died, I replaced it with a used Becker Europa cassette radio out of an '80 300D, with a new pair of Sony 6 X 9 coaxial speakers mounted in the under-dash cardboard over the footwells. I kept the barely adequate rear shelf speakers to fill in the rear sound. With the fader set to channel most of the sound to the Sonys, it sounds just fine, as I'm not interested in having enough audio power to blow out the windows.

My '72 250 Coupe came with a Blaupunkt Frankfurt stereo radio feeding a single 3 x 7 dash speaker and a matching one in the center of the rear shelf. Those sound much better than my 250 sedan's 4 original Becker speakers ever did.

In the case of my '60 Fintail, the dash radio opening will fit a modern radio case but the modern faceplates are too tall to fit flush. A modern radio faceplate rides over the contour of My Fintail's dash wood and chrome, causing at least a quarter inch gap. Also, considering most modern radio's 'Hong Kong at Midnite' jukebox styling and attraction to thieves, I decided to leave the vintage mono Becker in the dash and install a separate amp and pair of speakers out of sight, connected to a portable CD. This sounds better than any other setup I've had, except for, perhaps, the four-speaker system in my Honda Accord.

I'd rather have a decent pair of speakers in my car (or even one decent speaker), than 4 crappy ones.

Happy Motoring, Mark

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DrDKW

why not L and R? stereo would be better unless you have ears in F and B...

my 114 doesn't have the cutouts in the back shelf, just the sole speaker in the dash... or i'd be doing the same thing.. don't care for the looks of new equipment in a 30+y/o car...

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72 W114/M130

RedMeat cartoon

For those that don't have adequate factory speaker cut-outs and don't want to cut holes in their vintage interior, the quickest way to install decent speakers is to do what I did in my Fintail - simply place a pair of two-way compact box or cube speakers, facing up, on the rear floor. I used a pair of old Krako 50 watt box speakers, in heavy black plastic cases, that I had on hand. Radio Shack currently sells two sizes of compact 2-way RCA box speakers. They're in cast aluminum cases, finished in black or white krinkle paint and the smaller pair is rated at 70 watts each.
For a more secure mount, you could use velcro or attach brackets to the threaded mounting holes on the backs of the speakers.

Happy Motoring, Mark

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DrDKW