MX-3.com

Just returned from the junkyard.

Took a stock cd radio and the pop up tray from a 99 protege, they fit perfectly in the dash of a 1992 mx3 gs, and the wires hook up directly.

Cost was $25 for the cd/radio (protege), a tray under the radio that has pop up front (protege) and the a/c switch (from a mx3), plus the time to take them out. Overall, I am happy with my cheap stock Mazda CD player, and the popup front tray thing is deeper than the stock one in a 1992 dash.

Nice alternative for someone going to the junk yard and just wants a stock cd/radio to replace the stock tape deck/radio.

Maybe this info is already on this site, but I just thought of trying it while at the junk yard for the a/c switch, and it works.

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Tray will fit cd's.

99 protoge cd storage tray with flip up front on left. 1992 mazda mx3 storage tray on right.
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Here is a picture of the 99 protege radio and popup tray (my tray looks a little different) :

nice find! I've been looking for a replacement tray that had some type of lid cause stuff never stays in the mx-3 tray...

Do you know if the A/c controls detach (in the protege) - I assume they are electrical and not cable operated - i have been thinking of retrofitting those controls into my mx3....

thats really freakin cool especially for someone who doesn't want to take up both DINs to have a cd player, like you'd have to with an mx-3 cd player. i wish i knew about it before the carPC days, i'd totally have done it.

pocket is neat too

a/c controls are electrical and not cable operated in the 99 and up protege's. I believe mazda did away with cable operated controls in 98 on all models.

Nope, Mx-3's had electric push-button controls in 94 and up, either it was an option or not I dont know, but I've seen cable sliders in 94's too, but typically it's electrical

Mooneggs wrote:nice find! I've been looking for a replacement tray that had some type of lid cause stuff never stays in the mx-3 tray...

...+1 I was actually planning on going to the salvage yard soon, to find a suitable tray that would fit...and now i know.

Can you post a picture of them installed in your MX-3 dash? I'd love to see the finished look.

wytbishop wrote:Can you post a picture of them installed in your MX-3 dash? I'd love to see the finished look.

X2, Im curious as to how it looks, I may be on the look out for a protege radio.

Nd4SpdSe wrote:Nope, Mx-3's had electric push-button controls in 94 and up, either it was an option or not I dont know, but I've seen cable sliders in 94's too, but typically it's electrical

Yup your correct 94 - 98 MX-3's have electronic controls

purewhitemp5 wrote:

Nd4SpdSe wrote:Nope, Mx-3's had electric push-button controls in 94 and up, either it was an option or not I dont know, but I've seen cable sliders in 94's too, but typically it's electrical

Yup your correct 94 - 98 MX-3's have electronic controls

I think it was an option, my '94 is cable operated, but it's not the unit from the <'93s because the AC button is right there beside the temperature slider.

Photos added into first post.