Audio Systems: 1992 ford explorer radio replacement, yunk yards, 50 degres

Question
Hello,  My problem began a few weeks ago when the radio died.  It's a premium OEM AM/FM cass.  It is called by other pro's ford's "old style cassette".  I need to keep a cassette deck so I thought I would just get another one like it, or maybe move up a few years to a newer OEM cassette that would just pop in .  Same wire harness connectors, everything seemed perfect....but nothing.  Have tried 3 other units with same wire harness etc. ( it is the one with the 8 pin power called grey or black, and then 8 pin SHEILDED feed to the amp in the rt rr panel.  Nothing worked.  I was just told today by another "expert" that this one radio only came in the premium sound explorer and lincoln for one or two years and that it runs on a 9 volt system separate from the vehicle's 12 volt.  That is why no other radio except an exact match will ever work.  Quoted $300 to ? to repair my radio ( if at all possible), and said these units are so sought after that it's impossble to get used one and ford no longer offers it, or anything else that will "plug in " to my sytem.   Can any of this really be true?  I don't want to go the aftermarket and have to rewire the speakers and or amp and or whatever to get something in the dash that works but isn't factory looking.  Is there something you can suggest and also clear up seemingly unreal stories about "that one radio".  thanks for your time and help.   John

Answer
part of it is true   you can olny use a radio from 1989 to 1992 jbl  premium sound ford  there is no 9 volt system a lie

also finding the same old radio used from yunk yards is a bad idea all of them are defective  this radios are time bombs by now 2007  if the radio was keep under 50 degres for the past 15 years it will be ok

you can use  this people they rebuilt radios  
send your radio to be rebuild or buy one from them  

http://www.oemautosound.com/pc-181-173-ford-lincoln-jbl-radio-f2sf-19b165-da.asp...