Saab Repair: 1987 Saab 900 (non turbo), air force civil engineering, power antenna


Question
I recently purchased a 1987 Saab 900 with a non functioning stereo system. I have been informed that some of these stereos are "coded", and may be linked to the ignition system. What I would like to do is replace the stock head unit with an aftermarket CD player. Will this affect anything when I disconnect the stock head unit (like the car won't start or other options won't work)? Thank you in advance for your time.
                               Jamie

P.S. I am ex-military also. 6 years in the Air Force...Civil Engineering. You guys are all heroes, keep up the good work.

Answer
Replacing the factory unit with an aftermarket one should be relatively risk-free, all you need is power, antenna and speaker wires. There should be no worry about systems not working. When my 1987 9000 was new, I put in an Alpine cassette deck myself, as long as you have the right wires it is easy.