Thanks for the quick replies.
I'll look into the amp remote setup and see if i can mess around with that and get it workin.
the previous radio was a stock radio and everything worked on it except the tape player. When i took that deck out there was a wire tucked behind the panel that wasn't connected to anything...not sure exactly what that is/does but nothing matches up on the new stereo.
I'll post if something comes up...good or bad