[peterdouglas]

My '84 Cruiser has some cheap late 80s Am/FM/Cassette that sounds more like a bad trip to Oz. Sometimes you have to smack the dash for it to work. In the new year, once I get the new tires, I want to get a better sound system, but don't really know what to get.

I'd like something that's easy to install, looks modest and understated so it's less tempting for thieves to break in and steal it, and maybe even some better speakers, etc. I don't want to hack apart the interior. It's dirty, but pretty much stock and would be nice to keep it that way. Maybe get some good 3 way speakers that fit into the stock openings. Not sure about a sub - both for the money it would cost, and for lack of place to mount it out of the way.

One thing I'd like is to be able to plug in my iPod directly into the stereo. I'm getting something from the Toyota dealer, for my Matrix, that will recharge the iPod and let me use the stock stero and controls on the in-dash stereo. Would be nice to have something like that.

[Nemesis Gnat]

i have an alpine deck (cd player, mp3, ipod compatible) with some alpine speakers in the doors, and a pair of 6x9s in boxes in the back and it works awesome. a sub insnt worth it unless you wanna be a mall crawler... theyre just too heavy and bulky. and i also left my 6x9 boxes loose so i can turn them around when im tailgating or hangin out... the only problem is that they bounce around a lot. i just left them a lot of extra speaker wire so they wont pull out or anything... some day ill strap the down or something

but i listen to mostly good rock music and its more than enough bass with a real nice rich full sound

and i could either pulg my ipod (if i had one) into the deck and use the buttons on the deck to control the ipod (nifty) or get one of those things that plug into the cig lighter and send out a radio signal... like the itrip, but dont get the itrip, it sends out a super lame signal

[baldredhead]

Originally Posted by Nemesis Gnat

i have an alpine deck (cd player, mp3, ipod compatible) with some alpine speakers in the doors, and a pair of 6x9s in boxes in the back and it works awesome. a sub insnt worth it unless you wanna be a mall crawler... theyre just too heavy and bulky. and i also left my 6x9 boxes loose so i can turn them around when im tailgating or hangin out... the only problem is that they bounce around a lot. i just left them a lot of extra speaker wire so they wont pull out or anything... some day ill strap the down or something

but i listen to mostly good rock music and its more than enough bass with a real nice rich full sound

and i could either pulg my ipod (if i had one) into the deck and use the buttons on the deck to control the ipod (nifty) or get one of those things that plug into the cig lighter and send out a radio signal... like the itrip, but dont get the itrip, it sends out a super lame signal

so, a sub is vanity and improperly secured 6x9 boxes is better? 6x9 speakers are the cheapie way to get bass. 6x9s sound muddy to me: jack of all trades master of none ta know. you can't beat a real sub, but whatever floats your boat...

to the OP, if you want to keep it hidden look into getting aftermarket speakers in the factory locations. a search will turn up several options. the front speakers have some peculiar mounting requirements iirc. speakers will make a huge difference in the overall sound as the 22 year old factory units are done done done.


as for where to get stuff, look at
www.crutchfield.com for the research part. they are universally more expensive than anywhere else.

for buying parts www.ebay.com if you're patient. a friend of mine that really really likes his car audio and electronics toys in general swears by www.cardomain.com for buying components. i haven't tried yet. the same buddy reccomends strongly against titanium tweeters (if you get that far) due to annoyingly bright highs.

[Nemesis Gnat]

unless you listen to rap or reggaeton a sub is vanity, and even then my 6x9s put out plenty of bass compared to most subs, its all about rms ratings... and subs are also way heavier than 6x9s (plus fragile amp) so tey do way more damage to things, and themselves... the 6x9s are only a couple pounds each... plus exhaust is my number 1 sound system

[dogboy2]

you can limit visits by your local dirtbags by putting your head unit in a Tuffy console and leaving the factory DIN opening bare. put your upgraded speakers behind the factory panels (5" or 5 1/4" IIRC). 6 X 9's fit nicely in the rear cargo panels just behind the rear seat.

hth,
-db-

[pvidrummer]

Originally Posted by peterdouglas

My '84 Cruiser has some cheap late 80s Am/FM/Cassette that sounds more like a bad trip to Oz. Sometimes you have to smack the dash for it to work. In the new year, once I get the new tires, I want to get a better sound system, but don't really know what to get.

I'd like something that's easy to install, looks modest and understated so it's less tempting for thieves to break in and steal it, and maybe even some better speakers, etc. I don't want to hack apart the interior. It's dirty, but pretty much stock and would be nice to keep it that way. Maybe get some good 3 way speakers that fit into the stock openings. Not sure about a sub - both for the money it would cost, and for lack of place to mount it out of the way.

One thing I'd like is to be able to plug in my iPod directly into the stereo. I'm getting something from the Toyota dealer, for my Matrix, that will recharge the iPod and let me use the stock stero and controls on the in-dash stereo. Would be nice to have something like that.

Doug, looks like you want an I-pod compatible radio with a removable faceplate and better speakers.

[Nemesis Gnat]

sorry for the mini e-argument

here... http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....&type=category


and if you buy it at best buy get some 5.5 inchers and i think theyll still do a free install... they did mine, no complaints

[baldredhead]

Originally Posted by Nemesis Gnat

sorry for the mini e-argument

i hope you don't thing we're arguing... it's discussion

i have a single 10" sub in a sealed box and listen to most every variation of rock, rock and roll etc and almost nothing that could be described as rap or a variant of it. the sealed box makes for very tight (depends on actual sub of course) precise, low bass. 6x9s will put out plenty of volume for sure, but i'm not after volume.

[Nemesis Gnat]

ok good, i jsut have athing against people that argue online... i know what your saying and truth be told if i had a ton of money and a good palce to put it, id run a sub too ( i like quality with loudness)... but given my post high school budget and 3 expensive hobbies (racing mt bikes, baja/rally stuff, and wheelin) i cant justify teh expense for what isnt that much of an increase in quality (ive tried hookin up a borrowed 12 and listened to i for a bit, wasnt worth it)

that being said, im also a bit jaded because im proud to have the only not-bmw/ the oldest car/ the dirtiest car in my area/ school, so a good sound system kinda weakens my point

regardless, i feel like ive had to much to say in this poor guy post... i hope my link helped, i briefly had only the head unit and 2 5.5 inch speakers (stock location, front doors) and it worked ok... but lacked all low end. I had these snazzy doo dads installed so all the low end wouldnt kill the lil speakers (cuts out powers in a given range so it wont over worked and pop the speakers)... but it worked perfectly well at sane (hardly audible in loud cruiser) volume levels

[peterdouglas]

Originally Posted by Nemesis Gnat

sorry for the mini e-argument

here... http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....&type=category


and if you buy it at best buy get some 5.5 inchers and i think theyll still do a free install... they did mine, no complaints

I'm liking this idea... it says the face flips down... just need to see if it can be removed. As for speakers, the less mods and hacking I have to do, the better. I'd like the stock look.

Thanks!

[MT_FJ60]

Subs-
Try a couple Elemental Designs 7Kv.2 Subwoofers in the trunk area. I flush mounted a couple in the back of mine and push them with a small diamond audio amp I picked up for cheap. They look like factory. www.edesignaudio.com

HU -
Alpine, just snag a lower end iPod compatable unit. You'll need to fab up a trim plate but no big deal. The Alpine iPod integration rocks.

Front Door Speakers -
Pickup some that are shallow or you'll be fighting with spacers. I had some Alpine Type-R's that I got for a good deal but they looked stupid. Look for some "slim-line" speakers.

Rear Door Speakers -
Don't bother unless your goal is to entertain passengers.

[peterdouglas]

Those are some good ideas. My first concern would be new head unit that's iPod compatible. Then those ideas for the speakers are good. I'll try the fronts first, then if needed, the rears. The sub, if I get one, will be the final addition.

I like the idea of something that can connect my iPod to the stereo AND recharge the iPod. I want to get one of those for my Matrix. The Toyota dealer sells them - they integrate with the factory stereo. Otherwise I can get one of those chargers that plugs into the cigarette lighter to recharge the iPod.

[cruiserhunter]

MT_FJ60,
did you seal the sub or just mount them to the rear side panels? Also, is says 3.5 in mounting depth. Is there enough depth back there to handle that?

p

[loeky]

i went ahead and replaced the head unit with an Alpine model that supports the iPod. works great and highly recommended - the rest of the systems are crap.

along with that, i ran all new cabling from the head unit to the speakers in front and rear. i found some cheap shallow mount Pioneer 6" speakers for the front and some nicer Pioneer 6x9s for the rear. i didn't want to have a sub or anything $$ looking lying around in the truck. this way it looks fairly stock.

biggest thing was getting the Tuffy for the deck to sit in. the stock radio is still in place and no one readily sees the hidden deck. good piece of mind as well.

[urbanmtb]

I wish I wasn't back home for christmas, or else I could show you some pictures. regardless i'll try to give you an idea of what I've done/plan to do, that works for me.

Head Unit- I'm just using a friend's old pioneer deck, but hooked up to it I have an omnifi mp3 player, it's basically another head unit looking thing that I have a hard drive hooked up to. it operates much like you having your ipod hooked up to the head unit would. alpine is a good company and I have a few friends with the ipod compatable ones, they have probably the best system that I've seen so far.

Speakers- I haven't put any in yet, but I'm waiting on getting some cheap coax speakers or maybe even components if I go all out for the stock front locations. As for the rear connections, I have 2 JVC 6x9s that work pretty well. this is the main part I wanted to tell you about. what I did was get some 6x9 boxes with a slanted face, you can find pre-builts, kits, or just make your own. then I mounted them using some L brackets to the rear tailgate.

now, to do this I had to run the speaker wire through some wire loom down the side of the rear cargo area and into the tailgate along with I believe it was the rear license plate lights. then I just drilled some holes through for the wiring to come out. now when you mount the 6x9 box you do it so that when closed the face of the box faces on an upward facing angle to the front of the truck so that you get some good sound inside the car. the great thing about this is, however, once you open up the rear tailgate the speaker is now facing up and out of the back so you can get some great sound outside of the truck for whenever you go tailgating or camping.

as for a subwoofer, it's not really needed, but they are always nice to have for that little extra punch. once I get the money for it I'll get a cheap amp and probably a 10" sub, but really it is an added accessory.


hope any of that helps. oh and I can vouch for both http://crutchfield.com and http://cardomain.com. both websites provide excellent customer service, cardomain's prices tend to be cheaper and they carry a wider assortment(crutchfield tends to carry mostly higher end products)