New member needing advice

[eyecool]

Hello IH8MUD'ers. I stumbled across the forums while searching for info on TLCs. About 6 weeks ago I blew the front speakers of the stock JBL / DVD Nav system. I drive a lot of highway miles and love to drive with the music up and the windows down. To tell you the truth, I couldn't wait to upgrade the speakers. But, I had no idea how difficult this would prove to be...

First I asked my local dealer (Toyota of Fort Worth) what they could do. The service rep laughed about how expensive it would be and told me I'd be better off going to Grand Prairie Audio.. My Toyota service dep't is clueless about DVD Nav issues, so I believed him and took my car to the place he suggested.. It was in a bad part of DFW and from the outside, it looked like they specialized in keeping people out and rimz. Since then I've been to several shops and have been given different answers at each one.

Car Toys Dallas told me I would have to replace all 7 speakers and amps. It would run me $1,500. Hawk Electronics Fort Worth told me for $400 they'd install some 3 way brand I'd never heard of.. An independent shop in Dallas told me Boston Acoustics for $400 might work and left me with an uneasy feeling.. they couldn't schedule an install for 2 weeks. Another place told me the speakers were 2 ohm and they only carried 4 ohm, or vice versa..

HELP! All I want to do is upgrade my front component speakers. I've been lurking in this forum for about 3 weeks and am gaining confidence about doing the install myself. In 1988 I upgraded the 8 track in my '76 FJ60 to a cassette deck but did a horrible job... my first and last foray in self-installs.. I was 16 and looking for a cheap, quick fix and didn't really take great care of my car. Now that I'm older and know first hand how many hundred thousand miles me and my LC have left before she retires, I want to do things right.

I have a budget of $500. Would you try and self install some nice speakers but run the risk that of messing up the door panels or blowing something up... or would you pay someone $400 to install mid-grade speakers (but better than stock) and risk the slight chance they mess it up?

Thanks for any advice, and I'm looking forward to being a member of this forum for 100,000's of LC miles!!

John

 

[e9999]

Welcome!

I'm sure some audio experts will pipe up!

 

[100 TD]

I'm no audio eggspert, but around the same age and have been there done that, it doesn't take any effort to replace speakers, pull the old out, get the template for the new, modify the hole and stick them in. That is for a straight speaker install. The rest ..........well I'll leave that to the supposed eggsperts, most of the stuff I hear on the street is CRAP, over driven, over modulated, clipped, and breaking down so there is obviously a lot of people doing it wrong. If you have $500 to replace speakers, then do it yourself. My .02 worth

 

[SINCITY100]

Welcome


My opinion is....Considering the "quality" issues that are so common due to a large number of fly-by-night car stereo/alarm install joints ...

DO IT YOURSELF !


Getting the door panels off and swapping speakers shouldnt be that big of a job ( ? )


Here is the info for getting the correct replacement speakers and hardware

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-mKolUV3OaVT/app/car/mycar.aspx

I personally, would just deal directly with Crutchfield for everything... They have been great for me in the past

Good luck !

 

[drsales]

I have completely updated my stereo. Speakers that I have had good results are the Polk's. DB or Momo series. If you go the Momo you may need to upgrade the amp which is over your budget. Give then a try the DB's, pretty good warrenty, if installed by a vendor nice sound and clarity.

Good luck.

 

[Bighead]

Here is bamachem's write-up on his speaker swap with pics: https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?p=1224469#post1224469

 

[DoctorJay]

Welcome


My opinion is....Considering the "quality" issues that are so common due to a large number of fly-by-night car stereo/alarm install joints ...

DO IT YOURSELF !


Getting the door panels off and swapping speakers shouldnt be that big of a job ( ? )


Here is the info for getting the correct replacement speakers and hardware

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-mKolUV3OaVT/app/car/mycar.aspx

I personally, would just deal directly with Crutchfield for everything... They have been great for me in the past

Good luck !

x2 on crutchfield. I've bought 3 stereos from them over the past 12 years, and never had a problem. Great customer service. But that was for an '83 280ZX and '90 Accord, so nothing else I can add here.

 

[eyecool]

Thanks guys! I had seen bamachem's write up and it seems easy enough. I figure if I do the install myself I can dynomat the doors with the money I save from paying for installation..

Looking at Crutchfield.. $270 for 6.5" Polk MOMO's or $300 for MB Quart Premiums seem like solid deals. CarDomain.com has them for less expensive, but I wouldn't mind the hardware and instructions that come with Crutchfield.

With those kind of savings for that kind of sound, I'm more than interested in upgrading the amp too! LOL

I just checked under the passenger seat... big box, but not an amp.. its the dvd for the nav. Under the driver's seat, theres a plastic grill and a cyndrilical shaped empty space.. being covered up by the rug, it looks like the amp could be next to it?

Has anyone ever replaced the factory amp on a nav system with an amp that still fits in the originial location? I'm about to search the forums for location and amp requirements.

Thanks again!