First time stereo replacement - help

[Roadstump]

I have a 1994 XLT with premium sound (no sub) which has been a work truck. It has 240,000 miles on it and runs like a gem. I am going to give it to my son for his first car and I want to replace the radio in it.

We have been looking all over Crutchfield and found one that seems like it will work. It's a Pioneer DEH-P6800MP and it's priced in my range. I have 2 questions.

1. Do you recommend using the factory amp OR using the crutchfield harness (whatever that is) to bypass the harness and come right out of the stereo? Am I even on the right track? oops, that's another question.

2. If we were to add a pair of subwoofer speakers (he likes the Sony XS-L123P5) and a dual enclosure, what would you recommend for an amp and where do you put it?

Any help you guys can give would be awesome. I am kind of clueless.

Ps: We are not trying to build a megawatter by any means.

 

[Dan Whitaker]

You can mount the amps under the rear seat.

You will need to bypass the factory amp with the harness. The new HU (head unit) will have a built in amp.

Stay away from the Sony subs. I would go for the Kicker CVR series. Right now they have buy one get one free on the 12" Their regular price is $99.98 ea. They are a much better sub & only need 100w rms 200w max per sub to have a decent amount of bass.

This way you only need a 2 chanel amp rated at 200rms bridged. You can also wire the subs in parallel as long as the amp is 2ohm stable bridged.

When looking at amps always look at the RMS rating. This is the continuous power the amp produces. The max is what an amp will produce at a given high or low like a cymbal crash or bass drum beat.

 

[Roadstump]

I see a 12" Kicker, buy one get one free for $99.98 but it's not a CVR. It's the Kicker Comp 05C12. The specs don't mean much to me so not sure what the difference is.

 

[Dan Whitaker]

Sorry about that. I was thinking it was the CVR. That is the Kicker subs I was talking about.

With the Sony subs you will need an amp that is rated at 750w-800w rms. Otherwise you could damage them by underpowering them.

The price diference for an amp puting out 800w rms will be alot more expesive.

Another good deal Crutchfield has going is the Keenwood KAC-7252 amp with a free pair of Kenwood KFC-W300S 12" subs for $229.99

 

[toypaseo]

If you feel like making a "simple" install into a father/son bonding experience...

*basic*
Install new headunit
Replace front and rear speakers with aftermarket units
Run new speaker wire to the new speakers

also consider...
Run RCA cable(s) from headunit to spot picked out for subwoofer amp
Run power wire from battery to spot picked out for subwoofer amp
Run ground wire from suitable grounding point to spot picked out for subwoofer amp

*this is just scratching the surface on a simple install*

 

[Roadstump]

Definitely sounds like a plan. If there is an existing amp in the rear quarter panel (my understanding there is one in the stock premium package), does that mean that there is already a 12v line there as well as RCA lines and the speaker lines? Just curious if that is a good place to install a new after market amp.

 

[toypaseo]

No RCA lines back there, as far as I know, but someone should chime in and say for sure.

 

[EMG7895]

no rcas, and no usable power from the factory back there. You can splice the old amp inputs into the outputs, but I wouldnt recommend it because the wires are very small.