What would you do with $7500?

[Buick65]

warning if you can't enjoy seating in a 65 Buick, listening to some old school hip hop or classic Rock or even some country music with bass banging in the trunk, then this isn't for you.

With that being said, hello all, I'm Steve. I joined in hopes to get educated from the best about the best equipment and install methods used in the car audio world. I grew up in the 90's piecing together miss match speakers and crappy amps for the sole purpose of loud bass. I never got into tuning outside of adjusting by ear. Fast forward three presidents later and now married with kids. I no longer have time to work on projects like this, however, I have managed to set aside a mediocre budget. Only problem is I've developed a pallet for top shelf QS. Which brings me to my question. What sound system would you put in a big classic ride if you had $7.5k to spend? There's one center dash speaker in front and space for (2) 6x8's in rear window deck and factory am radio. I personally enjoy the old school look, just not how my music sounds. Tho a hypothetical question, any answer will help me determine my approach to making a life long dream come true. Thank you

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[Slo_Ride 5,000+ posts]

Probably die on top of a hooker

 

[adulbrich 5,000+ posts]

As far as sound quality, one center dash speaker and two rear speakers is very far from an ideal soundstage.

How stock do you want to keep this car, and how much of the work do you plan to do yourself?

Nice ride!

 

[Slo_Ride 5,000+ posts]

So are you from Atlanta or Alabama? Profile says one thing, tag says another.

 

[adulbrich 5,000+ posts]

So are you from Atlanta or Alabama? Profile says one thing, tag says another.

Could've just bought the car from someone from another state and not switched tags yet. Or just moved. I had Illinois plates in Iowa for a year

 

[1aespinoza 10+ year member]

any answer will help

Nice ride. If you wish to not cut, there are now Bluetooth amplifiers, or you can buy/fabricate a center dash for radio mounting. Also there are footwell/rear deck pods for mounting speakers. A 5 channel amp is the easiest way to go if you want a sub.
For almplifiers I recommend JL Audio. I have heard most lines and they sound very good and seem to be very energy efficient. For subs also JL Audio. They too seem to play louder than other subs I own on the same power. For your setup I say w3 or w6 would suit you best. W7 works great but you'd need a high power amp or the JL Audio HD or Slash series amp which is expensive.

 

[metalheadjoe 10+ year member]

Beautiful car! In older vehicles, you generally have to choose between audio quality and original appearance. $7500 is far from a mediocre budget, and will get you near top shelf equipment if you install it yourself. Is the entire trunk fair game? Do you want to spend your entire budget, or is cheaper preferred?

I would start by sound deadening the entire vehicle. In my experience, older vehicles rattle quite a bit. Sound deadener will make your music sound better and also make your vehicle more pleasant to ride in.

I agree with @1aespinoza (first time I've said that!) that JL makes some fine products, but you will pay for them. I would look at Rockford Fosgate Power series for subs and amps, as i think they're a better value, though still on the high end price-wise.

I'm not an SQ guy, so i can't help much with mids and highs. I have aftermarket speakers in all my vehicles, and i think any aftermarket coax sounds better than oem.

How loud do you want to be? What do you want from your stereo?

 

[Slo_Ride 5,000+ posts]

Could've just bought the car from someone from another state and not switched tags yet. Or just moved. I had Illinois plates in Iowa for a year

Was just asking bro, no big deal

 

[Kickstand Premium Member]

If you want to keep it as stock as possible but still want sound then
1)ditch the spare
2)In that car dynamat is your friend
3)HU, 6.5 comps in the kick panels and 2 12's in the trunk
The rest depends on your own taste

 

[Buick65]

Thanks guys for your input. It helps more then u know. Kickstand, your setup is about what I had in mind, however, my kick panels has a air vent tied into them. Metalheadjoe 7.5k would probably be more then enough if I were doing the work myself, unfortunately I don't have the time to commit to a project like this, and yes, the entire trunk is fair game. Adulbrich, I want to avoid any changes to the doors and dash. Outside of that, custom console for HU, removing spare tire, and kick panel changes for front stage is what I'm aiming for. The shop I chose seems to like kicker products. The installer suggested comp r 12's with kicker 800.1 amp and Morel's for mids and highs with a kicker 360.4 amp. Custom enclosure against back seat ported into package tray between 6x9's. A custom built console, wires and labor comes right around 6k.

 

[Buick65]

So are you from Atlanta or Alabama? Profile says one thing, tag says another.

I had just purchased from a guy in Alabama. I'm in Atlanta tho

 

[Buick65]

If you want to keep it as stock as possible but still want sound then
1)ditch the spare
2)In that car dynamat is your friend
3)HU, 6.5 comps in the kick panels and 2 12's in the trunk
The rest depends on your own taste

Would you do 6x9's in rear deck? I've learned some did away with mids altogether letting the subs handle all the low frequency and splurging on front stage. While others suggest otherwise. I wish I can hear both ways and make a decision

 

[Buick65]

Beautiful car! In older vehicles, you generally have to choose between audio quality and original appearance. $7500 is far from a mediocre budget, and will get you near top shelf equipment if you install it yourself. Is the entire trunk fair game? Do you want to spend your entire budget, or is cheaper preferred?

I would start by sound deadening the entire vehicle. In my experience, older vehicles rattle quite a bit. Sound deadener will make your music sound better and also make your vehicle more pleasant to ride in.

I agree with @1aespinoza (first time I've said that!) that JL makes some fine products, but you will pay for them. I would look at Rockford Fosgate Power series for subs and amps, as i think they're a better value, though still on the high end price-wise.

I'm not an SQ guy, so i can't help much with mids and highs. I have aftermarket speakers in all my vehicles, and i think any aftermarket coax sounds better than oem.

How loud do you want to be? What do you want from your stereo?

I like riding with my music low and bass thumping, but want the power to disturb the peace. I don't mind spending entire budget. If I can save $ great, but not at the expense of SQ

 

[Buick65]

Nice ride. If you wish to not cut, there are now Bluetooth amplifiers, or you can buy/fabricate a center dash for radio mounting. Also there are footwell/rear deck pods for mounting speakers. A 5 channel amp is the easiest way to go if you want a sub.
For almplifiers I recommend JL Audio. I have heard most lines and they sound very good and seem to be very energy efficient. For subs also JL Audio. They too seem to play louder than other subs I own on the same power. For your setup I say w3 or w6 would suit you best. W7 works great but you'd need a high power amp or the JL Audio HD or Slash series amp which is expensive.

I recently seen a Bluetooth amp, but don't know anything about them. Have you used one yet? The thought of using my phone as a interface for my entire system is very intriguing.

 

[Buick65]

I'm not at home to take better pics, but you can kick panels have air vents