I had my car stereo stolen the other day. The back window on the driver side was broken. Happened on tuesday, and I’m going to report it to the police tomorrow. Anyone know what information the police will ask about? I’ve already had it repaired and I just want to collect the insurance.
You probably won’t get shit cause A) you didn’t report it when it happened B) You already got it fixed. Cops will probably not give you a report as no damage will be seen.
Won’t a repair receipt be just as good?
you most likely wouldn’t get shit from insurance anyways unless you paid extra to have your equipment insured.
I remember I used to pay 35 extra a month for coverage up to $5000. Nothing ever happened though. I couldn’t really see my stuff getting stolen anyways as the sub and the box combined weighed well over 150 pounds and were so tightly installed into the trunk.
I’ll get some pictures of my old setup soon.
doubt it
Nothing I know is sellable…money makes the world go round.
In terms of insulation, the pink shit actually will help AND make matters worse. Earlier in the thread I posted what dynamat does, there is one more thing it does that I didn’t post - it absorbs vibrations and releases them as energy…heat energy (hence why the foil on the denser than spray, rolls). The insulation wil lactually work similarly. On the flip though its texture is similar to box fill, which tricks speakers into thinking they have more air well not trick, I actually don’t know exactly how it works, but either way they actually may increase the level of bass coming from the front 6.5s. No garuntees on this, but thats what comes to my mind. However that insulation also isn’t designed for ‘abuse’ and does breakdown over time…so uhm yeah they’ll have a big mess.
As for insurance, Ace summed it up. If your lucky you can try price matching it from like Best Buy and your insurance company might do something, I’ve seen it before, but I dunno. did you tell your insurance company that you HAD upgraded audio? If not its technically not covered. Always check the box ‘modifications to the vehicle’.
To dude with the Sony…Sony car audio products suck and have sucked for a while now. They haven’t had any good buys since their amp series back in like 01/02. On the low price side of things, Pioneer is typically the way to go. I also hear that Best Buy is dropping the ‘cheap’ SKUs for the decks, so you may want to start checking their frequently to see if they go on sale - but yeah all those 100-200 dollar head units are going buh-bye. but yeah Pioneer/Kenwood are the way to go on the cost end of things. Not JVC, not Dual, not Alpine, not Eclipse.
As for Brightsons - the Pioneer AVIC-3 is a good deal, though unless their is something specific to it, you may want to look at AVIC-2, to the best of my knowledge the changes are very minimal I could be wrong but its worth a look. Ace also brings up a good point - Alpine is getting my money as they are the first to market of the majors with IPod video ability…a feature I was looking for for the past year or so. If you have an IPod check to see whats required for IPOd use…just a fullspeed cable or do you need a break out box also? Also find out if their are brains that have to be located somewhere else. There shouldn’t be, but its something to look for. In terms of speakers, there really is no substitution-justu for just going to THREE different retailers and listening to what they have. Different places have different contracts for different brands and keep them in different setups. Certain companies have certain sounds, like Rockfords have as of late had this slight ‘ting’ to them thats the current ‘rage’ but I HATE it. Kenwood’s typically have a very good base response, but sometimes their highes suffer. Pioneer is very well balanced, but seem ‘weak’ at times. Alpines (only the Rs really) are a good look - the S’s are ‘oh kai’ - comes down to price and head unit, same goes for Eclipse. JLs sound oh so sexay, but come with a not so sexay price. Polk w00t MD baby! They come from B-more do a great job with highs, I’m not in love with their lows however. So go to at least three different retailers and listen to what they have. Ask the sales rep if they are amped or not, as some places cheat and have a 4 channel going to all the speakers - a sound you’ll never match unless you do the same. Find the ones you have and don’t be afraid to do it piece meal. You’ll actually appreciate each componenet more if you hear it building up in stages, from head unit, to speakers, to amps, to woofers.
- :bluu:
Alpine cranks out without any extra crap, the same pass-through switch from the last model works with this one (it also plays DivX movies as well). Apline isn’t the first though to have FULL iPod integration, Kenwood had it done last year (Marcus has one that does everything).
I am going the route of updating/grading the tC cause I am not getting another car for a LONG while (Gas prices); so I will be redoing a lot this summer (damping this summer hopefully):tup:
I havne’t done much of anything to my current car. I have my ‘ballin’ setup…know the rims I want, the paint, the amprack on the roof, the drivers, cap, everything. But I’m actually looking at a second car in about a year *gas prices 
* I actually found the car I want for a great price now, but I don’t have the money nor want the loan right now, got too many other things I’m paying off for the record its a 98 celica convertible for like 7K. So I’m not really sure what I’m doing. I’d give my sister my head-unit, but she’s prolly getting dad’s MDX *insert evil look> and scoop the alpine, but I don’t want to buy a new head-unit until I can unload this one. Don’t have the cash for a new one anyway. the rest of the work for my ride will run about 400 for the parts and labor. I ended up buying a new 4-channel Alpine already. Going to scoop Type-Rs and load it all up. Install my current Cap…and call it a day until this car is paid off not exactly, scooping those rims sometime sooner got three years left.
The Celica would be a REAL interesting look though, I’d strip it immediatly to mat the whole thing. Rim it up with some 17’s/18’s. Get my purp/metal flake paint job. Then redo the upholstery in black leather. Stealth a head-unit/ipod combo maybe just keep my current head-unit for this. Dump a 12 in the trunk I got an extra HX2 still in box heh, and put a REAL strong front stage in. I’d prolly drop about 2K in work, but it would be worth it for ‘me’ - 9K to get my dream car that is better on gas, looks the way I want, and would be fun to drive. No video ANYWHERE in the whip, and nothing that stands out.
- :bluu:
let me know when that is complete… definitely wanna see. im still crackin up at that atl trip when u used a platic bag as a security system on some bootleg mcgyver trick…ROFLMFAO
Hey guys, this has probably been answered already earlier but I have an 97 Camry and it’s been running pretty well. The stereo system sounds awful, as I think the previous owner may have blown out the front speakers (they sound like total shit).
I’m a complete noob as well but was looking at getting a newer system with better speakers, about how much would that cost to get a good system? (I don’t really need a lot of bass or anything like that, I just want it to sound smooth in the front and be able to play it at the volume I like [pretty loud]).
heh, I had a 98 Camry, know your car inside out.
To build a setup from scratch, get a budget together. Say 300 or more.
Determine whats most important to you or whats missing.
You say the fronts sound dead. Sounds like too much bass was pushed thru them gives innocent look. Step one would be simply replace them. I’d grab some pioneed 6.5s to keep everything cheap and stock. Don’t do the work yourself, getting the doors off that car is a BITCH, and the metal rod that connex to the door handle breaks REAL easy. Pay some retailer like 40 bux to do it.125 or so and your good.
If you want a better sound then grab a head-unit, and 2 sets of 6.5s. Your doors aren’t ‘real spacious’ so don’t get a really big 6.5 for upfront. You’ve got a standard double din, so you can grab any head unit, and you have no funny wiring setups. Get the wiring harness from Walmart for cheap - Best Buy selss them for like 17-25 bux, the ones at Walmart for 5 bux are just as good. Yes, soddering is the best quality, but you don’t need this. In fact grab all the parts from Walmart before you go to any retailer to install.
Everything will run you about 500 for a complete swap out, but will give you MUCH better sound. then after that your looking at an additional 300 for sub and another 300 for a 4-channel amp setup rough numbers without hook ups and paying full retail install cost.
I hope it helps D. If you’ve got any specific questions for the car let me know, I did tons of research on modding it and did some stuff myself.
- :bluu:
Don’t hate, the shit worked. ITs much better now since I did v1 of the fiberglass, I am doing v2.0 which wil lbe smoothed down and painted soemtime in the up coming months when I finally feel up to it. I have to do something else when I do that that I’m not looking foward to stripped screw :wasted:. The overhead amprack is a ways off, I’ll have to get that proffessionally started as I want the amp rack bolted to my frame, and everything will be re-upholstered on the ceiling for that - but I keep all my space this way, which I need as a daily driver.
- :bluu:
I’m definitely looking for something better than stock but I’m not trying to be going to competitions or anything like that. My budget is up to about $850 (excluding the headunit) but I can go higher if I feel its worth it.
Thanks for the info Unreal, the reason I wanted to go with the AVIC-D3 is because of the GPS functionality plus the D4 is coming out in like a month so I should be able to find a good deal on the D3. Most places that carry the D3 also include the ipod cable and the bluetooth module. I gotta a couple of places near my job that I can check out on my lunch break (circuit city, best buy) for different speakers.
Whats the difference between component speakers and regular speakers?
Until Gas prices are stable, I am not looking at getting a new car until Lauren is with kid (which is YEARS away). So, the tC has become Ace’s toy and rightfully so. I should have it paid off next summer, which means that I will redo my rim selection (Rims have done WAY down since I bought them in college) and then…work on the engine. Will, why do you want another car…if my memory serves me, doesnt VA still have insane car tax?
What type of speakers do you need?
Aftermarket car speakers can be divided into two main categories: full-range speakers, and component speaker systems. Let’s explain each and look at their advantages and disadvantages.
* Full-range speakers
Full-range speakers contain all the speaker elements in one basket. In their simplest form they consist of a woofer for the lows, and a tweeter mounted onto the woofer to produce the highs. Some models will have additional drivers, like midrange or supertweeter. You should choose full-range speakers if you're looking to replace factory speakers with a minimum of muss and fuss. They come in a variety of sizes that mount easily into factory speaker locations. In most cases, you simply remove the old speaker, connect the new speaker with a free Crutchfield wiring harness, and mount it. You'll find full-range speakers at nearly every price point and power range.
* Component speakers
Component systems use a superior speaker design to give you the best possible sound. A typical component system includes separate woofers, tweeters, and external crossovers ? all of which come designed to work in concert with one other.
In a component system, the tweeter comes separate from the woofer, and you can mount it in a location that provides the best imaging. Your music will sound more realistic, more "live," and have greater depth. The crossover network in a component system comes external to the woofer and tweeter, so higher quality internal components can be used to ensure a sharp delineation between the frequencies sent to the different drivers ? that means more realistic sound for the listener. Component systems are generally made of better materials than their full-range counterparts, so they're capable of delivering exceptional dynamics and detailed sound
Taken from Crutchfield
The time frame I’m talking about one of two things will have happend. I’ll be making SUBSTANTIALLY more money or living somewhere with a lower cost of living. Preferably both heh.
As for wanting another car…its cause I want something ‘fun’. ITs a motorcycle, a jeep, or a convertible. Motorcycle…my family will kill me before I get on it. A jeep gets Hummer mileage. so its a cheap convertible that I fit in. either The old Celica GT or old Eclipse Spider the model in 2F2F. The celica is a 4 cylinder and wil lget better milage than my Murano. Gamebreaking difference no - but substantial enough to be worth looking into.
Yeah rims have come down alot…alot of that is sizing though…20s used to be ‘The Kang’…now its 24s-30s. 30s are fucking ridiculous…
- :bluu:
Can you fit in a Celica? I thought the tC was actually bigger than the Celica? (Dont know about the drop top) Yea, rims are becoming too common now. Chrome IMO isn’t where its at, nor the size of your rims. The way the car looks WITH the rims is whats hot now. Flint Mica tC with Gun Metal rims…yes, sir! Going to probably get the same exact rims, but newer ones (snow will destory your chrome). I was to get bigger rims in the back than the front (staggered look) but don’t know if the tC can do it and also dont know if there is any fuel decrease (yes, I am all about MPG now).
Isaac Graham has the best system in his car.
<3 Isaac.
mvc 2 issac graham… i gotta see this:rofl:
Try to find a thirdp lace outside of CC & BB, places like Tweeter have some of the higher end brands (JL & Eclipse - don’t let CC fool you, they have the LOOOOOW end Eclipse) or not as mainstream brands like Memphis.
As for the difference between Componenet and normal drivers, I sorta went into it a bit earlier. I’ll get a little technical but bear with me.
Frequencies have a couple different properties…they may contain the same ‘power’, but its inherently differnet. Low frequencies are omni-directional in nature, have fewer ‘humps’ in the wave form, but deliver immense amount of power. This power is what lets them be omni-directional, you can place a sub on the left side or right side of you trunk and not notice a differnece, but moving a typical driver a foot makes a HUGE difference. This property goes thru the whole audio spectrum, the higher the frequency, the less energy is stored in the waveform, and the more directional it is.
Now, the more speakers you have the more places the sound can come from. Variances in distance to your ear, and lag from the signal going thru different filters can make it possible to ‘hear’ where sound is coming from. thats not good audio. When watching IronMan - if Starks is on the righty ou should hear him on the right. Same goes for the car. You want to hear ‘the performance stage of Wu-Tang’…not the location of the speaker. This is why you don’t see 6.5s in pillars - the differnece is too noticeable. This translates to the best sound coming from a singele speaker, it makes everything uniform, the fewer speakerrs the easier to get everything aligned. Unfortunatly you can’t accuratly re-create the sound spectrum with one ‘driver’ - its physically not possible. Lows are slow and powerful, highs are fast and weak. this is why drivers get split into different ‘ways’. the more ways, the more ‘accurate’ the speaker can sound. You want all of the speakers to overlap though so that you can’t hear the highs in one direction and the lows elsewhere.
Now taking all that info and thinking of it physically, when you get in a car, your physically BLOCKING the closest speaker to the driver. Those lows are omni-directional sorta. So you feel/hear them clear, but your clothes and body actually absorb the highs, so what you hear are not the highs. Sit in your car listne to a song with the door closed. then do it with the door open. Big difference. So componenets take the seperate speaker concept a step further and relocates some of the highs ‘past’ the location your body would block them. You odn’t see tweeters seperate in home theare applications cause its not a problem, but cars are so small that it is a HUGE factor. so in short components allow the end-user to hear the whole audio spectrum without interference from their body.
Pros of components - easiest way to hear the highs
Cons of components - want a bit more power, and need to be aligned so that the audio hits the driver at the same time as the kick panel speaker.
Pros of single speaker system/driver - technically the best speaker as its a single source
Cons of single speaker system/driver - suffers from teh acoustics of a car
Hope it makes sense…
- :bluu: