looking for some advice
 

hey guys, first post :D

I just recently got a car for myself, 83 celica gt and was looking to put some kind of audio system in it. I dont have any knowledge of car audio so i dont really know how to start. Even though i dont know anything i would like to install everything i can (i like to do it myself kind of guy) if possible. Im starting to do some researching so i can get a general feel for things.

If you guys had some advice, could point me in a general direction, information, other websites etc. that would be great.

Thanks
dunx

go here and read as much as possible..a wealth of knowledge.

http://www.bcae1.com

Don't eat yellow snow, don't piss into the wind, get out of the bar BEFORE the lights come on and BEFORE your friends see creature (being nice) that you will be leaving with. After that, ask questions on the site and use the SEARCH button to see if it has been coverered before.

Don't eat yellow snow???!!!!! Really?!!!!! What if it's lemon flavored? Well, I'm a noob to the car audio scene as well but I can honestly say a good set of tweets (placed properly)sound great! and that speakers(mids) are just as important as the sub, and if your looking for style as well, get creative, (having a computerized router at work really helps though.) And for the love of god DON'T PUT AUDIO BRAND STICKERS ON YOUR CAR OR BLAST YOUR MUSIC IN YOUR OWN 'HOOD!:thumbsup:

thanks for the responses, warm welcome :)

ill check out that website, see what i can learn.

practice on your friends cars then when ya got a "feel" for what you are doin get started on yours.
Worked great for me I never let the smoke out of any of my own and once ya let the smoke out it aint easy gettin it back in

Tips for your specific car (owned four 82 supras and an 85)

4" and 5.25" CAN fit under the dash, but you need to make some brackets, and it will still be far from perfect unless you cut the dash.

I ended up using pvc pipe to make small cups to hold some 5.25" in the kick panels, although you could use some mdf and make door pods pretty easily if you don't mind drilling through your door.

Do NOT put rear speakers in until you check the rear wheel wells. There are probably rust holes through them and the tires will kick water up onto your speakers and destroy them.
If there are no holes, then some 5.25s will fit in there too.

It doesn't take much sub to get comfortably loud in one of these cars, I had a sealed 10" off about 300 watts and was happy, but you also can't run much for a stereo without upgrading the alternator, since it's only 65 amps.

Lexus LS400 alts fit, so do mk3 and mk4 supra alts, and toyota mr2, and I think some years of camry.
Gm alternators can be made to fit too.

firsty, thanks for the specific info, thats a great help

i was looking at my front speakers, like you said are under the dash, in which i noticed were 2"x2" and i have a hard time imagining stuffing or cutting a speaker that is 4" or 5.25". What exactly do you mean by making brackets? Do you mean the speaker would not sit in the dash but hang out?
As for the door panel, i dunno, i could be i wouldnt really know how to get that setup.

Ill check out the wheel wells and see whats there.
Is upgrading an alternator complicated?

Thanks
dunx

To get the speakers in the dash, I took off the lower dash panels, then there are these white plastic cups holding the stock speakers in place.
I used some metal strapping to bend up a set of brackets that mounted to speakers to the stock screw holes.

Pain in the butt and not worth it really.

I'll try to get pics of my old install, the pvc tubes in the kicks cost me nothing, and once I wrapped them with speaker cloth it didn't look TOO bad (as long as you didn't stare at it for more than a couple seconds :))

Alternators on those cars are not too tough, for most of the alts I suggested, you would get the alternator and part of the connector that plugs into it. Grab them from a junkyard for cheapness.

Solder, or have someone solder the new connector to your existing wiring, mount the alternator and plug it in.

Toyotas are kind of like lego, not all the parts go together all the time, but lots of them are interchangable.

Check out expertvillage.com to see how to install an alternator, Might as well do it right the first time.

SID000, i checked out that site and i learned (sort of) how to remove an alternator, very handy :)

dogstar, here is what my speakers look like, the front ones are infact about
3" and not 2" like i previously thought. The rear speakers are about 5x7 or something.

http://members.shaw.ca/chillin_24/Pi...kers/front.jpg

http://members.shaw.ca/chillin_24/Pi...openfront2.jpg

http://members.shaw.ca/chillin_24/Pi...rontbolted.jpg

http://members.shaw.ca/chillin_24/Pi.../fronthold.jpg

and the rear

http://members.shaw.ca/chillin_24/Pi...akers/rear.jpg

http://members.shaw.ca/chillin_24/Pi...s/rearopen.jpg

http://members.shaw.ca/chillin_24/Pi...ropenright.jpg



i wouldnt mind making a few mods to make speakers fit if it aint too much trouble

also: if what i have in my car is a 65 amp alternator, what is the replacement rated at?

thanks
dunx

update: ive removed the stock radio and cassette player (that never worked) and gotten ahold of a pocket/dash kit and set it up ready to accept a new deck.

http://members.shaw.ca/chillin_24/Pi...ntdeckleft.jpg

old tuner and cassette

http://members.shaw.ca/chillin_24/Pi...s/origdeck.jpg


What is weird is what i found under the tuner and cassette, which i think is to be an electronic crossover. It doesnt say anywhere on it but it i opened it up and found a 3 channel seperator on the PCB (teal tape thinger) and i cant think of anything else it could be.

http://members.shaw.ca/chillin_24/Pi.../crossover.jpg

if it is a crossover, does it pose a problem when wiring up new gear with original wiring and not using the crossover? (thats if i do plan on using the original wiring)

dunx

Welcome to CCA. Its a great forum for info and help. Normally I would suggest reading BCAE but someone stole my line :sly: .

I'm not sure if thats a crossover, but if you are going to be running amplified speakers up front, you wouldn't need it. You will be running new speaker wires anyways (I'm assuming).

Good luck with the install and check back for advice and help.

live on the toyota love i can say that the alts in our toyotas are strong been running two kicker L-5's in my corolla for a year now and the car hasent failed me! ....