Any last recommendations? Install next weekend.

Well, the time has come where I've found enough good deals to start my moderate sound system upgrade. I plan on doing the install next weekend and I am looking for any specific advice fellow Taco owners might have.

What I have thus far going in:

Kenwood DDX512 (Factory refurb): $265
Metra Dash Kit & Harness: $25
Infinity Reference 6020cs Speakers (New): $65
RaamMat BXT, Ensolite Sound Deadening: $148
USB Extension Cable to Center Console for Ipod: $6
3.5mm Headphone Cable to Center Console: $6

Note: This is my first install and I don't want to jump into an AMP yet. I purposely picked a receiver with 22 watts RMS for this purpose.


Other Things

- Plan on using the stock factory speakers for a slight bit of rear fill
- Making my own MDF baffles
- Will be deadening the front & rear doors first. We'll see what I have left over after that.

Questions

1. Am I ok to stick with stock wiring for now?
2. Any other suggestions?

 

If you already have it opened up I would go ahead and re-run some good wire. It will make it easier than if you want to do it in the future.

 

I agree, if you're going to sound-deaden the doors this weekend, go ahead and run the speaker wires while you have the door broken down. Then all you'll have to do is pop in the new speakers in the rear door, hook up the new wires to all the speakers, and hook the other end to your amps when you get them and you'll be rockin!

 

OK...I might just run new wire then. I have a ton of good quality Monoprice 14 AWG speaker wire. Will that work?

How do I splice that in with the factory harness?

 

if you plan on adding an amp later and not use the built in amp of the headunit when that happens then i would probraly not add speaker wire until the amp was installed. the only reason i say that cause if you run new speaker wire from headunit to speakers and add an amp later your speaker wire no longer goes where your amp is installed.

 

Wise man...

 

invest in a good alarm.

 

Yeah, I wouldn't hook up the new speaker wire to the head unit...I would go ahead and route it all to where your amp is going to be, then you're ready to go as soon as you run the power wires and RCAs when you get the new amp...

 

onmy metra kit.. the ends that snap into the dash were just a tad too long to use the white clips that come with it.. just shave a very little bit off the ends of the install kit and they snap right on... and hold the kit in good.