Novice Needs Advice Please

My twin 16 yr old boys are building out their first systems. They have the following HU Sony CDX M800 & CDX M850. Now before we hear how aweful the sony HU is, they were given to them so the price is right. Both are building systems with their own cash (as it should be) so they are on a fairly tight budget.

Car 1: Dodge Rampage '82, two seater cab with pickup bed (dodge omni cab)

Car 2: Ford Bronco II "88.

Need recommendations on what additional components they should invest in: subs, amps, capicitors??, etc etc.

I really appreciate the help, there is so much info out there that it gets pretty confusing on whats needed, nice to have and must have.

Thanks, Joe

Thanks for the advice, anyone have specific component recommendations or configurations... Ill help them buy so they can setup full system rather than piece by piece

joe

what sizes are ther stock speakers?

Pioneer has has good SQ for the money, all i run in my car is 2 Pioneer 6x9" 4way speakers in boxes behind my seat and 2 Pioneer 12" svc subs in band pass box in the trunk with 2 500rms rockford fosgate amps powering them, dont waste your money on a capicitor,go with a Isolator and duel batterys,that why your system wont ever kill your main battery , them  pioneer 6x9"s are realy great the 4 and 5 ways they have can handle up 500watts each and i can turn my system all the way up with no loss of SQ, http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pna/product/detail/0,,2076_4069_35255,00.html

them less powerful speaker that run off the HU sound off full when you turn them up loud,and dont be cheep buying an amp , a good amp can make cheep speakers sound great go with RF, and dont buy sony speaker unless ther headphones

I think you should determine if the sound from the stock speakers with the new head unit is acceptable. 

Phase I:            If so, then the first item I would add is a 10" subwoofer to fill out the frequency response.  In my opinion, with o.k. sounding stock speakers this is the single greatest improvement in sound you can make right away.   They are 16yo boys so this will be even more the case because the bass will add some guts to the music.  I'd recommend a small class D amp and a 10" sub that can fit in a small enclosure in the trucks. 

A phased process like this would be what I would recommend when getting into car audio on a budget.  Don't replace anything until necessary, another reason for going with the amp and subwoofer first. 

Joe, do each system a step at a time so you do not get overwhelmed with info, trust me on this. This is the number one mistake that alot of consumers make. It is very easy to get caught up in the game and buy the deal instead of buying the equipment. Buy the right equipment to match the needs of the vehicle and the user. It is better to sacrifice rather than compromise, the latter leads to $$$$$ that will have to be replaced at a later date. I know that you want to do the right thing for the boys and get them looked after but they drive two totally different vehicles that will have drastic effects on how a system performs in each one. Thus what you do for one may not work in the other.

Start by buying the front and rear (if necessary) speakers that will fit the factory mounting locations. Next find out how much space you have available for a sub system. Get a rough idea in cubix feet of airspace available for each vehicle. This will determine the size and number of subs. The choice of subs will then determine the box and amplifier to drive them. If you have more questions or just want some advice, please post it up and one of the guys will be glad to answer.

I agree with kfr01, although I'm am fairly new to car audio, his way is the I am building my system.  I mean, when I first started building my system I started with the subs because I wanted bass. I bought 2 JBL GT 10"s from Crutchfield.   I didnt start with my speakers first because I went by what I heard and I thought the factory system was satisfactory.  Now a few months ago I replaced my front and back speakers, and amped them, and now I am saving for a new sub setup.  I think I am going with Diamond Audio, because after reading what you guys in here say about them I went to a shop here and listened and really liked them. So I say ask your boys if they want the having bass is high on their list

Actually my first purchase wasnt the subs but rather a new HU, a Kenwood KDC-X817, which I'm still using and will be upgraded once I recover from replacing the subs.

Your sons tastes in music will influence what they want for a system.  If they like mostly rap, and music with a lot of deep bass they might want to spend more on a amp/subs then on speakers.  If they like less bass intensive music a smaller 10" sub will do, and they should spend more on a quality componet system.  They also might want to consider buying just one sub and one mono amp to start with, then, if they want more bass, but a second sub and amp.  My other advice would be, only buy quality equipment, run the products past us 12volt people before you buy, and also have your sons listen to them before they buy.  I am 16, going on 17 and in the process of building my first system, so I know how your sons feel.  At first I bought some cheap equipment and it didnt work out to well, so ive learned that its better to save your money and buy quality stuff.