got my new amp now i’m clipping

I wasn't trying to be "dinkish" as you put it, but I have offered advice in the past to people that have completely ignored it even though I have had the exact same problem, car etc. Like everything else in life, a few people giving me a short fuse for everyone. glad you got it figured out!

As far as the front speakers grounding out... I have found that the baskets on those kickers are usually too large for the stock holes on most cars.  Did you have to cut out some extra, or did you use a spacer? You may just need to cover up your connections.