Demonspawn wrote:wish i could trick out the audio in mine but ...
You don't have to spend a lot to have a good sounding system. I use to be an IASCA SQ judge as well. There were plenty of high-dollar systems that sounded great. But I was always more impressed by the cars that sounded great without the $$$$.
The technology is now such that properly selected equipment and a well thought out install, can result in great sound. You just have to select what's important and focus on that. For example, a decent headunit can be had for <$200, and a good 4-channel amp for <$350. Good front stage components for $350 and a single 10" sub for $150. sub box and wiring, $100.
Bridge 2 channels into 1 for the sub. The components off of the other two channels and you're good to go. Dynamat or other noise deadening coating helps. Speaker pods in the kick panels or in front of the little glass triangles would be an improvement. You could run the stock rear speakers off of the headunit for rear fill, if you like that sort of thing. Honestly, it's the details that really improve the sound, not the money spent. Some of the best systems I've heard were also the simplest, and were built by anal-retentive people.