SolaraGuy.com

I have a 2000 SE and i was trying to figure out if it was going to be easy to change out the Head Unit. My questions are, are all Solara Factory Amplified and if not how do you find out? If they are is it hard to swap the deck or is it expensive? What is everyone puting in there trunks for subs? Man i guess i have a lot of questions. Well i hope you guys can answer my questions and future ones also. Thanks people for your time.

Not all Solaras have the amplified JBL systems. If they don't, then you don't need to worry about it.

Even if they do have the JBL system, you can still use a standard Toyota wiring harness to bypass the stock amp and run your aftermarket deck.

Just replaced my head unit, and all speakers yesterday. I am working on my custom sub box today, hopefully I will have that ready in a few days.

If you have the dash kit, the install itself is hella easy. I mean, im not car savvy by anymeans, and i did it no problem. speakers are not much harder... although when you replace your H/U, you'll most likely lose the tweeters. So if you want those tweeters, you can pick up a pair of Alpine type r or type s ( if your not using an aftermarket amp) and that will work great. I just installed my type s components this weekend. Only real problem i had was that the stock hole/mounts for the tweeters is about a millimeter to small. shaved a little bit right quick and boom! problem solved! As for trunk bump, i would recommend Rockford Fosgate. Get 1 or 2 Punch 12" subs and you'll be good... Alpine has a great line of amps (v power series) as does rockford. im running a pioneer H/U with alpine type s components in the front, and infinity 6x9's in the back. nothing more needed really. here is a link to my thread that shows the pics of my brand new install. total time for install... bout 90 minutes.
http://www.solaraguy.com/viewtopic.php?t=45147

Easy swap. If you do have the JBL don't try and use the stock amp. From what I learned on SG the stock HU & Amp are digitally connected. If you try and use the stock amp any HU will whine with the motor at low volume. Learned that the hard way.

Donnie wrote:Easy swap. If you do have the JBL don't try and use the stock amp. From what I learned on SG the stock HU & Amp are digitally connected. If you try and use the stock amp any HU will whine with the motor at low volume. Learned that the hard way.

It would pretty funny to see someone duplicate the supercharger whine to make it sound like you have one

^^^ I think they have something like that on ebay. Its an insert you put in your muffler

i think everyone has the headunit side answered. In regards to subs it is all a matter of how much bass you really want and what sound quality (SQ) you want. If you want SQ then 1 good sub is enough or two smaller subs. For more punch some people prefer 2 10" subs. For a deeper sound with less punch you could run 1 12". I prefer kicker as a brand since I have used them for a long time. You will also need an amp to power your sub and I would recommend alpine. Building a speaker system can be fun and addictive.

PS look into sound deadening