2001 Tahoe...Help me decorate

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TBeigkahuna

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Hey Guys...I'm kinda new to the forum, and very inexperienced when it comes to vehicles. I know that parts of this post should be in different forums, so forgive me moderators for not breaking it up into pieces. I'm getting pretty close to coming home from Iraq, and I want to use a little bit of my savings to make some upgrades to my 2001 Tahoe. The upgrades I'd like to make are 1) a new paint job, 2) a better audio system, 3) alarm with remote-start, 4) new grille and tail-lights, 5) Intake/Exhaust and 6) window tint. I don't plan on doing any of this myself, mainly because I don't know how, and partly because I don't want to. I was hoping to get some input as to what you all have found to be quality products that fall under these upgrades.

The paint job is probably most important. My baby is a burgundy/maroon color right now (it's original paint job) but I want her black; nothing special, but I would like the new paint job to be equal in quality to the original..i.e. glossy clear coat, etc. Would any of you be able to give me a ballpark estimate on what I should expect to pay? I do want a detailed job, to include under the hood, inside the doors, stuff like that. Plain and simple, I want it done right.

Audio System: I'm not sure what the acoustics of the tahoe require, so maybe you could let me know what's worked for you? I'm just looking for a good clear sound, with a noticeable punch of bass. I dont want to enter into a noise making competition, but I'm not going to be upset if I wake my nosey neighbors pulling into the driveway either. Something affordable, but satisfactory as well. I already have a new head unit, but I'm looking to replace it as well. The one that I liked was stolen out of my truck not even 2 months after I left for Iraq, and it has since been discontinued. I like the ipod capabilities available, but I don't like spending more time clicking a remote searching for a song than I actually do listening to it. Something with an auxiliary port that's accesible outside of the glove box would probably be a necessity. Any ideas?

Alarm: I've seen a lot of alarms...some have a keychain that tells you what your car is doing, some have a vibrating key chain if the alarm goes off, etc. I just want something that will no Sh!t prevent a break-in....if that's possible...and remote-start. I've just always thought it was cool to turn a vehicle on without getting in it. What do you have?

Grille and Tail Lights: Apparently, you can get that stuff anywhere...but there are so many sites I dont' know what to choose from. I'm just looking for a small honeycomb or simple billet grille..Aftermarket tail lights are necessary too. This doesn't seem like it would be very hard to do, but I might need to enlist some explanation from you guys....the military has done wonders for getting rid of my individual thinking power. :umn: Any suggestions to sites or people I can get this stuff from legitimately?

Intake/Exhaust: I don't know anything about this stuff, except that it helps performance (??) and improves gas mileage. Any recommendations?

Finally, Tint. I just dont' want to get ripped off. I'd like to go with 5% all the way around. Is that legal? Probably not. I live in texas, it's hot, and I want my car to stay cool. What is a legimate price I should expect to pay to buy the tint and have someone put it on?

I know this is probably one of the longer posts, but I'm just trying to get in the game, so to speak. Any suggestions or help you guys could give me would be awesome. Thanks for your time, and Semper Fi!
 
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Polecat

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first, welcome and thanks for your service!

paint job, when looking to change color completely like you mention, will cost alot more than a freshen of old color. Because you have jams to do, as well as hood,etc.
I'd get with several reputable paint shops in your area.


Tint, dark as you can legal :)

Grill, look up Street Scene, they have some bumper covers and grills that will compliment what you desire.

Tailights, get the LED smoked ones off Ebay.
Here is a link
http://search.stores.ebay.com/X3Rac...ubZ19013100QQsaselZ48617347QQsbrsrtZdQQsofpZ0

Intake, AEM Brute Force works awesome on mine,and exhaust Borla, Flomaster, etc make a replacement muffler. No need for a cat back...

Alarm, will mainly be up to want features, and price you want.

Sound system, look at a headunit that also has the features you want, and a 'simple system would replace factory speakers for components up front, coax in rear doors and a simple one woofer setup in back, off one 5 channel amp.
But if you want more, get a higher powered 4 channel up front, and a amp that can do 1000-1500 watts on two 12's in rear.

Remember, the more power you add, the more drain on your electrical system. so add in power, you'll add more $$$ in electrical upgrades.
 

TBeigkahuna

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Thanks Polecat. The Smoked out tail lights are sharp. I looked at the grilles at street scene, but I couldn't find something that was just one piece. I guess what I'm interested in is just one piece to replace it all, I no longer want the bar that goes across that has the bowtie in the middle. I hope that makes sense. I'll keep looking around.

I found a shop in my hometown that said they will do a paint-job for 1200. They said it is a eurithane paint, and they lay 3 coats of paint down, and then 2 clear coats. I don't know if that is a legit job, but for that price I have my suspicions. I was expecting around 2000. Have you had yours painted before? I'm going to keep shopping around, but I'm still in Iraq, so makes it difficult.

What you are saying about exhaust, is that I just need a muffler replacement? That sounds like a cheap fix, but where would I get that done? I looked some up for about 2-300 bucks.

Thanks again for the help. I'll be looking forward to see what you have to say.
 

Big Tap

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Welcome to the forum!

If I were you, I'd be weary of the $1200 paint job. That seems awfully cheap to paint one of our behemuths, especially for a complete color change. To do it right, they would have to pull some of the glass, do the jambs and even get some paint under the hood. I'm with Pole about keeping it the same color, but if you want it that way, I say go for it. I'm currently having mine totally repainted and having a ton of body work done and mine is coming in at around $4000. That price is going through a guy who is doing it on the side and not even through the shop. The shop would have charged me twice that at least.
I think I know the kind of grille you're talking about. I don't know that I've ever seen one for these types of trucks though. I'm a fan of the Street Scene grille inserts myself. You can find these and several others on Ebay.
If you're just looking for a descent set-up, I'd also recommend what Pole said. Simple set-up that just sounds clean. With mine, I needed to keep the rear cargo area clear for my dogs and traveling, so I opted to replace all of the factory speakers with components and put an 8" sub in the stock location in the rear. I also put a Stealth Box in my console that houses a 10" sub and mounted the amps under the rear seat. I'm not winning any SPL contests, but it's got some boom in it. Make sure you get an alarm with the feautres you want to protect your investment. Lots of good manufacturers out there. I'm about to start shopping for one once I get mine back from the body shop. I'd tint the windows as dark as you legally can. As you said, it helps with the Texas heat and makes it more difficult for thieves to see what you have inside.
The intake and exhaust are just a matter of preference. I would probably recommend a dry filter intake over a wet one. It's not extremely prevalent, but I've heard some people having issues with the wet filters messing up their mass air flow sensor. Stylin Trucks has a nice selection of parts. I think they're actually running a 10% sale on orders of $100+.
Hope this helps. What part of Texas are you from?
 

Davco

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I would definitely stay away from a $1200 paint job. I had a 1988 Mustang GT that was quoted $3000 for a color change to black. I could probably drive that car into the cargo area of our chevy beasts. Not to mention, black is one of the hardest colors to paint. It will show every flaw on your truck! $1200 is way to cheap.



I second the "thanks for your service" comment!
 

Lowboy44

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There would be $1000 in just materials for a color chnage on our trucks. I'm with the rest of the guys on here. Buyer beware

Good Luck
 

TBeigkahuna

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SO, general consensus is not to go with $1200 job. I've called around to a few other places and been quoted around $2000. I heard about black showing all the flaws of the body. Luckily, I don't have any body damage, dents, or dings (at least I didn't when I left it)

Do you guys think I could get away with running something like (1) JL Audio 10 or 12" woofer, set up some tweeters in the front and middle, and connect all speakers tweeters and woofers to a 1000-1500 watt amp? I don't know if that's what you're calling simple...but I want some good bump without sacrificing clarity and loudness.

I think my priorities are quickly shifting to paint and sound. I will definately be getting the Smoked out Tail lights that Polecat recommended. Sharp!

Is it difficult to install an intake? To be honest, I'm not sure what that would do for me. Feel free to educate me.

Thanks everyone so far, for helping me out. I never know what to say in response to thanking me for service....I'm just glad to be a part of something bigger than myself, with the sole purpose of destroying anything that threatens our freedom! Semper Fi!

Big Tap: I am from San Antonio, moving to Dallas when I get out. What about you?
 

tast101

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Tails are always a good cheap upgrade. Way better imo.

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tast101

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Way better. Did you get yours on Ebay?

yea, but mine were from a private seller. There was a time when they disappeared from ebay, guy sold his Yukon so I had to jump on them, for fear I wouldn't have the chance again. Shortly after they started popin up on ebay again.
 

Copper&BlackYukon

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Do you guys think I could get away with running something like (1) JL Audio 10 or 12" woofer, set up some tweeters in the front and middle, and connect all speakers tweeters and woofers to a 1000-1500 watt amp?

If you want one JL I would go with the W6V2 model, it is perfect in my opinion, large enough to get a good deep bass, but small enough to get good response and good quick bass if you listen to music with quick beats i.e. techno, hip hop, club music. 10" would give you the good quick bass, but your deep bass will be lacking. You will need two amps, one for the sub, and one 4 channel for the speakers. I would suggest something like TMA amps, they are made by JL so the quality is outstanding, but are less pricey then the JL models.
Don't think all amps are created equal, I used to have an infinity amp 4 ch pushing my Infinity components in the doors, it was stolen, and I picked up all TMA amps and it was like I got a whole new, better system.
Door speakers: I love infinity, the perfect clarity without blowing your wallet on a set of $500 components. The 6.5 "Perfect" model is what I have, hooked up to a TMA 4 channel. I've never heard a truck system sound as clear and intense as I did the first time I heard it all bumping.

Thanks for your service man, Hope this helps a little.
 
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TBeigkahuna

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If you want one JL I would go with the W6V2 model, it is perfect in my opinion, large enough to get a good deep bass, but small enough to get good response and good quick bass if you listen to music with quick beats i.e. techno, hip hop, club music. 10" would give you the good quick bass, but your deep bass will be lacking. You will need two amps, one for the sub, and one 4 channel for the speakers. I would suggest something like TMA amps, they are made by alpine so the quality is outstanding, but are less pricey then the alpine models.
Don't think all amps are created equal, I used to have an infinity amp 4 ch pushing my Infinity components in the doors, it was stolen, and I picked up all TMA amps and it was like I got a whole new, better system.
Door speakers: I love infinity, the perfect clarity without blowing your wallet on a set of $500 components. The 6.5 "Perfect" model is what I have, hooked up to a TMA 4 channel. I've never heard a truck system sound as clear and intense as I did the first time I heard it all bumping.

Thanks for your service man, Hope this helps a little.

That helps a lot! But I have more questions, yet again! First, let me get it all straight. A JL-W 10" wouldn't quite be the full bass....would a 12" do the trick? And where would I get the right box?

Are the 6.5 perfects the right size to replace what I currently have? Are there 4 or 6 speakers? It's been a while since I've been able to listen to that kitty purr, but I'm guessing if I need a 4 channel amp, then I'm only pushing to 4 speakers so I may have answered my own question.

So I would need:

(1) JL-W 12" with at least an 800w amp pushing directly to it - about $400?

(4) 6.5 speakers with a 4 channel amp (how many watts?) - about $500?

(1) In Dash CD/MP3/Ipod Player that puts out how much power? (Also, any recommendations for good head units would be welcomed. Definately gonna get the satellite radio, and want to connect the ipod through an auxiliary port on the face of the radio or somewhere convenient to the driver)

All this extra demand on the battery makes me think I might need an alternative....if this is suggested, how big of, and what kind of battery would you recommend for this purpose...and where would you put the battery?

I want to set a reasonable budget for the sound system. Sounds like this could get out of hand really quickly...so I want to give myself some restraint.

Say I buy all this equipment, and have it shipped to my house. Once it all gets there, could I pretty much go to any place that install car stereo's and get them to do it? I appreciate all of your patience with me on this stuff. Gotta get started somehow right?
 

Copper&BlackYukon

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That helps a lot! But I have more questions, yet again! First, let me get it all straight. A JL-W 10" wouldn't quite be the full bass....would a 12" do the trick? And where would I get the right box?

Are the 6.5 perfects the right size to replace what I currently have? Are there 4 or 6 speakers? It's been a while since I've been able to listen to that kitty purr, but I'm guessing if I need a 4 channel amp, then I'm only pushing to 4 speakers so I may have answered my own question.

So I would need:

(1) JL-W 12" with at least an 800w amp pushing directly to it - about $400?

(4) 6.5 speakers with a 4 channel amp (how many watts?) - about $500?

(1) In Dash CD/MP3/Ipod Player that puts out how much power? (Also, any recommendations for good head units would be welcomed. Definately gonna get the satellite radio, and want to connect the ipod through an auxiliary port on the face of the radio or somewhere convenient to the driver)

All this extra demand on the battery makes me think I might need an alternative....if this is suggested, how big of, and what kind of battery would you recommend for this purpose...and where would you put the battery?

I want to set a reasonable budget for the sound system. Sounds like this could get out of hand really quickly...so I want to give myself some restraint.

Say I buy all this equipment, and have it shipped to my house. Once it all gets there, could I pretty much go to any place that install car stereo's and get them to do it? I appreciate all of your patience with me on this stuff. Gotta get started somehow right?

I used to have 10's but when I changed to 12's I would never go back. You don't notice you are missing the deep bass until you actually hear the 12's. 13-15's are just too unresponsive, but are sweet if loud and deep is what you are looking for, but that’s not what you want.
Also you can't include the power coming out of the headunit, your speakers will be powered solely by the 4 ch amp. That is how you maintain your clarity, imagine it like you hooked you Ipod up to a stereo using your audio jack and the ipod was at max volume, it would sound pretty crappy. But if you kept the volume of the ipod at medium, and cranked the volume on the stereo it would sound worlds better.
6 1/2" is the perfect fit for your door speakers, and for the best sound have the place install the tweeters as high as possible. On the top of the door panel near the lock switch would be best. High freq. sound can't be obstructed for it to sound good, unlike bass that can travel trough someone's house. So if you mounted the tweeter down near where the door speaker is now, it wouldn't sound as clean, b/c your legs and stuff would be in the way and the angle wouldn't be right.
You won't be needing a second battery for the amount of current you will be pulling, however you will need a decent "Cap" (Capacitor). Essentially it is a battery that is made for the quick power draws your amp will want without pulling on your trucks electrical system. These caps are rated in "Farads", and 3 to 5 fared cap would have you sitting pretty. You won't even see a hint of dimming of your head lights when the bass hits full.
I just bought a whole system for my chick's car from a place online called Onlinecarsterio.com they had the best prices, and let me tell you I looked around!

4 ch amp I have: http://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAudio/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=18634 : only $139

Mono amp for the sub: http://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAudio/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=18636 : only $140
It's only a 500 watt mono amp but if you look at the power chart for the JL audios here,
http://mobile.jlaudio.com/products_subs_pages.php?page_id=35
You'll see 500 watts is perfect for one JL audio 12w6v2

Infinity Components 6.1 Perfects:
http://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAudio/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=12200 : Only $219 per set of 2, total $438

JL audio 12w6v2:
http://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAudio/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=12514 : $349 You'll notice RMS is 400 watts, perfect for the 500 watt mono amp.

4 Fared Soundstream Cap:
http://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAudio/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=18049 : $89

Total $1155 + whatever Head unit, just to give you an idea of cost.

Also expect to shell out around $700 to get all of this installed, b/c you will need "Amp Kits" for both amps which includes the thick wires and everything needed to hook up your amps.

If you order all that stuff, + your headunit, and an enclosed box for the sub (better then ported for clarity) you should be set when you show up at the install place.

Damn that’s a novel....sorry about the long windedness. I just wish someone would have explained stuff like this when I was trying to build my first system, would have saved me a couple times from learning the hard way.

Take care, and be safe over there!
 
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TBeigkahuna

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Please don't apologize. Longwinded or not, that is some good stuff. What kind of box should I get? Is there a particular company I should buy from that specializes in building boxes, or is that something I would have to get the installer to build? Anything specific I need to tell whoever makes it? I'm assuming the car stereo installation place will already have these "amp kits", wires, etc. What are the chances that I will get that always dreaded rattle from the bass?

I was looking up the Perfect 6.5's. They do come with the tweeters correct?

I would have never known about the cap. Thanks!

Good to know that the head unit doesn't really matter. That's going to be my most difficult decision, but I'll make that later on. I've got one that will work for the time being right now. It's an alpine ipod ready in dash cd player.

I've got to say again, you are all saving me tons of time, trials, and money. I appreciate every bit of help you've offered.
 

Copper&BlackYukon

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Please don't apologize. Longwinded or not, that is some good stuff. What kind of box should I get? Is there a particular company I should buy from that specializes in building boxes, or is that something I would have to get the installer to build? Anything specific I need to tell whoever makes it? I'm assuming the car stereo installation place will already have these "amp kits", wires, etc. What are the chances that I will get that always dreaded rattle from the bass?

I was looking up the Perfect 6.5's. They do come with the tweeters correct?

I would have never known about the cap. Thanks!

Good to know that the head unit doesn't really matter. That's going to be my most difficult decision, but I'll make that later on. I've got one that will work for the time being right now. It's an alpine ipod ready in dash cd player.

I've got to say again, you are all saving me tons of time, trials, and money. I appreciate every bit of help you've offered.

You're more than welcome...
I didn't say the headunit doesn't matter I'm saying it's power output is irrelevant, b/c the amp will be the one putting out the watts. Alpine is the best brand of headunit in my opinion, I have the flip up TV touch screen one the IVA-D310 and it's perfectly clear, so I think you are good with you alpine you have. As for the Infinity Perfects, they are what is called a "component system" so they come with the 6 1/2 woofer, tweeters and crossover (the little green box thing, that separates the high freq. from the low freq, and feeds the tweeter and woofer accordingly.
As for the Box for the sub you need to check JL's site for the specs on the woofer, it will recommend a box "Volume" (the cubic feet inside the box) for the best performance for the sub. I would suggest an enclosed box (no port/hole), the bass is alot cleaner. If you think of it as the woofer is going to push out and in when the bass hits, and if when it pushes out it crates neg pressure in the box then it will pop back that much faster, and likewise when is pulls in. Much better than that sometimes sloppy sound you hear out of ported boxes. You should be able to find an enclosed box online that will work just fine, but I suggest you caulk the seams on the inside with "liquid nails". That s*** turns to a rock,so you’ll know that box is sealed.
Any other question, feel free.
Ray
 

TBeigkahuna

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Went to the JL Audio site, but from what I saw, all they show are the measurements of the box, and electrical spec's. I did see, that they made boxes with the subs already in them...but they are ported, which kinda goes against what you were saying. Maybe I just don't know what exactly to look for. I'm usually against pre-packaged deals like that, but since JL is a reputable company, what do you think?
 

TBeigkahuna

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I also have a question regarding paint. It seems as though there are a few different ways to sand the vehicle, different grades of paint, and what not. In trying to see through the BS that I'm sure I'll get from some of the places I go to get quotes, do you guys have any suggestions? I considered taking it to the dealership, but I'm almost positive I could find a comprimable job in quality for less in cost. Any bones?
 

Copper&BlackYukon

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Went to the JL Audio site, but from what I saw, all they show are the measurements of the box, and electrical spec's. I did see, that they made boxes with the subs already in them...but they are ported, which kinda goes against what you were saying. Maybe I just don't know what exactly to look for. I'm usually against pre-packaged deals like that, but since JL is a reputable company, what do you think?

Here is what I found in the JL audio W6V2 owner’s manual.
I like enclosed, but I'm sure it would still sound nice. Like you say JL puts out good stuff, so the box would probably be pretty nice.
 

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