Hi guys this post may be long and I apologize in advance. First off I am by no means wealthy in any sort of the word. I currently own a 97 Buick LeSabre (240,000mi on it) so a new car will soon be required. I want my car to suit my audio setup more that the other way around. I want to keep the following attributes in play with the decision.

1.space / big trunk (for multiple 15's or more)

2.interior that is "easier" to modify. I would be willing to tear rear seats out to mount amps and batteries there.

3. Accessabily so it is not such a pain to run multiply runs of 1/0 cable from front to rear. (Not that big a deal)

4. "Acoustics" as is like some paper thin doors that reside in some cheap imports compared to a thick oem sound proofed sedan.

5.Accessibility to upgrade and work under the hood as in multiple cables and h/o alt/ alts.

I understand there will be no perfect car because when one excels in one area it lacks another. The vehicles I have been eyeing up are a 00-05 Chevy blazer /jimmy, 96-06 Cadillac Seville , Deville, STS or DTS. 00-05 Monte Carlo, or what I love is a 94 Impala SS.

Anywayz thank to anyone who took the Time to read or post on this topic. Alsp apoligze of this was not posted in the correct area.

Edited August 28, 201411 yr by jakmagic

I current setup is a cdehd149bt head unit. A Fi Q 12 powered by a CT1400.1

CT 6.5 Meso s powered by a CT 60.4

XS D3400 under the hood with a stock 140amp altertnator.

All Sky high wire and fuses

Lots of mojo mat deadener

Will be upgrading to a M3B for sub stage to power 2 BL or Q 15's. Or may go on SP4 15".

You don't want a 94 Impala SS. I have it's cousin, a 94 Buick Roadmaster and they're not audio friendly at all.

Something like a trailblazer, tahoe, envoy, etc would be best. With a pair of 15s on a good amount of power in a proper box it's easy to breaks the 50s

Yeah I had been seeing some trailblazer s for some decent prices lately. I also really like the way they look. I have not seen what they look like under the hood yet. As in are their components just smashed together, making addition s and upgrades near impossible like landing on Jupiter? Good example being my moms Chrysler the alternator and battery are located damn there under the motor! I will have to get to a dealer ship to see the under hood of a Trailblazer in the near future for sure.

Edited August 28, 201411 yr by jakmagic

Stick with Chevy if you want ease of doing alts, electrical and serviceability.  

The caddy would have the lowest noise floor. Hard to squeeze an enclosure in the trunk though, would have to build in place to fit two 15"s. (Ask me how I know)

The trailblazer would be the friendliest and should have a fairly low noise floor.

Yeah I had been seeing some trailblazer s for some decent prices lately. I also really like the way they look. I have not seen what they look like under the hood yet. As in are their components just smashed together, making addition s and upgrades near impossible like landing on Jupiter? Good example being my moms Chrysler the alternator and battery are located damn there under the motor! I will have to get to a dealer ship to see the under hood of a Trailblazer in the near future for sure.

In my trailblazer under the window line if you're smart you can fit 4 15's under the window line, if you can weld you'd be able to fit around 9 batteries under the rear with enough room for 4 18's. Although alternator size is limited however there are a few people out there who sell brackets for dual and triple alt setups. I'm fitting 2 Odyssey PC1800's and 2 NorthStar NSB170's while keeping enough room for the 15's.

Thanks a lot for all the replies guys! Like I said vehicle wise, I will be on a pretty tight budget and I have been seeing some trailblazer s for some decent prices. I am also partial to GM vehicle s design. I am not too informed on the trailblazer's engine or transmission though. However I am on the Blazers / Jimmy 4.3's and feel that is the 2nd best motor they produced. "Just my opinion" With their 3.8L being #1, in reliability and ease of service. With that being said, any reviews or suggestions on the Blazers / Jimmy line?

Oh and I am not afraid to get a new vehicle and turn in into a two seater if need be.

Edited August 29, 201411 yr by jakmagic

I've got a 2001 GMC Jimmy which falls under the same umbrella of 2nd Gen vehicles as the Chevy Blazer and the Olds Bravada.  My personal opinion, formulated from what I've seen from most other guys rigs, is that they're simply not built heavy enough to withstand the rigors of the elite class installs, like Senchez's build for example.  Again, that's just my opinion, but with the issues they have with the way door pins wear out, how light the sheet metal is, the unframed back glass, and with the limited amount of space on the inside that they just wouldn't be my first choice as a platform for a major build.  That's not to say I don't love the trucks.  God knows I do or I wouldn't have spent in the neighborhood of $4k to replace the engine and 85 miles later the trans in mine.

 

While it's not built a great deal heavier, the Trailblazer is a larger truck with a larger interior that would be more suited to a larger build.  Most people I've talked to the 4.2L inline 6 that's in those trucks is fairly stout and the transmission is basically the same 4L60E as has been in SO many trucks before it.  The life of which depends on how it's treated and maintained, like any other.  My little brother has an '06 TB that has gone through absolute hell (treated like shit, lightly wrecked on several occasions, and drove through a few ditches) and it's still going strong.  Hell, last time I drove it the alignment was still good, by some miracle.

 

I don't think the 2nd gen blazer platform is the best to use for audio, especially larger builds, but what the hell do I really know about it.  I just got to driving mine again on a regular basis, LOL!

I've got a 2001 GMC Jimmy which falls under the same umbrella of 2nd Gen vehicles as the Chevy Blazer and the Olds Bravada. My personal opinion, formulated from what I've seen from most other guys rigs, is that they're simply not built heavy enough to withstand the rigors of the elite class installs, like Senchez's build for example. Again, that's just my opinion, but with the issues they have with the way door pins wear out, how light the sheet metal is, the unframed back glass, and with the limited amount of space on the inside that they just wouldn't be my first choice as a platform for a major build. That's not to say I don't love the trucks. God knows I do or I wouldn't have spent in the neighborhood of $4k to replace the engine and 85 miles later the trans in mine.

While it's not built a great deal heavier, the Trailblazer is a larger truck with a larger interior that would be more suited to a larger build. Most people I've talked to the 4.2L inline 6 that's in those trucks is fairly stout and the transmission is basically the same 4L60E as has been in SO many trucks before it. The life of which depends on how it's treated and maintained, like any other. My little brother has an '06 TB that has gone through absolute hell (treated like shit, lightly wrecked on several occasions, and drove through a few ditches) and it's still going strong. Hell, last time I drove it the alignment was still good, by some miracle.

I don't think the 2nd gen blazer platform is the best to use for audio, especially larger builds, but what the hell do I really know about it. I just got to driving mine again on a regular basis, LOL!

Yep just avoid anything older than an 06 and you're set.

Look into maybe a dodge magnum as they have quite abit of room. There are many choices for HO Alts, wire can easily be ran, and they can be had for a really good price.

Oh yeah, and stay FAR away from anything in the Lambda platform, the Traverse, Acadia, Enclave, and Outlook.  Worst damn vehicle I've had yet to deal with installing audio.  Love the truck, hate the layout.

I would look for a Tahoe with a 5.3 or 5.7, that would be the most ideal install wise.

Edited August 29, 201411 yr by swift

Really appreciating the info guys. About the Magnum that is one vehicle I have yet to see under the hood in V6 or V8. All I know about Chrysler is my mom owns a nice Concord with a trunk that could fit 8 bodies in it! Lol. But someone couldn't even pay me to work on it! Damn battery is damn there under the motor with the alternator too. Everything is so damn packed in there, I'd need to have a therapist next to me while working on it, so I wouldn't kill someone. I guess that's why I haven't really even considered anything Mopar. I guess I am just judging them by the couple bad ones I've seen. Haven't played with any of their SUVs though, like a Durango. I have been seeing some nice looking Trailblazers for some decent deals lately.

The caddy would have the lowest noise floor. Hard to squeeze an enclosure in the trunk though, would have to build in place to fit two 15"s. (Ask me how I know)

The trailblazer would be the friendliest and should have a fairly low noise floor.

 

Actually the noise floor on the trailblazer is absurd.  Complete POS. Road noise and acoustic treatments are non-existent.  They killed that chassis for a reason as there was no way to make it handle or sound like a modern car.  Super bummer because the TBSS is a truck I REALLY wanted, but it is such a POS that it killed the deal.

 

As for "audio friendly" that depends on your goals.  Sounds to me like you are after bass and bass alone in which case yes a sport utility works well.  Personally though I'd just work harder at it on your list and grab the SS Impala as at least it is a real car.

The caddy would have the lowest noise floor. Hard to squeeze an enclosure in the trunk though, would have to build in place to fit two 15"s. (Ask me how I know)

The trailblazer would be the friendliest and should have a fairly low noise floor.

Actually the noise floor on the trailblazer is absurd. Complete POS. Road noise and acoustic treatments are non-existent. They killed that chassis for a reason as there was no way to make it handle or sound like a modern car. Super bummer because the TBSS is a truck I REALLY wanted, but it is such a POS that it killed the deal.

As for "audio friendly" that depends on your goals. Sounds to me like you are after bass and bass alone in which case yes a sport utility works well. Personally though I'd just work harder at it on your list and grab the SS Impala as at least it is a real car.

Yep after owning one for a few months now there is very little sound dampening at all. For driving it's not super loud but if you put bass in it, it will rattle worse than a bag of tin cans in a cymbal factory that caters to half deaf people

For driving it's not super loud but if you put bass in it, it will rattle worse than a bag of tin cans in a cymbal factory that caters to half deaf people

 

LOL, that is almost worthy of a sig right there!

Even driving it sounds like utter ass.  Mid 80's acoustic response.  The Saab version however is worlds better and does come in an Aero version.  That could be a contender.  Slightly dated interior, but getting the LS in there is worth that trade-off.

The magnums are easy to work on. I have the Chrysler 300 and the motors are the same in the to. It took me about an hour to put my Alt on. The battery is in the back in the spare tire well. I ran 2 runs of 1/0 with no issue. I would say look into them man.

I would look for a Tahoe with a 5.3 or 5.7, that would be the most ideal install wise.

Yes tahoe... I can find almost anything for my 2005 tahoe...and I'm a newbi at this

Ah yeah the 94 Impala. Just saw a nice one last night and man I like those things! People ask a lot for them yet but I would too. As for goals, yeah bass is what I'm after, but decent quality too. I know they don't mix but I can get it to my liking. I would really like to have the space for 2 15"s. I understand building in the trunk may be necessary if I went with a car. M5 do you have an opinion on like a 98-04 Blazer / Jimmy? I know there is another person how commented on those already, but would like to hear if you've hadn't any experience s with those? Same with anyone else. To be honest with the vehicle portion I will probably stay in a price range of 4-6k. Maybe if I get lucky and get a new career change in the near future I'd double that. Keep my fingers crossed:) I'll most likely find something with 100-120k mi on it takes been taken care of. That's one thing I can spot. I live in WI, so rust is gonna be a no no for me. Heck if the right deal come I'd drive a state and away to snag it up. Definitely will take my time and find "The One" lol.

I've got an 03 trailblazer. It's perfect for car audio in so many ways. The cargo area can fit anything that your expecting to build and still seat passengers. Big three was an easy upgrade even though the altenator isn't on the the top like most vehicles. wire harness goes right through to the cab for 0/1 gauge power wire running. Inline 6 4.2L gets the job down. I have for tens in 8 cuft box. Below the window line. My current setup "waiting on the fi bl 15 since Aug 22nd. And built a 5 cu ft box all kerf porting can't wait !!

Edited September 17, 201410 yr by chriswilli4ms