I wanna try and keep the factory head unit and wire in 2 amps to power speakers and 2 subs.

I know it can be done, my question is should it be done?

How will sound quality be? Its an 86 Iroc radio with the built in EQ. I just got it off of ebay with a ipod input built in, so i wanna try and keep it in the car. I actually replaced a sony head unit with this factory one for the "look" of it.

Will sound quality be there, or should i just go back to an aftermarket head unit?

I have done this before and have had many different systems in all of the vehicles I have had throughout the years. In my experience a factory stereo never sounds as good as a good aftermarket part. If it is a factory radio if I am correct it will not have amp inputs on it like a aftermarket stereo so you will need to get a inline convertor to hook up an amp which are pricey for an actual decent one. To make a long story short if you are using cheap components like $50 pioneer speakers you will probably not be able to tell much difference. If you are planning on putting some money into your system I recommend using a good aftermarket deck....

Thanks, kinda what i thought.

I wanted to keep the factory look but like I figured, 25 year old electronics cant hold a candle to new stuff.

Lol not always the case, maybe with car audio but certainly not home audio. Lots of people pay big money for old tube amp stuff and swear by 'em. I almost bought a Marantz 2275 since my old man had one when I was younger and that thing was a beast. It's expense didn't justify the return though. I'm with you though, I've been pondering on wiring up two amps myself, one for speakers and the other for subs. I don't care how it sounds I just want the car to look original.

I did this with a 2002 Chevy/GMC truck head unit I have in my 89. My amp (Kenwood KAC-8405) will take speaker level inputs. I have its rear channel set on low pass to power a couple of 8" Kenwood eXcelon woofers in my sail panels (I sealed up the panels s there is just about enough air space in there) and the front channel on high pass to power a pair of 4X6 Pioneer 3 way speakers of which I forgot the model number. Not a lot of power at 60 watts RMS X 4, but it sounds much better than the deck on its own.

i also took a head unit from a 2002 avalanche and installed in my camaro. i added an amp in the rear and plan on adding one for the front speakers. sounds good to me.

With a late model head unit, it can sound very good (as good as any aftermarket radio in my opinion). With the factory trash that came in our cars, you can apply all the turd-polish you want, but it's not going to improve much. The factory head units are terrible, and no amount of amplification and speaker upgrades can fix that.

Hey guys, just an update...

I installed the amp over the weekend and finished wiring it up last night.

Even with a 25 year old factory head unit, it sounds great. Don't get me wrong, im not gonna win any audio competition with it, and that's fine by me.

The 2 12's hit hard, and sound real nice. The factory EQ helps a bit too.

If all you're after is bass, the factory head unit will suffice. The major problem with the factory head is that it has virtually no output above 3-4k.

Yeah, extremely high volumes aren't the greatest, but im cool with it. Overall, im happy with the way it turned out.

Next step is replacing the walmart special Pioneer speakers with something better. Maybe a small amp to power them too.

When these old factory head units came out they had a great sound, And adding an amp or two made the sound even better. I'm not just talking volume here but how clear they were in the upper volumes. What you are neglecting to concider is they are old and in 20 to 25 years your new fancy head units will sound like crap too, if they last that long.