Hello, guys is my first time to post in the electronics or car audio section.
I have my 92 z28 and when I bought it came with a old school Kicker box that never was installed. I'm debating in my mind if I install it or not. I bought the car from the first owner with 29471 miles so head unis have to stay in it place. What is the best route to make a good set up for my car using the kicker box with new subs,speakers and amp keeping my factory head unit? The goal is a clean and crisp sound with some good bass. I'm a heavy metal fan.🤟🏻

 

If you're adverse to changing the head unit, chances are better than average that you're also adverse to splicing and hacking the wiring. In which case, tapping out for a line level converter is probably out of the question. Regardless, the factory headunit is really going to show it's weakness when you start amplifying the signal and trying to play it at higher volume. At best it'll sound "uhh, ok" at worst it'll sound like total ***. Been there, done that, ripped it out and put in an aftermarket head unit.

I've got a bass tube in my Formula. I've got a line out converter in my junk box, and the factory head unit in the dash, currently the tube isn't connected to the headunit, if that gives you an idea how poorly I think it works out. And that's just a little bass.

 

Thanks for your input. If i decide just upgrade the factory speakers with the factory head unit, you think it will sound better?

 

Generally, yes. Upgrading all the stock speakers is usually a decent upgrade in sound quality. You might want to add a bass blocking cap inline to the front speakers as a filter, otherwise it's pretty easy to kill the typical 4x6 or 3.5" dash speaker. The exception is if you're using an aftermarket speaker with a built in crossover/filter/whatever. The next thing you'll run into is the stock headunit distorting at moderate to higher volumes.

 

Depends on the replacement speakers. Most aftermarket Speakers are low OHM...... The factory Head unit doesn't much care for low OHM speakers,..... meaning they can ( and will ) overheat & cook the DM165 AMPs in the Delco head unit. As with any speakers, be sure that they match the OHM rating for the head unit they are getting plugged into.

Factory Delco head unit was made to push 2 4-OHM (rear) and 2 10-OHM (front) speakers. You can see a bench test video here to see what happens when 4 4-OHM speakers are connected to a factory Delco head unit.

 

What size should the front speakers?

 

Shirley you must be joking. Did you read my previous reply? Go read it again.

 

OH sorry i missed that part. Getting old is making me blind.

 

Happens to the best of us.

Stock are 4x6s. Even some of the aftermarket 4x6s can be a tight fit in some cases. 3.5" round speakers with an adapter plate generally fit better and sound better than an oval speaker anyway.

 

forget the dash speakers-you will get far better sound if you install 6 or 6.5" woofers lower door and tweeters higher up on the door.Factory style Delco head unit can work very well with great sound if you can install pre-amp outputs to hook to amp or use Delco-Bose head sending output to amps.