Tencast

I'm new to my 4 Runner and I love it. In fact it is my most favoritis vehicle.

Anyhow, how hard is it to install an amplifier for my stock stereo? I can pay $100 and get it done proffesionally but that seems steep. I've done things like this before but never in a new car. ie a car a gave a crap about. Is it very hard to get into the stereo on the 99 Runner?

Any help would be great.

Tencast--

O yeah I promise I'll have something to contribute at some point :O)

asudan96Runner

It's all relative my friend. Are you any good with electronics? Have you ever done this kind of thing before?

I'd say $100 isn't bad if they are going to include all of the wiring, and adapter to connect the speaker wire to RCA adapters for the amp. (or run the speaker wire to the hi-gain input of the amp)

If you have a stereo like mine (stock one), I had an extra amp connnected to the main unit that powered all the speakers. I just tapped into that and ran those feeds to a converter that gave me RCA outputs. I was only connecting a sub amp. Since then I have upgraded the entire system, so I no longer use the cheater adapter.

If you have no idea what I am talking about, spend the $100.

Dan

BeBeBloo

you'd get a better sound output quality by changing the headunit itself to aftermarket and adding a separate amplifier for the speakers which when doing that might as well change the speakers too. If you aren't picky on sound, the stock speakers aren't bad, but the stock headunit toyota provides really underpowers the stock speakers from experience. By changing the headunit alone you'll notice a big difference.

02Runner

I second Bebebloo's post,
You would benefit more by swapping out the receiver and speaks vs adding an amp to the stock speaks and unit. Roughly a little more bling Bling but the benefits far outway the conseqence.

Good luck, let us know how it turns out, I'm always a sucker for info.

Later,
Doug

4RUNR

Are there any good quality OEM in dash changers? I'm likely not going to install amps, but certainly upgrade the speakers. A decent head unit should suffice.

I also inherited a AM/FM/CASS with my '99 but I want to keep the OEM look, as one of my previous Toyotas already had a crowbar taken to it to remove an aftermarket unit. The thief got cut up pretty bad trying to remove it as everything was covered in blood, but I think he had a personal vendetta with my head unit as he turned the whole dash inside out. I can only imagine what the unit looked like.

Anyway, long story short. Any double din units from maybe other Toyotas (Avalon?) that are good quality?