Cross_X

I'd say a single 12" Alpine subwoofer and a matched amplifier will work for the beginning.
But when some time passes, the whole thing with a single subwoofer may turn into a full-sized automotive sound project.
I was on that path a couple of years ago, and wasn't able to stop myself..
Now I'm happy,though=)
And in the end I'm already a co-owner of a studio which performs those custom projects.)
Will be very happy to advise you on the whole system overall, if you can provide a bit more information on what's the budget, and what music will the system be used for?
And, of course, where will the installation be performed?

ttocs

co-owner of a studio that does custom car work? Sounds interesting, do tell more please..........

PReal

LOL...


Original Poster,

It all depends on how much you want to spend, whether you will do the install yourself, and whether or not you will replcae the factory Headunit?

I would recommend comps for the front, a sub for the trunk, and a 4 channel amp to power them all.

I just put a great entry level setup in my old car for my cousin for around $400.

We did...

Phoenix Gold RSD comps: $60 (I would spend a little more and get some CDT's, the RSD tweets suck)

Concept 504 amp on the comps: Free (I just gave it to him)

Incrimator Audio / SSA 187 12" sub: $110

Crunch P1000.1: $120

Wiring Kit: $50 at wal mart

He also dropped some dough on a Sony HU but he already had purchased that...

Cross_X

PReal, with all due respect, I'd never recommend buying such an important thing like the wiring kit in Walmart. I have nothing against Walmart as a whole, but I'd never have any of things that are so important for the car audio from there(I don't mean that electronics are bad or anything, just no reason to save a couple of dollars if you're putting your car at risk).
I've personally seen cars that сaught fire, and the reason for it was the quality of the power wiring used. I'd recommend using something like www.knukonceptz.com sells, their prices are pretty good, and the quality is a lot better than of most. I can also name a couple of other brands that are used in Europe, but those won't ring any bells.
We started our own car audio association in Russia back in february, and throughout the season(that means, between snow and snow), had quite a number of competitions, finishing with a final one in September. The renown(in Russia, of course) car audio magazine was not only the magazine which published articles about each of our competitions, but also one of the sponsors of the whole association.
The studio was opened shortly after the first competition, as we found out that a huge number of people are eager to learn from us, as well as our experts, who are quite well-known in the industry, and the main purpose of the shop is to serve as a classroom and to provide the ability of hands-on experience in car audio installation, as well as to hear and feel the actual difference in using certain components and set-ups. The place is nonprofit for us, the owners, what it earns is used to pay the rent and the technicians who assist owners throughout the installation process.
We have four project cars that we made with our own hands, and there are two more coming for the next season. We have two(2) Dodge Ram 1500 and a Ford Mondeo 2.5T(my car), which are built with Celestra Pioneer(Premier in US), and SsK(SoundSkillz) components, an Audi TT with Clarion and PowerAmper(rare old-school amplifiers, not produced anymore), and are adding a Land Cruiser and a Volkswagen Touareg for the next season.
In case I'm not trusted, our website is http://www.magnitolateam.ru/ . Unfortunately, it will be available in English only when I will finish translating it, as I am the only one capable of doing it, and it is planned to be done by the end of January, 2010. The link is posted without any means of advertising, only for reference purposes.
I will also upload some photos to my gallery here, so the process of my build will be seen and understood.
Also, in my point of view, writing somewhat obscure and irrelative to the information, as well as criticizing somebody's postings, is disrespectful. It's understandable that a user with a lot of posts will gladly mock anyone who doesn't have any, but doing it for no apparent reason is not very polite.

ttocs - I will be happy to say more, But I'll find a place to do it first. I'll keep you notified.

Apologies to the thread starter for bringing this discussion in here, I will not be writing any information irrelated to the topic.
I will be happy to help with any advice regarding the components, installation process, etc - anything that is related to car audio.

TEXASGT/CS

Well, we went a little off topic, but always a good read, lol.
I imagine we will try and keep it simple with something that he can add on to as time goes on, he cant keep 10 bucks in his pocket for very long so I am sure he will be doing this on the cheap, as for installation I will insist that he has it done professionally, car is still in my name and if for some reason, ie he pisses me off, I dont want a pos installation in it if I have to sell it. I can build boxes for the subs and that kinda stuff but I dont feel comfortable tearing into the wiring. He has the stock head unit in it and it sounds pretty good, but he does want to upgrade, is it ok to do the subs and amp, then come back and add a new hu or is better to do the whole system and match it up?
Man whatever happened to a new Kraco and a couple of 6x9's in the rear, oh the good ol days. lol
I really appreciate all the advice.

TC3K101

cross x i understand your concern for the wires but doesnt matter where you purchase them. as long as you aren't trying to pull more current than the wire will allow then you are a ok. nice reccomendation on wire though. i like knu's higher end flex wire. all the other stuff is just garbage along with their distros and fuse holders.

Cross_X

I have 5(five) amplifiers in the car, two of which are В-class subwoofer mono, and I'd better be prepared for anything (in terms of power wiring), just in case a fuse lags.. I had errors with various kinds of equipment and wiring, so it is very important be prepared to the max.
about knu's:
The wires are the best they sell, though the fuse holders are definately not the worst I've seen, they're OK. I used to like the stuff by Stinger, but the quality decreased drastically throughout last two years, and they became quite overpriced even at the dealers' rates. Daxx group makes pretty good stuff, though the distributors in Russia almost stopped selling them because of the recession(they're almost broke), so I had to order knu's and get them there in a suitcase w/my other stuff-)

TEXASGT/CS
I'd say to start with a good(not ерыфе expensive, and not the cheapest either) subwoofer and a 2-channel amplifier for it. A В-class mono can also be used, but if you don't need huge power, you can get it from a 2-channel amp easily, and that leaves you on higher level of quality that with the D-class. But it's essential to know for what style and kind of musiс it will be used, as it makes the major point in the decision. Also, how big do you want the enclosure to be? Something small sitting in the corner of a trunk, or the one that takes up half of the space? Think of it not in terms of getting it done the easiest way, but in terms of what will be the best for your current conditions?
Also, I'd calculate the max to which the system may theoretically be pushed in advance( for example, is it possible that in somewhat near future there will be not 1 but 4 amps in the trunk, together with a whole variety of other things). It's crucial for power wiring, so in case you might be adding something to the system you won't have to redo it. If the max is 2 mid-consuming amps, 4GA is your kind of wire, if there might be more, consider 2GA or 0GA wires. Also, what is difficult is to physically pull all those cords all the way from the battery compartment and to the trunk.
In case you decide on 2 Ga or thicker wires, what I'd do in this case is I'd buy a battery relocation kit, and this will save you lots of money and time - you won't need kilometers of wires going through the floor of the car, and in case you decide to take everything out, the battery relocation block will not bother you anyway.But that's what a good idea is, in my point of view. (for myself, I'd add a battery reloc kit AND a second battery, but I'm a lil crazy on all of that, and thats not needed normally)
When you have the proper wiring, you don't have to bother about voltage, amperes, etc-it's already taken care of - just get the right fuses and forget about it the instance you put them in.
As for the system, I'd say go with a sub and an amp for the beginning, see how it feels, and then you might think of something else.Or you might not.
I can try to help you with selecting the components, but as I'm not very familiar with the american market, I'd be happy to recommend something based on the budget that you wish to spend(excluding the installation costs, as I don't have a clue how much do those cost in the US)
I'm glad if this was of any help.
PS my dad acted almost like you when I was starting out with the very first project of mine..=)

TC3K101

what type of setup are you running and what is in it?

as for the prepared thing maybe everyone should run 1/0 then? most will never use that big of wire or even pull enough current to even need it. i never said it wasnt good to be prepared but where wire comes from is not of importance, but as long as you do not pull more current than the wire supports you will be ok. granted there are freak accidents with wire as voltage spikes or something but that is a very rare occassion