I want my 1991 sound system back!!!

87WE4!!

Active Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2018
Ok, now I know this is gunna sound very very stupid to most of you and probably impossible to the rest of y’all. (I’m sorry I seriously have an inferiority complex exacerbated by posy 911 ptsd. So I have a habit of apologizing every time I have a question).

So I’m In my late 40s. I’m retired from one of the civil service positions of the city of New York. (The most common one). Anyway I live in Florida now because due to respiratory problems I can’t live in Brooklyn ny anymore because of the winters. So anyway I really miss everything about the way my life used to by in the late 80s to mid 90s. Now my life completely sucks My health is so bad I can hardly walk anymore because of pain in my hips that I sustained when the south tower collapsed on 911 while I was working. And every month I literally have to beg the cvs to dispense my pain medications with my anit anxiety medications (I been on the same dose on these 2 medications for 16 years. I even worked desk duty taking them and now all of a sudden because the new opioid laws they are worried about overdose lol). But anyway I’m sorry for getting off track here.
So I’ve been distant from my wife and family. Honestly nothing seems to make me happy anymore because of all the stressors in my life. ***please don’t get me twisted as I have NO desire to hurt myself or anyone else. If anything I’m busting my ass trying to stay alive with all these doctors appointments.
The two things in my life that make me happy right now are my Grand National and especially my WE4 because I had that since it was new. I got that car 2 days after I got my license. And that’s what I want to talk to y’all about.
From 87 to 91 I just drove around with the stock radio. Because I was still paying my mom back for the money she laid out for me to buy this car. But in 91 I went to a car stereo store called movin on in Long Island and they installed a Kicker SS10 box with 10”subs abs 2 tweeters. It was a black box And it said Kicker by Stillwater Designs with red writing. And it was hooked up to a Sony 700watt amp and a Sony CD changer. And it was all hooked up to my stock head unit. Yes that same head unit we have it out cars was hooked up to all of that. I remember you would set the radio to a certain station and the cd changer would send a signal and it would play the cd. And it had a remote with a wire on it sticking out of mr glove box to control the CDs. Now I know that’s a lame system by today’s standards but I remember having one of the loudest systems on my block in Brooklyn back in 1991.
I want this system back. I never took out my stock head unit. I still have that. But I’m 97 when I put the WE4 in storage for 21 years I have the box,amp, and cd changer to my nephew who sold it years ago with his car.
Like I said I don’t expect y’all to understand why I want it back. It’s more of Having a little time capsule that I can just get into my car and go back to a time when my life used to have meaning and love. So I know there are a lot of old school guys and girls up here that may still have this particular box laying around their garage. It has to be the SS10 or SS8 I’ll even take the SS12 box ad long as it’s the old school black box with the red sub cover that said Kicker by Stillwater. I would love to make you an offer on the box. Even if the speakers are blown I’ll just buy the box from you.

Also if anyone knows how they were able to make the cd changer work with the stock Delco unit please let me know. I actually had a long talk with my best friend who was with me when I had the system installed and he remembered something about an RF adapter that I had to buy at the time. But I would love to get that old school setup back again. It’s just takes my back to an easier time in my life.
 
Understandable that you want a time capsule, don't we all!!!
I just had my T redone, and couldn't be happier, new 6x9's in the rear, and new 3.5's in the front, custom box with 2 12's in the trunk, it sounds like a concert hall. Technology has come a LONG way since you had that old Kicker box. Find a reputable shop that can build you a box, I have a custom tuned and ported box for my Grand Prix, and that car rocks also, and will rattle the rust out of her!!
You probably won't find much that's any good anymore, so save the money and have a good box built, I.E.: tuned for your car, my 2 cars sound way different, only factor being different sub boxes, head unit, amps, speakers, all the same. 1 box tuned for the GP, 1 box made for the Regal, not tuned, and there is a difference.
Good luck on your search, and when you find that time capsule, let us know, we all want to take one, lol, JK
 
I had the loudest system in brooklyn park slope from 85 tob87 when i left to florida i used to install to my graffiti name was kilo 7ds.
 
Yea used to have a sub jl audio sw6 something like that real good stuff that box alone was heavy and expensive.i didint pay allnthat money got it from a friend for real cheap .but that box took up lot of space and heavy.so i had an old bazzuka tube 10" for the hell of it i put one of those JlAudio 10s in it and stuffed the port with a rag.it sounds real good solid and much lighter then the box and the one sub produces all the bass i need.
 
I understand where you coming from with the old school equipment. I had a Regal when I was late teens that I had sounding pretty good with a fabricated Kicker box and subs. Some one stole it out one of my other cars, but I have still been trying to find/reproduce that sound since then. I have pretty much all my old school components except the ones that was stolen from me over the years.

Good luck with your search and if I see something like what you looking for I’ll give you a holla.


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Understandable that you want a time capsule, don't we all!!!
I just had my T redone, and couldn't be happier, new 6x9's in the rear, and new 3.5's in the front, custom box with 2 12's in the trunk, it sounds like a concert hall. Technology has come a LONG way since you had that old Kicker box. Find a reputable shop that can build you a box, I have a custom tuned and ported box for my Grand Prix, and that car rocks also, and will rattle the rust out of her!!
You probably won't find much that's any good anymore, so save the money and have a good box built, I.E.: tuned for your car, my 2 cars sound way different, only factor being different sub boxes, head unit, amps, speakers, all the same. 1 box tuned for the GP, 1 box made for the Regal, not tuned, and there is a difference.
Good luck on your search, and when you find that time capsule, let us know, we all want to take one, lol, JK
I hear ya man. I think I just want it for the look. I just want the box because I remember how cool it used to look in my trunk, with the amp mounted next to it abs the cd changer mounted to the far left. Yea I plan to buy some kicker new 6x9 to replace my stock speakers. I don’t mind changing out the subs and amp for more upgraded units. But I definitely want to keep my stock head unit. That’s something I can let go of. And I will need a cd changer that I can hook up to my stock head unit because I can’t find the instructions on how to modify the stock radio for the iPhone input jack.
 
I had the loudest system in brooklyn park slope from 85 tob87 when i left to florida i used to install to my graffiti name was kilo 7ds.
I had the loudest system on Gerritsen Ave but I originally grew up in Brownsville in the Woodson houses on Powell St and there were guys over there in the 80s with systems that were so loud it would shake our whole apartment. And there were a couple of guys on 86st from Stilwell to 18ave who would crack that freestyle from the 80s and I used to head it clear as day all the way inside my job. Trust me I used to dream about that. But I promise my mother I would hold off on the car audio till I paid her back for lending me the money to buy this car. Which was why I didn’t have a system for the first 3 years of having the car. But I will say one thing. I definitely had the coolest car system or not out of everyone on Gerritsen ave and 86st. That WE4 was so cool that nobody even believed me that it was mine. People used to say “Daddy let you use his car? Or did you just take it without asking” I was like my dad died 5 years ago. Then they would feel stupid. If I had to guess I would say in probably the youngest original owner of one of our cars. And I plan to own it till I go to my grave lol.

Yes good times in New York. I love in Florida too these days. I left ny after I retired. Costs too much money to live there on a pension.
 
If you want a correct looking head unit that has a CD player, look to a 91-93 Cadillac unit.

Looks original. Before you install it, have it upgraded to accept an RCA jack so you can plug an MP3 or other auxiliary player into it, it's inexpensive and a great upgrade. There are guys out there doing Bluetooth upgrades, too.
 

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If you want a correct looking head unit that has a CD player, look to a 91-93 Cadillac unit.

Looks original. Before you install it, have it upgraded to accept an RCA jack so you can plug an MP3 or other auxiliary player into it, it's inexpensive and a great upgrade. There are guys out there doing Bluetooth upgrades, too.
Does it play burned CDs (the ones we make on the computer)? I know it won’t play a full mp3 cd but will it play a regular cd format made from a computer?
 
I collect/buy/sell/trade/repair car audio equipment. The "old school" (usually early 2000's and below) audio equipment is by far superior to todays stuff. Old school car audio has a huge following and they are a proud crowd. I'm sure you can outfit your car with anything date specific youd like. The stuff is out there, you just have to find it and fork out the money. Itll be 100 times more reliable and better sounding than anything you can buy new today.

Ill keep an eye out for the equipment you are looking for. I have seen it come up from time to time for sale.
 
I used to have the sony head units and the half din tape player, cool stuff.
The factory that made the JL subs was in my town, i still have a few sets.
I still have some of that stuff including a big Kenwood amp, fosgate amps...
Never did like Alpine but it was the rage back then. It reminded me of Jenson crap..
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About 5 years back, I had finished bringing a very rare 1989 Pontiac Firebird Formula 350 back to nearly original health. It was a Carroll Supercharged 350 VHO. Because of the rarity of the special package that was sold through 3 dealers and the low mileage of the car, I had no choice to keep it as original as possible. Anyway, the Carroll package included a cool sound system (amp, subs, tweeters) that was, I guess, great for its day. Here are some pix of when I was putting everything back together. The original owner had yanked everything out of the car so I had to really research how all of this was put together originally so I could put it all back correctly.

I'm not an audio expert. Was this amp or subs considered decent back in the late 80's?

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I collect/buy/sell/trade/repair car audio equipment. The "old school" (usually early 2000's and below) audio equipment is by far superior to todays stuff. Old school car audio has a huge following and they are a proud crowd. I'm sure you can outfit your car with anything date specific youd like. The stuff is out there, you just have to find it and fork out the money. Itll be 100 times more reliable and better sounding than anything you can buy new today.

Ill keep an eye out for the equipment you are looking for. I have seen it come up from time to time for sale.
Do you have any experience repairing a 6 disc changer head unit found in an 04 blazer? Stopped working a while back Its loaded with my CDs and it won't play or eject, would like to repair it..
 
Do you have any experience repairing a 6 disc changer head unit found in an 04 blazer? Stopped working a while back Its loaded with my CDs and it won't play or eject, would like to repair it..
Do you have any experience repairing a 6 disc changer head unit found in an 04 blazer? Stopped working a while back Its loaded with my CDs and it won't play or eject, would like to repair it..
Do you know if its getting power at the unit? What head unit is controlling it? Usually what happens with changers is that they get jammed up and itll break the gear mechanism. Just verify power first then verify the head unit is sending control signals.
 
Do you know if its getting power at the unit? What head unit is controlling it? Usually what happens with changers is that they get jammed up and itll break the gear mechanism. Just verify power first then verify the head unit is sending control signals.
I might have used the wrong terminology, it's the factory stereo 6 disc changer in an 04 blazer, it's a common problem with them wasn't sure if you'd worked on them in the past, think there's a company in n Texas that fixes them too..
 
I might have used the wrong terminology, it's the factory stereo 6 disc changer in an 04 blazer, it's a common problem with them wasn't sure if you'd worked on them in the past, think there's a company in n Texas that fixes them too..

I have a site saved at work that offers new cd cartridges and faceplates for gm radios of that era. Have to look when I get back Monday.

To the original poster: you're going to have a tough time but I wish you luck and I'll keep my eyes peeled. I have some late 90s stuff but not much from that era.
 
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