2001 GT stereo system- stay stock or upgrade to aftermarket system?

My 2001 GT Premium has the Mach 460 system. Sounds decent, even though with the CAI/TBI/Flowmasters it doesnt really even matter if music is playing or not because the car is pretty loud.

I have always done after market systems in all of my vehicles ever since my first car. ( Back in the day when I was younger me and friends back in California even competed in car audio competitions in the late 80s, early 90s). But, with the GT, Im thinking of staying with the stock system because I want to at least keep the interior of the car totally original- even though with the performance mods under the hood and under the car that have been done and the ones I am about to do- it isnt a totally original car any more anyways.

When I thought I may go aftermarket, I knew it meant yanking pretty much everything out- the 2 space deck/HU, amps, speakers and also the brackets that hold the back speakers up. Sounded like too big of a mess to go thru.

So, if I stay with stock, my problem is- the CD changer is broke, and I will have no MP3 player plug-in. My other 2 vehicles I have after market systems with CD changers but mostly just use the IPod and MP3 plug-ins and take along my MP3 players for my music, or listen to Satellite radio when out traveling. The Mustang though I can live with just playing CDs because having a great stereo to listen to is really not a big deal for me in a car with all of that beautiful engine loudness, plus the car isnt a daily driver or isnt going to be a traveling car-so, I can live with playing CDs. Its just not a big deal because Im still kind of old skool and dont mind using CDs when I have to- my kids will hate it though when theyre in the car and cant use their music players because they dont even know what a CD is anyways.

If I stay with stock, the main problem then is that the CD player didnt work when I bought it, the owner told me that CDs were stuck up inside it. So I called a buddy who works at a local Tulsa Ford dealership to see about maybe finding a used deck that maybe someone had pulled out, or as a last resort, buy a new one. Instead he turns me on to these guys in Tulsa on 42nd St who work on the stock Ford sound systems. Called them and they could have it fixed for me in 30 minutes.

So I guess Im going to just get the CD changer fixed and stick with the stock system.

One suggestion might be to keep the stock system and fix the deck. Then replace the speakers with some higher quality units.

What's a CD?

LOL, yea sounds to me like you already made up your mind.

I have a full system in my car that I'll be taking back to stock before I sell the car. Haven't decided if I want to sell all this or roll it into the next car. Guess it depends on what the next car has installed.

07Shelby500 wrote:One suggestion might be to keep the stock system and fix the deck. Then replace the speakers with some higher quality units.

Thats where Im pretty much going since I found a guy local who can just fix the changer. I already have more than decent systems in my daily driver and my wifes car and I want to at least keep the interior of the GT stock.