A little history first. Just got back from a 2400 mile RT in the EX. We drove 1200 miles, NM to MN in a day going there broke it into two days back. Lots of wind on the way back. The Ex was very comfortable. Was not fighting the road and was not fatigued from fighting the truck. Much of it was the work we did ahead of time.

(FYI got about 10 to 12 mpg hand calculated depending on wind and speed, I tend to drive faster.)

Prior to the trip I took it to a shop to find tie-rod at pitman arm needing replaced, steering box tweak, alignment, drive shafts balance (drive shaft is loose but didnt rebuild) and tires road force balanced. Somewhat spendy, $750 plus but very happy with results. New tires are needed as the ones I have on it now are a cheap tire (on it when i got it) and have been told by three separate shop's the tires, although not worn are crap. We don't drive but 5000 miles a year so tires will be replaced but not my top priority. I am happy with the way it handles, a good set of Michelin's and that probably gets me better.

I have $700 - $1000 bucks to spend. I want to do numerous things, but only spend saved /disposable money on the EX unless it's a safety issue. This is "fun" money. Something that will increase my enjoyment driving. Enjoyment is subjective I understand, but I want your thoughts and experience.

Wants:

UPGRADE SOUND. OEM still there want to do speakers first along with fatmat/dynamat, followed by head unit. 2way or 3way speakers? Ill do the work at least the speakers and sound deadening. Install of head unit may be by me but might do professionally.

Y PIPE and FIVE STAR TUNER. Added horse power and potenting in crease of gas mileage is a nice thing. I have the old style Ram Horn style. Will I be happy with the Y Pipe? I'll buy the parts someone else to install. Will this in increase noise?

UPGRADE SPRINGS. Was more of a want prior to the work we did earlier this month.

TIRES. Not "fun" money. We don't drive many miles a year and didn't want $1000 wasting away in the sun. But it is still a need and would benefit my driving enjoyment Im pretty sure.

I want thoughts and opinions from you all if you please. There is a budget. There are no wrong answers. Is there something I missed?

Thanks ahead of time.

 

New side view mirrors could be in the mix as well.

 

First thing I always do is wheels and tires and side window tint but that's just me. I am in same boat as you and don't drive mine but 5k per year or less on long trips where we need comfort.

in the spirit of saving $, I went on Craigslist and bought a set of Goodyear Wrangler MTRs with 14/32" tread for same price as 1 brand new tire! Work perfect for me and we're off of a guys Raptor. Only way to go for someone who doesn't put too many miles on and is on a budget.

 

Tires are off the list now, I like that idea. For some reason I never even considered that. I got time and patience.

 

As long as your tires are load range E don't worry what brand they are, shops will say anything to get a client.
The things you posted and considering you don't drive it much, I would say spend it on aesthetics and on the sound system, the ram horn is a good design and you already have 4.30 there's isn't much more to performance other than a Tuner from 5 Star, and headers.

 

I'd say go with 2 way component speakers as it will be much cheaper than 3 way. 3 way is also more difficult to tune and usually requires EQs and some more extended knowledge on audio.

The head unit "we" can walk you through the install and you can put that money back in your pocket for another upgrade.

Do you have any plans to throw and amplifier into the mix or you were looking to run the speakers off the head unit?

 

I didn't go all out but I have a Kenwood 6903s with a Kenwood 450w 4 ch for my 6 Infinity 2 way door speakers and a CV 500w with a loose 10 inch Xplod woofer in the back. It is pretty darn good for classic rock/blues type stuff. I R a bass player so I need the nice powerful bottom end without the subwoofer boom.

 

I am open to adding an amp, don't want to thump but I do want a better sound. I'm not sure I add a sub, but you never know.

The head unit is something that stumps me. I want a good unit that accepts a back up cam and front cam, and could run DVD out to the kids in the back (headphones) while my wife and I listen to the stereo. The kids have portable DVD players now and I hate all the cords.

 

Even if you don't want a subwoofer an amplifier will always give you better sound than what a head unit alone would be capable of but tat involves running power wire and RCA wires to wherever you plan to mount your amp. I have mine mounted under the middle row seats as do many other Ex owners.

There's a few people here that have bought an Android head unit and they're happy with them. "Joying" seems to be the brand to get at the moment. https://www.carjoying.com/

Any of the big manufacturers (Kenwood, Alpine, Pioneer etc) make a decent unit.

A dual zone feature will allow you to listen to music and the kiddies can do their own thing.

Honestly if I was to do this today...I wouldn't bother with dual zone head unit. I would buy a couple (or more) cheap tablets and throw that in the back seat. I can get a decent tablet at my local electronics place for $50 Canadian. I paid $40 each for my 7" headrest monitors.

 

I have upgraded sound in my EX. I'm running kicker component setup in all my doors and a 10 inch subwoofer. This is all ran off of a 5 channel amp. I listen to country 95% of the time and the sub makes it sound so much better. You do not need to bang it hard to hear the difference with the sub. Also a recommendation is to get a good double din head unit that has Bluetooth and apple play if you use an iPhone. I have a JVC unit that has all that along with a remote control and I love never having to take my phone out of my pocket while driving. It answers your phone and everything. Definitely worth a few more bucks.

 

Bluetooth is a definite.

 

For me, it's not the volume of a sub that gets in the way, it's the low frequency power that does the thump, boom or whatever you want to call the sub thingy. I switch my CV sub switch off and adjust from there. If you are looking for movie sound quality(sub), the EX is really not built for it anyway without major work. I adjust things at the amps while listening to a digital recording like Brothers In Arms. I know the old rock won't sound its best, but I use the CV vol control to add bass to the old stuff. I guess some might adjust the worst sounding tunes for their best sound, but I want to hear it ats very best when available. If I adjust for the old rock, the new stuff has WAY too much bass. JMO

 

Thanks for all the suggestions guys!

 

Spend the fun money on a road trip. You know, go on an excursion. Baja is full of adventure. Lots of wide open beaches just waking to be explored and camped on.

I just returned from driving to Cabo and back......again

 

I feel you can find it you can drive on it and camp.