it just depends i used to run my pickup in db drags i had 6 15" visoniks 2 10" visoniks 3 6400 watt amps and one 2400 watt and in two years i went through two pioneers, a jvc, a sony, and a alpine kept on toasting and then i went and bought a cheaper duel brand and ran that duel for 5 years with not one problem and it was only 80 bucks not the most pretty but very reliable

Thanks for the ideas. I was looking in the neighborhood of $300. I'll do a little more poking around and see what some of these models you've sugested look like and features etc.
In the past, you could buy a harness kit , wire it to the head and then plug into the vehicles harnesses. Is this still the way to go and will the door speakers/amps etc. work like normal?

Yeah you can buy a harness and splice it onto the new head units wiring and then just plug into the factory connector in your car. If you have the Shaker 500/1000 then make sure you get the harness that includes the RCA adapters for the subwoofers.

With an aftermarket head unit you're going to have a +12v remote wire. The Shaker amps for the door subs use a +5v remote to turn on. They'll still work with the +12v, but will make a pop sound every time you turn the stereo on or off. This can be fixed by putting a resistor in-line with the remote wire, which will bring the voltage down to a proper +5v. I don't remember the correct size for the resistor, but you should search the forums because its floating around here somewhere.

Hey, thanks for the info. that's exactly the stuff I was hoping to get from you guys.

In your opinion, will I find anything good at Best Buy, or Retail stores? Should I just stick to online outlets?

I know I can handle the install myself especially since I'm pretty picky on "The Little Things".....

I just looked up the price on this....Are you kidden'??????????????????
That is expensive!
I'm sure that is a hell of a unit....but Geeesse!

You can still get the Pioneer P8000BT double din online for $249 + free shipping. You can get the Metra dash Bezel 95-8512 from sonicelectronix.com or on ebay for $9.99 and I am not sure exact pricing on the HU wiring harness adapter(s) but I think its around $20 for the shaker system ($5 for non-shaker). You will then need this 12v/5v thing - I did not have a shaker system so this did not apply to me. P8000BT is sold out at crutchfield now.

Speakers are definitely cheaper at sonicelectronix.com the Kenwood eXcelon KFC-X682C 6x8s a friend of mine just got from them for $59.00 vs $149 at crutchfield.com Of course crutchfield includes the plastic plug for the extra $100.

IMO - If you are on a tite budget stay away from best buy unless they are having a close out sale or somethin. They are among the highest priced places to buy from on most everything.

You might want to check out this install thread by Cavero:

My Pioneer FH8000BT install w/ pics - The Mustang Source

has good directions and pics on install of Pioneer HU into shaker system including 5v adapter.

Or you might want to check out this thread that is install for Alpine DVD touchscreen HU with trunk keyhole mounted camera.

Alpine IVA-W205 & Lorex SG4933R rear camera install (w/pics) - The Mustang Source

It is an excellent how to also.