tragedy happened. i got broken into. need help with new audio

[trymonlam]

guys...
i got broken into... my baby 280's driver side window got smashed and the asshole took away my clarion dvd head unit... though it came with my purshase of the car and i rarely use it to play dvd, i still feel horrible about all of these.
anyway, after some thoughts, i've decided on getting a set of cd head unit with a changer in the back. now this is where the problem comes. the previous owner who did the dvd install himself and the job was a mess. it used the stock bose speakers(for my 99' c280, i think there's 8. correct me if i am wrong) with the head unit gone now and the dvd module still hidden under the carpet, what should i get to make the sound system up and running again? usually cd head unit offers 4 channel preamp. to run all 8 speakers, do i need extra amps? or is there an stock amp for this in the car somewhere already? a guy from a local full blown audio shop quote me $750 for the job with a entry level alpine setup. the problem is that i don't think he's checked the situation of the car carefully for this quote. if i need to get a setup and bring it in for him to install, what kind of stuff should i get except for the head and the changer, given my siutation? thanks guys for all your help. sorry for a long post.

[Ashkan's C280]

I am very sorry to hear that... I always thought our windows were really strong and hard to break.... guess I was wrong, little ot but do all mercedes use the same class e.g. w140 and w210 have the same window glass as us?

[trymonlam]

i don't know much about the hardness of the glasses, but they managed to break them... horrid sight...

[Ashkan's C280]

it always makes me sad to see a hurt benz, I was on the 91 the other day and saw a 202 smashed in the front from a head on, almost made me cry ):

[alphanumeric]

I know my old S500 had some hard core windows.. someone told me they were bulletproof..but I knew they werent.. I thought it was to keep the sound out...but I would think they are harder to break..but im sure our C class's have the same windows as a toyota corrola

btw where was ur car broken into at? did it have a removable faceplate?

[trymonlam]

it's nice to know more about our glasses, but could we get back onto the topic? i know very little about car audios. for all those capable, please help.

[Beau M]

You could search e-bay for amother head unit sans brain and just plug it in. Your best bet is to ditch all the factory equipment and start from scratch, it may be more work but will pay off in the long run.

[Dr.Drew]

time to get a guard edition with those german flame throwers below the doors

[neema12]

The speaker size for the front doors is 5.25" and the rear doors are 4". The max you can fit with mods is 6.5" and 5.25".

If the brain is still installed in the car you can part the brain apart and make some money, or just buy the monitor off ebay for some money too. Usally the brain and monitor run the same price, I dont know what unit you have but it shouldent be too much.

As far as the HU, most have 3 preamps which are RCAs which can plug into the amps. Usally one sub preamp and 2 L/R speaker preamps for 4 speakers, you dont need any more than that.

Your car as a amp inside the trunk as of now, its a bose amp. If you have the money and time, I would invest in a nice HU, either sell your brain for some extra money or get a monitor. Then get a decent 4ch amp paired with speakers for the front and rear for starters. If you want some more bass, get a sub and sub amp, and simply run the wires when you are ready.

Let us know your budget and skills as well as time limit, and the model of your current HU.

Sorry to hear your car was broken into.

[aruba]

men i'm sorry to hear that neema 12 has a good point i would look for a sreen that is compatibel with the brain that you still have in the car to me that would be the simplest way men since you all ready got youre wires connected to the brain and the brain to youre bose amp (i think) good luck men

[MikeL]

W140 S class glass is dual pane. Its like 1/2 - 3/4 inch thick. It's made like that to be stronger and to keep the interior cabin quieter. E class glass doesnt seem be any thicker or better than what they use in the C classes.