Time to replace these 6.5's. Suggestions?
 

I've been out of the car audio game for a long ass time. With so many brands out there I have no clue which one I want to go with. I'm willing to spend quite a bit on 4 speakers if I have to. I want good quality sound. My head unit will probably be a Pioneer. I have a MTX Thunderform enclosure but I'm planning on taking the gutless MTX 10 out and putting a shallow mount JL audio W3 in. I hear they sound really good. Being 800 watts peak it should be exactly what I'm looking for. So anyone have any suggestions on factory replacement speakers? Oh yeah I forgot, how about that little 4 inch speaker in the back? Does it really serve much of a purpose? If so I'd like to get some suggestions on a replacement for that too.

the rear speakers are mostly for fill, as for how needed they are, well the v6 cars (unless they where part of the fully loaded v6 models) didn't even get speakers in the very back, so no they aren't very important.

KeeAudio.com has packages specifically for these cars that are actually quite reasonably priced for what you get. you don't want to just start going out and buying 6.5's, you get to get the right type of speaker for each of the 3 positions (front door, rear seat/sail panel and rear hatch) each position uses a completely different type of speaker.

Not quite. I have a V6 Firebird and it most definitely has rear speakers. However, it did not come with subs. The sail panel speaker grills are cosmetic at this point. Planning on overhauling the entire audio system in it sometime next year and will be going the Kee Audio route.

the V6's with the body kits (Y87 or W68 RPO codes depending on Camaro or Firebird) typically also got the Monsoon system (in the years it was offered) but it was by no means common to see in the v6 cars, if you have speakers in the hatch and NOTHING at the rear seat/sail panel location then someone has messed with your car.

Both my old 98 and my current 99 V6 Camaros came with Monsoon and had the rear speakers and subs. Neither were Y87 cars. And both had blown speakers and one had a totally dead amp lol. They were practically identical cars however, exact same options as each other from the factory down to the exterior color. Kind of funny.

Just to give you one idea is I'm slowly rebuilding the audio entirely in the 99. My plan is to eliminate the hatch speakers entirely, put a stealth sub box in the back, and replace the sail panel mini subs with some decent coax 6.5" speakers just to fill the audio out (sounds a bit flat without something back there IMO). Front I already have a set of components speakers installed but the doors need some sound deadening and I need an amp to make them actually sound correct. They're just driven off my Pioneer head unit right now and it doesn't cut it.

It should be mentioned that I'm not an audio guru, so take my idea with a grain of salt!

My car is a Y87 and the previous and only owner before me was an elderly Indian man who had bought it for his daughter but she didn't like it so he sat on it for a very long time until I got it manu years ago. No one messed with it, it was as bone stock as they come

Daniel is right - there never was a forth generation f-body with hatch area speakers but no sail panel subs. The base audio system was door and sail panel full-range speakers (no hatch speakers). The Monsoon was door, sail panel subs and hatch speakers. Even the earlier Camaro Bose system which did not have sail panel speakers (93-94) did not have hatch speakers either - just a sub in a box in the left rear quarter.

Check your RPO codes for W54 (cassette) or W55 (CD) to confirm a Monsoon system. It was an available option on all 97-02 f-bodies and included as standard on certain models.

I forgot all about making this post. I did some looking around and came across Keeaudio.com I may end up ordering their entire system. I've never heard of CDT audio. Anyone have any feedback on this brand?

I never heard of CDT either. I just installed Kee's convertible package. I like the CL-6CX.2 in the back. The CL-61CV2 in the front, not so much. I can hardly hear them, although that could be since they're down by my ankles in a convertible. They seem to be well made, but the magnets are actually lighter than the OEM speakers. That may not mean anything anymore, I'm no expert, just an old school guy.

The car does not have a Monsoon system nor did the RPO codes indicate one. It did have a CD player, but I took the stock stereo out a few days after buying it, so I don't recall ever using it, but it's been so long I can't remember. For some reason I still have the stock radio laying around and just looked at it, has the Monsoon lettering on the radio with the CD player slot, not a cassette.

Not sure what to tell you, the car was 100% stock and untouched when I got ahold of it and it did not (and still does not) have any subs. Maybe it's a factory anomaly, I don't know.

When I took the sail panels off to sound deaden the car about 4 years ago was when I first noticed, and it looked like the first time the panel had been taken off. There were no telltale signs of there being a speaker previously, no marks around screw holes, just untouched factory paint and some minor dust. I looked pretty carefully to see if there had been a speaker prior because it surprised the shit out of me.

But the rear hatch speakers were definitely there. I don't see why someone, let alone a lone elderly Indian guy, would remove factory subs and put in factory hatch speakers.