about a month ago i got my first bonneville, a black 1997 SE and i absoluetely love it. i have a question for anyone whos owned this model. i just bought 5.25" JBL p552 speakers for front doors, 6x9 alpine type-r'* for rear deck, a kenwood 1000 watt amp, and 2 audiobahn AW120T 12" subs that im gonna put in a box that i just bought (the box is carpeted and 28" wide by 12" high). anyways my question is should i expect any rattling? has anyone with an all aftermarket, pretty powerful system in a bonneville of the same or similiar year had any bad experiences with rattling? i am paranoid that when i put everything in this weekend all the money ive spent on building this system will be ruined by stupid rattling noises. could anyone tell me what i should expect? or are 97 model bonnevilles pretty good about not rattling from speakers?

p.*. i dont really have the money to buy dynamat sound dampening right now

well mine rattled a bit, main things to look at when trying to stop rattling with out using sound dampening stuff, trunk lid to body seal (I put some window foam stuff aka weather strip stuff in there and that helps it from hitting the trunk lid against the body), exaust system (mine had a little gap between a thin metal shield and the exaust system), but you will not know untill you put the system and get under the car while it is playing, license plate is a major rattler (put some stuff behind it like a shop towel and you will stop it, and also if you want cheap dynamat alternative you can use peel and seal (roofing stuff which has a sticky rubbery side and a foil side) worked in the cars i have done it to, (i did a small cab truck and it basically eliminated all the rattling heard outside) personally i wouldnt waste my money on dynamat, just because peel and seal is so cheap and if you need more layers its not nearly the cost of dynamat. I did peel and seal to my car too, but it still rattles a little because of the trunk lid (can't stop unless you weld the trunk shut just like any other vehicle) it will never be absolutely perfect but there are tons of things you can do to make it bettter.

YES...is the answer to your question...expect to have them and be happy if you dont. Remember that things contract in the colder weather and will rattle more than during the summer.

Second Skin Audio makes GREAT sounds dampening products, at better prices than dynamat.

alright so it sounds like im gonna have some rattling but not enough to spoil the stereo system......anyone else have experiences with this? plurr was your rattling on the inside or outside? i dont care as much if its just on the outside and doesnt effect my actual listening on the inside...

The plastic trim pannel on the drivers doors rattled (still does once and a while depending on frequencies of music being played) , my rear bumper rattles, and something metal under the car. Those are the rattles that I have heard about the most.

rattling is going to be mostly outside and i have noticed bumpers and plastic parts rattling on the outside but i really dont think there are many things you can do about that. your front door speakers will rattle if your push pins that hold the skin to the door are loose, you can get replacement pins for cheap at a local auto store. the metal thing most likely is that exaust shield thing i was talking about...it annoyed the crap out of me cuz i couldnt find it till i actually went under the car and started pushing against stuff (do not try when exaust is hot...it burns)...inside is not that bad, the back deck for the 6x9 is pretty well wedged and secured as long as it has not been disassembled or and put back together wrong (like from getting windows tinted) that back deck kills some car sound systems because i have installed a few and sometimes that is the downfall and is hard to stop the deck from hitting the window (mostly around the 3rd brake light)...i am not sure how this plays out in your generation but is pretty good in my 94. Oh yes and that little ski pass deal in your back seat will rattle, open it up and it will also help send more flow into the cabin. If you have a sunroof the shade may rattle if closed, usually keep mine open anyways.

thanks plurr

Mine rattles to no end when I start cranking the volume up. I plan to deaden my trunk because that'* where pretty much all of my rattles are from. Good luck. It depends on what song you play how bad the rattling is. For example, "Grillz" by Nelly sounds horrible because of the rattling but Chris Brown'* "Run It" sounds great.

The Nelly song never sounded good anywhere :P

Check out harofreak00'* posts in audio. He had tons of good ideas and solutions on his 95 that could be used for any year.

haha. Not saying it'* good because I'm not a fan of it myself but the song pounds in my car and really rattles it so bad that it ruins the song.