1. Do I absolutely need an amp and/or a subwoofer?
No but a little sub with a little amp can make an amazing difference.
2. And if you do suggest an amp, where can I put it? Can i get one to fit where the factory one is?
I don't think that you can put it where de factory amp is but my idea would be in thtrunk in the back of your seats. That way you can put a wall over all your wires and amp without changing the look of your trunk
3. Same thing with the sub...can I get anything small, to maybe fit under a seat or a small enclosure in the sidewall of the trunk? That Infinity basslink sub looked promising and there's a couple good deals on them on ebay.
Personnaly if you don't wan't a sub to wake your neighboors, Sony X-plod has some quality one's and they're not expensive. I had one in my other car and it was the better quality/price in my opinion.
4. Do all the components of the system have to be from the same manufacturer? I'm all over the place with brands so far.
Not at all.
5. So far, the components that I'm set on getting are a better deal on the net than in stores, but I'm not sure if I trust myself to try and install all of this stuff since I've never done it before.
If you have any problem doing it yourself ask me whaterver you want. I did competitions with my other car and I installed everything myself. So you questions are welcome.
6. At first I was pretty much set on dropping in 2 sets of 5 x7 / 6 x 8 speakers but a shop i went to offered to make templates to set in 5.25 round speakers which opens up a whole new bag of speaker choices. What are the pros and cons to doing this? How will it affect the sound?
Theoric: round speakers are a lot better than oval one's. Better quality sound.
7. Can anyone recommend a decent headunit and speakers, subs and amps?
For your budget I recommand Sony X-plod. Cheap but decent. That was my first setup. It sounded loud and good and I paid about 1500$ for it. But I had a really nice head unit (500$), 2 X 4" speakers (90$), 2 X 6x9" (140$), kicker amp and Sony X-plod 12" (750$). All these prices are in Canadian since that's my country. I you have any more questions, just ask!
