Monsoon speakers

I have a blown speaker and was going to just buy new ones. I've been told that aftermarket speakers won't work with the Monsoon system. Has anyone had any luck replacing speakers? Also, if any one who's gutted their car has any for sale, I may be interested.

Lights

I took the car out last evening and noticed the left turn signal was just solid on the dash. I'm guessing this means I have bulb out on the left side somewhere. No big deal to replace, but I see you can now get LED replacement bulbs that snap right into the stock sockets. Anyone ever tried these? Just curious because they may brighter and run cooler than the old fillement style. Then again, they may suck. If you have any experience with them, please share.

Any early 2nd Gen gurus in here?

I found a '71 396 SS 4 speed Camaro in Mulsanne blue with black stripes that I have a chance to buy. It's a really rough and hasn't moved in years. It does appear to be complete and original. I don't have any pictures yet, but I will soon. Here's the really interesting part. It has a Baldwin Motion paint job and the "L88" style hood. I can tell from the pictures I've seen that it is a big block, but I don't know what size. It could be the original 396 (402) or it could be a Motion 454. Looking at the pictures, it doesn't look like the car was ever repainted, but if it was, it was LONG ago. The person offering it is the second owner and bought in the late 70's from the original owner. I do know the car what bought new in New York and brought out west almost immediately. It appears to have very little rust.

My concerns are, obviously, is it a Motion car and how can I tell for sure. Does anyone know how the "L88" scoop hood was done? On this car, the scoop is not one piece with the hood, it appears to be a fiberglass scoop that, at one time, was made look like it was one piece. Now it is delaminating and coming off at the rear of the hood. Did Motion add scoops to metal hoods, or did they use a one piece replacement hood? Also, did Motion have different levels or packages available or was it just the phase III 454 car '71? The 454 is the only thing I can find any info on.

The way I see it, this could be a good car to get and restore, or it may be a one of those mythical barn finds. I just need to see if i can get it at the right price, and figure out what that price is.

Anyone ever run the Silver State Classic?

My neighbor asked me if I wanted to do the Silver State Classic with him this fall. After researching it a bit, it looks like a blast. He said he'd use his truck and trailer to haul my car and pay for fuel. All I have to do is provide the car and drive it, he'd be my navigator.

If you've done this event before, is there any advice you can give? We are considering the 105 or 110 mph class since that the fastest class they allow first timers in.

After watching the videos on the website, 110 mph on that course will seem like a Sunday drive, maybe with the exception of the short twisties near the end.

Thinking about a new daily driver

I've been looking at the '08-'09 Cadillac CTS as a new daily driver. I like the AWD with the 3.6 DI engine. Prices on these seem to be pretty reasonable right now even on low milage cars.

I like it on paper, and I liked it on a short test drive. But I don't know anyone who owns one so I thought I'd see if anyone here has one and what they think of it and if it's been a reliable car. The only thing that scares me about a car like that is all the gadgets. It just seems like more stuff to break. But some of the gadgets are pretty cool.

Anyway, if you have any experience with this particular car, I'd like to know what you think.

Thanks,