Good timing for me.

I second Boa2's recommendation of the Soliloquys. I listen
to classic rock also and enjoy my 6.2i's. These should be about half of what your budget is used. If you don't like them you can sell them quite easily.

I removed everything except the base. I made an amateure attempt at painting them and that did not work out real well. I think they sound much better. The sock material is very thick so you can't see through the speaker. The only problem I have is that they are likely worthless now as far as sale dollars.
I don't even know how I would ship them. But I figured it was a fairly cheap experiment.
I had the standard shearwaters. I couldn't live with the tweeter. And they were very forward sounding. Not to mention, they don't look real good. I will say that I like the newer enclosures much better. Props to Meadowlark for not only staying in this country to build their newer line, but to making a better speaker also.
I thought about the Paradigm Studio 100's V3.
What is the cabinet like ? Is it real veneer ?
I had also thought about weighting down the 2c's because when I have someone stand on the bases, the sound tightens up a whole lot. So I think if you remove all of the poles and top and socks. If you could weight them down with something. They will be awesome. I was thinking about making a mold and constructing a platform of concrete. Anchor studs in the concrete to secure the speakers. They would sound amazing.

If the 2Cs aren't too large for your listening space I'm going to recommend Paradigm Studio 100 V.2 or 3s. Those speakers are great for rock music.
Please answer this question. What do you mean by using the Vandys nude? I am looking for a pair of 2Ces in bad cosmetic condition so I can remove the socks, caps and poles. Not for sound but simply because the 2Cs are too imposing physically in my room.
BTW, I'm using Shearwater Hot Rods now and preferred them to the 2CE Signatures but partly because they fit the room better.

The VSA VR-2 are reviewed as potent rockers, yet with finese when called for. Very popular and available at your budget (I believe)

for yourmusic look for the legacy sig 3s or the focas..www.legacyaudio.com

http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrfull&1115849682
These get my vote.

I know but, they are now. I am running them nude and the liven up quite a bit that way.

The Vandersteens are not typically seen as rockers, but I have owned them in the past and liked them quite a bit. If your amp is running out of gas, you might try a Vandersteen 2WQ powered sub, which would handle the LF which requires large amounts of power, leaving less work for your main amp.