# MK7 Golf R build log - A-pillars, Morel Elate Ti, Zapco Z-series



## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

OK, quick background to preface this build log. I'm in my early 50's and have been installing systems in most of my cars since the early 90's. In my last car, a '12 Taurus SHO, I had installed a Kenwood Excelon double DIN NAV unit (with a full replacement dash kit and iData Maestro to integrate with all the factory electronics), plus PPI amps and a 3 way CDT component set with mids/tweets in custom a-pillars I fabricated and covered in matching vinyl. After spending a full day tearing all of it out when I traded that car about 15 months ago, I swore I was too old for all this nonsense and would never do that again....

Sooooooo…..fast forward about 12 months and I happen to notice a box of NOS MB Quart reference coaxials in my garage that I'd purchased a few years ago and frankly forgot I owned. I thought those German speakers would make a nice, easy upgrade and would go along with my MK7 Golf R 6-speed quite well. Obviously, I'd need amplification to make that worthwhile, so I got an Audiocontrol 4-channel and did a simple, solid install. 

The downside of having nice systems in the past is that you get accustomed to that level of sound, and I've always had an acute ear for quality music reproduction. Unfortunately, door-mounted coaxials (even the venerated old school MBQ's) just couldn't image well enough for my tastes, and I decided I'd hunt for some 3-way components. Found a nice set of used Focal KX3's and then procured some salvage a-pillars and the new install I swore I wasn't going to do again was underway. 

A-pillar build:
































Wrapped in matching vinyl. Admittedly, I tried 2 different grill cloth versions first and neither matched to my liking. The vinyl is almost a perfect match and looks much better, so all's well that ends well. Clearly I haven't learned to rotate my pics prior to uploading...
























(That's not a defect on the upper part of the a-pillar; it's a reflection from a dirty windshield...)


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

Subwoofer enclosure build: This was a bit of a PITA. Though my R didn't come with a spare, I'm going to buy one and was unwilling to part with the space. I'd seen an enclosure for the European market apparently made by Helix, but didn't have any luck getting someone from the Netherlands to send me one...

So, break out the resin and mat again. There's not much space in the trunk cubby, but that's what I had available. After quite a bit of test fitting, I found .344 cu. ft. internal volume and just enough depth to fit a JL Audio 8" 8W1V3. I sacrificed the ability to raise the trunk floor all the way in favor of getting enough enclosure volume, but I typically lift the floor and pull it out anyway, so I still have easy access to the amps/dsp and the future spare if necessary. 
































9.75 liters...and no leaks. 
















Final test fit before sub arrived.


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## gijoe (Mar 25, 2008)

Looking good. I'm driving a MK6 GTI, and I'm trying to figure out my sub solution. I'm considering pretty much what you've done, but I'm also considering building a box to replace the foam jack/tool pieces around the spare. I'm not willing to give up the spare, but I may be able to work a shallow sub (or two) if I replace the foam with a box.

Which JL sub is that? How is the bass with just one?


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## WhereAmEye? (Jun 17, 2013)

Your work is so...refined is a good word. I can’t wait for more pictures!


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

The sub is an 8w1v3. It’s not a banger, to be sure, but does about what you’d expect for an 8” in a small enclosure. I had to sacrifice some output to keep my trunk functional, but I’m pretty confident it’ll do what I need it to with the right tuning. 

The R model has a couple inches less room in the trunk/spare area due to the AWD system. I’ve seen a number of GTI’s with an under-floor enclosure while retaining the spare; it just wouldn’t work in the R. Uber Stealth Audio makes a GTI enclosure that a number of folks on the VW Golf forums have used. 


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## m3gunner (Aug 6, 2008)

Nice install.

If you want to step it up on the bass side, the Sundown SD3 8" will work really well in that volume.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6SK4j696bc

https://www.amazon.com/Sundown-Audio-SD-3-4-Ohm-Subwoofer/dp/B0787H4VZ7

I have a pair of the SD2s and they are awesome.


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

The SD-3 was actually my 1st choice, but it’s too deep. Very little mounting depth in my cubby enclosure. 


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## Chaos (Oct 27, 2005)

Very nice work. The JL stealthbox has a shallow 10, but it looks like the 8 is actually a better fit.


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## gijoe (Mar 25, 2008)

Otterman said:


> The SD-3 was actually my 1st choice, but it’s too deep. Very little mounting depth in my cubby enclosure.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Do you have any shots looking straight at the hatch, so I can see how far your enclosure sticks out into the storage area of the hatch?


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

gijoe said:


> Do you have any shots looking straight at the hatch, so I can see how far your enclosure sticks out into the storage area of the hatch?



Here you go. 












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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

1 more.










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## gijoe (Mar 25, 2008)

Thanks! That's very reasonable, barely takes up any usable space. Nice fab work too!


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

Chaos said:


> Very nice work. The JL stealthbox has a shallow 10, but it looks like the 8 is actually a better fit.




No JL Stealthbox for the MK7 unfortunately, because I definitely would have gone that route! 


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

Thanks! Admittedly, my 1st enclosure attempt ended up in the trash. 


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## gijoe (Mar 25, 2008)

Otterman said:


> Thanks! Admittedly, my 1st enclosure attempt ended up in the trash.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


That'll happen, haha. That's one reason I'm temped to go with the floor mounted option, I won't have to mess around with fiberglass. I think I can squeeze a couple of shallow subs underneath the OEM panel without raising it up.


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## m3gunner (Aug 6, 2008)

Otterman said:


> The SD-3 was actually my 1st choice, but it’s too deep. Very little mounting depth in my cubby enclosure.


Doh!... still, awfully nice install. How do you like the Focal 3 way? I'm stuck between the Flax 3 way set, a Morel Hybrid 602 + CDM880 set and a Focal ES + 3.5WM set.

Yes... I am a total equipment whore...:dead_horse:


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## Chaos (Oct 27, 2005)

Otterman said:


> No JL Stealthbox for the MK7 unfortunately, because I definitely would have gone that route!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Ah. We have a Mk6, which is why I am familiar with that particular stealthbox. I honestly like the look of the one you made better anyway.


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

Chaos said:


> Ah. We have a Mk6, which is why I am familiar with that particular stealthbox. I honestly like the look of the one you made better anyway.




Wow. Thank you! That is high praise getting the nod over JL. Much appreciated! It only took me about 30 hours of labor to get just right....


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

m3gunner said:


> Doh!... still, awfully nice install. How do you like the Focal 3 way? I'm stuck between the Flax 3 way set, a Morel Hybrid 602 + CDM880 set and a Focal ES + 3.5WM set.
> 
> 
> 
> Yes... I am a total equipment whore...:dead_horse:




The Focal KX 3 ways are awesome, but they’re temperamental and require some tuning. Done correctly, they’re REALLY GOOD, and I was looking for a set with a mid that had a relatively small mounting diameter and these fit that bill. If I had it to do over, I’d go with the Dynaudio Esotec 3 ways or Morel Elates. My last install had CDT ES mids and tweets and their beefy ES-06 midwoofers and they performed every bit as good as the Focals at 1/3 the price. I do like the Focal Flax as well. I just wouldn’t spring for the KX3’s. 


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

WhereAmEye? said:


> Your work is so...refined is a good word. I can’t wait for more pictures!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


REALLY appreciate that compliment. I like to modify my cars, but always try to do so in a manner that only "the initiated" would notice. Guess I could've posted a pic of the actual car...


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

Now for the amp rack: I decided to go with a 2 piece arrangement. This allows me to remove each side independently for ease of changing components...which has already happened a couple times. 

Each side has its own power distribution. Dual runs of 4 gauge from the battery to each Stinger distribution block, each terminated to a common ground point to the frame under the back seat safety belt attachment. 1/0 gauge welding wire (stuff is AWESOME, btw) from battery to the Stinger fuse block. 

















































Amps consist of a Zapco ST-4xII (bridged to run the Focal midwoofers in the doors), a Zapco ST-4X SQ (running 4 channel mode to mids and tweets in the a-pillars), a Zapco ST500XMII mono amp powering the JL sub, with an Audiocontrol DM-608 DSP providing all the processing.


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

Speaker install pics: 







Focal components.







Focal midwoofer vs the old school MB Quart Reference speaker. The Focal magnet is rather large. 







Door treated with sound deadening. I've had this stuff so long I can't remember what brand it is. Pretty sure I bought it in 2008. Still works great. 







Mid/Tweeter wiring attached with zip tie to factory harness, bullet connectors to speakers so they can be removed if necessary. 







All wiring terminated with labeled heat shrink.


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

More amp rack/trunk pics.
























RCA arrangement is still a work in progress. Wanted to make sure I had my amp/processor installation finalized so I can get the appropriate length cables for the simplest, cleanest install. 








The MK7 Golf comes from the factory with a "false floor" trunk. Subwoofer enclosure still allows for lifting the floor and sliding it out to access amps/DSP/spare tire.


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## Niebur3 (Jul 11, 2008)

Very nice install. Love how it turned out.


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## oekundar (Dec 31, 2018)

Very nice work!


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## dumdum (Feb 27, 2007)

I get that firing across is easy to trim, but why wouldn’t you put the speakers on axis? At least the tweeter anyways as the mid will be fine below beaming?

Nice install, but looking nice and sounding awesome (not just good to the lay person) takes some special efforts and I just don’t see how that can sound as good as it could, especially with modern DSPs and tuning methods IMO)


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

dumdum said:


> I get that firing across is easy to trim, but why wouldn’t you put the speakers on axis? At least the tweeter anyways as the mid will be fine below beaming?
> 
> Nice install, but looking nice and sounding awesome (not just good to the lay person) takes some special efforts and I just don’t see how that can sound as good as it could, especially with modern DSPs and tuning methods IMO)


It's mainly an issue of aesthetics. My goal was to make the best sounding system possible within the design framework of the car. I actually would've preferred the a-pillar build to be even more low-profile than it is, but it's difficult to do without further sacrifice of speaker aiming. If you'll notice from the pic below, the a-pillars not only have quite a slope backwards, they also slope inwards, requiring me to extend the bottom portion of the speaker pod outward in order to keep it from firing slightly downward into the dash. 








Attempting to aim the speakers on-axis would've resulted in an even more intrusive install, which was not something I was willing to do. However, modern DSP/EQ actually is what makes this install continue to work well. The speakers have a slight recess and are aimed slightly away from the windshield and dash to minimize unwanted reflection, so the only thing I lost was some roll-off on the higher end of the midrange (these Focal tweeters are already bright, so the off-axis roll-off was actually desirable). The midrange roll-off was simple enough to smooth out by increasing the level a bit and eq'ing down the lower midrange frequencies slightly. Imaging and tonal balance are spot-on. 







This is with minimal tuning time, and frankly I don't think I'm that good at it yet. The mids/tweets were actually easy to tune; achieving a smooth transition between the beefy Focal midbass and the adequate-but-limited output 8" JL sub is more challenging, but I'm almost there (the slight bump at 315hz on the RTA is from the left midbass and doesn't respond well to EQ; most likely a reflection from the lower console. I elected to just dull it down 3 or 4db's and leave it at that).

This Golf R is my daily driver and I'm a commercial banker, so there is admittedly a "keeping up appearances" aspect that influenced my install. A lay person likely won't even notice the a-pillars, and if they did it would pass for OEM. Same for the sub enclosure, and the amps are covered by the false floor. I actually tried several other front stage arrangements that were more stealthy (2-way active with tweets in factory locations, 3-way active with mids in kick panels and tweets in factory location), but I couldn't achieve the imaging I wanted. I got good results from kick panel mids in a previous RX-8 install, but the seating position in that is much lower than the Golf. Providing you have DSP, I think getting the midrange above the dash is the best solution in this case. 

Unless you're doing car audio competitions, it's my philosophy that this is a car first, and the audio system should integrate as seamlessly as possible. I'm pretty happy with the blend of form/function on this install; I've achieved about all the audio performance possible given my desired design parameters. I'm definitely not the average lay person, and IMO it sounds pretty awesome. 

All that said, I DO have a '17 Ford Fiesta ST that has a deep dash and quite a bit of space at the a-pillars, and it's NOT a daily driver. :idea:







Already ordered a salvage set of a-pillars for that one, so there may be another build log in my future...:evilgrin:


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## Marius (Nov 22, 2018)

Very nice work

Do you have more pictures of the subwoofer box? i really like this build......


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

Marius said:


> Very nice work
> 
> Do you have more pictures of the subwoofer box? i really like this build......


Thanks! I'll pull the enclosure out for some more pics and post them. Actually thinking about upgrading the sub. Since I sacrificed the ability to lift the hatch floor all the way up to get some extra internal volume, there's really no reason I can't add a bit of thickness to the front baffle for extra depth. 

Also upgrading the front stage a bit very soon....


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## Marius (Nov 22, 2018)

Nice! 

how is the enclosure mounted to the car?


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## LBaudio (Jan 9, 2009)

nice stealth install!


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

Marius said:


> Nice!
> 
> how is the enclosure mounted to the car?


I have industrial Velcro at the back, but it's primarily press-fit. Also, the hatch floor holds it in place. FYI for Golf Mk7 owners: I cut out the sliding plastic "cubby-cover" in order to clear more room for the enclosure. I initially tried to incorporate it into the build, but removing it proved to make the fabrication and install much easier than working around it. 

Didn't get a chance to pull the enclosure out for pics yet. Will try to do so this weekend after I install the new Morel 603 Titanium front stage. New a-pillar fabrication is about 65% complete.


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## m3gunner (Aug 6, 2008)

Sweet! How do you like the difference between the Focals and the Morels?

I'm stuck with about the same decision (but I haven't built A pillars for each)...

Any plans for the old A pillars?


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

Haven't tried out the Morel's yet, but looking forward to doing so. Got up early this morning and sanded on the pillars for 1.5 hours before work so they'll be ready for installing by the weekend. Frankly, I've got the tune about where I like it now on the Focal set up, so I was seriously questioning the sanity of a front stage swap as I listened to it on my 45 minute commute last night. :wacko: I'm not expecting any major improvement in the sound; the Focal's are _really_ good. I've just wanted to try out the Elate 3 way set for some time and I was inspired by a few of the installs on the Morel tumblr feed (mainly by Simplicity in Sound). Plus, I just really like the look of the Morel "lotus" speaker grills... 

Providing the Morel set up performs the way I expect, I'll probably sell the existing a-pillars and Focal 3-ways as a set (cheap). :deal: Let me know if you're interested. Probably will list them here and on GolfMK7, maybe VWVortex if I don't have a buyer lined up.


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

New a-pillars completed and Morel Elate 3-ways installed:















Back of pillars sound treated and wires labeled. 
























MDF rings received several coats of truck bed liner. 








Speaker connections secured with heat shrink. 
















Sound treated back of the door panels to combat resonances.


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## Stycker (Jan 31, 2018)

beautiful job on those pillars.


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## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

^Agreed! Great work all around! Don't know how I missed this one?!

Should sound fantastic.


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

Couple more a-pillar pics (minus the usual backdrop of my cluttered garage)...

















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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

You might notice that the angles of the tweeters are very slightly different from the mids. This is because I aimed the mids first (based on the desire to get them about 15-20 degrees more on axis than the previous a-pillar install while still retaining a fairly low profile), then rather than copying that angle for the tweets, I aimed the tweets at the same point on the opposite window as the mids. Since the tweets are mounted slightly higher and inboard of the mids, this resulted in the slight mounting angle variation. Only noticeable on close scrutiny, but wanted to point out this was by design rather than accident. 



Just starting to get a decent tune on the new front stage. The Morel Elate Ti’s are NICE. 



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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

Zapco DSP-IV II unboxed and installed.


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## AudioNobody (Sep 24, 2019)

Lovely build :thumbsup:


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

Upgraded the sub a bit from the JL 8w1 to the 8W3V3. This necessitated re-working the enclosure a bit, as the new sub requires a bit more depth. 








I removed the carpet and added a 3/4" MDF baffle, then contoured the baffle to the enclosure with Rage Gold and Evercoat Easy Sand. I built it up to match the mounting edge of the sub for a flush look.






































The carpet isn't a perfect factory match, but it's quite a bit closer than it appears here. The pics make it look lighter than it really is. Admittedly, most people probably wouldn't notice a difference in the enclosure from the way it was before, but that was kinda the idea.


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## pw91686 (Apr 1, 2015)

Build looks awesome! Love it, and the car as well.

how do you like the morels compared to the focals?


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

pw91686 said:


> Build looks awesome! Love it, and the car as well.
> 
> how do you like the morels compared to the focals?


Thanks! I don't have the Morel's dialed in the way I'd like yet, so it's hard to make a direct comparison to the Focal's. The imaging and soundstage is MUCH IMPROVED, but I credit most of that to better aiming of the drivers. I took a lot of time to make sure I got the mids/tweets aimed at the opposite side windows in a effort to get some delayed reflection to widen the soundstage, and it worked. Much wider and a lot deeper as well. That being said, I've gotten good results in the past with dome midranges in an off-axis a-pillar install, so that may have something to do with it as well. 

The Morel's AND the Focal's are both REALLY good. The Morel's are a little smoother and the midbass goes a little lower, but the Focal's are slightly more accurate. I generally prefer a smoother, more laid-back sound, so I think I'll prefer the Morel's once I have them fully tuned. I initially thought the Focal's were a little hard to tune, but I'm having almost identical issues with the Morel's, which indicates it's a function of the car and not the speakers (or possibly a problem with the guy doing the tuning....) 

Shout-out to 06gtmike for selling me a Cascade Audio APS-55 power converter, making it possible now to tune in the car without draining the battery every 15 minutes. By far the best bang for the buck of any $ I've spent on this entire install. :rockon:


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## 01LSi (Jul 27, 2012)

Following as I now have mk7 and would like to do something in a year after learning and more in the summer.

Did you tap Post-amp signal and send it to your processor or did you tap Pre-amp signal and long coding/adaptation to get a flat response.

If post amp was it difficult to work with factory EQ and do you use the factory volume knob still?


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## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

Beautiful work all the way around!


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

01LSi said:


> Following as I now have mk7 and would like to do something in a year after learning and more in the summer.
> 
> Did you tap Post-amp signal and send it to your processor or did you tap Pre-amp signal and long coding/adaptation to get a flat response.
> 
> ...


My R has the base audio system, which means no outboard amps. I simply tapped the front L/R speaker outs from behind the head unit (the glove compartment-mounted CD player) and ran those to the high-level inputs on the Zapco DSP. There's really no factory EQ on the base system; it's pretty flat throughout the frequency range. 

There are some more exotic options for connecting to the digital outs on the Fender or Dynaudio-equipped Mk7's that provide a nice clean, flat digital signal, but they're not cheap. I know NAV-TV makes 1. Check out the GolfMK7 forum; there's quite a bit of info on there about that 1 and others. 

Feel free to post or PM me if you need help or have any questions.


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

Finally made it around to mounting the Zapco DSP remote. Could have mounted it in the console phone/USB cubby, but in the end it was just more convenient to keep that space dedicated to my iPhone. The left side “glove compartment” is well-suited for this type of gadget.


















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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

And, 1 more equipment upgrade:









New Zapco Z150.2 amp replaces the ST-4XII. The 4X is a great little amp, but I was running it bridged mode to the mid bass Morel Elate’s and it produces quite a bit of heat in that configuration. It never went into protect mode, but I just don’t like running amps that hot. I considered fabricating a hatch floor with ventilation, but it was simpler just to upgrade the amp. Still may do the custom hatch floor later, but only if I feel it’s necessary. 









Also installed a dedicated 1/0 gauge ground from the factory ground post in the engine compartment as I’ve noticed just a slight bit of alternator whine on occasion. The factory ground post is, frankly, pitiful. It attaches to the firewall via a bolt that has a small nut BETWEEN THE GROUND POST AND THE FIREWALL.  So, the alternator/battery are essentially only grounded to the chassis through a 1/8” bolt and a 3/8” steel nut. My choices at this point would be to re-engineer the factory grounds, or do the dedicated 1/0 ground run. Will split the 1/0 via a Stinger distribution block to dual 4 gauge grounds at the existing Stinger blocks on the amp rack.


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

1 last equipment upgrade: got a good deal on a Z150.6 amp a couple months back and found just enough room beside the spare tire well to mount it. Put this in just prior to starting my Fiesta ST build, so haven’t had an opportunity to loom all the wiring yet. 










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## dgage (Oct 1, 2013)

Isn’t that a little amp.  Looking good!


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

dgage said:


> Isn’t that a little amp.  Looking good!


Yeah, that beast takes up some real estate. I measured the trunk space, re-measured and measured again and still wasn't sure I'd have room when I ordered it. Actually had to notch the bottom of the factory plastic trim to get it to fit the way it is, and it's still about 3/8" into the spare tire space. Should be able to make that work, though, and the amp just performs beautifully. I have 4 channels running the Morel mids and tweets active, with channels 5/6 bridged to the JL sub. The Z150.2 runs the Morel midbass drivers. PLENTY of headroom in the system now! After MANY hours measuring with a UMIK and REW while I tweaked the DSP, I have a pretty good tune on it now and I'm really happy with the way it sounds. I'll try to post some better photos after I clean up the wiring a bit more and when time allows. Meanwhile, I still have a subwoofer enclosure to fabricate for my Fiesta ST....


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## alex1002 (Aug 26, 2011)

This car takes my breath away. Amazing work on the sound system. It's a dream vehicle and dream sound system. Even having a moment to listen to the music would be delightful

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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

alex1002 said:


> This car takes my breath away. Amazing work on the sound system. It's a dream vehicle and dream sound system. Even having a moment to listen to the music would be delightful
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk


Thanks! Since I already owned my Ford Fiesta ST, I was leaning towards getting a Focus RS. I've wanted a Ford RS-variant ever since the early 90's Cosworth Escort, but we never got them this side of the Atlantic until the recent Focus. However, I knew I needed to test out the Golf R as well. Found a local Ford dealer that had low-mileage used versions of both on the lot and test drove them back-to-back. The RS is great, but I just preferred the fit-and-finish of the VW over the Ford. I've owned quite a few cars over the 37 years I've been driving, and the VW Golf R is my favorite.

I've been installing systems in my own cars for 25 years, but I learned a lot from this build and it's my cleanest work by far. A lot of fun but also a LOT OF WORK! After almost completing the Fiesta ST build, I'm frankly not sure if I'll be doing anything this involved again. Though, admittedly, that's what I said when I traded my last car for the Golf...


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## few35t (Dec 10, 2014)

Could you do me a favor and like, make all those enclosures again for my gf's mk7 gti 

Please?


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## 01LSi (Jul 27, 2012)

w35t_fg2 said:


> Could you do me a favor and like, make all those enclosures again for my gf's mk7 gti
> 
> Please?


Same haha


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

w35t_fg2 said:


> Could you do me a favor and like, make all those enclosures again for my gf's mk7 gti
> 
> Please?


Really flattered, and as much as I'd like to help a guy out that has a super-cool girlfriend that drives a GTI, I'm going to use an expression my late father used to say: *I'd rather bite a bear's butt than do that again! *


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## ambesolman (Feb 5, 2018)

Otterman said:


> Really flattered, and as much as I'd like to help a guy out that has a super-cool girlfriend that drives a GTI, I'm going to use an expression my late father used to say: *I'd rather bite a bear's butt than do that again! *


He may let you bite his gf's butt instead


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

Haven't worked on the Golf R in a few months since starting my Fiesta ST install, but found some time this weekend to clean up the wiring after I rather hurriedly installed the Zapco Z150.6 back in November. Most of the wiring improvements are unseen and consisted of re-routing speaker wire from some dodgy under-the-back-seat runs to following factory wire bundles and securing with zip ties and Tesa tape. Also managed to trim a bit more of the plastic factory trim that supports the hatch floor in order to clear more room for the amp and keep it out of the spare tire mounting area. After being fanatical about retaining that space, I probably should actually buy a spare tire now...


















Dual 4 gauge power wires were run from the battery directly to each Stinger distribution block. 1/0 gauge ground runs from both the battery ground point in the engine compartment and from the chassis behind the rear driver's side quarter panel to a Stinger block under the back seat, which is then split to one 4 gauge to the distribution block for each amplifier. 



























Ground distribution, speaker wire runs secured to factory wire path. I trimmed about 1 inch of the carpet underlayment so it would continue to lay flat while accommodating the extra wire.


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## ambesolman (Feb 5, 2018)

Looks good. What are those roundish black things the wires go into?


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## ambesolman (Feb 5, 2018)

Dbl post


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

ambesolman said:


> Looks good. What are those roundish black things the wires go into?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk?


That's actually factory wiring going through a hard plastic cover via a rubber boot in the center. Pretty sure it's for the Haldex all-wheel drive system.


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

A little about the car: 2016 VW Golf R with 6-speed manual transmission. Bought it used with 16k on the odometer in early '18.


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## 01LSi (Jul 27, 2012)

Otterman said:


> A little about the car: 2016 VW Golf R with 6-speed manual transmission. Bought it used with 16k on the odometer in early '18.
> View attachment 263638
> 
> 
> ...


Nice. Any issues or mods done to it before you purchased? I was too gun-shy about buying a used R (and I *really wanted to*) because GTI/R folks seem to love to thrash and sell the car.


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

01LSi said:


> Nice. Any issues or mods done to it before you purchased? I was too gun-shy about buying a used R (and I *really wanted to*) because GTI/R folks seem to love to thrash and sell the car.


Car was bone stock when I got it and has run perfectly every day since. Naturally, it didn't stay completely stock long once I got it, but my mods have been pretty mild.
VMR wheels to start - 18x8.5 all around with a more aggressive offset than the 18x7.5 stockers...


























Stayed with 18's since this is a daily driver. The interstate on my commute to work is rather rough...


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

Neuspeed Power Module, good for another 25HP. Went with this initially because the piggy-back nature doesn't alter the factory coding and presumably could be removed and not detected in case I had any warranty issues. Since I'm over 36k now, I'll likely upgrade to a Cobb unit sometime in the future, but in no hurry. The R runs pretty strong in stock form and is certainly enough for daily street/interstate driving. This pic is pre-audio install:









The following modification is an absolute necessity: ECS Tuning Center Console Access Kit. Frankly, it's a travesty that VW doesn't provide a working center console storage bin, but this was easy enough to install to correct that issue.


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

And, an unplanned modification: a chunk of truck tire on the interstate found it's way into my path and made a nasty crack in the lower front lip, so I decided to replace it with an R400 style front fascia.


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## BLD MOVS (Sep 23, 2007)

What a beautiful car. 

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk


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## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

Otterman said:


> Car was bone stock when I got it and has run perfectly every day since. Naturally, it didn't stay completely stock long once I got it, but my mods have been pretty mild.
> VMR wheels to start - 18x8.5 all around with a more aggressive offset than the 18x7.5 stockers...
> View attachment 263642
> 
> ...


I’m a fan of the VMR’s - great choice!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

bertholomey said:


> I’m a fan of the VMR’s - great choice!!!


Thanks! Love yours as well. That S4 is a work of art.


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## Frequentflyer (Mar 3, 2020)

Nice build! Question about your old A-pillars. What were the baffles made out of and how were the grills held on?


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

Frequentflyer said:


> Nice build! Question about your old A-pillars. What were the baffles made out of and how were the grills held on?


I actually used the top portion of the pods that come with the Focal set and fiberglassed those into the a-pillars. The grilles just snap on to the hex head mounting screws.


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## dgage (Oct 1, 2013)

Otterman said:


> The grilles just snap on to the hex head mounting screws.


Can you show the back so I can see how the grille snaps on? Or is it magnetic and that is the snap you mention? Thanks, And I like the look.


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

I sold the grilles with the speakers, and I don't have any pics of the back. They're not magnetic; they had a circular notch that matched the locations of the mounting screws and simply snapped in place. I frankly wasn't a big fan. They could be difficult to locate on the screws and sometimes didn't seem to seat fully, but my set was used, so a new pod set might not have those issues (which, to be fair, were very minor). I separated the pods and utilized just half of each pod to mount to the pillars. Here's a pic of the pods from a retail site:










If I was starting over with the Focal set, I'd probably ditch these in favor of mounting the speakers on custom baffles and using the metal grilles.


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

For some reason, I wasn't completely satisfied with the look of the my first a-pillars with the Focal's, but after looking over some pics, I think my slight dissatisfaction may have been unwarranted. It was probably just a subconscious excuse to buy the Morel Elate Ti's... 
















I'm happier with the aiming on my current pillars, which translated to a wider, deeper soundstage, but that may have as much to do with the Morel dome midranges as the speaker aiming. I definitely like the look of the Morel lotus grilles better than the fuzzy grille cloth on the Focal pod cover.


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## Frequentflyer (Mar 3, 2020)

Oh ok. I didn't realize the Focal's came with their own pods and whoa! $2,300!


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

Frequentflyer said:


> Oh ok. I didn't realize the Focal's came with their own pods and whoa! $2,300!


Yeah, the price on those is steep. I picked mine up used for a lot less...


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## glidn (Apr 21, 2007)

nice install, round 1 and round 2. What did you do or use to trigger the remote wire?


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

glidn said:


> nice install, round 1 and round 2. What did you do or use to trigger the remote wire?


The Zapco DSP has signal-sensing, so no remote turn-on was required (thankfully, since the VW MIBII system apparently doesn't have a remote out).


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## Hanatsu (Nov 9, 2010)

Looks really nice! Good looking car as well


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

Hanatsu said:


> Looks really nice! Good looking car as well


Thank you! I consider that high praise after seeing some of your work. Looking forward to pics of your finished speaker pods in the near future!


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## glidn (Apr 21, 2007)

Yeah they stopped that function back in the mk5 platform.
interesting, I remember trying this function with a JBL MS-8 as well as a Audison Bit.Ten.

But due to speaker monitoring enabled from stock? it would keep the amps on at least an hour or more afte rthe key was turned off.

Good to know, it may have been resolved in the MK7 platform.


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

Thought I'd post some better pics of the a-pillars. Experimenting a bit with the Canon DSLR while homebound and practicing "social distancing"...


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## Nik1976 (Oct 8, 2009)

Otterman said:


> The Zapco DSP has signal-sensing, so no remote turn-on was required (thankfully, since the VW MIBII system apparently doesn't have a remote out).


There are aftermarket Can bus modules available which fetching ACC and lock signals from MQB Infotainment Can bus.
I'm using Cantec F2 module with few external relays to power on LTE router early when car is unlocked and turn on all aftermarket audio later when ACC is present.


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## 01LSi (Jul 27, 2012)

Otterman said:


> View attachment 247359


It looks like you used a speaker adapter ... did you need to modify anything on the plastic OEM door card to be able to clip the door card back in? I shaved down the 3 plastic rings pointed to here (image credit to ik/gti)










So that it looks like this now, Red arrow is pointing to the only thing I did not shave down yet.










Is it required to remove this as well to get the door card back on the way another user did?









I've got the speaker temporarily mounted to the metal door because with a speaker adapter I couldn't keep it on


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

@01LSi - I fabricated my speaker adapters from 1/2" HDPE and didn't have to trim anything for the door panel to fit. I did go ahead and trim a few of the interior-facing protrusions around the door panel speaker grill, but that was just to keep them from poking into the FAST ring slightly.


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## 01LSi (Jul 27, 2012)

Otterman said:


> @01LSi - I fabricated my speaker adapters from 1/2" HDPE and didn't have to trim anything for the door panel to fit. I did go ahead and trim a few of the interior-facing protrusions around the door panel speaker grill, but that was just to keep them from poking into the FAST ring slightly.


Thank you for that feedback. That makes sense. 1/2" is probably just right without overly trimming down the door card. I had someone 3d print an HDPE ring that was slightly shorter than stock height but it didn't come out exactly right so I bought and installed the CDT FM-007 thats just a tad shorter than the stock but wider in circumference. I almost bought a 3d printer instead to experiment.

Anyway I've seen an image or two of mk7 GTI owners using those CDT rings and fitting them successfully. Passenger door was still out on my car so I went ahead and trimmed that same part down shown in the last image. I'll report back if it was actually successful or not. Here's what I shaved off. If this is unsuccessful still with the CDT ring I'll try to find someone who can make a 1/2 inch ring or just leave the speaker mounted directly to the metal of the door...


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

Die cast aluminum speaker adapters from CDT? NICE! I love CDT. I pieced together a 3-way semi-active front stage in my last car from all CDT ES-series drivers. The ES-06 is a terrific midbass.


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## 01LSi (Jul 27, 2012)

Otterman said:


> Die cast aluminum speaker adapters from CDT? NICE! I love CDT. I pieced together a 3-way semi-active front stage in my last car from all CDT ES-series drivers. The ES-06 is a terrific midbass.


Yup! Here's how I had them installed previously. This is what didn't fit even after removing the surrounding CCF and shaving the obvious. But what I additionally just shaved down in the above post might work. Going to try again Friday.


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## Lurchalicious (Oct 15, 2018)

Thought id share my recent door install of gb60s, I had gotten a set of adapters made and then disassembled them to just use the rings, spaced off about 1/2" from the door and the window rolls down fine. Didnt have to shave the door card or trim anytbing























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## 01LSi (Jul 27, 2012)

Updating. The CDT rings just are too tall to let the door card clip back in unless I'm still missing something. 

I'm gonna need to have someone make some for me if anyone can help out lol.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

I actually used some pre-built MDF rings I bought on Amazon to mount the Morel's in the door. In an earlier post I said I fabricated them out of HDPE, but I had it confused with my Fiesta ST build. The rings I used were 5/8" thick and don't appear to be available now; all I could find was 3/4". Not sure if the extra 1/8” would cause clearance issues with the door card. 









Drilled out screw holes to match those in the Golf door skin, then used a larger bit with a depth stop to create a pocket for the screw head to recess so it wouldn't interfere with mounting the speaker. Drilled pilot holes for speaker mounting, then sprayed the rings with truck bed liner to protect them against the elements.


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## 01LSi (Jul 27, 2012)

Ah man is it at least the same seller? 

Update again ... Shaved everything mentioned above and I used one of these (Xscorpion SP-DE65 Stackable 6-1/2-Inch Speaker 1/2-Inch Up Depth Extender Xscorpion SP-DE65 Stackable 6-1/2-Inch Speaker 1/2-Inch Up Depth Extender:Amazon:Car Electronics) and it worked. The countersunk spacer mounting holes did line up with the OEM holes. After this shot I wrapped in CCF.

(Photo upload isn't working via Tapatalk)

For my speaker, the pre drilled holes were slightly off. Outside the pre drilled holes the backside is hollow. Not the best solution but everything's secure and the door clips back in.

I can maybe send this to someone as a template to 3d print it better now at least.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

I've never really been totally happy with my MDF/carpet amp rack, so I ordered some 1/4" ABS and embarked on a re-build the last few days. I'll start with finished pics then will add some from the build process a bit later. 




































I had to drill a hole in the factory plastic trim/hatch floor support in order to access the amp mounting foot and the ground terminal. I'll de-burr that and maybe add a grommet later.









One of my design goals is to keep space for the spare tire, and I was able to move the Zapco Z-150.6 about 5/8" back from it's previous position by putting it on risers to clear the bottom edge of the side trim piece. Moving it further out of the spare space also required even tighter clearance at the back of the amp as shown below....









More to follow a bit later...


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

While I was waiting on the ABS to be delivered, I decided to "bullet-proof" the power/ground wiring as much as possible. To accommodate the split-rack design that retaining the spare tire space required, I had previously run dual 4-gauge power from the battery, as well as 1/0 gauge ground that terminates at the battery ground strip in the engine bay. This required splitting the 1/0 ground at the rear, which I decided to do via a Stinger distribution block under the rear seat. Running these sizes of cable under the seat to 2 separate locations has made it challenging to keep things tidy while making sure nothing gets crimped, pinched or mashed by the rear seat. Hopefully this conquered those issues...


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## tulowd (Apr 5, 2020)

Some really nice craftsmanship and attention to detail here. Love the car and the fact you buried it OEM style as much as possible. So much harder but makes the car so much more livable. Kudos.


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

Re-mounted the main power fuse block on 1/4 ABS, attached to the ECU metal cover with 1/4-20 rivet nuts and screws.


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## Lurchalicious (Oct 15, 2018)

How sturdy are you finding that 1/4 abs? Or is it mainly just to give the amps a part to mount on

Sent from my LM-G710VM using Tapatalk


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## 01LSi (Jul 27, 2012)

Also (if I read it correctly) why did you run 2 4 gauge pos and neg wires instead of single 0 gauge wires to the back?

Haven’t opened the side panels up yet to know if it’s possible but I’m thinking about running 0 gauge through if I can 


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

And some pics of the amp rack build process...

















Repurposing scrap material...









Fabricating the risers for the Z-150.6 amp. All I had was some 1/4" and 1/8" ABS, and the risers needed to be right at 5/8" thick. So, 1/4" ABS is really 12mm and 1/8" is 6mm, so each of these risers required gluing two 1/4" pieces to one 1/8" piece of ABS, then cutting with a jig saw and sanding as flush as possible with an old Black & Decker Mouse sander. The extra effort here resulted in an extra 5/8" of clearance between the amp and the spare tire area.


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

Rivet nuts installed on passenger side of the hatch floor: 


















Driver's side:









Test fitting of amp rack/alignment with rivet nuts:









I would have preferred to chamfer the amp rack on the router, but I didn't have a bearing that would accommodate 1/4" material, so I applied a bit of a chamfer with the Mouse sander.


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

Lurchalicious said:


> How sturdy are you finding that 1/4 abs? Or is it mainly just to give the amps a part to mount on


Mainly just something to mount the amps on, but it's still fairly rigid. If I had it to do over, I'd probably go with 1/2" HDPE, not really for extra strength, but for more material to accept mounting screws. Finding 1/4" to 3/8" length screws can be pretty difficult in #8 size, and I don't like going smaller than that. I used 1/2" blown PVC in my Fiesta ST build, but I wasn't a huge fan of it. It's really easy to work with, but it seemed to get marred and scratched easier and I like the surface to remain presentable. 😊 
The 1/4" ABS in my application gets very rigid when screwed to some fairly large amps like the Zapco Z-series.


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

01LSi said:


> Also (if I read it correctly) why did you run 2 4 gauge pos and neg wires instead of single 0 gauge wires to the back?
> 
> Haven’t opened the side panels up yet to know if it’s possible but I’m thinking about running 0 gauge through if I can


When it became obvious I'd need to split the amp rack into two separate sections, it seemed cleaner to run dedicated power cable to each side, hence the 2 separate runs of 4 gauge. The original idea was to run those directly to each amplifier, with ground from each amp terminating to the same spot under the rear seat. After changing amps/DSP's several times I would periodically experience some system noise, so it just made sense to go ahead with the 1/0 ground run directly to the battery to minimize that variable. I also ran more than 1 amp or DSP on each side until getting the Z-150.6, so power/ground distribution at the amp rack became a necessity. I actually played around with several power/ground distribution blocks over the last week and considered replacing the dual 4 gauge with 1/0 power cable, but nothing I came up with worked as well for my configuration. Being Hell-bent on maintaining the spare tire space was easily the biggest obstacle in this install, particularly with big amps like the Zapco Z's. If I was going with a more typical amp rack where shared power/ground distribution was easier to achieve, I'd run 1/0 from the battery to rear. There's plenty of room.


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

Upgraded the factory infotainment monitor from the stock 6.5" version to the newer 8" capacitive touch screen.  

Before: 









After:


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

Clearance for the RCA ends was so tight on the Z-150.6 that I didn't think leaving it as is was a good long-term solution. So I sectioned about 2" of the offending trim piece and filled the resulting hole with 1/8" ABS and body filler. In order to re-apply a factory-matching texture, I put on a fairly thick coat of primer and used a piece of the vinyl from my a-pillar build to imprint the texture in the wet primer. Wish I'd taken "before" pics on this one, but frankly had some doubts on how it was going to turn out...


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

Clearance (or lack thereof) before: 










Clearance after:


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

Since I'm now fairly content that this amp rack is the final version, I made new RCA cables to custom lengths utilizing Stinger 8000 ends and cable from Amazon. Also routed the RCA's behind the factory trim panel, as the bottom of the panel will have to be trimmed to accommodate the spare tire.


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)




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## farfromovin (Mar 30, 2011)

Super tidy wiring, over the top. I really like how perfect you cut out the abs rack though. If I did that it would look like crap lol.


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

And finally, the realization of my obsession with retaining the spare tire space... 😊


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

On Euro Golf R models equipped with spares, the jack resides in a foam cut-out that surrounds the spare. Since I've used that space for audio equipment, I decided to house the jack within the spare, held in place by a bracket I fabricated from ABS plastic. 








I used a hole saw to cut a hole in the bracket that the spare tire hold-down screw and nut could pass through, holding the jack in place when tightened. The jack lever is secured to the bottom of the jack with Velcro strips and both reside on top of a piece of black automotive carpet to prevent any potential rattles.


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)




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## THX0849 (Sep 24, 2019)

Damn that's sweet, so simple and clean yet the level of detail elevates it. 

Sent from my HD1905 using Tapatalk


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## Ge0 (Jul 23, 2007)

I've followed this thread closely. I like your work and attention to detail. Well done!

Ge0


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## mrmill (Feb 11, 2013)

this install is detail pron....i love it. Keep up the good work.


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

THX0849 said:


> Damn that's sweet, so simple and clean yet the level of detail elevates it.





Ge0 said:


> I've followed this thread closely. I like your work and attention to detail. Well done!
> Ge0





mrmill said:


> this install is detail pron....i love it. Keep up the good work.



Thanks, folks. Really appreciate the compliments. Other than sound quality, my main design goal was to integrate everything into the car as seamlessly as possible with no loss of function in any area. A lot of the details were necessary in order to achieve those goals, and much of the wiring detail was driven by a desire to make everything as bulletproof as possible. I obviously wanted it to look good when displayed, but all the Stinger interconnects and power distribution, as well as colored tech flex and heat shrink still serve to make all the wiring as solid as possible. 

I'd like to do a "Big 3" upgrade at some point, but I'm in no hurry to do it now that hotter weather has arrived. Since the Golf R and my Fiesta ST installs are about as done as they can get, I may have to start a stealth upgrade project in my wife's Lincoln MKX to keep me occupied...


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

So, turns out the last sentence of my most recent post about installs being about as done as they can get was premature....  

After the a-pillar rebuild in my Fiesta ST resulted in the pillars looking much more integrated in the car almost like it came that way from the factory, it spurred a desire to do the same in the Golf R. After playing around with a LOT of different configurations, shapes, driver aiming, etc., here's what I came up with:


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

These are quite a bit lower profile than the previous versions and I think blend much better into the interior aesthetics.


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

A few better pics of the new a-pillars:


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)




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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)




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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)




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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)




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## SQ_Bronco (Jul 31, 2005)

Those are fantastic! Great job.


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

SQ_Bronco said:


> Those are fantastic! Great job.


Thanks! Playing with photography this morning...


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)




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## farfromovin (Mar 30, 2011)

Otterman said:


> Thanks! Playing with photography this morning...
> 
> View attachment 273442


That song you have loaded rocks. One of my go to show off songs


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## Otterman (Aug 30, 2015)

farfromovin said:


> That song you have loaded rocks. One of my go to show off songs


An all-time classic!   I've sampled newer music for system demo purposes, but "Money For Nothing" is still the original gold standard in my book.


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## 03blueSI (Feb 5, 2006)

any deficiencies with the MIB3 head unit? I literally bought a 2021 gti yesterday and considering doing a basic setup with the factory hu, a processor, couple amps, and sub. Debating on front speakers. Have a set of Boston SPZ60s just sitting around. Will either use them coaxially in the doors or use the woofer for midbass and add a mid and tweeter.


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## OneFastCanuck (Aug 18, 2021)

came here during my research of other built golf R's and all I can say is wow, very meticulous work and great final product! 
I have the fender system in my golf R and will be doing a low profile "stealth" build in my golf R - my goal is for everything to fit underneath rear trunk hatch floor, including two 10" low profile subs with adequate airspace box. Will be a challenge but I am up for it! I already had a decent set of front component speakers from my previous car (JBL C608GTI) as well as two amps (one 4-ch and one mono) so all I needed to order were the two 10-inch low profile subs, a good OFC 1/0 gauge wiring kit and a set of decent rear filler speakers. And of course some sound dampening mat for the doors and trunk! I also ordered the same foam rings as you for front speakers - they sell it in a package, it's called the Stinger Roadkill RFKR5 FAST Rings. Really looking forward to taking a break from wedding reception planning and home renos to do this project (will start next month!) - your thread has definitely inspired me and I will take a few tips from you. 

I have done a few audio builds in my day as well, but it has been a few years out of the game (4-5 years) so coming back into it slowly - I forgot how pricey it can get, luckily now I am in a better place financially then back then and I can do everything right the way I want it (I am also quite OCD!)


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## Dave122 (10 mo ago)

Otterman said:


> Speaker install pics:
> View attachment 247345
> 
> Focal components.
> ...


Hello.
Sorry about my english but I love your sound engineering design.
I looked ur pictures about A pillars design etc and its very good!
How did you pull the cables through the back door? I have Golf 7 2013 and i want to upgrade my speakers. I have also Audison DSP. I want to pull separate cables to the DSP and not to use the original cables but i dont know how to get through Golf 7 door plug. Is there any good way to do this?

I hope u will see this message and take ur time to answer me! 

Greetings from Estonia!


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## OneFastCanuck (Aug 18, 2021)

Dave122 said:


> Hello.
> Sorry about my english but I love your sound engineering design.
> I looked ur pictures about A pillars design etc and its very good!
> How did you pull the cables through the back door? I have Golf 7 2013 and i want to upgrade my speakers. I have also Audison DSP. I want to pull separate cables to the DSP and not to use the original cables but i dont know how to get through Golf 7 door plug. Is there any good way to do this?
> ...


greetings from Canada!

i used the OEM (existing) wiring harness under the seat that goes to all door speakers. Wires were thick enough for the 100w RMS power maximum i was sending to each speaker. If you REALLY want to run separate wires, there are some good YouTube videos explaining how to drill out the existing harness plug that goes to the door and run wires through it, but it is still a pain and also not ideal since if ever door has to be removed, you will have to cut those new wires.

Check out PSSounds on YouTube, he has amazing builds and I know in one video he talks about drilling out the OEM door connector to pass additional wiring for speakers.

hopefully that answers your question and good luck!


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## quality_sound (Dec 25, 2005)

03blueSI said:


> any deficiencies with the MIB3 head unit? I literally bought a 2021 gti yesterday and considering doing a basic setup with the factory hu, a processor, couple amps, and sub. Debating on front speakers. Have a set of Boston SPZ60s just sitting around. Will either use them coaxially in the doors or use the woofer for midbass and add a mid and tweeter.


Which trim level is your GTI? SE and Autobahn have MIB3, S has the base radio. Sadly, MIB3, while awesome for wireless CarPlay, loses the CANBUS connection between components in favor of an ethernet connection. This means devices like the NAV-TV Zen V won't work so you can't get an optical or multi-channel line level output to feed to a processor. Your options are to use a traditional LOC or swap in an MIB2 but I think to do that you'd have to swap out the gauge cluster as well. 

For a simple setup, the SPZ60 in a coax setup would be great. you can always change it to a 3-way front later


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## OneFastCanuck (Aug 18, 2021)

I’d I didn’t have optical, I would suggest getting a good DSP with Bluetooth capability and using thst. Simplifies things a lot and good sound quality - even Peter from PSSound suggest that solution often.


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## 03blueSI (Feb 5, 2006)

quality_sound said:


> Which trim level is your GTI? SE and Autobahn have MIB3, S has the base radio. Sadly, MIB3, while awesome for wireless CarPlay, loses the CANBUS connection between components in favor of an ethernet connection. This means devices like the NAV-TV Zen V won't work so you can't get an optical or multi-channel line level output to feed to a processor. Your options are to use a traditional LOC or swap in an MIB2 but I think to do that you'd have to swap out the gauge cluster as well.
> 
> For a simple setup, the SPZ60 in a coax setup would be great. you can always change it to a 3-way front later


I had an autobahn. Traded it in for a 2019 golf r so I am back in with most. Planning on extracting the signal using a nav tv zen v.


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## OneFastCanuck (Aug 18, 2021)

03blueSI said:


> I had an autobahn. Traded it in for a 2019 golf r so I am back in with most. Planning on extracting the signal using a nav tv zen v.


Best way to do it if you have the funds to do so. And as an update, I haven’t had a single issue with the Nav-TV since I was setting everything up and my battery was empty. It really was a battery related issue as since I’ve been driving the car, it has not returned at all.


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