April 10th
I figure it's about time for an update.
I received my side mount stealth box by nikbrewer on March 16th. The box arrived very well packaged, plenty of packing peanuts and plastic to protect the box.
Here's a list the components I used:
Alpine SWR-1043D 10" Subwoofer (4Ω + 4Ω)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003F7N93K/ref=oh_o03_s00_i00_details
Alpine PDX-M6 Mono Power Density Digital Amplifier
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003GF33XM/ref=oh_o04_s00_i00_details
KnuKonceptz KOL-AK4-4 amp installation kit
http://www.knukonceptz.com/productDetail.cfm?prodID=KOL-AK4-4
PAC SNI-35 Adjustable 2-Channel Line Out Converter
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001EAWS3W/ref=oh_o02_s00_i00_details
Install:
I ran my amp power wire directly from the battery after reading that tapping the bus bar can cause issues. I'd prefer to run from the bus bar for a cleaner more elegant install. Thoughts? I found this thread on it but there wasn't a clear conclusion
http://www.golfmk6.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26124
I tapped the rear speaker wires from directly behind the head unit. I used this link as a guide:
http://www.my-gti.com/1313/volkswagen-rcd-510-pin-assignments
1 – Rear right loudspeaker, positive
4 – Rear left loudspeaker, positive
5 – Rear right loudspeaker, negative
8 – Rear left loudspeaker, negative
I originally used splicers to tap the speaker wires but had mixed results. Ultimately I just stripped the speaker wires, wrapped the LOC input wires around the bare metal and taped them back up. I *may* go back in with shrink tubing.
My RCA cable from KnuKonceptz also had a remote wire connected to it, so I tapped the front cigarette lighter. This post has really good info on how to get to the cigarette lighter.
http://www.golfmk6.com/forums/showpost.php?p=610923&postcount=14
With the power and LOC hooked up, I ran the wires underneath the driver side door trim. Another link with a diagram of the trim piece. It required quite a bit of leverage but came out without issue.
http://www.my-gti.com/1473/volkswagen-golf-sill-panel-trims-–-removal-and-installation
With all the wires in the rear hatch, I sanded down a random hole for the ground. The amp ended up fitting really well in the front left corner of the styrofoam surround. I cut out a bit of styrofoam in the process, but I'm not worried about the amp going anywhere.
The trickiest part of the install was mounting the box. I suggest shoeing the box in by placing the upper lip under the plastic ledge where the parcel tray rests on. With the upper lip in place, I sat with my back on the passenger side and pushed the box in with my feet.
I planned on taking pictures throughout the install, but unsurprisingly, I was really anxious to get the install done.
Thoughts:
The sub sounds amazing! I have a feeling that a shallow mount sub would produce plenty of bass for my taste, but I don't regret going with a standard 10in sub. With the size and hatch design of the GTI, the one 10 really puts out a lot of sound, couldn't be happier. Nik's box was super clean. My friend stopped by that night and didn't notice the sub until I pointed it out to him.
The only draw back I have on this box is that the CarGo floor mat doesn't quite fit underneath the box. An extra quarter inch of space would have been enough for the floor mat to slide neatly into place. All things considered, it's not a big deal.
Here's the only shot I have the whole deal: