Tony's Black GTI

[Tony48]

A few weeks ago the 5ch amp I had installed under the hatch subfloor blew. I wasn't able to tell exactly what failed but it was smoking and there was no audio output.

I finally got around to redoing my system. I added an AudioControl LC7i under the driver's seat and redid the wiring and amp rack under the subfloor. I figured this was the time to install the Unibrace XB that I've had sitting around for a few months. I ended up pulling out the driver's seat and essentially the entire interior rear of the front seats. Maybe I went a little overboard on the cable management but the resulting neat wire setups speak for themselves. Interior all went back together fine but this was a lot of work for one weekend!

For anyone interested in the technical details of the sound system here's a rundown:

Speaker wires tapped behind the head unit and fed to the AudioControl LC7i under the driver's seat. Front, Rear, and Sub RCA's run from under the driver's seat to the 5ch amp on custom rack under the hatch floor. The 4 doors have 6.5" component speakers mounted in stock location using custom spacers. Each speaker/crossover set has 16ga wire run to it from the amp. A JL 10w3 subwoofer is mounted in a fiberglass box fit to the driver's side of the hatch.


Interior disassembled:








AudioControl LC7i on it's mounting rack all wired up:










Unibrace XB mounted:




Holes punched in the carpet at rivnut locations for stealthy install:




Amp installed and wired:








Interior assembled:

 

[Francoleon91]

i want a hatch brace. let us know how you like it.

 

[uglybastard]

i need to buy a new drill so i can get my XB installed. battery life on current one sucks, probably more value in just upgrading....

 

[Tony48]

i want a hatch brace. let us know how you like it.

So far it feels like it's added to the go kart effect. I already have front & rear sway bars. I think that's allowed me to feel how stiff the car is with the addition of the XB.

 

[Tony48]

I threw on a MK5 R32 belly pan. Nice OEM+ upgrade and should keep things protected and away from salt over the winter. For anyone interested the part number is 1K0825237P and installation requires three additional screws, part number 1K0825951.

 

[torga]

Ooo I've been wanting to do this for a while, but seem to always find something else to spend $90 on. This last time it was a hose and hardware kit for my FMIC. Soon I will get this bad boy.

 

[Tony48]

Ooo I've been wanting to do this for a while, but seem to always find something else to spend $90 on. This last time it was a hose and hardware kit for my FMIC. Soon I will get this bad boy.

I was the same way but finally pulled the trigger. Glad I did because it's a solid piece!

 

[Tony48]

I snagged a Whispbar roof rack from a forum member. Paired it with a Kuat Trio fork mount so I can haul around my new toy. I installed 3M paint protection film under the roof rack feet to prevent scratching. You can see the paint protection film in the last photo.

 

[Francoleon91]

yo tony. I bought used 986 brakes as a lil winter project. how do you like em? compared to oem. any tips or recommendations on pads and rotors? not super familiar with brake stuff.

 

[Tony48]

yo tony. I bought used 986 brakes as a lil winter project. how do you like em? compared to oem. any tips or recommendations on pads and rotors? not super familiar with brake stuff.

Nice! I think they're a great match for this car. I'm running stoptech slotted rotors and they're great from my experience (no track time yet) and all reviews I've seen. I was running EBC red pads and they squealed like crazy. It was embarrassing especially for a pad marketed as a street pad. I tried all kinds of stuff and could not get the squealing under control. Switched to some closer to OEM pads (Akebono ceramic) and the squealing is to a point I can live with. I definitely sacrificed some braking performance by making the switch but really wanted to confirm that the pad was the issue. My next pad will be Stoptech Sport's.

One note about brake lines: people say you can use OEM style lines with banjo fittings. Don't do that. Purchase proper brake lines that have the threaded flare fitting. It's the right way to do it and will prevent leaks.

I'd recommend throwing in new seals and dust boots while you have the calipers off the car. You can follow any generic brembo 1 piece caliper rebuild guide. Then after install make sure you bed in the brakes! PM me if you have more questions.

 

[Francoleon91]

i will have alot of questions. you got an IG?

 

[Tony48]

i will have alot of questions. you got an IG?

Just recently made one actually. @tony.grz

 

[Francoleon91]

Just recently made one actually. @tony.grz

followed u, ill be your 42nd follower.

 

[SoWalGTI]

I threw on a MK5 R32 belly pan. Nice OEM+ upgrade and should keep things protected and away from salt over the winter. For anyone interested the part number is 1K0825237P and installation requires three additional screws, part number 1K0825951.

Nice Tony!

Pardon my ignorance, but what are the benefits to this upgrade? Better aerodynamics under the car?

 

[Tony48]

Nice Tony!

Pardon my ignorance, but what are the benefits to this upgrade? Better aerodynamics under the car?

Correct, one benefit is better aerodynamics under the car. Some even reported it helped get rid of steering wheel vibration because it keeps wind off the steering rack.

The main reason I installed the belly pan is to keep road gunk and salt off the oil pan, dogbone mount, transmission, etc. This is what coverage looks like with the stock belly pan (if something about the pic looks odd it's because the lower control arms are removed):