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2012 gti stereo build

nadams5755

Ready to race!
i did some lighting-related stuff from oznium.

vw only puts a hatch light on the right side, i replaced one on the right an with 11mm led bolt, added one on the left to match:


installed a couple red led indicators above the director, so i can see the knob at night:



and finally, i installed some 6mm led bolts opposite the midbasses to show off the kicks a little more and make the footwell lights actually usable. it's just enough light. before and after:


excuse the dust :)
 

nadams5755

Ready to race!
nice post, in for more details. how did you go about removing the headliner, i.e., through a door or (most likely) the hatch? def looks easiest done with the seats out.

planning to tackle one day as i deaden up my own interior more and maybe alacantara it.
ugh, it kinda sucked.
  • carefully remove all six ABS logos with a trim tool.
  • carefully remove the a pillars, you can tell they put the windshield in last during assembly. :(
  • carefully remove the visor/mirrors. there's a snap for the harness in the headliner, remove them from the snap.
  • carefully remove the b pillars, bottom first
  • remove the upper hatch trim below the headliner.
  • carefully remove the c pillars.
  • remove the handles.
  • remove the back-seat dome/map lights.
  • remove the front dome light/console.
  • front part headliner is held in place by snaps through the screwholes for the visors and console. carefully remove them from the roof.
it should drop down at that point. you can sort of angle and slide it out the rear hatch with minimal curling.
 

nadams5755

Ready to race!
i hit reset last week and worked out some midbass alignment issues i've had since 2017. i worked on some other tonality stuff that annoyed me.

if i had to judge the car myself, i'd give it an 81-82. i hoped to finish the season with an 83.

MECA CA 2018 State Finals happened Saturday, got a 3-judge of 82.92 (81.5, 83, 84.25) and won best-of-show, which was fun.


i learned quite a bit this season. the community out here is competitive and really supportive.

i've got some more i want to do before world finals in KY but i'm pretty burned out right now and i'm almost out of time. (i don't make changes without letting them bake for a bit)
 

nadams5755

Ready to race!
besides the tips above? if you're replacing the liner with something like suede, then you'll have added weight and that won't help sagging.

i suppose i'd use some wide velcro strips in the center of the roof. hold the velcro in in place w/ contact cement.
 

nadams5755

Ready to race!
i changed a couple things this summer but wasn't sure how they'd pan out, so i kept them quiet:
  1. replaced the c8s with w800neo midbasses for one reason: get the whole magnet structure behind the cone. sound quality is nearly identical in my set up.
  2. added two tru tech 6ch line drivers after the dsp and before the amps. this let me keep amp gains down to minimize floor noise and maximize dynamics+impact+details.
as for finals? extreme class was a tough field for sure. i know the car sounds very good but i never expected to win the class. i had a goal for getting on the podium and i got third place. :)

scores were 81.5, 82, and 85 (82.8 average). right in my expected range.

top five overall was a bit of a stretch goal. third in extreme translated to fourth overall, which was cool. :cool:

since the car belongs in modex, i competed the 2019 2x show in modex. i got second place, i'll turn the subs on next time. :(

i've got some more tuning to do in the off season, i might be able to make it sound better but i'm not planning to install any more gear.

i'm fairly certain the stereo's done in this car. there's some limitations which require a pretty big time/money sink for minimal returns. instead, i'll save for the next car+stereo. i've got some ideas. :D
 

nadams5755

Ready to race!
so the 2018 season's over, let's compare scores w/ 2017. were the upgrades worthwhile? yeah.

2017 scores? width and placement were my stronger points. 2018 scores? high frequency tonality and width. Placement was more scattered though. better dynamics, linearity, staging, and tonality overall.

the subwoofer extra cone area helped scores as well.

 

nadams5755

Ready to race!
finally got around to deadening the back doors. a little CLD and full coverage CCF and MLV. there's no speakers so no need for more CLD.




also covered over the factory speakers. :)


i don't expect any difference beyond road noise, but i haven't tested yet.
 
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