Jozooka
Go Kart Newbie
- Location
- Bucks County, PA
I keep stumbling upon mods (mods that I didn't know I wanted) for the GTI reading through other threads. Someone mentioned the "subwoofer mod" in an unrelated post and a Google search found this:
http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?7603322-Replace-your-Fender-sub-the-cheap-and-easy-way&
That is from an R forum but it applies to GTI's as well. Hopefully this summary will save you some time and answer some questions.
QUESTIONS I HAD
1) Will the hatch deck lay flat? - Yes, but just barely. Don't make your box taller than 4". I wrapped mine in speaker carpet so that added another maybe 1/4" overall.
2) Do you retain your spare tire? - Yes
3) Do you use your factory wiring? - Yes (see info below)
4) Do you need an amp? - No
5) Does the speaker hit anything? - No, it faces down into the spare tire
6) What does it cost? All in I was $146 but you could omit the carpet and VW plug parts and get it down to around $100
WHAT I DID
I built my own box with 3/4" MDF at 24"X21"X4" (outside dimensions) using a shallow mount 10" sub. Even with the shallow mount, I needed to router-out about 3/8" depth from the area below the sub base to get it to fit into the box. A friend's plunge router took care of that. I went with the smaller size so I could keep the "Assistance Kit" below the deck.
Due to the way I wanted to mount this, I put the speaker a little off center so that was still centered over the spare tire.
My interior volume is .63 cu. ft. which is a little below optimal (.7) for my sub, so I lined the inside with some poly batting to help compensate.
I went ahead and bought the VW plug (QTY 1 - 8E0-972-714) and VW wires (QTY 2 - 000-979-226-EA) to use the existing plug for quick/clean/easy removal, but you could certainly just cut/splice.
You need 2 sets of connectors for the box since you're running 2 pairs of wires into the speaker.
I added some Velcro in the corners to keep it in place (not shown in image). The Velcro sticks to the stock carpet really well.
HOW DOES IT SOUND?
Great! Much better than stock IMO and for the price, can't be beat. I'm still playing with the levels a bit to get it just right, but overall I have deeper, tighter, and more nuanced notes (the Fender sub seemed to be muddy and one-noted). It's louder too. Before I was +2 or +3 on the factory sub and now I'm at -1.
Some have noted that the speakers tend to improve after a little use, so I'll add some notes if I notice a change in the future.
WHAT I'D DO DIFFERENTLY
1) I'd use 1/2" MDF or 1/2" plywood for the top and bottom and brace the inside (still would use 3/4" for the sides). 3/4" MDF feels like overkill for a box this small and is pretty heavy.
2) If using 1/2" materials, I would've added a 1/2" tall flange to raise the speaker up to avoid needing to router the base.
http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?7603322-Replace-your-Fender-sub-the-cheap-and-easy-way&
That is from an R forum but it applies to GTI's as well. Hopefully this summary will save you some time and answer some questions.
QUESTIONS I HAD
1) Will the hatch deck lay flat? - Yes, but just barely. Don't make your box taller than 4". I wrapped mine in speaker carpet so that added another maybe 1/4" overall.
2) Do you retain your spare tire? - Yes
3) Do you use your factory wiring? - Yes (see info below)
4) Do you need an amp? - No
5) Does the speaker hit anything? - No, it faces down into the spare tire
6) What does it cost? All in I was $146 but you could omit the carpet and VW plug parts and get it down to around $100
WHAT I DID
I built my own box with 3/4" MDF at 24"X21"X4" (outside dimensions) using a shallow mount 10" sub. Even with the shallow mount, I needed to router-out about 3/8" depth from the area below the sub base to get it to fit into the box. A friend's plunge router took care of that. I went with the smaller size so I could keep the "Assistance Kit" below the deck.
Due to the way I wanted to mount this, I put the speaker a little off center so that was still centered over the spare tire.
My interior volume is .63 cu. ft. which is a little below optimal (.7) for my sub, so I lined the inside with some poly batting to help compensate.
I went ahead and bought the VW plug (QTY 1 - 8E0-972-714) and VW wires (QTY 2 - 000-979-226-EA) to use the existing plug for quick/clean/easy removal, but you could certainly just cut/splice.
You need 2 sets of connectors for the box since you're running 2 pairs of wires into the speaker.
I added some Velcro in the corners to keep it in place (not shown in image). The Velcro sticks to the stock carpet really well.
HOW DOES IT SOUND?
Great! Much better than stock IMO and for the price, can't be beat. I'm still playing with the levels a bit to get it just right, but overall I have deeper, tighter, and more nuanced notes (the Fender sub seemed to be muddy and one-noted). It's louder too. Before I was +2 or +3 on the factory sub and now I'm at -1.
Some have noted that the speakers tend to improve after a little use, so I'll add some notes if I notice a change in the future.
WHAT I'D DO DIFFERENTLY
1) I'd use 1/2" MDF or 1/2" plywood for the top and bottom and brace the inside (still would use 3/4" for the sides). 3/4" MDF feels like overkill for a box this small and is pretty heavy.
2) If using 1/2" materials, I would've added a 1/2" tall flange to raise the speaker up to avoid needing to router the base.
.
