Lupo GTI Build Log - Ascendant Audio, Spl Dynamics, Xs Power. Walled 18s

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2001 VW Lupo GTI.

Kit list,

Alpine 7998R (Old Skool Gem!)

SPL Dynamics ICE-150.4 (Running mids/tweets active)

4x Ascendant Audio 7" carbon fibre Neo Mids

4x Ascendant Audio 1" tweets

2x SPL Dynamics ICE-3500D (1 per sub)

2x Ascendant Audio Mayhem 18" subs

3x XS Power D3100 Batteries

1x 180A Alt

Fitted KW Variant 1s already and will be doing a complete retrim and new seats in this one.

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Totally standard in here.

Feeding through Kolossus Flex 1/0 power cable.

Hard to spot after being covered in copex.

Just see it here. Note, the 1.6 16V GTI models have the battery in the boot, no need to run extra ground off the alt (neg field) as it already has one, though we will to TB3 under here too without the battery link. 1/0 going straight to new alt later with inline fuse.

Next up to deaden the doors.

Silent Coat Extra. Compared to Second Skin D amp Pro

Wires ran for speakers.

1 door done.

Both doors done.

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Next up the roof. After mulling over this excuse for OEM deadning I conceeded that it had to go.

Stuck on with a PU Flex or Tiger Seal substrate. Not coming off, so I guess we'll deaden over that one

Done. Front area got another layer.

No MDF roof. Never done it in any of my builds infront of the B-pillar so we remain Street class Legal. There is some foam to roof action behind the B-pillar as you'll see later on.

Few random shots of the cable runs.. RCAs down the center with some REM and +12v / -ve sense wiresfor accesorries and gauges, speaker wires on the outside edges and power wire along passanger side and utilising panel gaps to keep it flat under underlay and carpet.

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All the wood for the enclosure, cut via CNC machine. There's two of most panels as spares incase of any alterations being required. 25mm MDF.

Measure twice, cut once.. Well thats the idea. Everything gets drawn up and tweaked. Idea is make things go little easier when you work on your own.

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Floor section cut and after set level with few supports begin with the rest.

Sides cut.

Glued and screwed

Lower section primered

Then matt black incase when the sun shines through the limo tint there is no ugly bare MDF.

Top section glued and screwed and dry fitted to check everythings square

Piece 1 of the front baffle offered up and checked for square

Pencil line drawn then chopped.

Lower section moved into the car, not easy!

Working on the port for the top section to be added later.

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Front face offered up

Couple of 45s added

Quick guide made to run router through for clean opening

Run

Same with second baffle (2" baffle)

Marking up for cutouts.

4 passes.

Cutout out

Offered up again to check if the subs fire right at the back of your head for the soon to be punishment!

Ovolo on inner side cutout

1 side

2nd sides

And cos we can on the outside.

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Port divider rounded

Both halfs

Glued and screwed

Internal port rounded

Offered up to the top section of the enclosure

Glued and screwed. Bridge filler also used on all joins. Not to act as a seal but add ever so slight taper than a cold straight join.

All offered up, and needing some tweeks to fit

All metal masked up to avoid resin or expanding foam making permanant contact with surfaces.

Top section rested into the place with PU glue, and left to set over night.

Bridge filler used on seams. Expandy foam used to fill the arch mould, twice and trimmed back and sanded for smooth form then skimmed with bridge filler.

Next up another layer off 1" MDF on the rear of the enclosure.

Maybe its over kill, but couple of screw holes drilled.

Relief cuts to allow bend with the top section of the enclosure

Glue spread

Screwed in place.

Batteries dropped in to check for clearances and room. Fitting the amps in a tiny amount of space is looking more bleak even with me going over dimensions several times.

Edges where the box meets the metal was all masked up, and expandy foamed. The top of the box used 2 of the sub cutouts PU glued to the top of the box, then from top of the metal skin to the top of the cutout was expandy foamed. Foamed down the sides, also masked. Physically this could be removed from the car with probably no sign it ever had a wall. But the way its come out I doubt it will ever be anything but a walled Lupo.

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Time for some seam reinforcements. 400gsm cut to desired lengths.

Double layer on main seams

And over arch moulds

The little bubble is old seat bracket which I didn't chop out, incase wall is removed.. though doubtful!

2 coats of resin. 2 hour break between coats. No glass on any other seams other than joining ones.

Bolts, washers and nuts for terminals

1 side done.

Other side. Just see the expandy to the left in this shot. As a side note, only used 2 cans for the entire build.

Rear side labelled

Both sides done.

Next up PU glue brushed on edges for front baffle to go on.

First baffle already on at this stage, preparing second baffle.

Marked...

Holes drilled..

Glued to keep my bond tite

Before penertrating screws there pilot holed then screwed in like so

Other side.

Done.

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2 sets of AA Havoc Components (Active)

Since Lupos don't have A pillar trim as such, chose the mirror covers as next best place for them. Not on axis but about 20 degrees off. They have a very balanced response and work well both on or off axis, but for this application feel this will give us best of both worlds when open door playing.

Using my Resin mixing sticks are reinforcements with mitre bond

Few holes in the plastic and keyed surface

Bridge filled

Fine filler before starting on the other side.

Not easy to get them bang on perfect but with mitre bond you can offer rings up, measure measure measure.. before you commit to final position

Same procedure, using the mixing sticks (much like jumbo sized lolly pop sticks)

Still utilising all OEM fixing points.

More or less complete, needing final 240 grit rub down.

After offering them up the tweeters ended up being deep and thus not clearing the doors body work, so another 5mm ring added and moulded. This is at 120 grit before finishing till there 240 grit. Sorry not got every pic on this build, my camera goes dulally as you'll see later!

Next up the mids. Came across these door builds whilst looking at another build in the SQ section. Didn't feel like cutting corners but they had the look and position I wanted so went ahead and ordered them. Took 2 weeks to come from Germany. Made entirely of fibreglass with gel coat outer layer.

Took few goes to make them fit till I was happy.

So with our Lupo having electric windows there no need for the indentation for the window winder

Couple of holes for better bite

Bridge filler

Before finishing with body filler.

To remove some of the brittleness and add mass/weight for better midbass/midrange response the back side will have 2mm deadening mat, foam pad much like SS rattle pad.

[**Hollywood**]

Gonna be a sweet box !!