Car Stereo Re-install
Honestly, there was no point in a significant car stereo build for this car. Unlike the hatchback, the boot is almost totally enclosed and is very small, so there is only so much bass you can get outta that space and into the cabin. Plus, what little bass could get past the backs seats has been further blocked by the MDF panels that were installed to house the amps 😂
When the roof is down, it sits on the parcel shelf, creating an even better boot seal and blocking out even more bass. The windbreak stops the wind buffeting back at you from behind but also ensures that any bass frequencies get swept away by the buffeting behind the wind brace. Also, the deep exhaust note is around 80hz and cancels out any bass from the subs when the car is running.
Fortunately, as ITBs sound so amazing, I listen to them and the exhaust popping on the overruns. The stereo system is just an expansive Google Maps speaker.
However, when stationary, it sounds so good, so when detailing, you can stick on your favourite jam on and buff/polish/wax/tire black/glass clean away until the battery is flat and the car won't start, and your are stuck at some show in a field. This small pleasure justified the expensive setup for a while, but since I discovered Beats Fit Pro Air Pods with noise cancelling, which I wear when detailing, I started thinking about how much loss of BHP all that weight was causing.
The setup has changed several times in the car, with various head units and subwoofer amps being swapped out. The most recent upgrade was to remove the Alpine ERA-G320 Sound processor as this unit had shot up in price and was selling upwards of £1500. As I used the car daily and constantly leave it parked with the roof down, the risk was too great, as a forced removal of the unit would ruin the leather dash.
The ERA-G320 is an amazing piece of kit.
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The unit was installed in the slot for the ashtray under the heater controls.
The current setup is:
Apline UTE-92BT head unit
Focal Access 130a 5” front speakers in AudioScape Door Pods
Back in the day, these were the business and allowed you to fit up to 6" speakers. The OEM smaller version below looks nice, but they are like hen's teeth and going for crazy money on eBay with grills.
- Blaupunkt BXQ 320 -4 Channel amp for front & rear speakers
- Alpine BBX-T600 - 2 Channel 300 Watt Amplifier
- 2 x Alpine 10” Subwoofers
There are some Alpine 4.5” rear speakers. They do not do much, really. Just provide a bit of a fill-in noise in the back. I could only fit 4.5 as the electric window mechanism restricted the space.
