Passion, fanaticism, obsession ... in the world of car audio, we know it all too well. What else can explain $50,000 installations in Pontiac Fieros? It all starts simply enough. You get some new speakers for your daily driver, Fiero or otherwise, and next thing you know you've spent your entire yearly income to get the biggest trophy at every car show you attend. We aren't knocking die-hard enthusiasts. How could we when obsession results in such amazing installs as Sandra Gandara's Jetta?
Gandara and her boyfriend Noe Sanchez dipped their toes into the car show arena a few years ago. Since then they've taken the plunge, aiming for Best of Shows all over the country. After more performance modifications than we can list (we'll do our best in the Tech Box), Gandara brought her Dub over to Kindig-it Design in Salt Lake City, UT. In addition to some fierce ICE, Kindig-it gave the Jetta some new body parts, including custom-built bumpers, side skirts, speed grilles and 4" extension, widebody front fenders with 5" rear fenders. All four doors were chucked in favor of Diablos in front with custom-made gullwing doors for the back. Kindig-it shaved just about everything they could and tossed on an APR carbon-fiber wing with custom brackets.
Look Deeper
No matter how great the body, it's the inside that counts. If you've had trouble believing that in the past, this Jetta might turn you around. With an elaborate system in mind, Kindig-it Design had to lay the proper foundation. To damp down extraneous sound, they covered every interior surface with Dynamat Extreme. The electrical system also needed a boost. Under the hood, the factory battery got switched out in favor of an Optima, with two more lodged in the rear. That still wouldn't cut it for hours on the show floor, so a Stinger power supply was installed, enabling the Jetta to be plugged into a 110-volt outlet.
Cornerstone
With the foundations laid, setting the first stones could begin. A Pioneer AVH-P5700DVD heads the system from where it can't block the air-conditioning vents, the factory dash location. Chosen for its ease of use, the head unit features the first of the install's five screens. Hiding in the trunk, an AVG-VDP1 allows the head unit to display real-time performance data-perfect for riders interested in how the Jetta drives as well as how it sounds. The last accessory is the Pioneer CD-IB100 iPod interface, which is stowed in the glove compartment yet allows the AVH-P5700DVD to control an iPod.
Take 6, Then 4
For speakers, Kindig-it took a simple approach, at least when it came to ordering. Both front and back door speakers as well as the rear fill are Memphis 15-MC60 coaxials. Since the front factory locations provided a front stage that satisfied everyone, Kindig-it recreated them in the new Lamborghini-style doors. They built hardwood plates to accommodate the larger speaker size and depth. For the rear, they fabricated sheet metal pods and hardware to mount them in new gull wing doors. The placement of the pods maximizes clarity from outside the Jetta at shows.
Four 12" Memphis 15-PR124D subwoofers butt up against the new center-mounted rear seat. Kindig-it Designs built the sealed fiberglass enclosure with the exact air space recommended for the quartet. The result is clean, tight and accurate sound. The final pair of coaxials are built into the edges of the sub enclosure in individual fiberglass chambers. This provides extra rear fill for the back seat passenger.