From: poulson@cs.widener.edu (Joshua R. Poulson)
Newsgroups: rec.audio.car
Subject: Volkswagon Fox installs
Date: 12 Oct 1992 09:55:12 -0400
Organization: Widener Univ. Dept. of Computing Services
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: lisa.cs.widener.edu

Apparently I missed a followup to one of my postings asking about my
Volkswagon Fox install. Thanks for J.C. Hamlin for sending it to me.

> just out of curiosity, have you heard of break ins on a fox, all i
> hear about are jettas, although I know no one is safe.

In my area most of the breakins are in moderate range cars (Jettas,
Golfs, Cavaliers, Cameros, Mustangs) since the more expensive ones tend
to be better protected and the cheaper ones (Foxes, Geos, Rice-Burners
of many varieties) tend not to have anything fun in them. I have not
heard of a Fox breakin, but several people have salivated over mine, due
to its modification.

> also, what kind of equipment/speakers have you found that sound good
> in your car?

My first serious system in my Fox had JBL T06 tweeters and JBL T61
midbasses in the doors and a sealed enclosure with a pair of 10" Pyles
in the trunk.

My current system is a great deal more involved.  MB Quart 328CS
three-component speakers in the doors, and two Kicker F-15's and two
Kicker F-10's mounted behind the back seat in in the deck. Rear fill is
handled by an MB Quart 120KX Coaxial set.

Power requirements are handled by an a/d/s/ PH-15.2 for the front set
(2x50w for tweeters, midranges, and midbasses), and Orion 225 HCCA for
the subs (wired for a 1 ohm load, bridged the amp mono for a 1/2 ohm
load, total power is 400w), and a Sony 3520 for the rear fill (2x35w).

Signal Processing is handled by a AudioControl 2XS for the rear fill
90Hz cutiff, and AudioControl 4XS for the front cuts (3.5KHz, 450Hz, and
90Hz), an Audio EQQ for 4 channel, 11 band equalizaation, and a Sony
XE-8 MK II equalizer up front for fine-tuning the tone between discs.

Source equipment currently involved a Kenwood KRC-540 head unit, with a
CD-401 changer.  That will change when the money gets back together... I
really don't like Kenwood that much. 

> ...the car does not seem to sound good without system equalization.

To get a car to REALLY sound good, you will always need system
equalization. Even stock head units have built-in equalization for the
cars they are placed in. (At least, the good ones...)

> I know this sounds nosy, but do you run subs? ive got two tens mounted
> first order in the deck, and am wondering if you have the same rattle
> i do. i think its the ashtray in the back seat rattling. i wish i
> could take the damn thing out, but then id have an empty hole and that
> would be even worse. i cant even isolate the plastic pieces from each
> other due to lack of room.

The places where I got the most rattle were from the license plate, the
passive restraint system and change in my front ashtray. The easiest way
to reduce rattle is to put weight on things that rattle. For the metal
in my trunk a lining of Dynamat worked well. For plastic things like
ashtrays, if you don't want smokers in your car, superglue the thing
shut. :)

> I guess that the resonating frequency of the fox...im guessing at
> about 150hz is what sets the rattle.

There a a few resonances to worry about. There is one at 130Hz that's
fairly wide. One at 80Hz that isn't too bad. One at 55Hz which threatens
to shake the car apart if you don't tighten things down. Below that,
it's pretty smooth, and even smoother if you leave all the windows down
when playing music. :)

Everyone may want to look forward to the complete write-up on this
vehicle when I get organized. Most of the work was done by J.C. Hamlin
at Automotive Sound & Security and some by myself. Right now, I'm
planning out my cosmetic stage... get all that gear to look REAL nice.
:)

Hasta luego, --JRP
-- 
Joshua R. Poulson (NICname: JRP8)          [Joshua R. Poulson@cyber.Widener.EDU]
Systems Programmer, Widener University     [jrp@netman.Widener.EDU]