Mk7 Golf R placement suggestions (And should I install the triple, or buy a TX?)

[Tb12]

Hey All,

Have a new-to-me ALP Triple on the way, so need some placement suggestions. Car is in MA, will be driven almost entirely in New England (NH, CT, VT mainly, maybe the occasional trip to ME, RI, or NY). I've heard there's a little DE in MA? So, will 3x RX protect me adequately, or should I drop a bit more cash for a TX and just do it once (and probably wire up the rear as 2X, I doubt I'll ever see DE from the rear as I've been told the vast majority of shots are from the front here).

Here's what I've seen done so far with 2x, I haven't seen a 3x yet. Is there a good way to stick a 3X in here or am I better off keeping a sensor as a "spare" until I can get a second rear sensor set up sometime? Alternatively, I could install an RX until I can get a TX and swap.

Blue - @edconline , @notblake (And others?)
Yellow - @SadisticPatrons

Grill is 32" edge to edge at the middle. Middle of the VW logo is 25" off the ground. The Blue RX sensors have less influence on cooling/airflow as far as I can tell - the intake is hidden above that third line, but it doesn't go all the way to the edge. The yellow sensors would block some airflow to the radiators, but not influence the intake at all. It's possible to move the R badge but not easy, so I'd rather leave it in place.

Ideally I'd love to hide the TX in the VW logo but haven't figured out a good way to do that yet - maybe one of the two options below? I'd get/print a gloss black logo with the center carved out to make it blend in better. This project will take a bit of time though, so I'd likely run with the 2 RX in the meantime (and either run the TX off to the side or just dead end a cable in there for future use)

One additional question - where to hide the box? there's room behind the double-DIN display in the center console that I think would be sufficient, but access isn't great (have to pull a BIG piano black trim piece to get to it).

 

[edconline]

Hey All,

Have a new-to-me ALP Triple on the way, so need some placement suggestions. Car is in MA, will be driven almost entirely in New England (NH, CT, VT mainly, maybe the occasional trip to ME, RI, or NY). I've heard there's a little DE in MA? So, will 3x RX protect me adequately, or should I drop a bit more cash for a TX and just do it once (and probably wire up the rear as 2X, I doubt I'll ever see DE from the rear as I've been told the vast majority of shots are from the front here).

Here's what I've seen done so far with 2x, I haven't seen a 3x yet. Is there a good way to stick a 3X in here or am I better off keeping a sensor as a "spare" until I can get a second rear sensor set up sometime? Alternatively, I could install an RX until I can get a TX and swap.
View attachment 120920
Blue - @edconline , @notblake (And others?)
Yellow - @SadisticPatrons

Grill is 32" edge to edge at the middle. Middle of the VW logo is 25" off the ground. The Blue RX sensors have less influence on cooling/airflow as far as I can tell - the intake is hidden above that third line, but it doesn't go all the way to the edge. The yellow sensors would block some airflow to the radiators, but not influence the intake at all. It's possible to move the R badge but not easy, so I'd rather leave it in place.

Ideally I'd love to hide the TX in the VW logo but haven't figured out a good way to do that yet - maybe one of the two options below? I'd get/print a gloss black logo with the center carved out to make it blend in better. This project will take a bit of time though, so I'd likely run with the 2 RX in the meantime (and either run the TX off to the side or just dead end a cable in there for future use)
View attachment 120922

One additional question - where to hide the box? there's room behind the double-DIN display in the center console that I think would be sufficient, but access isn't great (have to pull a BIG piano black trim piece to get to it).

Mine has been bulletproof here in Edmonton this far, FWIW.
I have a triple in the rear also, RX/TX/RX. IMO, do the same triple front and rear once and be done with it.

No screwing around with wiring more stuff in later, plus you know it’ll be rock solid. Sure it costs a bit more, but add your time only doing the install once into that also.

Edit:
CPU in the center beside the drivers right foot. Pull that panel off, you’ll find TONS of space. Plus, I hope you have DSG, if you do then you have a beautiful unused grommet where the clutch pedal would go, just begging for ALP sensor wires to penetrate it.

 

[IPA]

I’d suggest that if you are willing to spend the money on a couple of TX, go ahead and do so. It makes your setup stronger and you can have peace of mind.

You can stuff the box under the dash somewhere. You don’t really need to access it except for modifying your hardware setup (changing heads, etc.) which is part of installation anyway.

The real question is placement of hifi module which should be in a quick to reach area for fast JTK.

 

[Tb12]

Mine has been bulletproof here in Edmonton this far, FWIW.
I have a triple in the rear also, RX/TX/RX. IMO, do the same triple front and rear once and be done with it.

No screwing around with wiring more stuff in later, plus you know it’ll be rock solid. Sure it costs a bit more, but add your time only doing the install once into that also.

Edit:
CPU in the center beside the drivers right foot. Pull that panel off, you’ll find TONS of space. Plus, I hope you have DSG, if you do then you have a beautiful unused grommet where the clutch pedal would go, just begging for ALP sensor wires to penetrate it.

Thanks! Your install info was super helpful. I'll probably do TX front and 2RX rear for now. I've somehow managed to avoid a ticket in my many years of driving (knock on wood!), so I don't feel the need to be 100% bulletproof to DE when there isn't much around (I *believe* only Boston has it, and there's no real opportunity for rear shots on the only road in Boston I drive regularly)

I am DSG, so I'm looking forward to popping that grommet.

Post automatically merged: Jun 3, 2019

I’d suggest that if you are willing to spend the money on a couple of TX, go ahead and do so. It makes your setup stronger and you can have peace of mind.

You can stuff the box under the dash somewhere. You don’t really need to access it except for modifying your hardware setup (changing heads, etc.) which is part of installation anyway.

The real question is placement of hifi module which should be in a quick to reach area for fast JTK.

The plan is to wire it up to some unused buttons I have in my center console like @larson did here: Splitting my RC M & ALPs
Although I'll probably use the bottom "P)))" button as one of the two buttons since my car doesn't have that feature (yay for weird half-year cars that don't include standard features?)

 

[Tb12]

Ended up buying a new TX sensor and one more RX so I can have some rear protection while I'm at it. Going to try and do the Blue install with stealthed outer heads (I think I can do it without occluding the heads much, with bubbles out so any small amount of occlusion from them being slightly sunken should be minimal or nonexistant (the stealthed install will slightly stick out but not a ton, pending testing of course).

Rear I plan on printing a bracket like this gt4, maybe with a sheet of IR plastic over the heads for extra stealth.