At some point every car guy dreams about what he'd do with his future ride if he had the time and money. Some leave it at the dreaming stage while others, like Mike Katz of Las Vegas, dive into it. Katz chose to modify a ride that was bound to stir up some strong emotions (or just puzzlement) among enthusiasts. "Why a Contour?" people commonly ask. But looking at it now, few would get hung up on this custom's average beginnings.
It's a Contour, So What!
By definition, "contour" means, "the lines that bound a body, the outline." After the build, that was all that remained of the old Contour, just the original outline of the humble 1999 Ford Contour SVT it used to be. When we saw this at a show for the first time, our jaws dropped (OK, partly due to the shock that someone would want to heavily modify a Contour).
Money Install
After perfecting the exterior at Musso Motorsports, there was only one way to go on the interior: Steve Platt of Plattinum Audio Designs in Henderson, NV. Known for some of the sickest audio and video automotive concepts--immortalized on movie screens, in die-cast form and rolling on the streets today--Platt took on the car as his first project after his move from SoCal. To begin the long journey, builder and owner sat down to discuss product, function and design. Platt gleaned from Katz what he envisioned for his ride and then did what he does best: He made it happen.
Back to Front
Platt suggested the winning combination of Arc Audio, Accele, Scosche, Xstatic Batcap, Pioneer and Sony products for what would become "Blue Ice." Since the most difficult part of the build would be in the trunk, he decided to tackle it head on. He began by fabricating a false floor out of 5/8" MDF and fiberglass that would essentially house the air suspension system, including the chrome air tank, compressor and valves. It would also serve as the foundation for the acrylic amprack that holds the Arc Audio KAR 400.4 and KAR 900.1D. As the air suspension system wasn't the trunk's focal point, he created an easily accessible and stealth compartment to hold it all.
In the Bassment
Following the sleek look of the amprack, Platt once again married the concept of smooth lines and perfect flow with the sub enclosure. Using the MDF and fiberglass combination, Platt made a three-piece removable enclosure that houses four Arc Audio KAR 12D4's. If you've read our review on the 10" version of this woofer, you know this car isn't just about looks, it's about sound quality, something Katz wanted to achieve right from the start. In addition, the trunk lid contains three 8-inch Accele monitors to watch when standing behind the Contour at shows.
Contoured Console
Incorporating the look of the trunk into the interior was also part of the plan right from the start. Flowing into a center console in the rear seat, the rear deck was remade using fiberglass. It holds two pairs of ARC Audio's KAR 5022 coaxial speakers, identical to the two pairs in the kick panels. Grilles of polished perforated sheetmetal allow low-frequency sounds from the subwoofers in the trunk to pour into the cab. Katz sacrificed space for one more passenger to allow for this crazy console that houses a wealth of goodies.