Sometimes it's literally a turn in the road or a wait at a stop light that turns ordinary drivers into car audio enthusiasts. Such was the case with Jimmy Mancias. "I was driving a Toyota (back in the day) when a good friend came up behind me and started to jam," he recalls, with more than just a hint of misty-eyed nostalgia. "Nineteen eighty-eight was nothing like it is today." Well put. That was all it took to inspire Jimmy to build a system in his Toyota so long ago and do a little jammin' of his own. Of course, there wasn't the wide variety of electronic equipment available then, and many enthusiasts had to use their own creativity with what was available. But that wasn't the only thing Mancias had to do without. As a young guy he didn't exactly have a lot of financial resources either. Thirteen years later, though, he has found himself with an award-winning, professional-grade mobile sound unit. However, it's not that life-changing Toyota - it's a beast of an entirely different kind.
With money to drop on a sports sedan, Jimmy was taken by the styling, performance, and comfort level of the 2000 Lincoln LS, optionally equipped with a robust 32-valve, 3.9 liter, V8 power plant. While plenty sporty, the Lincoln LS doesn't make as much of a visual statement as, say, an E39 M5. But with the addition of chrome plated 18 x 8-inch Enkei wheels and z-rated tires, the car is plenty aggressive looking.
It is the tunes, however, that will blow any M5 away. If an M5 handles the corners with perfect finesse, this LS handles every octave with exacting playback and sonic impact. Careful speaker placement and tuning of each device ensures a tight system that has proven itself among the heavy hitters in the USACi Pro 601-Up class. In fact, it earned a fourth place finish in the 2001 USACi World Finals.
Of course, there was help getting the LS prepped for such a showing. Teckla Car Audio in Burnsville, Minn., knows what it takes to be competitive in the big leagues, which is exactly the kind of support Jimmy needed to get over the hump. Teckla has a host of award-winning installations under its belt and, considering that they are nearby neighbors to Jimmy's hometown of Proir Lake, Minn., it couldn't have been more convenient.
Laying A FoundationWithout much time to spare (the car was purchased in March, 2001 and the USACi Finals were in November) the car was delivered to installers Josh Hansen and James Erdmann at Teckla for a complete strip-down. The entire interior was treated with Dynamat Extreme sound damping material. During the stripping down of the car, and while combing over every inch with sound treatment, the duo had a great opportunity to develop a mental picture of how the system could be put together. Every car has its own unique set of challenges and the Lincoln LS, even with its largish interior volume (more than the M5), would be no different.
This would also be a good opportunity for Mancias to keep close tabs on every step of the installation from the ground-up, as he would have to be keenly aware of every inch of it in order to get through a professional-class competition.
While ideas were developing, the crew continued its foundation-building with the pre-routing of wire and accessories. Power distribution and signal cable were fished through the car to designated locations. Monster Cable products were used exclusively for power and signal cable. To ensure the electrical system was up to the duty of powering a 1550-watt system the factory alternator was re-worked with a beefed-up stator. To make the best of this high-output alternator and reduce the chance of alternator noise, associated power and ground cable were upgraded as well. Taking the place of the spare tire are three Stinger SP1700 batteries isolated for audio duty only.