Leading The Way
Back to the front of the cabin, the modified dash holds the Alpine head unit in the factory location. The brain for the IVA-D300 hides in the trunk, along with the Alpine PXA-H701 (which serves as EQ, crossover, etc.) and the Alpine VPE-S431 A/V selector. By SEMA, Shutt and the guys at Polk Audio were ready to unleash their creation. At the show it won the P.A.S. and Dunlop's MAXXED OUT awards. It has also taken home several prizes at Baltimore's World of Wheels show and is poised to win more as it makes the rounds up and down the East Coast. But as a demo vehicle, it's not there expressly to win awards. "I use the system to blow people away at car shows with volume and sound quality," Shutt explains. "I hope I'm doing my part to save the world from the incredibly bad sound that you usually hear coming out of modified cars at shows ... car audio doesn't have to be sloppy bass and shrill treble-you really can make a system that sounds like real music and looks flashy at the same time."
Driver Profile
Ryan Shutt may not own this Civic, but as long as he has it on loan from Honda, the automotive body repair technician is more than happy to drive it out to local shows and photo shoots. "It is very fast, handles like a sports car and sounds way better than 98 percent of the modified cars I've heard." And sound is what drives him. Sure, he loves cars and personalizing them, but ever since creating his first system, Shutt has realized the importance of having music in his rides. That music ranges from hip-hop to metal ("no opera or show tunes," Shutt adds). Thanks go out to the builders and other folks who lost some zzzs to prep the car in time for SEMA. Shutt gives special thanks to Honda Motor Company for "having faith in me to build the vehicle and leave it in my care to promote Honda cars."
Tech
19" x 8.5" Davin Speed S2 wheels215/35R-19 Dunlop SP9000 tiresEibach springs and strutsSPC performance alignment componentsSSBC Force 10 brake systemPrecision Turbo ball bearing turbochargerVibrant turbo piping and intercoolerTop Fuel exhaust systemTop Fuel engine managementTurbosmart blow-off valveTurbosmart e-boost 3-boost controllerNitrous Express nitrous oxide injection system with two bottles