Go to a local car show and you'll most likely find lane after lane of modded-out vehicles with engine upgrades, body kits and eye-catching paint jobs-but what's that in the trunk? Much to our chagrin, oftentimes it's a lackluster sound system that consists of a couple of cheap subs, possibly backed by obscure components in the doors and a head unit slapped up front. It may fill the requirement of a show, but it's far from show worthy. To be fair, this new Civic had a lot more resources behind it than a typical show car. That being said, it can serve as a model for enthusiasts to up their game. A flashy presentation doesn't have to mean inferior sound.
Promising Beginnings
The story behind this build actually began at the 2004 SEMA show, when Honda Motor Company saw Ryan Shutt's 1997 Civic. The creativity and workmanship in the vehicle prompted them to loan Shutt a new 2006 Civic project vehicle. Excited about the opportunity, Shutt and some friends started scheming up possible designs, only to have to abandon them for something less elaborate-the car was delivered just six weeks prior to the 2005 SEMA show. With engine and body modifications in store, that left only three weeks for the A/V transformation.
Speakers On A Deadline
Shutt hauled the spanking new Civic over to Polk Audio headquarters for the install. Thom Voisinet and Josh Claar spent many sleepless nights toiling away to the fumes of body filler and resin. One of the fiberglass-heavy pieces, the modified door panels, features Polk Audio SR6500 midbasses. After setting them in place, the team discarded the stock grilles and replaced them with black-painted Polk Audio db series grilles. The new grilles show off the drivers' cones.
Other speakers handle the higher end of the frequency spectrum from the modified A-pillars. The tweeters from a Polk Audio SR5250 component set are at top, with mounting rings angled off the plastic A-pillar trim piece. If you've ever wondered how big a mini-volleyball is, just check out the 5 1/4" midranges. Their enclosures were created using the round toy as a form.
Pop the trunk for the last part of the speaker equation. Alpine monitors in the trunk lid dazzle showgoers visually while the sound of pounding bass fills their ears, thanks to a pair of Polk Audio SR124-DVC subs, playing alongside the component speakers. Shutt wanted loud and tight bass from the 12 inchers. They had to be loud enough to overcome car show noise yet also be musical. On top of that, the crew didn't have time to build an elaborate box. The solution was an out-of-the-box enclosure and custom panels to flush it in for a custom, built-in look.
Power Under Glass (Or Acrylic)
Peek through a window under the subs to get a glimpse of what powers the system. Two of the three Tsunami batteries (the third is in the factory engine compartment location) can be seen. Tsunami products are used throughout, from the visible distribution blocks to the less visible speaker and power wires, signal cables and fuse holders. Though you won't see it through the window, other unseen (and unheard, but that's the point) materials include Dynamat Extreme, which smothers most of the vehicle. Under the carpet, Extremeliner keeps things damped as well.
AMPS On Deck
Although Shutt hid the Polk Audio C500.1 amp for the subs and the C300.2 for the rear components, he placed the C400.4 amps for the cabin speakers in sight. Inside or out of the vehicle, you can check them out on the rear deck. Nearby, just under the rear windows, Glen McKinney, who also did the engine modifications and the monitor install on the trunk lid, mounted N/X nitrous bottles to suede-wrapped panels.