1998 Ford Contour - In the Red

This CPA Knows How to Pile Up the Points at Sound Competitions

By Staff

It started with an '88 Mustang. Bob Johann competed with that vehicle for a year before purchasing a Lumina Z34, which was featured in this mag in '96. Then after taking a break from competition Bob made a comeback with this SVT Contour. He's an SQ guy who gears his system for achieving the correct reproduction of music. That's what he conveyed to Ryan Bess and his team over at Car Tunes Professional Installers in Mount Carroll, IL. No frills, no fancy-schmancy excess -- it's all about the sound.

Prior to the install, sound damping from Dynamat was applied in the Contour. It's mostly in the front doors. The rear deck received a small amount to control vibrations when the SPL subs are active.

With the prep work finished it was time for the electronics. In the OEM dash location a JVC Digifine 2.1 KD-SH77 was installed using only the supplied hardware. The signal is sent through to a Precision Power DEQ-230. It's a carryover from a previous system and was purchased in 1997. By design, the EQ panel can be separated from the power supply and chassis that holds it for easy system tuning. The EQ uses an Ethernet cable to allow it to be used while physically detached from the power supply. Nice.

After a little EQ tweaking the signal travels through to the two amps, both Xtant X604's. These are mounted on a 1/4-inch sheet of 6061 billet aluminum that forms the top of the all-aluminum amprack located in the spare tire well in the trunk. The panel employs a piano hinge and when lifted exposes the wiring, fuses, power distribution and the EQ power supply. The top panel is supported when opened by two pneumatic struts taken from a Mustang hatchback. The amps are four-channel amps rated to deliver 75 watts to each of the four channels with 24dB per octave crossovers. The first X604 is positioned closer to the sub enclosure and provides power for the entire sound quality system including the Xtant X1S2.5 component system and a pair of custom built MTX 8" subwoofers. The second 604 operates in two-channel mode, making 300 watts to each of the 12" subwoofers. The front speakers are Xtant XIS2.5's. Total system power is 600 watts into 4 ohms. This is for competition classification. The actual output is closer to 900 watts due to the two-channel configuration of the second X604 amp. Connecting it all is speaker cable from Streetwires.

Bob says a lot of time was spent determining the proper routing of all wires in the amprack to minimize the effects on the wires from opening and closing the rack repeatedly. Aircraft-grade wire guides were used throughout the rack to securely hold all wires in place.

Under the hood, an Optima Yellow Top battery in the OEM spot supplies enough power for the car and the sound system. The power cable is 1/0 gauge from the battery to the fused distribution block in the trunk; and dual 8-gauge cables provide power to each amp. All power and ground cables come from MTX Thunder.

The installation took several weeks, but this was due to the fact that it was worked on just three evenings during the week and on weekends. The total cost came out to only $3,500. Of course this amount would've been higher if not for some supplied materials from Bob's sponsors. Still, it's amazing to see what can be done for a reasonable dollar figure. The results speak for themselves: Bob is the 2003 Spring Break Nationals champion in the Street X 1-600 class. He was the 2002 SLAP champ in his class as well as top finisher in MECA's SQL Master category.

Bob sends out special thanks to Ryan Bess, Toby Taylor and the rest of the crew at Car Tunes; Jason Planck at Mitek; and Chad Vogelsong at JVC. And if you see Bob at a show, ask him to demo the vehicle for you. He's a great advocate for sound quality; and he has the right system to show what kind of sound can be achieved with the right setup.

Driver Profile
Bob Johann may be in the red while driving his toreador-colored SVT Contour, but he's a certified public accountant who keeps the numbers stacked on the black side of the debit/credit sheet when it comes to car audio. You may recall we featured him among the top competitors profiled by Harry Kimura. If you didn't read that, go back an issue to September '03 and check it out. Or we suggest you see the full version of the interview on our Web site. Some of you may know that Bob's been entering sound-offs since the early '90s. Towards the end of the decade he stopped competing and became an SQ judge; but it wouldn't be long before he missed the scene. Today he's an active participant in SLAP, IASCA and MECA events, in the Pro Street and SQL Master categories. He's also a member of Team Xtant. And it all began with attending some shows and subscribing to car audio magazines. (Readers, you too could get sponsorships and have a trick ride if you subscribe!) Levity aside, it has to be said that to be one of the best in any sport or activity you need a focus and a love that is beyond the norm. Bob is that; one of the best. But he doesn't treat his ride like a precious museum piece. It's his daily driver, with over 120,000 miles on the meter. And with audio gear in the trunk he still uses the space to store golf and softball equipment there. No, we don't recommend you throw your cleats, a baseball bat and clubs in with your subs and amps. As for music, Bob listens to everything from Top 40 to big band jazz, as well as orchestral music and the blues; lately he's been hooked on Tower of Power's Oakland Zone. With eclectic taste like that it made sense to add Sirius satellite radio to the car's system. If you're interested in seeing Bob's competition history and a list of his many victories, go to www.sounddomain.com/id/soundqsvt.

TECH BOX
Engine: 2.5L Duratec V6
Engine Mods: Open element intake, Kurtz Kustom Motorsports
Wheels: Konig Imagine, 17x7
Tires: Sumitomo HTRZ II, 215/45/17
Suspension: H&R sport springs and Koni adjustable struts
Aftermarket lighting: PIAA Superwhite headlights/PIAA 510 Superwhite driving lights