1936 Ford Project Part VIII: Sound System

With today's modern street rods, a good deal of time has to be spent on the electrical system, the interior, and the sound system. We were also trying to set a standard with the sound system and interior because we wanted them installed together so they could be fully integrated. Getting the best sound possible out of the interior space meant locating the speakers where they would be effective and work in unison. We had a pretty clear idea of what kind of sound system we wanted, but in today's world of electronics, you have to turn the car over to professional installers for the best results. We contacted Danny Mascari at Soundsations in Newhall, California, and gave him the task of integrating the sound system with the interior. His top installer, Larry Mascari, is also a professional upholsterer, making this a very interesting and appealing project for him.

Danny has been selling and installing autosound equipment for about 28 years, dating back to when the old 4- and 8-track cartridge systems were state-of-the-art. He has also pioneered different installation techniques in a variety of cars. When it came to street rods, he noticed that autosound systems seem to be the last thing of importance. The lack of planning by many street rodders ended up producing a sound system reflecting that level of importance: a stereo system that sounds better off than on. So, when Danny was approached to plan out a system in the '36 For Kicks from scratch, and integrate it into the interior design, he was elated! Here was his chance to show rod builders how important it is to plan ahead.

Quality components are necessary in building a great sound system. Remember, your system is only as good as your weakest link, so try to put emphasis not only on a good AM/FM/cassette and/or CD player, but also on the wiring that connects the system. Also, try to plan speaker placement where the components will work the best, such as tweeters mounted high in the doors and woofers low to the floor. Try to use a little common sense, as well. For those who don't want speakers to show, try to select fabrics that allow sound to travel through. Don't assume that just because you're using fabric in your interior, speakers can be mounted behind it. A fairly easy test before making an installation mistake is to simply bring the fabric to your mouth and try to blow through it. If air travels through the fabric freely, it will also allow sound to travel through it. If the airflow is restricted, the sound will be, too. In that case, plan on using speaker grilles and/or grille cloth that match your interior colors instead.

The idea for this car was to put together a system that would "kick butt," so we talked to our friends at Stillwater Designs for their Kicker products. Kicker is a brand name that's been around for some time now, and has a great reputation for building subwoofers that, well, kick butt. They also have a great lineup of power amplifiers, coaxial speakers, tweeters, and midranges. Kicker by Stillwater Designs became our speakers and amplifiers of choice.

We decided to use two amplifiers in the Kicker lineup, the model 654xi (delivering 50 watts per channel times 4) and the model 1252xi (delivering 100 watts per channel times 2). The 654xi was hooked up to all of the components installed in the doors (consisting of the Kicker 4.2 i tweeter/midrange package and the F6.5 61/2-inch midrange woofer), plus the model 650i 61/2-inch coaxials installed in the rear of the car. The 1252xi was wired to a pair of 12-inch Kicker woofers and the midbass, midrange, and high frequencies going to all of the other speakers.

When it came to the correct car stereo that would complement the Kicker products, we selected the Eclipse system. Eclipse makes top-quality products that sound great, look cool, and last forever. The '36 was outfitted with the Eclipse model 4321 AM/FM/cassette that is designed to control the Eclipse model 5121 12-disc CD changer, which was also used.

In order to make beautiful music flow from the radio to the amp and speakers, Scosche Industries products were selected. Not only do they make the best wiring and interconnect, they have an incredible assortment of sound-deadening materials they call Accumat. Remember when we said that the stereo system is only as good as its weakest link? Well, Accumat by Scosche can be applied to all inside sheetmetal. It's used before the padding, carpets, and interior panels are installed. These "peel-and-stick" materials make your interior dead quiet, improving the sound quality of your system. The complete interior of the '36 was covered with Accumat.

Larry Mascari, master installer at Soundsations in Newhall, California, designed and performed the majority of the work on the '36 For Kicks. Larry's attention to detail is evident in his designing of the door panels and center console. Plus, his expertise in Auto Upholstery made him the correct person to lay out this interior package.

Keep in mind that it's not that hard to plan ahead. Talk to the local autosound specialty stores in your neighborhood before you upholster your car, making sure that your sound system is planned intelligently. Believe us, it'll make those long drives to rod runs more enjoyable than the shows themselves.