Car Trends Magazine

Johnny Matney fell in love walking to school from his childhood home in Chicago. "I would hear a car go by with a booming system and say to myself, 'When I get my car, I want it to sound just like that.'"

Except he couldn't wait until he got his car. He purchased subs and an amp at age 15, before he had a driver's license or a car to put them in. Matney's car audio dreams became reality before he'd ever turned a key in the ignition.

When Matney started building up his '99 Acura CL, he wanted a simple daily driver. "Coming from a Corvette and a winter beater, I wanted a sport coupe for a daily driver to get rid of the two-car hassle."

After a few simple mods and a mild system install, the competition bug bit him hard. "Needless to say, the idea for a daily driver went out the window." The bodywork and neon orange paint job were done at M&B Auto Body, which was also responsible for the fiberglass audio parts. Xtreme Car Audio in Mt. Prospect, Ill., completed the audio install over a three-month period.

Matney says he chose a Kenwood DDX7017 head unit "because of its flexibility and the good crossover and equalizer options Kenwood builds into their source units."

His front speakers are two Diamond Audio D6 three-way components installed in custom fiberglass door panels. "I chose [the Diamond's] for their clean, crisp sound. It's not a product line you see in most installs." Matney likes the sound so much that he chose Diamond Audio D6 6.500s for his rear speakers, too. The speakers are connected with Stinger Pro 12-gauge wires.

To recreate the booming bass that captivated him as a kid, Matney selected three 12-inch Diamond Audio D6 dual 4-ohm subwoofers. The trio share 3 cubic feet of airspace within the 3/4-inch-thick sealed fiberglass enclosure. The custom fiberglass trunk lid houses three Icon- TV MT743's, plus an Icon camera equipped with night vision.

It takes more than dreams to power a system like Matney's, so he chose Xtant amplifiers for their "insane sound quality." The Diamond Audio components run on a single Xtant X604e amplifier. An Xtant X1001e powers the three subs. The amps are stacked in Matney's trunk because of their 24-inch length requirements. He also used Stinger Roadkill Expert & Overkill sound dampening in the doors, trunk, floor, and roof.

Matney competes in the National Custom Car Association Wild Class and is affiliated with Team EST. What are his plans for the future? "More bodywork and new wheels for 2009. I also want to start promoting the car more at sound events." Sweet dreams, Johnny. (By Alex Cadalso)