Written by Mark Pereira | Photos By John Jackson
The term ‘sport compact’ seems to conjure up images of custom Civics and Integras to many enthusiasts. But who says you need an H-badge on your ride to have fun? After all, building something different is what our
scene is all about right? As an Instructor at the Installer Institute in sunny Holly Hill, FL enthusiast Marcus Prouty certainly knows a thing or two about building hot rides and killer sound systems.
The Installer Institute is home to many top-notch builds… we’ve personally seen (and heard) the great work done by their talented students. The show stopping 2003 Dodge Neon before you is the product of serious dedication and the few minutes Prouty could squeeze in before, after and between classes (which clearly added up over the 5 years or so this project took to complete).
We quizzed Prouty on the choice to transform the once commuter friendly Dodge and his answer was simple, “The Neon is a solid, inexpensive vehicle that offers some great aftermarket parts and potential. Not to mention it really stands out from the other tuner cars on the road around here and I get a kick out of people saying, That’s a Neon?!”
Well, we certainly can’t argue with that and his head turning Neon is sure to get some stares. Starting with performance, Prouty kept it simple with a few modest upgrades in the form of an AEM cold air intake, Borla exhaust, NGK Platinum spark plugs, Magnastar ignition wires and an upgraded Mopar clutch and flywheel set up.
Outside, the full Razzi body kit provides a more aggressive style, along with the custom two-tone paint scheme and a detailed stripe airbrushed to perfection with hundreds of skulls throughout it. The upgraded wheels are 18-inch Kyowa Racing ZR 206 in hyper black wrapped with matching 18-inch Fuzion ZRi tires. Stopping power comes courtesy of slotted EBC performance rotors and pads. To get the perfect stance, Prouty turned to Megan Racing for a set of fully adjustable coilovers and a DC Sports strut bar to dial in a stiffer ride.
The real story starts inside, where Prouty laid out a plan of attack for the custom interior and an audio system he and his students would drool over for years to come. The entire top portion of the dashboard was custom fiberglassed and color matched to the exterior with a pair of JBL GTi 608 Power Series 6.5-inch components molded in. The race seats, pillars and interior panels are wrapped smoothly in suede for a sporty feel.
A Monkey Video MDVDTS 6.5 DVD / CD head unit runs the show up front, feeding several additional Helios monitors throughout Prouty’s multimedia install. When it came to amp selection, a powerful JBL Crown series 1100.1 amp juices the earth shaking JBL P1224 Power Series woofers and a JBL Power Series 300.4 runs a pair of JBL GTO 804 midbass speakers. Rear fill is assigned to a set of JBL 6.5-inch Power Series co-axials.
In order to ensure things run smoothly and perform at the highest of levels trusted Tsunami wiring, interconnections and distribution were used for the entire installation. An Autocraft battery and two additional Shuriken batteries make sure power is never an issue. The fiberglass trunk is a true work of art centered around the JBL Crown amplifer, with a full gaming system, large Helios monitor and loud and clear JBL components.
Just for the record, Prouty is a very hands-on kinda guy and was responsible for all of the impressive car audio installation, interior fiberglass / paint, suede (except the seats), engine upgrades and also installed and painted the body kit himself.
Much thanks go out to Marcus Prouty for sharing his masterpiece with us and he’d like to thank his girl Chrystie for her never-ending support along the way and the many great project partners including Carsponsorships.com, Installer Institute, Metra Electronics, Tsunami, JBL, Kyowa Racing, Megan Racing, and Razzi Ground Effects. This project wouldn’t have been possible without Jason, Joe, Shaun, Gary B, and the many Installer Institute students who helped out.
We always give nuff respect to any enthusiast who’s logged the type of dedication, hard work and cash it takes to build a show car of this caliber and look forward to much more to come from the Installer Institute. If you’d like to learn more. Visit www.installerinstitute.com..
ESSENTIALS
Owner: Marcus Prouty
Location: Holly Hill, FL
Vehicle: 2003 Dodge Neon
ENGINE MODIFICATIONS
AEM cold air intake
Borla exhaust
NGK Platinum spark plugs
Magnastar ignition wires
Mopar clutch and flywheel
WHEELS, TIRES, BRAKES
Kyowa Racing ZR 206 (hyper black)
Fuzion ZRi tires
EBC performance rotors and pads
SUSPENSION
Megan Racing adjustable coilovers
DC Sports strut bar
EXTERIOR
Razzi body kit
Custom two-tone paint scheme
Custom airbrushed skulls
INTERIOR
Custom race seats, pillars and interior panels wrapped in suede
Full fiberglass door panels / upper dash
AUDIO & MULTIMEDIA
JBL GTi 608 Power Series 6.5-inch components
Monkey Video MDVDTS 6.5 DVD / CD head unit
Additional Helios video monitors
JBL Crown series 1100.1 amplifier
JBL P1224 Power Series subwoofers
JBL Power Series 300.4 amplifier
JBL GTO 804 midbass speakers
JBL 6.5-inch Power Series co-axials
JBL Crown amplifer
Tsunami wiring, interconnections and distribution
Autocraft battery
Shuriken batteries (x2)
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