Tag Archives: SEMA

Car show

Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) Shows Off at SEMA

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The Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) holds an evening reception during the SEMA Show. And while I enjoy meeting up with old buddies and making new friends, I also enjoy checking out the cars that were handpicked to be displayed at the reception.

A total of six cars and trucks were highlighted this year, so let’s take a look at these beauties.

HRIA – 55 T-Bird

From NASCAR’s” hometown” Mooresville, NC came this 55 Thunderbird in silver hues. A tube chassis mated up to a stock floor pan. It has a Ford Coyote 5.0 L 302 under the hood and Tremec six speed, with Vintage Air Conditioning and nice Halibrand knock off wheels.HRIA 55 Thunderbird

HRIA – 63 Corvette

This convertible Corvette is powered by a Chevy small block 355 with a five speed Tremec. A slick set of Inglese side draft carburetors looked mean and it borrowed some C4 chassis components and a C5’s brake set up. The blue color was an added touch.HRIA 63 Corvette side view

HRIA – 55 Ford

Another Texas build, this one used an Art Morrison chassis and a 528 Boss engine with a TKO 600 transmission. Knock of wheels looked nice with that stance and Gabe’s Interiors did the upholstery.HRIA 55 Ford

HRIA – 59 Rambler

I never get tired looking at this beauty. It was a Great Eight finalist for the Ridler Award in Detroit. The 2 door wagon features a LS small block with Hemi heads and a supercharger. Gabe’s did this interior as well and a Mesa, AZ shop did the work, including over 30 body modifications.HRIA 59 Rambler

HRIA – 70 Challenger

This blue beauty hailed from Mooresville, NC as well and used a 4L60E transmission  with an Edelbrock EFI set up.  Lots of custom work went into shaping those bumpers and changing the rocker panels by lowering them.HRIA 70 Challenger passenger view

HRIA- 69 Chevy C-10

In acknowledgement that trucks can be hot rods and the C-10 is a hot model, out rolled this nice 1969 Chevy. It has a LSX engine (461 ci) with a supercharger and a Tremec six speed. The Roadster Shop supplied the chassis and the owner claims 1000 horsepower with this set up.HRIA 69 Chevy C-10 driver's side

So a nice collection of vehicles helped make for a great evening with the Hot Rodders. They gave out some nice awards and acknowledgements. Can’t wait to meet up with them next year.

So what vehicle struck your heart?

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Car show, Manufacturer news, Uncategorized

Laid Back Hauler

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When I first saw this COE set up as a hauler at SEMA at the Laid Back USA clothing booth I was blown away.  And the more I looked and drooled, the more I liked!Laid Back Garage

Laid Back Hauler

The 47 GMC COE is a real deal patina featured hauler.  The owner of Laid Back USA has a couple of woodies he uses as part of the promotional display but felt like he needed something authentic to haul the classics around in.Laid Back Hualer

Enter this GMC truck that was converted into a car hauler in five short months, just ready for a premiere at our friends at Hot Rod’s Power Tour.  Power Tour DecalI especially likedthe innards were modified to be reliable but the exterior was kept “as is” essentially.

Laid Back Clothing

And since Laid Back USA makes a line of classic car themed shirts, you just knew they had to make a shirt for their hauler right?Laid Back Cool Hauler

Here’s a link to the full article from eBay Motors.

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Car show, Manufacturer news, Uncategorized

Krypton Green 2016 Camaro Is Hypnotic

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Close up of Krypton Green Bow TiesSEMA Show has plenty of amazing new and improved products.  But the one display that kept the crowds baffled was Chevrolet’s floor display of a 2016 Camaro – labeled Krypton Green.  What kept the crowds mystified was a pulsating display of bow ties on the front quarters.2016 Camaro

The display was hypnotic as the bow ties came on and off.  Crowds kept looking for a light source or a projector beam but could not find one.  Lots of smart guys put their hand in front of the body panel thinking they would block the “light”.

Lumilor Paint

But the bow ties were actually layers of paint – LumiLor paint to be specific that glowed as an electric current  was applied to the body panel.Krypton Camaro Bow Ties

This is a neat look but at $80,000 for the effect, might be out of the budget for most folks.  But a great display of undying American ingenuity from Darkside Scientific.

Click here for more details from the eBay Motors blog.

What do you think?  Would you do it if you could afford it?

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Car show, Uncategorized

Jimmie Johnson’s 1971 Corvette

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Jimmie Johnson’s resto-modded 1971 Corvette was featured in the first episode of Jay Leno’s Garage series.  The Corvette is awesome and features some modern technology to back up those classic styling lines of a 71 Corvette.  But we had a chance to see it first at last year’s SEMA Show and the Chevy Media Preview Show.

Jimmie Johnson's 71 Corvette Passenger Side

Jimmie Johnson at SEMA

Jimmie Johnson was present to discuss his modified Corvette in person and it spent the balance of the week as a highlight of the Chevy display at SEMA.

Corvette LT1 Engine

The engine is a stock crate LT1 engine that puts out 460 horsepower and an even more astounding 465 foot pounds of torque.  It was backed up to a 6 speed Super magnum transmission.

Jimmie Johnson's 71 Corvette LT1 Engine

The 71 Corvette rides on 18″ rally wheels and is slowed down by C6 Z06 brakes; six pistons up front and four pistons in the rear.  The interior included black leather and gray suede bucket seats and a three spoke steering wheel.

Enjoy the pictures!  Wonder what the folks from Chevy will bring out to the SEMA show this week/  Look for an update here after SEMA.

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Manufacturer news, Uncategorized

Lingenfelter Car Collection

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The Lingenfelter Company is known for hopping up the Corvettes to boost their power and handling.  As if a C7 Corvette needed anything more?

Next week on the Velocity Channel starting on Monday September 14, 2015 the car show Car Crazy hosted by Barry Meguiar of the car care business fame will look at the Lingenfelter Collection with Ken Lingfelter.

As a recent press release noted, the show will feature an in-depth look at one of the most  outstanding car collections in the world and explore the unique story of the man responsible for this dream garage.

Lingenfelter Collection

The Lingenfelter Collection, assembled and curated by Ken Lingenfelter, owner of Lingenfelter Performance Engineering, is a 40,000-square-foot building filled with over 200 unique and historically significant American muscle cars, Corvettes and late-model exotics, including a Bugatti Veyron, a Lamborghini Reventon and eight Ferraris, including a 2015 LaFerrari.

The Collection’s diversity comes from Lingenfelter’s wide-ranging automotive interests and cars he likes. Corvettes, both old and new, are of course featured in the Collection which includes a ’53 Supercharged Corvette, the first supercharged Corvette, (one of two ever produced and the only one believed to still be in existence); the ’54 Duntov Test Mule, which is considered the first true high performance Corvette as well as Lingenfelter Performance Engineering’s new Level One and Level Two tuned C7 Z06s.

This amazing private collection is not only a showcase of some of the coolest cars ever, but it is also serves a noble purpose – helping others. Lingenfelter uses the Collection as a unique venue for public tours and special events to generate financial support for charitable organizations through The Lingenfelter Foundation. Over the years, Collection events have raised funds for breast cancer, juvenile diabetes, youth organizations and  other worthwhile causes.

As a quintessential “car guy”, Lingenfelter has a deep appreciation for stylish, high-performance automobiles, and he puts that passion into his work as the owner of Lingenfelter Performance Engineering, a leading automotive performance engineering brand with a worldwide reputation for creating performance-tuned GM vehicles, engines and aftermarket components.

Velocity Channel

As usual check your Velocity cable listings for dates and times in your location.  Let us know what you think and if you set up the DVR!

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Car show, Uncategorized

Lace Paint on a 27 Ford Track T

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Here at Route 66 PubCo we love lace paint jobs. Any car show that has a car with some lace paint is worth the trip! We’ll see some at a Goodguys Rod and Custom Show and once in a while at a local event, but this year at SEMA we saw an awesome full on example with an interesting twist.Driver's Side 27 ZFord with Lace Paint

Lace Paint

Lace paint is a dying art form but there are still some old schoolers laying down some lace and painting the cars. Traditionally a lacey fabric would be stretched tight across a body panel, frequently the roof, and the paint sprayed down through the lace. When the paint dried and the lace pulled off, the intricate lace design would remain on the panel. Wicked cool we say.Lace Paint on Ford

At this year’s SEMA Show we saw this venerable 1927 Track T from John Gilbert. The track T was sitting outside the North Hall and plenty of people rushed by in a hurry to see the indoor exhibits and keep their appointments. But they missed a chance to pour over a true legendary car, just taking a break outside. John probably has forgotten more stuff about cool cars than we’ll ever know and he showed his licks on the roadster. Using spray cans from Eastwood he put down this rubberized elastic wrap that was just a temporary paint job on the Track T.

ElastiWrap™ from Eastwood

ElastiWrap™ is a unique strippable rubberized coating that can be easily applied over most surfaces and can remain in place indefinitely or be removed by simply peeling off. It comes in spray cans or in large cans as needed. ElastiWrap is durable and holds up well in the scorching sun. And because it is treated like a paint, it can be any color or tint you desire.27 Ford Front End

The roadster measures just over 12 feet and has a GM crate 350 engine with a TH350 automatic. The car just looks cool.

Gilbert writes for a variety of magazines and the 27 Ford has been featured in several. Here is a short video from Eastwood where John explains the process of painting this wicked lace paint job. What do you think?

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Car show, Uncategorized

Rod Authority’s SEMA Top Six -Our View

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Our friends at Rod Authority picked six cars as their favorite from the recent SEMA Show. That’s the nice thing about car shows, big or small; everybody sees things their way and pick different favorites. We’d be hard pressed to limit ourselves to just five vehicles (or six with a bonus selection).

But if you are going to pick some, we couldn’t argue with some of their selections. Here’s our view of some of their picks.

1935 FordDSCN9215

This sedan was sitting outside and drew lots of glances. From the straight body work to the 306 Ford engine mated to a Tremec six speed, this car was just downright neat. The owner incorporated Inglese electronic fuel injection and it rode on Kugel front and rear suspensions components with coilovers.

Two special items to note about this car. On Friday night’s Cruise it drove out under its own power, which always earns bonus points in our view. Plus that color! While you might label it olive green it actually shows what happens when you change up the base undercoats. This color is actually the result of laying down a House of Kolor Deep BLUE Pearl over black! Nice job guys.

1932 Ford Roadster – Double TroubleDSCN9272

This red beauty was at the Barrett-Jackson booth and came from Ron Pratte’s Collection which sells in Scottsdale next month. It has a 296 ci V8, with a Tremec five speed transmission and a quick change rear end. Pratte’s cars are rarely seen in public so you have to see them when you can.

1942 Willys Coupe – GasserDSCN9430

This brown beauty named “Single Barrel Jack” and featured a 392 Hemi. It had a 411 posi from a 57 Oldsmobile and a blower matched to a Hilborn injection unit. It is styled like a gasser but without an exaggerated lifted front end. So it is a very subtle ride with an awesome paint job. No wonder it was at the PPG Paint booth.

Thanks Rod Authority for your view. So now you have our view and pictures of some neat SEMA cars. What’s your opinion?

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Uncategorized

55 Chevy Shoebox Drag Racer Restored

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It was hard to miss this car hauler and Chevy at the SEMA Show. It was sitting out front, naturally, and drew a good collection of onlookers. Between the gold paint job and some obvious patina, this combo was a natural magnet for car aficionados.55 Chevy and Hauler

55 Chevy Drag Racer

The 55 Chevy is in drag race trim, sporting a front straight axle and a 327 with a Borg Warner four speed with 5.56 gears. Turns out it was bought by the driver, Van Heck, when he was fifteen in 1963. In 1967 it was set up for drag racing with a chrome straight axle.

55 Chevy Right FrontThe interior sports white metallic diamond pleats. Hilborn injection was used for more power and classic Hooker headers were also used. That’s a fiberglass front end to help cut the weight on the shoebox Chevy. The pictures show the extensive amount of chroming that Heck used on this racer’s rear end suspension parts.55 Chevy Rear End

The car raced intermittently until one fateful day in 1976. After breaking the drive shaft and done for the day, and loaded up the car on the hauler. On the way home, the hauler was involved in a crash wrecking the front end but still able to make it home. After that night the car and truck were put into storage.55 Chevy Left Rear

Restoration

Heck died in 2006 and his estate sold the hauler and racer to a gentleman Larry Frees who has gone to great lengths to restore this combination to its glory days. It’s nice to see someone recognize the historical relevance of an “average Joe “Saturday night racer and spend the effort and time to make it right. The parts and workmanship are period correct and Frees even went to the length of having the lettering done by the same gentleman who originally did it.55 Chevy Right Rear

More background on this restoration can be found on Frees’ site.

What do you think? Thumbs up?

 

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Car show, Uncategorized

69 Camaro with a Potent Power Plant

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At the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nevada you get to see all sorts of ingenuity in action. Sometimes you scratch your head and say why, and other times you say why not! Not all the action occurs behind the red velvet ropes at this trade only event. Many great rides are viewed by the public on the sidewalks surrounding the Las Vegas Convention Center. 69 Camaro Side ViewThis white 69 Camaro was found on the sidewalk outside the arena and the first time with the hood down it looked nice but…Camaro 69 Discreet Hood Down

Camaro withTwo LSX Engines

Once the hood went up, so did the horsepower on this monster! Camaro Engine BayThat is not a mirror behind the engine, that’s two LSX engines mated together. That friends, is one fine engineering feat. We’ve seen it done before, but this setup is over the top. Done well and nicely planned out.

1500 Horses for this Camaro

This humble ride was produced by Gary Higginbotham of American V8 Classics and Customs from Alpharetta, Georgia. He mated two 427 cubic inch engines to produce a combined 1200 horsepower. But that wasn’t enough; he added a shot of NOS to each engine for an extra 150 horses on each engine, so totaling 1500 horsepower from this power plant.Engine Close Up 69 Camaro

Keeping it altogether required forged JE pistons, a Comp Cam, a Collies crankshaft and ARP bolts. The smooth white body rests on an Art Morrison frame and the interior pictures show how far into the cabin the second engine rests. 69 Camaro InteriorA automatic transmission, 4L60E, hooks up to a Corvette differential – and for kicks you might as well have a view of that from the trunk, right?69 Camaro Rear Differential

So with the hood down you see a great 69 Chevy Camaro, in bright white paint. A nice car but with no indication of what rests under that hood. Pop the hood up and you are darn sure guaranteed some parking lot on-lookers!

What do you think?

 

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Tool Chest, Uncategorized

Coast Products Flashlights Light the Way

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Coast HP2 FlashlightWhile at this year’s SEMA Show, not only do we get a chance to see some awesome cars and trucks; but can check out in person all sorts of new accessories and American ingenuity. We went down the Las Vegas Strip to the AAPEX Show and checked out a line of knives and flashlights offered up by Coast Products out of Portland, Oregon.Coast HP2 front view

Coast HP2

We got our hands on a small penlight type flashlight, the HP2, and wouldn’t let go. This small flashlight packs a powerful punch in a lightweight package. A single AAA battery powers this beauty to produce a brilliant white light and a variable beam of light. A simple twist of the front cap changes the light from a broad beam to a narrow focus. The rear rubberized push button makes for a simple on/off switch. The flashlight has an o-ring seal to keep it watertight.Coast HP2 vertical view

Coast Warranty

Coast Products offers a lifetime warranty on most all of their items. This flashlight is rated at a bright 68 lumens, is waterproof and the aluminum body can take a licking. (Don’t ask me how I found out!) This beauty is four inches long and comes with a convenient pocket clip. We snapped some photos of this light output projected on a plain piece of white copy paper.Coast HP2 outputCoast HP2 output broad beamCoast HP2 output as a spotlight

You can always tell a Coast Products light as they incorporate a thin red ring in their product line. You can find this light at their website or at a variety of local shops, like Home Depot or even Fry’s Electronics.

Usefulness

This would be a great tool for any technician who often needs to see in dim lighting. While on their website check out their full line of flashlights and lighting packages, including some slick rechargeable lights. You won’t go wrong and you’ll appreciate the difference!

If you have a Coast light let us know your opinion!

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