Hood Ornaments

Hood Ornaments

The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show is not just about wild custom cars and hot rods, it is also a market place for replacement and accessory parts. Let's look at an example. 

   

Early cars had exposed radiators, and in the first decade of the last century (the 1910's), the Boyce MotoMeter Company marketed and sold a patented radiator cap with a thermometer that was visible to the driver. Through the years, exposed radiator caps became more stylized.  

Eventually automotive design advanced such that the car’s hood covered the radiator, but hood ornaments remained as automobile manufacturers’ symbols.  A market was created for the supply of accessory mascots available to anyone who wanted to add a hood ornament or car mascot to their automobile.

Although modern cars no longer have  hood ornaments,  This form of automotive art is still available for the classic car market as displayed at the KNS Accessories booth at the 2019 SEMA show.

KNS offers a complete antique car parts website –check them out at https://knsacc.com/

All photos by the author 

Copper trimmed 1924 T-Bucket

 CFR limited edition copper series 1924 T-bucket 

CFR Performance in Ontario, California built this 1924 T-bucket several years ago and it has appeared in the CFR booth at the SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) show multiple times, the last time in 2016 to introduce CFR’s new LS motor accessory parts line.

This year, the car was updated once again for the SEMA360 'Battle of the Builders' to introduce the company’s new CFR limited edition copper series of LS engine accessories which includes the valve covers, valley plate and intake scoop. 

Check out the full line of CFR copper dress-up accessories at https://www.cfrperformance.com/category_s/49859.htm

Thriller custom from SEMA360

 

Thriller Custom

 

The 1970 Plymouth Sport Satellite nicknamed “Thriller” was built by Randy Weaver of Weaver Customs in West Jordan, Utah and appeared in the SEMA360 virtual Battle of the Builders showcase.   

The top of the 900-horsepower supercharged SRT Hellcat Gen III Hemi V-8 peeks through the hood.  All that horsepower passes through a T-56 manual six-speed transmission and to the rear wheels through a narrowed Ford 9-inch rear end.

The car rides on a Scotts Hotrods independent front suspension and a triangulated four-link rear suspension with a Watt’s link.  Wilwood disc brakes provide the stopping power tucked inside a set of EVOD Industries three-piece wheels wrapped in Mickey Thompson rubber.

JS Custom Interiors in Salt Lake City handled the interior work with Hyde’s leather offset with billet accessories.   The dash is filled with Dakota Digital VHX-1023 instruments and a digital touch screen to run the Kicker audio system. The custom center console houses a Dakota Digital DCC-series controller for the Vintage Air climate package, and custom made billet shifter reminiscent of the Pistol Grip shifter made famous in the nineteen seventies Chrysler Corporation muscle cars.

All photos courtesy of SEMA 

Forgeline RS5 wheel

 

Forgeline RS5 Heritage Series wheels

 Forgeline Wheels introduced the Heritage Series RS5 ‘old school cool with a modern twist’ wheel at SEMA360, the 2020 virtual trade show for Specialty Equipment Market Association.

Designed in collaboration with Roadster Shop, the Forgeline RS5 offers a retro 5-spoke design reminiscent of the iconic 1960s “mag wheel” and even includes the period-matching machined bolt-on “flat cap” center cap to complete the authentic vintage vibe.

The RS5 is a custom, made-to-order, three-piece wheel produced from forged 6061-T6 aluminum centers with heat-treated rim-shells and American-made stainless-steel ARP fasteners. Just like any Forgeline wheel, the RS5 is fully customizable in fitment and finish. The RS5 is available with a flat lip reverse outer in 18 inch, 19 inch, and 20 inch sizes and features a standard powder coated center finish with a polished outer rim.

Check out the entire line of Forgeline Wheels at https://forgeline.com

1971 Plymouth Barracuda custom

 1971 Plymouth Barracuda custom 

This beautiful 1971 Plymouth Barracuda custom was built by Andy Leach and his crew at Cal Automotive Creations in Bennington, Nebraska for owner Kent Matranga was entered in the SEMA360 virtual "Battle of the Builders Contest" presented by the Specialty Equipment Market Association and reached the Top 12 finalists.

Underneath the tastefully modified bodywork painted by Charley Hutton with PPG Paints "Bronze Fire metallic" is the 700-horsepower supercharged Hellcat 6.2 liter Hemi engine hooked to a Bowler T56 six-speed transmission.

The ‘Cuda rides on 18-inch diameter x 8-inch wide EVOD wheels up front  and massive 20-inch diameter by 10-inch wide EVOD wheels in the rear with Baer brakes at all four corners.

Photos courtesy of SEMA

Battle of Builders finalist - 1971 Ford Ranchero

 

1971 Ford Ranchero custom 

Automotive enthusiasts have long debated whether Ford’s Ranchero is a car, a truck or something in between, but this beautifully detailed fifth-generation 1971 Ford Ranchero built by Randy Borcherding, owner of the Painthouse in Cypress, Texas is classified as a “street truck.”  

Designed by Keith Kaucher of Kaucher Kustoms the Ranchero was named one of the top 12 finalists in the SEMA360 “Battle of the Builders” contest.

Powered by a 351-cubic inch Ford Cleveland V-8 engine, the 1971 Ford rides on Schott  'kidney bean' style custom wheels. The Painthouse finished it with  a custom shade from PPG Paints before they shipped it to Stich by Stich Custom Designs in Cookeville Tennessee to complete the interior.

All photos courtesy of SEMA 

eCrate - the future of hot rodding

 The electric future of hot rodding?

eCrate 

At SEMA360, the 2020 virtual trade show for the Specialty Equipment Market Association, Chevrolet introduced a 1977 K5 Blazer converted to all-electric drive. The K5 Blazer-E is a functional proof of concept of the upcoming Electric Connect and Cruise package Chevrolet Performance plans to sell in the second half of 2021.

“As GM introduces a new fleet of electric vehicles, it creates an exciting opportunity to bring EV technology to the aftermarket,” said Jim Campbell, GM U.S. vice president of Performance and Motorsports. “Our vision is to offer a comprehensive line of Connect and Cruise systems from Chevrolet Performance, delivering a solution for every customer ranging from LSX V-8s to eCrate conversions.”

The new K5 Blazer-E retains as much of the stock Blazer as possible and approximately 90% of the new parts installed for the eCrate package are factory components from the Chevrolet Bolt EV. To convert the 19977 K5 Blazer, the team first removed the original 175-hp 400-cid V-8, three-speed automatic, fuel system and exhaust.

The team installed a Bolt EV electric motor, delivering 200 hp and 266 lb.-ft. of torque, paired with a Chevrolet Performance electronically controlled four-speed automatic. The rest of the Blazer drivetrain remains untouched, including the transfer case, driveshaft and axles.

Power is supplied by a 400-volt Bolt EV battery pack with 60 kilowatt-hours of usable energy installed in the cargo area. Using production controllers and wiring harnesses preserves many Bolt EV features, including shock protection, battery heating and cooling, battery-overcharge protection and even regenerative braking.

To prepare for the eCrate launch, Chevrolet Performance is certifying Electric Connect and Cruise installers. Participating Chevrolet dealers and aftermarket companies will receive the training, tools and equipment needed to work with high-voltage systems and charging stations to service customers’ vehicles.

The 60-kWh Electric Connect and Cruise package available in the second half of 2021, will include the 60-kWh battery pack, the DC-to-AC power inverter to drive the electric motor, the DC-to-DC power converter to power low-voltage systems and wiring harnesses, controllers and water pumps for battery heating and cooling.

Photos and build details provided by Chevrolet 

BIGFOOT 20 ELECTRIC MONSTER TRUCK

BIGFOOT 20 ELECTRIC MONSTER TRUCK

Bigfoot 20, the first electric monster truck, was on display at the 2019 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show.

Three banks of 10 ODYSSEY® batteries power the custom electric motor for a total of 360 Volts. There are six additional batteries that power the brakes and steering systems. The 36 batteries weigh over 1,300 pounds minuscule  compared to the vehicle's total weight of 13,000 pounds. 

The car-crushing Bigfoot 20 rides on four 1050/50R25 - 66-inch by 43-inch x 25-inch Firestone radial flotation tires. 

Each of the ODYSSEY® PC1200 batteries weighs 38 pounds and provide 1,200 five-second pulse hot cranking amps (PHCA), as well as 540 cold-cranking amps (CCA), 78 minutes of reserve capacity and 400 cycles of deep cycle capability at 80 percent depth of discharge (DOD).

Bigfoot 20, which uses Ford bodywork and weighs 11,000 pounds originally debuted at the 2012 SEMA show.

All photos by the author 

Toyota Avalon TRD Pro Concept

Toyota Avalon TRD Pro Concept 

The Toyota Avalon TRD (Toyota Racing Development) has been available to consumers since its introduction at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show, and for TRD’s 40^th anniversary, Toyota commissioned Dan Gardner Spec (DG-Spec) (http://www.dangardnerspec.com) the builder of Original Equipment-quality concept vehicles and performance parts to create the Avalon TRD Pro Concept for the 2019 SEMA show.

Many of the parts used to upgrade the Avalon were created by DG-Spec and their partners for this project supplemented by the Toyota parts supply chain.  The 2GR-FKS V-6 engine improved its breathing with the addition of the Burns Stainless cold air intake and exhaust and the OS Giken Super Lock limited slip differential helps get the power to the ground.

Motion Control Suspension supplied the front and rear shocks while Vogtland supplied the springs and Stoptech supplied the front and rear brake packages. The Lacks Custom carbon fiber wheels are fitted with Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar 3R tires.

DG-Spec designed a vented carbon-fiber hood and a custom duckbill spoiler provides 100 pounds of additional downforce at 100 MPH. Through the use of aftermarket components the Avalon lost 150 pounds while it still has all of the factory sound deadening and interior components.   

Check out the Toyota Avalon TRD at your local Toyota dealer today or visit the website https://www.toyota.com/

Dynamat® at the 2019 SEMA show

Dynamat® at the 2019 SEMA show 

The Dynamat®  booth at the 2019 Specialty equipment Market Association (SEMA) showed off two unique and very different builds from opposite ends of the car hobby, both of which used Dynamat®  sound deadening and thermal protection products.

This 1973 Dodge Challenger “resto mod” street rod was built by Steve Strope’s  Pure Vision Design shop for Charles Schwab & Company as a prize for the champion of the Charles Schwab Challenge  golf tournament held in May 2019 at the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. The 1973 model year was chosen to celebrate the year that the Schwab brokerage firm was founded as well as celebrate 2019 as the the 73^rd anniversary of the first Colonial Tournament.

The build which took six months, included the installation of a Mopar SRT-8 392 cubic inch “crate” Hemi engine that produces 485 horsepower backed up by a Chrysler A-727 TorqueFlite automatic transmission. The custom bodywork is finished in Aston Martin Glacier Blue paint with one-off “Schwab” badging. The Challenger rides on B-Forged wheels from Billet Specialties Inc., with the front wheels measuring 18 inches diameter by 8 inches wide with 19-inch diameter by 10-inch wide wheels in the rear.

Gabe’s Customs installed the diamond-stitched white leather upholstery which is accented by Colonial’s trademark Scottish royal tartan on the seats, a tribute to the tartan plaid jacket awarded to the tournament champion. In addition to the 1973 Dodge Challenger, Kevin Na the tournament winner received the iconic 42-inch-tall, 55-pound Leonard Trophy, a jacket and a $1.314 million check. Na gave the car to his caddie Kenny Hams.

The other car on display was this one-off coachbuilt custom known as “Illusion” from Rick Dore Kustoms.  It features a hand-formed aluminum body with suicide doors and a removable lift off top built by Luc De Ley of Marcel's Custom Metal. The car uses a custom Art Morrison 124-inch wheelbase frame and suspension and is powered by a Chevrolet LS-3 480-horsepower engine connected to a 4L60E automatic 6 speed transmission.

The custom grille was built by Pinhead Fabrication and the chrome bright work was performed by Sherm’s Custom Plating. The two tone paint was applied by Benny Flores, while Ron Mangus trimmed the interior.    The car was shown incomplete at the 2018 Grand National Roadster Show (GNRS) and the completed machine made its debut at the GNRS in January of 2019.

 Check out the Dynamat®  site at http://www.dynamat.com/automotive-and-transportation/automotive-restoration

All photos by the author 

Custom Pontiac LeMans at SEMA 2019

"LeMANSter"

Custom Pontiac LeMans 

 

Too often the intermediate size Pontiac LeMans is overshadowed in the automotive world by its muscle car brother, the GTO. This LeMans, built by Blue Sky Performance, displayed out in front of the Las Vegas Convention Center during the 2019 SEMA show sure does a lot to change that commonly-held opinion. 

The “LeMANSter” is powered by a Butler Performance Pontiac 535 cubic-inch all-aluminum crate engine that develops 698 horsepower and 730 foot/pounds of torque beneath a custom flush-mounted functional “Shaker” hood scoop. The exhaust gases are routed through the Roadster Shop “Fast Track” chassis powder coated by Blast Lab in 3-inch exhaust pipes with integrated “Boom Tube” exhaust cut outs.

The interior of the "LeMANSter" is finished in Relicate Millwood leather by Bux Customs accessorized with custom machined trim from EVOD Industries. In addition to the gauge cluster bezel, shifter bezel and “LeMANSter” nameplate in the interior, EVOD provided the front grille insert and rear tail panel molding and taillights.

The car rides on Boze Forged 18x9” & 19x12” “Torque” style 3 piece wheels wrapped in Pirelli tires. Brushed finishes were utilized throughout the build including brushed stainless trim, brushed aluminum and custom brushed nickel trim all done by Ogden Chrome. The "LeMANster" is finished in Land Rover China Black Axalta Chromapremier refinish products.

Check out the builder’s website at https://www.blueskyperformanceandrestoration.com/