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November 9, 2009
Last Night in Vegas
By Rob Einaudi
Editor-in-Chief
I went out with John, Jen and Michelle on Thursday night for our traditional post-SEMA Vegas blowout. We started with a ride on the NASCAR roller coaster at the Sahara, followed by a somewhat barfy meal in the casino. Next stop was a huge cheesy souvenir shop (John was hoping to find another Lucky 777 hat, but failed) and then we headed over to Terrible’s for a night of cheap drinks and quality entertainment. Thanks again to John, Jen and Jim for all the awesome blogs, and to Michelle for the great walk-around videos (and Jim, next time you have to go out with us!). And thanks to all the CarDomain members and readers for making this all possible (and sorry the blog comments don’t seem to be working for many of you–we know about it, and we’re working on it). So tune in again next year for another round of SEMA coverage! Oh, and we’ll start our Best of SEMA voting on Wednesday.
Ford At SEMA
By Jen Dunnaway
Editor
The Blue Oval was a major sponsor of SEMA this year, and while their booth was in the same primo spot that it always has been, it seemed that they pulled out all the stops for their display this time around. There was just so much going on here: there was a double Mustang giveaway, including both a 1967 and 2010 GT500; there was an off-road driving simulator that gave you a chance to take the Raptor for a virtual test drive; there was a temporary tattoo parlor where you could get your Ford branding of choice stamped into your flesh; there were interactive demos of Ford engine internals, and display motors ranging from the venerable flathead V8 to the Roush-Yates NASCAR 358; there was the Galpin Auto Sports live build of a ‘69 Mustang, which took place over the course of the show and included installation of a fuel-injected Ford Racing 392 putting out 550 hp. Mustangs were of course huge this year, with the 2010 redesign and all–but there was also a ton of Fusions, Foci, Fiestas, trucks, Lincolns and concept utility vans–and like a lot of the automakers this year, Ford gave a nod to its performance history, including in its lineup such heavies as the GT-40 and the 427 Fairlane Thunderbolt. The booth was overall very splendidly done, and it was always absolutely swarming to the extent that getting decent footage of the booth in its entirety could only be done after hours. Click below the jump for a ton of pics, along footage of both the booth as a whole and the Galpin Mustang build.
Who Still Thinks Vertical Doors Are Cool?
By Jen Dunnaway
Editor
Why, Vertical Doors Inc., of course. The company had a lambo-doored Camaro and Charger in their booth at SEMA this year. As Nelson would say, Ha-ha!
Continue reading "Who Still Thinks Vertical Doors Are Cool?" »
The Hudson Project: A Diesel Powered 1947 Hudson Pickup, Driven by a Quadriplegic
By Jim Brennan
UDMan
How many of you know anything about the Hudson Motorcar Company? Show of hands….. Well, at one time it was the most popular of the “independent” car makers in America. They “stepped out” of the shadows of the others when they introduced the “Step Down” Hudson models in 1948. Before this time, they did produce a conventionally styled car, with a companion pickup truck which was discontinued in 1947. After that little history lesson, I want to introduce you to one of those Hudson Pickups, only radically altered in many ways. Introducing The Hudson Project, at this years SEMA. Read more after the jump!
Vaughn Gittin Jr's 2010 Formula Drift Mustang
By Jen Dunnaway
Editor
I’m one of a number of people who just doesn’t quite get the ‘10 Mustang. It’s not that it’s awful, it’s just that I like the ‘05-’09 better. Well, this year’s SEMA show, with all its awesome ‘10 Mustang builds, has done a lot to help the new car grow on me–and it certainly doesn’t hurt the cause to see one tricked out as a badass drift car. According to the guys at the Falken booth, Vaughn Gittin Jr.’s Mustang is the only 2010 currently in Formula D, and the car is expected to run a full season next year. Under the hood is a Whipple-supercharged 4.6L Aluminator v8 by Ford Racing, putting out 680 hp and 650 lb-ft torque, mated to the same 4-speed gearbox they run in their NASCAR program. I’m thinking that Hankook Camaro had better watch out! See more pics below the jump.
Continue reading "Vaughn Gittin Jr's 2010 Formula Drift Mustang" »
What To Do With Your Garage: ModuLine Garage Cabinets Featured at SEMA
By Jim Brennan
UDMan
So now you own that classic truck, muscle car, decked out bike, or killer SUV, but your garage doesn’t seem to measure up to the car, with dull walls, a lot of spilled paint, grungy floors, and no storage space. Its now time to upgrade the garage… well that’s the general idea of this company, which happens to be at the forefront of one of the latest trends in home ownership. Showcased within all the tools and electronics featured in the North Hall of this years SEMA, this display was a breath of fresh air, and I had to ask why I never thought of it ten years ago. So let’s take a look at how you can create your very own man-cave, in the garage, with the help of ModuLine.
Continue reading "What To Do With Your Garage: ModuLine Garage Cabinets Featured at SEMA" »
November 8, 2009
The 2010 FormulaD Camaro
By Jen Dunnaway
Editor
Well, NASCAR’s Nationwide Series might not be getting a Camaro, but Formula Drift sure is! Check out Grunewald Racing’s new drift Camaro, which will be competing in the 2010 season. It’s running a GM LS-A crate motor with internal mods by Hennessey Performance. Carbon fiber front clip, decklid, and spoilers are by Seibon, and the carbon fiber driveshaft is by PST. Aeromotive handles the fuel delivery, AEM the engine management system. It’s also running Eibach MultiPro R-2 coilovers and front and rear sways. Rubber (you guessed it) by Hankook, and the beast will be piloted next year by Conrad Grunewald. Do you think it’ll have anything for the now-veteran drift Mustangs?
Four-Wheelin' Thrills At SEMA's Off-Road Proving Grounds
By Jen Dunnaway
Editor
There was a pretty cool off-road course set up at SEMA, and I paused to watch some baja trucks ripping it up as I was scuttling between exhibit halls. I loved how a low concrete divider was the only thing separating these monsters from the spectators–too bad that’ll only be the case until the first crowd-flattening episode forces SEMA to put up more lawsuit-proof barriers. Hit the jump for video of the off-road action!
Continue reading "Four-Wheelin' Thrills At SEMA's Off-Road Proving Grounds" »
My Favorite Truck at SEMA: Steve Darnell's 1947 Diamond T (W/ a 1928 Dodge "Diesel Rod")
By Jim Brennan
UDMan
I have been waiting and waiting and waiting for the owner of this rig to show up since I landed in Vegas on Monday. This morning I took the proverbial bull-by-the-horns, and left a note inside the cab, and finally made contact. Introducing the 1947 Diamond T (Soon to be named “Mater”), along with an amazing 1928 Dodge “Diesel Rod”. Read more after the jump!
Big, Brash Monte Carlo Lowrider at House Of Kolor
By Jen Dunnaway
Editor
HoK has always been known for their eye-searing paint schemes, and for their SEMA booth this year, they chose a pretty awesome canvas. The late-70’s Monte Carlo is one of my favorite overlooked classics, and I’m glad we can count on the lowrider and high-riser cultures to make something incredible out of cars that would probably otherwise just be run into the ground as beaters. I loved the classic lowrider metal-flake treatment on this Monte, but there was so much sparkle that it confused the heck out of my camera, which didn’t know whether to barf or go blind–see pics in a variety of different flash modes below the jump!
Continue reading "Big, Brash Monte Carlo Lowrider at House Of Kolor" »
