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February 18, 2010
Thief Jacks Truck, Decides it’s too Embarrassing to be Seen In
By John Coyle
Deputy Editor
OK, I guess embarrassment isn’t the real reason the thief bailed on this Sierra—the stop sticks probably had more to do with it—but that’s the explanation I like best. The most surprising thing about this incident is that the guy actually took off into the woods and managed to avoid the cops. Seriously, how often do crooks manage to do that? wdbo.com via Jalopnik
January 29, 2010
SEMA Show Truck Craps Out
By John Coyle
Deputy Editor
While it was on the floor at SEMA, all this lifted 4×4 had to do was look burly, which is good. Because when it tried to tackle a tiny little jump, the suspension on the passenger side collapsed completely. What the hell happened here? Did the builders assign that half of the job to their resident stoner? It cracks me up how all the guys kind of meander over with their hands in their pockets—that body language just screams “not my fault.”
January 25, 2010
Chevy’s “Modern” Pickup For 1937
By Sam Barer
Sound Classics
For over ninety years, America has had a love affair with their pickup trucks. Anyone who couldn’t find one when they needed it understands why.
The so-called “era of the modern pickup truck” began when Chevrolet released its more powerful, better designed 1937 models, which added new three-quarter and one-ton vehicles to the line with half-ton and ton-and-a-half offerings. On this rainy day I am driving to see Glenn and Arlis Haley’s 1937 Chevy half-ton pickup truck, appropriately it’s in Chevy’s current half-ton paradigm-shifter, the Avalanche.
Original classic trucks are as rare as a prime-time television drama not about police, lawyers or doctors. Most early trucks sustained abuse serving work duties and found their way to junkyards. Of the survivors, many were converted to hot rods.
You’re unlikely to find a more original example than the Haley’s ‘37. The truck is a Northwest native, originally purchased by a Puyallup man at Sunset Chevrolet in Sumner. It was repainted only once, by Sunset Chevrolet in 1967 in its original blue color. When the owner died in 1978, the truck was willed to an Olympia-area farmer, who owned it until this past April, when the Haleys purchased it.
Continue reading after the jump!
January 14, 2010
Sweet Stretched International
By Jen Dunnaway
Editor
I spotted this burly 6-door Travelall in a parking lot near work yesterday. While the guys at my shop were pretty convinced that this is a home-built custom, there’s some evidence that International contracted with conversion companies to make limited-issue longer-wheelbase vehicles like this one for use as airport shuttles and so on (check out the long International in the background in this still from Harold and Maude). The truck looked to be running some mild suspension mods, with double shocks front and rear, and had a BioDiesel sticker in the rear window. Cool!
November 20, 2009
Best of SEMA: Green Cars
By Jen Dunnaway
Editor
The green category seemed a little subdued this year, and there were a lot of cars we’d already seen during previous visits to SEMA. Still, that didn’t stop us from finding some real standouts in the zero-emissions, electric, hybrid, and alt-fuel divisions–showing that green performance is still alive and well. For one thing, there was the Corsa Motorsports hybrid-electric LMP1 car, which will be running a full series in the American Le Mans Series this year. And the Progressive Automotive X Prize contingent was out in force, vying for the $10 million prize in the race to build marketable ultra-fuel efficient cars–we thought the Saba Motors electric roadster was one of the coolest rides in this section. The LPG-powered ’56 Ford pickup was an absolute knockout with its candy paint, copper-lined engine compartment, and propane-powered 460 big block. That all-electric 1976 Porsche 912 took a more subtle approach to vintage green, looking refined and flawless following its concours-level restoration and EV drivetrain conversion. Then finally there was Factory Five’s new electric hot rod, a total show-stopper that handily lived up to the hype that’s surrounded it in recent months. Vote on your favorite SEMA green car, below!
[slideshow id=3530822107895415368&w=426&h=320]
[polldaddy poll="2279685"]
November 17, 2009
Best Of SEMA: Motorsports!
By Jen Dunnaway
Editor
Ah, motorsports–it’s so much more than racing these days. The motorsports contingent is always huge at SEMA, and it’s one of those categories that can literally go from A to Z: there are so many variations on automotive competition that there’s no way you can expect to capture a representative cross-section. That’s okay–it just allows us to focus on what we find cool, with shameless subjectivity. In the interests of inclusiveness, we’ve tried to hit as many of the hottest motorsports series as our five entries will allow. NASCAR is represented by the new Nationwide Series Mustang, running Ford’s all-new Roush Yates FR9. Then there’s the 2010 Camaro’s debut entry in Formula Drift, which will definitely be on our radar in the coming season. Chris Rado’s insane Time Attack Scion carries the torch for that genre. SCCA is represented, albeit in vintage form, by Bob Boileau’s multiple-championship-winning Civic. And the Traxxas short-course race truck rounds out the motorsports fleet for off-road racing. Um, yeah, we totally skipped NHRA. And a bunch of other stuff. Oh well, time to hit the polls!
[slideshow id=3386706919819370741&w=426&h=320]
[polldaddy poll="2269393"]
November 13, 2009
Best of SEMA: Light Trucks and SUVs
By Jim Brennan
UDMan
After completing my first ever SEMA, Rob gave me the assignment to nominate the five best light trucks and SUVs at the show. Are you kidding me? Trying to choose five out of literally dozens of deserving entries is almost beyond comprehension, but I’ll give it a go. So, here is is my list:
- The Cherry Bomb Dodge D-100
- The 1947 Hudson Project
- The Air-Zenith 6 Wheel Topless Mini Truck
- The 1957 Cool Cam Air
- The Pacific Performance Duramax C-10
Cast your vote below!
[slideshow id=3386706919818900763&w=426&h=320]
[polldaddy poll=2238243]
November 9, 2009
Noktastrophe
By Jen Dunnaway
Editor
Hehe… I’m just going to leave this one alone. The last time we got between a couple of Cali car clubs by making fun of their SEMA rides, we ended up having to shut down the comments and start banning fools. People’s moms got involved. There were a lot of caps. It wasn’t pretty. So I’ll just let the pics speak for themselves. Hey, for what it is, it’s actually really impressive–I thought the captain’s chairs were an especially nice touch. Enjoy!
November 8, 2009
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" »
November 3, 2009
Giant-Ass Rock Crawler in the Mickey Thompson Booth
By John Coyle
Deputy Editor
You want articulation? We got your articulation right here! I walked past the rock crawler in the Mickey Thompson booth like ten times yesterday, and I still couldn’t get over how massive it is. I mean, I’m six three, and it’d be a bitch for me to climb in. It looks like the kind of vehicle wimpy little crossovers dread seeing in a dark alley. More pics after the jump.
Continue reading "Giant-Ass Rock Crawler in the Mickey Thompson Booth" »
