SATA Auto Paint Guns – Coolest Displays at SEMA

Sata Spray Guns -Best Product Display at SEMA 2010

How funny is that dude in the reflection?!

At some point walking SEMA, just before your legs give out and you hear a very nearby bar calling your name, there’s always one more thing to draw you back in.  Often that’s a booth babe or some amazing custom car, but sometimes it’s something so creative you owe that vendor a much closer look!

Check this short video from SATA Paint Guns display at SEMA 2010:

See what’s happening there?  The SATA guys put together a fantastic display that included this table of SATA auto guns all following people as they walked by.  A  discretely mounted camera nearby made it all happen… that and some pretty trick controls! How cool is that?! I think most people, like me, didn’t even know they were being followed, but once they saw it agreed. Very cool!

Couple the freaky paint guns with the tried and true hot rods and customs in your booth and you see why SATA had one of the best at SEMA 2010.  The Chip Foose influenced 2010 Camaro SS you might recognize, but have you seen this hot rod before? They guys tell me it’s a 32, 33, 34, 36 Ford Coupe. Confused?

Built by Ken Reister’s rod shop in Littleton, CO (Ken, where’s your website??) this car has over 1000 hand made parts that blend the best of 32-36 Ford Coupes into one incredibly fine package. Hiding under the hood is a Ford SVO 392 running Kinsler fuel injection converted to electronic. Appearantly, the way it burns those skinny rears has to do with it’s nickname, “Lightning Rod”. With two Ridler Awards to his credit and one America’s Most Beautiful Roadster Awards, Ken’s a builder to know and watch.

Along with the hot rods, SATA featured airbrush artists painting live all week. The photo up top is part of this collection.  I want the pin-up model on the “SATA at Bonneville” in the top corner. Two of my favorite things!!

Wrapping up the “Best of SEMA” displays, this was FUN!  SATA has a training program that simulates using their SATAjet 4000B paint gun. That’s me in action showing that I ain’t a painter. I was able to make some improvements on my second test. I improved from a 389 to 501 mostly by controlling the gun distance better… but I watched a dude just before me shoot a week’s highest 689 that probably won a prize or maybe a job somewhere!

I started talking with Director of Sales and Marketing at SATA Tony Larimer who explained some of the benefits of the new SATAjet 4000B and in particular the “RP” or reduced pressure paint guns. They also make an HVLP (High Volume, Low Pressure) paint gun as well, but I wanted to know what would be best for home painters, so we talked about the RP version.

Due out in February, the SATAjet 400oB RP is newer than new, but looks to be worth waiting for. Tony recommended the RP for some solid reasons:

• 17-32 psi max pressure (so no big-time air compressor needed) – Only 10.2 cfm at 32 psi
• The HVLP spray gun is a paint, “Super Saver” where the RP spray gun gives “Super Speed”
• With the reduced pressure at the aircap and advanced nozzle design, this spray gun give you:
  • Transfer efficiency higher than the HVLP 65% rule yet
  • Faster working speed and great atomization – Think “more paint on the panel” not in the air

Sounds good, but it’d be nice to try them both or work out a great how-to for paint. Tony, I’ll be in touch!

So does this get your vote as the best display at SEMA? For more info about SATA paint guns, check out their website: http://www.sata.com

SEMA 2010′s Ugliest Rim – Custom Wheels Rolling Craps

Custom Car Wheel Review at SEMA Show 2010

In my search with pikesan for the biggest custom rims at SEMA 2010, I was struck with horror by the ugliness of some of these wheels. Did something go wrong in the design department? How did so much money go into making such an awful rim?! In Las Vegas terms, these wheels rolled crap dice!

Splatter paint? That fad was SO third grade.

If it were only one color it would look like a gaudy daisy… perfect for a decked out VW. But four colors?

Enter: guy with large truck taking place for small ego. I like stars too… but they shouldn’t be on your rim dude.

These may be custom but that doesn’t mean they’re good looking. We had a general dislike for this uber-ugly Challenger. (At least it didn’t have any LED’s)

PINK! On the right car, these could look pretty cool – the thing is they’ll probably be showing up on a crappy Honda Civic near you.

I actually really liked these on this cool little VW. But again… coming soon to a Honda Civic near you.

Something about diesel and this much shine doesn’t go together… unless you drive a big rig with chrome “Haulin’ Ass” on the radiator grill.

This is beautiful filigree metal work. If I were cowboy-turned-oil-tycoon from Texas maybe I’d pimp out my new Bentley with them. Maybe.  But just wait until I show you the car these wheels went on… train wreck. (Be looking for the article and pictures soon!)

Brand name? STATUS.

Status: the position of an individual in relation to another.

The only way in which these rims would change your status is by making you poorer.

And to show off the new status symbol in use. There’s just something wrong when the tire goes all the way to the hood… isn’t there?

Call me old-fashioned or mean – but these all just seem ridiculous. Does anyone else agree? Disagree? Let us know what you think!

How Big Are Yours? Custom Wheels at SEMA 2010

Searching for the Biggest Custom Rims At SEMA Show 2010

Over the past few years the size of rims and wheels has been getting out of hand. Previously, Craig (known here as “pikesan”) and I generally try to avoid the ginormous wheel and tire section of SEMA – this year we dove right in and went scouting for SEMA 2010’s biggest wheel. Here’s what we found…

Just as we started on our search we ran into this whole wall of rims. Most with a diameter roughly the full length of my arm. Just so ya know – from fingertip to armpit I measure 31 inches.

Then in Giovanna Wheel’s large display were these big guys. Seeing all these rims sitting around, one forgets how incredibly expensive they are. One online source I found to purchase Giovanna rims at quoted a price of nearly $10,000 for a set of 26 inch rims. Ten Thousand Dollars!!! Ten. Thousand. Dollars. What else could you do with all that money? Maybe you could customize your Rolls Royce?

Mini-Me or Mega-Me? Next up we found these classic wire spoke rims. Whether you’re sportin tiny wheels or huge ones for your Lowrider – this company can fill your need!

But wait, there’s more. Not only will these tires bend you over backward and steal your wallet – they’ll rub against your side panels every time you turn!

Wow!! I could barely hold in my excitement when I found this one! It must be about 45 inches wide! I was glad to find that this wheel company had a little humor too when it came to the gigantic wheel diameter that today’s Joe Schmoe Auto Consumer is looking for.

Huge isn’t the only thing pikesan and I saw in the Wheel and Tire section of SEMA 2010… UGLY showed up too – check out these pictures!

I think I’ll keep my 15 inch Moonies for now… all that extra cash will be pocketed for my hot rod engine. What do you think? Are these huge rims all about hype?

Optima “Wall of Power” – Coolest Displays at SEMA

Best Product Display at SEMA 2010

How many different ways can you show a car battery? At some point, are there new ways to show anything?  I could recommend a SEMA babe or a radical custom car in your booth… or of course both!  Optima chose a different path with their “Wall of Power” display and I dig it. It’s a “Best Product Display of SEMA 2010″.

Assembled inside the glass “Power” display were several red top, yellow top and blue top batteries that were all bought back from users and all tested to be in proper working condition. No small feat given the extreme duty these batteries endured!

Shown here is a blue top battery taken straight from the land speed racing effort of the North American Eagle. The North American Eagle is your every day 43,000 horsepower, F104 Jet Chassis and J-79 jet engined rocket ship! The controls, data acquisition and something you might agree is important, the parachutes, are all controlled by a series of deep cell batteries like these blue top Optimas. After the chutes failed at 300mph plus due to the extreme temperatures and vibration, the North American Eagle team switched to Optima Batteries and haven’t looked back since.

Enjoy this “Mega Builders” video about the North American Eagle as it shoots for the land speed record of 763 mph… more than the speed of sound!

Good enough for 700+ mph, I think it’s good enough for your hot rod!

Part 1

Part 2 (sorry about the sound…)

Part 3

Part 4

GearWrench Open End Ratchet- Best New Tools at SEMA 2010

Best New Tools from SEMA 2010

No matter what you’re driving or what your skill level, the right tool always helps get the job done right. Trouble is, you don’t have that tool in your box and your buddy’s sleeping cause it’s 1:30AM and the Goodguys Show is tomorrow!

That’s where GearWrench comes in. I found their booth at SEMA 2010 where they had a simple, but effective display of how their tools can get you out of a jam.

The open end ratchet wrench shown above has the fit-in-tight-spaces of an open end wrench with the convenience and speed of a box end ratchet. In this display (and as you’ll often find working on your ride) the box end wouldn’t work. Ad a ratchet end box on the other side and you’re ready to turn flat-rate time into big money.

(Click on image to see full size)

The next tool is kinda hard to describe which makes it weird that I want it! The box end features a ratcheting wrench, but the twist is how you can reposition the angle of the box end. There’s a push button that locks or unlocks the swivel action to fix the wrench in the position shown.  Then, in the unlock position, (right hand picture) imagine using a push-pull action to work the wrench and loosen or tighten the bolt/nut. (This would be a heck-of a place for a video pikesan!). Ever seen that before?

Hand in the cookie jar syndrome

The next tool is for when you drop something small and typically non-magnetic down a hole that’s too small or too deep for fingers. Or should I just say EVERY TIME you drop something? The picture above shows the how normal pliers work. They’re long enough, but won’t open once they’re down the dark crevasse that holds the irreplaceable part you just dropped. Enter the Double X Pliers from GearWrench.

Look how amazed that guy is! (Hand and hairy arm model is my buddy Kevin)

The Double X pliers have a compound joint, or just say two joints, compared to just one on most pliers, that allow the needle nose part to open a bunch with just a little movement of the grip. It’s a simple kind of, “Why aren’t they all like that?” thing that’s a perfect addition to your tool box.

Need more info? Check out the GearWrench website at www.gearwrench.com. GearWrench also has an “X-Beam” wrench that’s twisted for more leverage and a wobble socket extension that you can lock down to use as a standard extension. That should save on knuckles and lightens the load on your travel tool set, right?

I guess my Christmas list just got a little easier to make… Any other feedback for GearWrench products?

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