Best Custom Cars of SEMA 2010 – Day 1

Posted by pikesan on Nov 4, 2010 in Featured, Shows & Events | 4 comments

SEMA Car Show – Custom Cars that Rocked Las Vegas

Troy Ladd from Hollywood Hot Rods showed strong up in the massive Ford display at SEMA. Ford has the best booth in the central hall overlooking the rest of Hot Rod Alley every year and always has great, new and old. That must be why they featured the vintage 427 SOHC motor in this Brookville bodied 32 Roadster Pickup. Fooled you too! That’s not a cammer motor, that’s Ford racing’s 5.0L “Coyote” motor dressed up and cleaned up to look like my favorite vintage powerplant. Troy’s a wizard at having the cleanest engines showing only minimal signs of the high-tech equipment on board. It’s no show piece either! Look for more pictures of this Raybestos roadster at the Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational.

Straying as far away from the hot rod above as we can, dig this custom Lexus. What’s old is new and there’s no mistaking the hot rod or kustom car influence on this suede painted Lexus. Also note the ground scrapping airride assisted stance and the door handles shaved for the back doors, but not the front. Ultimate comfort and a nod to old school style in a modern car? Approved. Agree?

Back to my sweet spot, “the Rocket” was an instant hit. No need for throw-back cues to racing’s old school here, to me, this is the best of drag racing’s past. Gassers like this Comet with their nose-in-the-air, jacked up stance clearly had no regard for aerodynamic performance… Just drop the hammer on what must be a hard working 289 small block Ford and hold on!

I generally don’t like big wheels on a 60’s muscle or performance car like this 1962 Corvette, but this time it worked! The polished five spokes with red line tires were perfect for the fuelie Corvette with blood red interior and red hood stripes.

I found out this car is owned and built by Bobby Alloway of Alloways Hot Rod Shop. I hear he’s one of the nicest hot rodders you’ll ever meet too!

Easily one of the sexiest cars at SEMA is this 1958 Scarab replica from Brighton Motorsports. It shouldn’t surprise you this isn’t an authentic Scarab. Only three were built; two for racing by Chuck Daigh and Lance Reventlow, heir to the Woolworth’s fortune, then the third was held back for Lance’s daily driver. That had to suck. Not even the retched “only in Las Vegas” carpet design can take away from the gorgeous lines of this car.

Black had to be the dominant car color at SEMA. Call me paranoid, but I think they’re just testing my photo-skillz? Still, I couldn’t resist this blacked-out 2011 Mustang hovering just off the ground in the sprawling Ford display. New Mustangs have a great shape, but done up like this, they’re hard to beat. (Camaro fans, I’ll have something for you too)

How do you know your custom’s low? If you’re down on your knees and you have to duck to look inside, that’s pretty damn low! This right hand drive, completely custom 1959 Cadillac painted by legendary fade painter (artist, magician, legend…) Gene Winfield drew crowds all day long. There’ll be some delicious pinup shots with this car soon and I hope to get my hands on them! If 1959 Cadillacs are your thing, check these out: Elvis II 1959 Cadillac and the 1959 “Custom Restoration” Cadillac.

That just one days worth of custom cars from SEMA 2010 in Las Vegas. Stay tuned for more great show car pictures and some… NOT great cars that made it in too.