Dr.Jeff
True Classic
Last week was this year's SEMA Show. I'll try and recall some of the interesting things I came across that might be of interest to our forum members. Really just too much to do it any justice though.
I've always liked the Italian "tricolore" paint accents on some cars. This one is a bit over the top but looked striking in person. It was done with wrap materials. Wrap products were even bigger than ever this year - it just keeps getting better and is growing into a significant segment in the refinishing market. I don't particularly care for the wheels on this car, which is funny because that is what it was there to display (in the wheel company's booth):
On the subject of wheels, Rota displayed another one of their "retro" styles. I do not recall the name of it and I did not have the time to see what sizes and fitments it is available in. But I think it would look good on the X. Very Italian, patterned after a classic:
This Ferrari was a featured display in last year's show, but only shown at the outdoor general area this year. It is a very cool restomod of sorts; lots of modern upgrades and mods (including air suspension). Looks great, and the car hauler it is sitting on was cool too:
Honda always has a large display with plenty of great show cars (as do all of the major car makers). I particularly liked this little guy, very cleanly modified. And complete with a bike engine swap - it's even a Honda in a Honda:
Needless to say there are hundreds of fantastic cars there, and even more that don't inspire me so much (it's mostly domestic muscle car/hot rod stuff). But for the most part it is impossible to get decent pictures of them due to the overly crowded and tightly cramped conditions. The press are allowed access the day before the show opens so you can find better pics online. The few I managed to get were very early in the mornings and at opportune moments when that particular vehicle wasn't swamped. I guess in that respect it is fortunate that most of the attendees are not interested in Euro cars.
After nearly 30 years of attending the show I've formulated a game plan that allows me to focus only on things I am particularly interested in. So there is a lot that I skip in order to just cover the 'good' stuff in the limited 4 day event (way too much to take in over that period otherwise). And most of my time/energy is spent conducting business, researching particular subjects, looking for new ideas to develop products, and catching up with old friends. So I will try and add more bits of information along the way as things come to mind.
I've always liked the Italian "tricolore" paint accents on some cars. This one is a bit over the top but looked striking in person. It was done with wrap materials. Wrap products were even bigger than ever this year - it just keeps getting better and is growing into a significant segment in the refinishing market. I don't particularly care for the wheels on this car, which is funny because that is what it was there to display (in the wheel company's booth):
On the subject of wheels, Rota displayed another one of their "retro" styles. I do not recall the name of it and I did not have the time to see what sizes and fitments it is available in. But I think it would look good on the X. Very Italian, patterned after a classic:
This Ferrari was a featured display in last year's show, but only shown at the outdoor general area this year. It is a very cool restomod of sorts; lots of modern upgrades and mods (including air suspension). Looks great, and the car hauler it is sitting on was cool too:
Honda always has a large display with plenty of great show cars (as do all of the major car makers). I particularly liked this little guy, very cleanly modified. And complete with a bike engine swap - it's even a Honda in a Honda:
Needless to say there are hundreds of fantastic cars there, and even more that don't inspire me so much (it's mostly domestic muscle car/hot rod stuff). But for the most part it is impossible to get decent pictures of them due to the overly crowded and tightly cramped conditions. The press are allowed access the day before the show opens so you can find better pics online. The few I managed to get were very early in the mornings and at opportune moments when that particular vehicle wasn't swamped. I guess in that respect it is fortunate that most of the attendees are not interested in Euro cars.
After nearly 30 years of attending the show I've formulated a game plan that allows me to focus only on things I am particularly interested in. So there is a lot that I skip in order to just cover the 'good' stuff in the limited 4 day event (way too much to take in over that period otherwise). And most of my time/energy is spent conducting business, researching particular subjects, looking for new ideas to develop products, and catching up with old friends. So I will try and add more bits of information along the way as things come to mind.
