(WORDS AND PHOTOS BY GREG ROURKE) – This was my first visit to SEMA. I really had no idea what to expect, and I was right. It was huge, wall to wall stuff and people. Bob and I brought our cameras, and expected no more trouble than we usually have with crowd control. We were wrong. Generally one of us asks people to get the hell out of the shot while the other aims and fires. It’s a method that has served us well over the years. Not here. Here it was like trying to herd cats. Brian and Chad were there on move in day, before the floodgates opened. We got there on the first day the show was open, it was a mass of humanity. Noted international wordsmith Bryan McTaggart said trying to shoot photos at SEMA was “Like trying to shoot the family Christmas car photo in the mosh pit at a Pantera concert.” Anyhoo, I put together a few of my faves.
READ ON TO SEE GREG’S FAVORITE STUFF OF SEMA 2014 –
Everyone has seen the beautiful FC Jeep on rubber tracks, didja think it was the only FC in the joint? You thought wrong, this was a finely restored example.
It took a lot of black paint to cover this arrow straight Coupe Deville.
If I understood the show card correctly, what appears to be a 68 Charger is all hand formed and contains no Dodge sheetmetal. It’s six inches wider than a stock Charger. Many “Keep your grimey mitts off the bare steel” signs did no good, it was covered with fingerprints.
A VW bus with 21 windows including the Safari front glass made me want to listen to some Grateful Dead.
Once upon a time you couldn’t get a store bought chopper with a 15 inch wide rear tire. This rigid frame Shovelhead chopper was either a barn find or perfectly executed throwback.
This Pinto was a race car from Day One, and raced in the Trans Am series in the 70’s. Galpin Ford had a nice display.
Here we have a 1955 Chevy hauler with a 55 Chevy gasser payload. The truck had a dolled up, full house 235 Stovebolt Six under the hood, and bias ply rubber all around. It had my home state of Illinois plates, but I have never seen it before.
The day after I collect my Powerball winnings I will be shopping for a 1963 1/2 Ford Galaxie. This one had a mega inch FE big block with a quartet of Webers under the hood, which surprisingly lacked a teardrop scoop..
This Econoline pickup was nicely done.
These Cadillac Sevilles were built on the Chevy Nova platform. This one claiming 800-odd horsepower under the hood.
Well executed 59 El Camino had a nice blend of a vintage Rochester fuel injection and Vette finned valve covers combined with a billet serpentine belt drive and Vintage Air on the small block. Not many 59 Elcos were built, and I think all of them were in Vegas.
Nineteen and sixty Ford was built by Foose, and showed his usual flawless craftsmanship.
Big Pontiac wagon was a 1959 example. Made me nostalgic for the days of family vacations, with us kids on the steel floor of the “way back”, luggage strapped to the roof, and Mom and Dad smoking the whole trip. “If you kids don’t shut up I’ll turn this car around right now!”
Excellent taste. All those would rank up their on mine too. I am really digging that Charger. You should have hijacked the Gold ’55s. I’d help you hide them.
That restored FC is beautiful, well, as beautiful mas an FC can be considered. And I’m with you on the ’63 1/2 Galaxies. One of Ford’s best designs, bar none. The Seville is interesting, although it could stand to be a tad lower and have some nicer wheels.
Excellent choices except wanting to hear the Grateful Dead. That is never a good choice.
No I only wonder what Fitzgerald would pick……
Well, I looked a lot of photos from a ton a sources that covered SEMA and I didn’t see a single Vespa, Pontiac Aztec, or 1980s Chevy Novas so I doubt he would pick anything. 😀
Poor Fitzgerald !!!
The only way to make one any
any worse …
is to put his
goofy ass on one **
No Vespa, but there was a Peel P50.
Nice pics and picks, Greg. How did Brian completely miss the ’55 Chevy truck and gasser?
Love the Pontiac wagon. Some nice pics you have there.
Great choices!