Category Archives: Car Shows

SEMA 2013: 1969 Camaro Twin Engine

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The guys at American V8 Classics and Customs have come up with a rather unusual approach to making big power. Instead of fitting their 1969 Camaro with a big, powerful engine, they have fitted it with TWO big, powerful engines!

I ran across this car at SEMA 2013 and spent some time admiring their work. What you are seeing is not a mirror: there are two 427cid V8 engines under the hood of this bad boy! The transmission tunnel has been lengthened and extended into the passenger compartment to accommodate the second engine, which is directly behind the first.

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1969 Galpin Mustang Mach IV

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In the city of North Hills, California (a suburb of Los Angeles), there is a very famous car dealership called Galpin Ford. It is famous because it has been the #1 selling Ford dealership in the world for 24 consecutive years in sales volume – an impressive feat! But there is much more to the Galpin story than just selling cars.

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SEMA 2013: 1949 Chevrolet Tin Woody

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Showing up to a car show in a wood-paneled hot rod is like showing up to a bikini contest with a Brazilian swimsuit model. Even if you don’t win a trophy, you’ve already won the approval of everyone else at the show. I imagine that the owner of this 1949 Chevrolet got a lot of nods of approval during the 4 days it was on display at SEMA 2013.

The car was done by “Customs by Kilkeary” from Eighty Four, Pennsylvania. The most striking feature of the car is its beautiful wood finish on the exterior. I can’t even comprehend the hours of sanding and buffing that must have gone into this thing! But I can tell you that it looked absolutely flawless in person.

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1973 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am “KLRBRD”

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It’s hard to look at a second-gen Firebird and not think of “Smokey and the Bandit.” While this car has been forever etched into our memories by the 1977 film, this car is so much more than a movie cliche.

When this car was new, people were worried about Vietnam War protests, the emerging counterculture movement, the start of punk rock, vehicle emissions laws, and The Man taking away their rights. With its Screaming Chicken logo on the hood and its utter lack of subtlety, the Firebird Trans Am is a middle-finger response to the social changes of the 1970s. As long as I’ve got my horsepower, you and your issues can sit on it and rotate!

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2009 Kepler Motion Hybrid Supercar

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When PayPal co-founder Elon Musk launched a new company building mass-market electric cars, he was clever in picking the name Tesla Motors. Tesla was an 18th-century inventor and engineer who was obsessed with the properties electricity. He was a brilliant man who was under-appreciated in his own time, and using his name to sell electric-powered cars is a fitting tribute.

Taking a page from Elon Musk’s playbook, another upstart car company has adopted the moniker of a famous inventor. Meet the Motion supercar from Kepler Motors!

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1967 Chevy Nova “9MIL” by Chris Holstrom Concepts

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From the city of Puyallup, Washington comes this gorgeous 1967 Chevrolet Nova from Chris Halstrom Concepts. It was featured at the Dynomax booth at SEMA 2013.

The car is nicknamed “9MIL” and it’s easy to see why. The black and chrome look gives it a sinister appearance like a firearm, while an LS9 crate engine is chambered under the hood. Just like a handgun, this car packs a punch!

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