Category Archives: Car Shows

Mr. Gasket 1966 Chevrolet Suburban ‘Lime Crush’

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One of the more eye-catching vehicles I saw at SEMA 2013 was this 1966 Chevrolet Suburban at the Mr. Gasket booth. Nicknamed “Lime Crush,” this vehicle is the perfect southern California hot rod/surf wagon.

This classic Suburban was built by The Roadster Shop in Mundelein, IL. You may remember them as the same guys who built the C1RS Corvette and other fine custom cars. I love their work, and this vehicle is no exception.

Under the hood is a GM ZZ454 crate motor that very likely cost more than my first year of college. Dyno information wasn’t available, but a ZZ454 in stock trim makes 440 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque – which is plenty enough to get things movin’. The whole engine is decked out with Mr. Gasket accessories including carb, intake, valve cover, and exhaust gaskets, Mr. Gasket thermostat, PCV valve, and more.

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1967 Chevrolet Camaro Restomod by Ultimate Auto

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If the above photo doesn’t stop you in your tracks, you had better check your pulse to make sure you’re still alive!

This sizzling hot 1967 Chevrolet Camaro was on display at the BASF booth at SEMA 2013. The car was built by Ultimate Auto in Orlando, Florida. Nicknamed “Ultimate Sixty Seven,” this car looks absolutely stunning in BASF R-M Carizzma “Ruthless Red” paint.

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Ringbrothers 1964 Ford Fairlane 500 “Afterburner”

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There are a lot of hot rod shops all around the country that build show cars for SEMA, but none of them grab attention quite like the Ringbrothers. Based in Spring Green, Wisconsin, Ringbrothers was founded by brothers Mike and Jim Ring.

They’ve made a name for themselves as world-class car builders, and I had the priviledge of checking out one of their creations at the 2013 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. This is their take on a 1964 Ford Fairlane 500, which they have nicknamed “Afterburner.”

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1974 Toyota Corona 2000GT Hardtop Coupe

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While wandering around at Cars and Coffee a few weeks ago, I spotted an odd-looking car with its rear view mirrors attached to the front fenders. “Oh yikes, this thing probably belongs to some weeaboo guy who gets a raging boner from reading his collection of Initial D mangas” I thought to myself. But as I got closer, I could see that this car was not some wanna-be drift machine covered in JDM stickers. No, this car is the real deal.

I’ll admit that when it comes to vintage Japanese automobiles, I know next to nothing about them. However, I know just enough to recognize that this right-hand drive Toyota Corona 2000GT is a very unique automobile here in the USA. Having spent a couple of hours researching mid-1970s Toyotas, I can now proceed to share with you some information about this car.

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1973-1979 Bitter Diplomat CD

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At first glance, I thought this car was a Lamborghini Espada, or some kind of Maserati, or perhaps even a DeTomaso? As it turns out, it is actually a very rare and short-lived car called a Bitter Diplomat coupe.

The idea for this luxury gran tourer came from Erich Bitter, a German racing driver turned entrepreneur. He started Bitter Automotive in the early 1970s and set about manufacturing passenger cars.

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1977 Toyota Corolla SR5 Sport Coupe

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If there is one thing I have learned from watching Antiques Roadshow, it is that you should never try to clean any object that might be old and valuable. In doing so, you may destroy much of the item’s value. The same rule applies to antique guns, guitars, and more recently, automobiles.

Not too long ago, people restored old cars to a factory-new finish in order to make them valuable. Now, the emphasis is shifting towards leaving the car “as-is” and showing its age. People really dig the “patina” look but personally, I never really understood why.

Then I saw this ’77 Corolla, and I think I am starting to understand.

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