Category Archives: Car Shows

SEMA 2023: 1969 Dodge Charger TUSK by Ringbrothers

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One of the most prominent custom car builders at the SEMA Show are the Ringbrothers, Mike and Jim Ring from Wisconsin. They show up not once in a while, but every year consistently with multiple wild custom builds that take advantage of composite materials, 3D printing, CNC machining, and some truly unique design ideas. The Ringbrothers have captured numerous top awards including the overall winner at Battle of the Builders in 2022. For 2023, they returned to the SEMA Show with a completely resto-modded 1969 Dodge Charger nicknamed “TUSK.”

The car is a complete re-imagining of the classic Charger with modern materials and performance. It is not to be confused with the ’69 Charger “Defector” that the Ringbrothers built in 2020. The “TUSK” Charger has a beautiful black and gold paint scheme that really looks great. The paint is BASF’s Glasurit Waterborne and the color is GM WA8555 Black.

Under the hood is an all-aluminum supercharged 426 / 7.0L Hemi V8 “Hellephant” crate motor producing 1,000 horsepower and 950 lb-ft of torque. Just 100 units of this engine were produced as a crate motor. Coupled to that is a Bowler Performance TREMEC T-56 Magnum six-speed manual gearbox with the classic “pistol grip” shifter that the Charger is known for.

The original B-body chassis has been replaced by a Roadster Shop Fast Track chassis. This not only provides a lower stance, it completely strengthens and upgrades the car’s performance and handling to modern standards.

Other improvements include an independent rear suspension, Baer Brakes Extreme 6S six-piston calipers. The car rides on a set of Ringbrothers “TUSK” Edition HRE Wheels which measure 19×10.5 in the front and 20×13 in the rear. The wheels are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires for maximum grip in the corners.


At this point, people have come to expect the very best work from the Ringbrothers. They say that more than 5,000 man hours of labor went into this car. From the sheet metal to the paint work to the engine bay and interior, “TUSK” is a full custom built car done to the very highest standard possible – as only they can do it.

2024 Arizona Concours to Feature ‘The Art of Automotive Design’

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About the Event

January is an exciting time in Arizona, when multiple collector car events converge during “Arizona Car Week.” Automotive enthusiasts gather in the desert to kick off the new year with the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction, RM Sotheby’s Arizona auction, and the Bonhams Scottsdale Auction. A signature event that should be at the top of every list is the 2024 Arizona Concours d’Elegance, which is scheduled for Sunday, January 21, 2024.

The Art of Automotive Design is the theme for the sixth edition of the Arizona
Concours, who partnered with Scottsdale Arts to present this exceptional show and competition, with vehicles carefully curated to impress and excite not only car lovers but anyone who appreciates the beauty of expressive design. Show vehicles are professionally judged with awards presented to class winners, and the coveted Best of Show award.

The acclaimed show and competition returns to the newly renovated Scottsdale Civic Center on January 21st, with 100 rarely seen dream cars and highly valued collector
vehicles dating back to the dawn of motoring, through the Art Deco era, and up to the
coveted super sports cars of more-recent years.

The Best of Show winner for the 2023 event, a stunning 1947 Talbot-Lago T26 Record
Cabriolet with a sweeping body designed by Giuseppe Figoni (shown above), exemplified the elegant automobiles that are seen at the Arizona Concours.

Ticket Information

General Admission tickets for the Arizona Concours are now available online at
ArizonaConcours.com. Single admission currently costs $100 after January 1, 2024.

There are also Concours Plus tickets that include additional features: admission to a
collector car lecture series to be held on Saturday, January 20 (subjects and special
guests to be announced), and early “Dawn Patrol” admission to the Concours starting
at 7 am. Concours Plus tickets currently are priced at $110, increasing to $125 on January 1, 2024.

Proceeds from the Arizona Concours benefit local artists and art programs through its partnership with Scottsdale Arts, one of Arizona’s largest arts nonprofits. Tickets for
the Concours also are available at ScottsdaleArts.org and the box office in the
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts.

Previously held at the Arizona Biltmore Resort in Phoenix, the 2024 Concours will
mark its second year at The Scottsdale Civic Center, a vibrant landscaped space that
recently was extensively renovated.

Entrant Information

Owners and caretakers of special vehicles are invited to submit their cars for entry on
the ArizonaConcours.com website. Fifteen classes have been chosen for the 2024
Concours, and are listed on the website, with awards presented in each class, along
with special awards and Best of Show.

Sponsor Opportunities

Arizona Concours sponsorship opportunities also are explained on ArizonaConcours.com, showing the range of possibilities for becoming a supporting member of this popular and well-publicized event.

 

SEMA 2023: 1969 Chevrolet “Carbon Camaro” Convertible by Finale Speed

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For years, Chris Jacobs co-hosted Overhaulin’ and other shows including “Long Lost Family” on TLC. His passion for cars is well-known to his fans, who have seen him host numerous specials on networks like Velocity and Discovery.

His latest venture is the creative director for Oklahoma-based Finale Speed. The startup was founded in 2022 by JD Rudisill, who has assembled a team of veterans in the automotive world.
Finale Speed made waves in the automotive industry with the introduction of their fully carbon fiber 1969 Chevrolet Camaro, which was a sensation. The car was displayed at SEMA and Barrett-Jackson and was featured on an episode of Jay Leno’s Garage. Following that, Finale Speed announced the availability of a full carbon fiber 1970 Dodge Charger as well.

Now in 2023, the latest announcement from Finale Speed came at the Dynamat booth: they will be offering a 1969 Camaro Convertible as well. All of these cars are available with a full carbon fiber body sitting atop a Roadster Shop chassis. The carbon fiber body has 32 unique pieces and shaves approximately 750 lbs off the weight of the car.
Customers have the option to purchase a body and rolling chassis for $199,000, or they can spec a fully-built car from Finale Speed for $349,000.

We have featured full carbon fiber muscle cars on Generation High Output in the past, like the 1970 Dodge Charger “Tantrum” by Speedkore that we saw at the 2015 SEMA Show. Finale Speed takes it to the next level by offering a more tailored experience. Whether you want a fully completed car or a body and chassis that you can finish with your own powertrain and interior, they can handle it.
The 2023 SEMA Show car in the Dynamat booth was orangey-copper in color with exposed carbon fiber stripes. The car did not have a finished interior so that the Dynamat sound deadening products were visible. The car rides on a set of Chip Foose 18-inch Coronet wheels.

While I can only dream of owning a car like this, I think it is super cool the way that companies are using technology and materials like carbon fiber to make muscle cars that are stronger, lighter, and faster than ever before!

SEMA 2023: 1976 Chevrolet Impala Wagon by 187 Customs

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If you have turned on a TV at all in the last several years, you have probably heard of Shawn Ellington and 187 Customs. They have been featured numerous times on Street Outlaws and Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings on TV.

Based in Oklahoma, Shawn and his team have built the famous 1969 “Murder Nova” that puts down 4-second times in the 1/8 mile and 6-second times in the quarter mile. But we’re not here to talk about the Murder Nova today.
Instead, we are taking a look at the 1976 Chevrolet Impala wagon that 187 Customs brought to the 2023 SEMA Show. I saw the car at the Corleone Forged wheels booth.

Having attended SEMA for several years, I have noticed some patterns among custom car builders. There is no shortage of custom Camaros, Novas, Corvettes and Mustangs at SEMA. Nobody is building anything from the mid-to-late 1970s, or any station wagons for that matter. So it was really different to see something like this.
The car’s metallic green paint with gold grille and headlight surrounds is certainly eye catching! The car is a certified land yacht, measuring in at 228 inches in length. However, this family station wagon has been completely upgraded by 187 Customs into a modern, high-performance machine.

Under the hood is a 5.3L LS “Ruthless Runt” engine from Texas Speed, with a Holley Terminator X-Max fuel management system controlling Deatschwerks injectors and fuel pump. The engine is coupled to a 4L80E transmission with Circle D torque converter. There is a Dynamic Driveline driveshaft connected to a Quick Performance 9″ rear end.
The car rides on QA1 control arms and coilovers with an Accuair Air suspension system. A set of Wilwood disc brakes hides behind the gold 26-inch Corleone Forged wheels.

This is a unique build that really stood out from the crowd at SEMA.

1973 DeTomaso Deauville – The Dollar Store Jaguar

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The iconic Jaguar XJ made its debut in 1968 with the XJ6. The luxury sedan was offered with three engine choices, the 2.8L making 140 hp, the 4.2L making 186 hp, and the 5.3L V12 making 250 hp. The car became an icon with its quad round headlamps and elegant styling.

Just two years later, Italian car maker DeTomaso came out with their own super saloon. The Deauville was introduced in 1970 and was produced through 1985. Keen-eyed viewers will observe the strong resemblance of the Deauville to the Jaguar XJ6. Is it a coincidence that both cars were in production at the same time?

DeTomaso’s car was much more powerful, with a 330 hp Ford 351 V8 engine under the bonnet. The body was hand crafted by Ghia in Italy. DeTomaso’s biggest commercial success was the two-seat Pantera, which saw 7,260 units produced. The Deauville saw just 244 of these cars built during the fifteen year production run. That is not what I would call a commercial success. Still, the Deauville is an interesting car for its rarity. I caught up with this one at the Mecum Collector Car Auction in Glendale, Arizona in March 2023. The car failed to sell at auction and was listed in an after-auction page on Mecum’s website.

To me, the Deauville lacks the style and elegance of the Jaguar. It looks like the imitation version of the Jag that you would buy at the dollar store. The car’s lack of commercial success and obscurity make it an interesting curiosity, but I’d definitely rather have the Pantera.

SEMA 2023: 1961 Chevrolet Impala TymeleSS by Maharaj Customs

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On the surface, the SEMA Show is where people from all corners of the automotive world converge to do business. But we all know why we are really there: to see amazing custom built cars.

Walking the show floow, I came across this incredible 1961 bubble top Chevrolet Impala in the Powerbass Audio booth. The car, which is nicknamed “TymeleSS” was built by Maharaj Customs with custom metal fab by Nickell’s Customs in Lodi, California.
The light minty green custom paint looks fresh and clean, and every inch of chrome was polished to perfection. There are so many custom touches to take in, like the billet hood hinges from Eddie Motorsports.

Under the hood is an LS3 engine with a dual intake setup that produces approximately 600 horsepower. It’s visible through a cutout in the hood that looks absolutely crazy. The car rides on a full custom tube chassis that was made from scratch. It does use Ridetech suspension components and rides on a set of Forgiato wheels.
The white interior really pops thanks to the upholstery by @davescustoms5441 who did the custom seats and carpet. The front bucket seats are 11-way power seats out of a Lexus that have been restyled for this car. An Ididit steering column and custom center console round out the interior.

The audio setup in this car is also very impressive. The stereo was done by Zamz Audio in Visalia, CA using all Powerbass components. There are three XMA 4250 IR 4-channel amps running a pair of L3H horn tweeters and speakers, and a PBX-DSP8 32-bit processor. The bass consists of three XMA 2000.1 Monoblock amps driving three 3XL Powerbass 15-inch subwoofers, all mounted in a custom 2-piece enclosure. This thing will be sounding good at cruise night!
The owner spent 3 years on this full custom build and restoration. Really impressed with this great car from Maharaj Customs!