Ladies and gentlemen, this is your textbook example of a pro-touring build done right. Start with a classic body style, add modern power and handling, and you’ve got yourself a rockin’ muscle car that turns heads as well as corners.
This 1969 Chevrolet Camaro convertible was built for the Lokar Performance Products booth at SEMA 2013 by Goolsby Customs of Bessemer, Alabama.
Automobile manufacturers typically build two types of cars: regular passenger vehicles and wild, tire-squealing, high-revving performance vehicles. The latter is usually done by a company’s in-house performance division.
Mercedes’ in-house performance division is AMG. BMW has their M division. Over at Chrysler, they have the Street and Racing Technology (SRT) team, which grew out of the original “Team Viper” group that was formed in 1989.
Since its inception 25 years ago, SRT has created high performance versions of many Chrysler vehicles including the Neon SRT-4, the Chrysler 300 SRT8 sedan, and the Ram SRT-10 Pickup. But what if SRT had existed back in the 1960s? What kind of cars would they have built? The guys at HPI Customs in Manitoba, Canada decided to try and answer that question.
On the south shore of Long Island, New York lies the village of West Islip. It was here that William Dzus invented the Dzus fastener in 1932. This unique fastener locks down with a quarter-turn, making it ideal for use in airplanes and hot rods.
William’s son Ted Dzus took the helm in 1964 and ran the company for 23 years before retiring. But Ted isn’t wasting his retirement on the golf course – he’s an active member of the hot rodding community. I had the chance to check out Ted’s insane 1951 Henry J at the 2013 SEMA Show.
When I go to SEMA, I expect to see hot rods that are above and beyond what the average joe is building in his garage. SEMA is sort of like the World Series of Hot Rodding, where the best in the business put their projects on display for all to see. These are guys at the top of their game, building the wildest cars that anyone can dream up.
This car is a perfect example of an “all-star build.” This 1971 Chevrolet Camaro is nicknamed “The ProfeSSor” and was created as a tribute to legendary drag racer Warren Johnson’s pro stock Camaro. The car was done by Lakeside Rods and Rides of Rockwell City, Iowa, with design from Eric Brockmeyer Designs. Dan Weber did the interior and Gemini Technologies did all of the carbon fiber work. The owner of the car is Dave Leisinger of DK Camaros.
Basically, the team set out to build a modern interpretation of a pro stock car. What they created is one of the wildest second-gens I’ve ever seen!
When I think of the San Francisco Bay Area, I think of hippies, hilly streets, cable cars, cloudy days and sourdough bread. The last thing I think of is hot rodding, which I associate strongly with southern California.
But if you venture over to Pleasant Hill, California, a little town in the East Bay area, you’ll find Hill’s Rod and Custom and their amazing 1951 Studebaker woody project. I saw this car on display at the Dynamat booth at SEMA 2013.
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.
