I spotted this 1966 Ford Mustang at the Trick Flow booth at SEMA 2014. Nicknamed the KSV9000, it was built by Chris Slee of Kiwi Classics and Customs in Franklin, TN.
Chris is a former New Zealander who has relocated to Tennessee to tinker with building custom cars and projects. The KSV9000 blends classic muscle car styling with modern performance.
As with clothing and music, cars are also subject to generational fads in taste. One of the more popular looks right now is cars that are “murdered out.” This look involves a black car with black wheels and tires, dark tinted windows, tinted taillight lenses, and the removal of all trim, badging, and emblems. This gives the car a sinister look that is very en vogue right now.
This 1968 Mustang GT seems to have been built to rebel against the murdered out look! This car has so much white, it looks like it’s been “Angeled out” (a term I made up just now). But for all its heavenly whiteness, this Mustang can still run with the herd.
From his early days as a designer for Boyd Coddington to the hit TV show Overhaulin‘, it’s safe to say that Chip Foose is one of the most recognized faces in the world of hot rodding. His automotive creations have grown beyond custom cars to include wheels, architecture, and even art!
Whether you love him or hate him, there is no denying that Chip Foose brings a lot of attention to the hobby of custom car building. One of his recent builds was this 1960 Ford Starliner coupe on display at the BASF booth at SEMA 2014.
The whole car looked absolutely flawless in BASF Metallic Grey paint from their Glasurit 90-series. It was wearing a set of Foose Heritage wheels which are 19″ up front and 20″ in the rear. But this car isn’t just a simple respray with some new shoes…it has a big surprise in the typical Foose fashion. Continue reading
Steve Strope of Pure Vision Design was in the spotlight a few years ago with the Martini Mustang. He was back at SEMA 2014 with a real head turner, and quite possibly my favorite car of the whole show! This 1967 Ford Fairlane is called “Black Ops” and it was on display at the Dynamat/Dynamic Control booth in the Central Hall.
The name Black Ops warrants an explanation, seeing as the car is not painted black, but rather, a very pretty blue and gold. The concept for this car was to build an “experimental” racer as it might have been built back in the late 1960s. It is not based on any particular car that actually existed, but sought to recreate a “factory test mule” using period-correct parts and technologies. Continue reading
There was a lot of vintage Ford sheet metal on display at SEMA 2014, and I’m embarrassed to say that this one almost slipped by me! This 1968 Ford Mustang was just steps away from the Mustang at the Wilwood booth, and I almost didn’t see it. This dark green beauty was on display at the Griffin Radiator booth.
Griffin is a South Carolina-based company that has been making performance aluminum radiators since 1981. The 1968 Mustang in their booth appears to be most of the way through a major restoration. It’s common to see cars at SEMA that aren’t quite done yet.
I caught a glimpse of this red hot 1966 Ford Mustang on display at the Wilwood Brakes booth at SEMA 2014. As you can tell, this pony car is healthy as a horse!
This car has been completely transformed from a regular passenger car to a street machine. It was a contestant in the Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational, which took place alongside SEMA 2014 in Las Vegas.
