Tag Archives: SEMA

SEMA 2024: 1969 Adams Probe 16 Movie Car

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While strolling the crowded halls of the 2024 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, I stumbled upon something truly unexpected: the 1969 Adams Brothers Probe 16. This car wasn’t just another showpiece; it is a time capsule of automotive design and movie history. Parked among rows of cutting-edge builds and custom creations. Though it was half-hidden beneath a car cover, once I spotted the car, it was impossible to ignore.

The Adams Probe 16 is no ordinary collector’s car. According to Bonhams Auction House, it is one of only three chassis ever built by brothers Dennis and Peter Adams. Known for their boundary-pushing designs, the Adams Brothers envisioned the Probe 16 as a glimpse into the future of motoring. With its wildly futuristic body and low slung chassis, the car was designed to be both experimental and provocative.

Of the three cars built, two have been neglected over the decades and are now in need of restoration. The one I saw at SEMA is the most original and unrestored example in existence. A true survivor, it has weathered the decades without being dismantled, modified, or forgotten.

The car made its debut back in October 1969 at the London Motor Show. Powered by a BMC 1.8-liter OHV inline 4-cylinder engine that was tuned by JanSpeed, the powerplant is mounted transversely in the chassis, probably more out of necessity than performance.

But what really cemented the Probe 16’s place in pop culture was its role in Stanley Kubrick’s dystopian 1971 film A Clockwork Orange. Renamed the “Durango 95” in the film, it served as the surreal and sinister mode of transportation for the gang of Droogs led by Malcolm McDowell’s Alex DeLarge. That brief screen appearance made the Probe 16 a cult classic among car lovers and movie buffs alike.

After its cameo in the movie, the Probe 16 spent much of the 1970s and 1980s in Canada before returning to the U.K. around 1990. From April 2019 through March 2020, the car was part of the “Hollywood Dream Machines – Vehicles of Science Fiction and Fantasy” exhibit at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. This curated event featured more than 40 iconic screen-used vehicles from movies and video games. The Probe 16 was a fitting addition, since its radical lines still look more like science fiction than reality, even half a century after its creation.

Seeing this car in person at SEMA was such an unexpected surprise. This obscure, hand-built, British sports car turned movie star was the last thing I expected to see at the convention for aftermarket and modified car parts. The juxtaposition of this artsy, postwar machine sitting among modern custom builds and being used to promote car covers made the moment even more surreal. All I could do was smile and snap some photos before moving on to the next booth, and the next car. You truly never know what you might come across at the SEMA Show!

SEMA 2024: 1973 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am “The Hammerhead”

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With more than 2,000 vehicles on display, the 2024 SEMA Show in Las Vegas was a sea of custom builds and cutting-edge performance machines. One car stood out at the Hot Rod magazine booth in the Central Hall, not just for its aggressive styling, but for the sheer audacity of its engineering. Plus, it’s nickname is “Hammerhead,” so there’s no way I could not write about this car.

This 1973 Pontiac Trans Am isn’t just another restomod car with an LS crate engine (and SEMA has plenty of those!), it is a complete re-imagination of what a classic American muscle car can be in the modern era. The Camerons set out to build the ultimate time attack machine, and from what I saw, they have set the bar extremely high.


At the core of the Hammerhead lies a 400 cubic inch LSR V8 engine from Concept Performance, buried deep under the firewall and pushed 28 inches rearward from its factory position. This all-aluminum beast produces an eye-watering 1,800 horsepower and 1,200 lb-ft of torque, thanks to twin Garrett G35-900 turbochargers feeding a custom LME dual throttle body intake manifold. Fuel is delivered by high-flow Injector Dynamics ID1700 injectors, which ensures the 6.5-liter engine has adequate fuel when the pedal is mashed to the floor.

Backing that engine is a unique transmission: a Reynard Champ Car six-speed transaxle, originally sourced from a 2001 IndyCar. Shifts are handled by a Motec pneumatic paddle system, bringing F1-style responsiveness to the Trans Am platform, which is a sentence I never thought I would hear.


The Hammerhead rides on a full custom tube chassis from Horizon Motorsports, designed to handle the extreme forces of time attack racing. The driver and passenger seats have been relocated 8 inches rearward, helping the car achieve a finely tuned 47/53 front-to-rear weight distribution. Despite its giant engine and massive widebody kit, the car tips the scales at a surprisingly lean 3,100 lbs.

Visually, the Hammerhead is a lot to take in. Every body panel has been reworked for function and aggression, with only the cowl, roof, and original VIN tag remaining untouched. It’s almost a caricature of the Trans Am form, with the exaggerated wheel arches, massive front air dam, and mega wing in the rear. It looks every bit a race car, even standing still on the convention center floor.

What I love about this car (besides the fact that it’s an F-body) is the story behind it. Cavan and Russell Cameron didn’t just build a car, they executed a vision. As a father and son team, they combined decades of experience and passion into a custom car that blends different generations of performance. At SEMA 2024, this car drew a lot of attention from passersby.

The 1973 Trans Am “Hammerhead” is more than just a showstopper. It’s a purpose-built track weapon that shows what’s possible when old-school muscle meets cutting-edge race technology.

For more, follow @horizon_motorsports_llc on Instagram.

SEMA 2024: 1993 Chevrolet Corvette C4 Mercedes Turbo Diesel Swap – Kustom by Keck

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The Malaise Era of 1975 to 1985 was a dark time for automotive enthusiasts. With new emissions and safety regulations from the Federal government, cars quickly got slower, heavier, and uglier.

The 1972 Corvette was rated at a dismal 200 horsepower, while the full-size 1977 Monte Carlo was available with a 140 horsepower 305 V8 or a 170 horsepower 350 V8. The era of the muscle car had come to an end, and a new era had begun that was focused on efficiency, not performance.In an effort to increase the average fuel economy of its fleet, General Motors experimented with smaller engines, turbochargers, and other tricks and technologies to get more MPGs.

With so much attention on smog pumps and secondary air injectors, there was one thing General Motors never built: a diesel-engine Corvette. To do so would be unthinkable; it would be a sacrilege of the highest degree. While there were many prototype and experimental vehicles throughout Corvette’s history, no customer cars ever left the production line with a diesel engine from the factory.

However, Tennessee-based Kustom by Keck has transformed his 1993 Chevrolet Corvette C4 Greenwood Edition into a diesel-powered sports car. I saw his custom Corvette at the 2024 SEMA Show, at the Air Lift Performance booth in the Central Hall.The Corvette’s original powerplant has been swapped with a 1999 Mercedes-Benz 3.0L OM606 turbo diesel engine. It is paired to a 700R4 transmission from Transmission Mafia in Gainesville, Georgia.

This is the kind of weird engine swap I would have loved reading about in Grassroots Motorsports or Car Craft magazine back in the day (after reading about V8 S10 swaps, of course).

The Corvette rides on Air Lift Performance suspension, allowing for adjustable ride height at the touch of a button to achieve the perfect stance.The exterior of the car is a visual blast from the late ’80s and early ’90s, and it’s over the top in the best way possible. The car gives serious Miami Vice vibes with its white wheels and teal and purple custom pinstripe graphics.

Kustom by Keck didn’t stop with the visuals, either. This car is filled with unique custom touches, including a standout set of custom infinity mirror taillights from RetroVette, which provide a high-tech, futuristic flair to set it apart from every other Corvette. Every corner of this C4 has been considered, detailed, and reimagined.

In a world full of LS swaps and carbon-fiber everything, this diesel-powered, 90’s throwback C4 show car breaks the mold and refuses to fit in. It’s more Radwood than SEMA, and I enjoy highlighting custom car builders that do their own thing.

This one-of-a-kind car was recently advertised for sale on social media in June 2025, with an asking price of $15,000.

For more, follow @kustom_by_keck on Instagram.

SEMA 2024: 1959 Chevrolet Apache Pickup by Stafford’s Garage

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The introduction of the Chevrolet C/K series in 1960 was a turning point for pickup trucks. More than 60 years later, the C/K series is still highly regarded by enthusiasts and collectors. But before that was the Task Force line of trucks from 1955-1959.

At the 2024 SEMA Show, nestled among the heavy hitters in the Toyo Tires Treadpass pavilion, I stopped in my tracks to admire this custom 1959 Chevrolet Apache Fleetside nicknamed “Thunderchief.”

This stunning ride was built by Chris Stafford of Stafford’s Garage. Based in Las Vegas, Stafford’s Garage turns vintage metal into rolling pieces of art. With “Thunderchief,” Stafford has raised the bar for what a restomod can be, blending postwar design with modern materials and craftsmanship.

The Apache’s big window cab distinguishes it from the small back window C10s that followed, but it’s the deep, dark gray metallic paint that pulls you in. The color is rich and lustrous, looking elegant in the shade, but sparkling in the sunlight.

Against this moody exterior, the truck has a full custom red interior. I’m talking seats, carpet, dash, door panels, everything! Bits of chrome accents break up the sea of redness.

Inside, every detail is executed with care. The interior maintains the truck’s heritage with new reproduction gauges and an original-style radio. The red leather-wrapped chrome steering wheel with flat bottom is a modern touch in this classic truck interior.

“Thunderchief” rides on a set of 20-inch Raceline billet wheels. The wheels have a slotted design with a polished lip and are color matched red with silver accents.

They sort of remind me of monoblock style wheels on a Mercedes, but with tri-bar center caps. I think these wheels complement the truck’s smooth body lines and aggressive stance. It’s the kind of setup that says this is a show truck, but it can still haul stuff if needed.

One of the standout features of this build is the flawless chrome work. Every piece, from the bumpers to the trim, is polished to a mirror finish. The side of the bed has beautiful chrome and red trim pieces that just work on a 1950s era truck. It’s the kind of meticulous detail that separates good builds from great ones — and “Thunderchief” is firmly in the latter category.

Among the thousands of vehicles at SEMA, only about two dozen have the honor of getting invited to the Toyo Tires Treadpass pavilion. This area houses a curated group of elite custom builds, any one of which could be on a magazine cover. This Apache pickup certainly deserved its place among these special vehicles.

I will keep my eyes out for more vehicles from Chris Stafford and Stafford’s Garage in the future. The craftsmanship and detail shown in “Thunderchief” really shows what they are capable of building, while staying true to the spirit of the original truck.

For more, follow @staffords_garage on Instagram.

1969 Chevrolet Camaro ‘Strode’ by Ringbrothers Debuts at SEMA 2022

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As a seasoned attendee of the SEMA Show for the past 10 years, I have seen dozens of different custom car builders put their own spin on the first-generation Chevrolet Camaro. The 67-69 F-body has been chopped up, remixed, and reinterpreted as a resto-mod, g-machine, pro touring car, and everything else. It would seem that there is nothing left to do with the F-body platform, or is there?

This 1969 Chevrolet Camaro “Strode” from Ringbrothers debuted at the Keystone booth at the 2022 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, along with three other Ringbrothers builds at the show. Like all Ringbrothers builds, the car has a one-word name, which is “Strode” for this car.

The name is a reference to the 1978 slasher movie “Halloween” which stars Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode. A butcher knife emblem with the word “Strode” on it appears throughout the car and is one of many custom touches throughout this build.

The car is much more than a simple restomod, where your local garage drops a crate engine into an old body. This car is a complete reimagination of what a Camaro could be. A staggering 6,500 man hours went into building this one-off car that retains only two parts from the original car – two pieces of side glass.

Though it looks like a Camaro, the car’s body is made of 100% carbon fiber. The Ringbrothers have done full carbon fiber cars before, such as their 2015 build of a 1965 Ford Mustang “Espionage.” The Strode Camaro is the latest high-end build from the brothers to use the extremely strong and light weight material.

Furthermore, the car’s proportions have been stretched and pulled – the body is five inches wider in the rear and three inches wider up front. The rocker panels were lowered, the center of the roof has been recessed, and the hood is longer and reshaped. The front and rear bumpers, diffusers, valences, and spoiler are also made from carbon fiber. The car is painted with BASF Glasurit Ghost White paint, except for the hood, roof, and A-pillars which are black. It’s an insane build from tip to tail, and that’s just the body of the car!

Under the hood is a Wegner Motorsports LS3 V8 engine with a Whipple supercharger that produces a healthy 1,010 horsepower. The engine is painted orange and really pops in the all-white engine bay, where all of the wires and hoses have been concealed. a Holley Dominator EFI system delivers fuel to the thirsty beast of a motor.

Power is routed through a Bowler Tremec T-56 six speed manual gearbox and into a 9-inch rear end from John’s Industries. A carbon fiber driveshaft from QA1 is another modern touch on this muscle car.

A custom Ringbrothers exhaust with Flowmaster Super 44 mufflers ensures the proper sound when the accelerator pedal is mashed.
The car’s handling has been vastly improved with a hydroformed subframe from Detroit Speed Engineering. A Fast Track front suspension and independent rear suspension from Roadster Shop bring modern handling and driveability to the Camaro, while QA1 Mod series coilovers absorb the bumps.

The car rides on Ringbrothers’ signature five-spoke G-CODE wheels, which they developed with HRE Wheels. They measure 19×11 in the front and 20×12.5 in the rear and are wrapped in a set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S high-performance tires.

Bringing everything to a stop is a Baer Brakes 6-piston disc brake system, with an E-Stopp emergency brake.
The car has a full custom interior and dashboard by Steve Pearson at Upholstery Unlimited in Clinton, IA. The custom dashboard, center console, bucket seats, and door panels are all done in saddle tan with custom stitching. The rear seat has been deleted, reducing the car’s overall weight.

Driver comforts include Dakota Digital gauges, a Vintage Air Gen IV HVAC system, and a Kenwood stereo with JL Audio sound system.

The car is full of custom touches including many billet machined and 3D printed parts. A careful eye will observe the knife-shaped recess in the front fenders, the trick custom taillights, the trunk-mounted fuel door, custom center-exit exhaust, and many other changes from the original Camaro.

While I thought I had seen it all when it comes to early Camaros, the Ringbrothers from Wisconsin have shown that there is still plenty of imagination left in the world with their customized 1969 Chevrolet Camaro.

1969 Mustang Mach 1 ‘Patriarc’ by Ringbrothers Debuts at SEMA 2022

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One of my favorite custom car shops is the Wisconsin-based duo of Mike and Jim Ring, and their shop Ringbrothers.

The brothers made their debut at the 2005 SEMA Show, and in 2006 captured the Mothers’ Polish award for their customized 1967 Mustang nicknamed “Reactor.” In 2014 they won a Chevrolet Best of Show award for their 1966 Chevelle “Recoil.”

The shop builds one to two cars per year, which are highly customized with one-off parts. What sets them apart from other builders is their attention to detail, and their impressive ability to manufacture custom parts using everything from carbon fiber to 3D printing to CNC machining.

Since 2005, their custom car shop has expanded as a parts supplier of high quality hood hinges, door handles, hinges, and other hardware.After sitting out the 2020 and 2021 SEMA shows, the Ringbrothers returned to SEMA 2022 in a big way, with four full custom builds on display throughout the show.

One project that caught my eye was the 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 “Patriarc” which was on display at the Centerforce booth. The car starts with the 580-horsepower 5.2L V8 “Aluminator” crate engine from Ford Performance, coupled to a Bowler Tremec T-56 Magnum six-speed manual gearbox and a Strange Engineering 9-inch rear end.

The car rides on a set of Ringbrothers signature G-Code wheels that were developed with HRE for the G-Code Camaro in 2016. The wheels are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires. Handling is vastly improved thanks to an independent front and rear suspension using Roadster Shop Fast Track components with Penske Racing RS Edition coilovers. A Baer disc brake system with six-pison calipers and massive 14-inch rotors provides serious braking force.

Build time on the Patriarc Mustang is over 5,000 man hours. The body was widened two inches in every direction, and the rear quarter panels have been lowered. This required fabricating a new floor pan and transmission tunnel from sheet metal. While they were in there, they added a roll cage, too.The list of carbon fiber parts includes the air scoops, hood, and rear diffuser.

It is impressive that after building more than a dozen different one-off Mustangs, the Ringbrothers continue to push the boundaries of the resto-mod world with their creations. The Patriarc Mustang Mach 1 is a remarkable car from every angle.