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SEMA 2024: 1966 Ford Bronco “Pure” by RMD Garage

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It is no secret that classic Broncos are enjoying a surge in popularity in recent years. With the introduction of the new Bronco in 2021 and the growth of the overlanding segment, classic 4x4s are hotter than ever. At the 2024 SEMA Show, one build stood out with timeless style and modern engineering: a fully reimagined 1966 Ford Bronco nicknamed “Pure.”

Restored and customized by RMD Garage, this stunning build captivated crowds in the Toyo Tires Treadpass area with its clean lines, polished chrome, and beach-ready charm.
“Pure” isn’t just a restored classic; it is a complete transformation. RMD Garage, the Long Beach, California-based custom shop founded by Ralph Holguin, has a long-standing reputation for elevating vintage vehicles into rolling works of art. You might even remember the shop from its one-season show on Motor Trend in the mid-2000s. At SEMA, RMD showed that their passion for bespoke builds has only grown since then.

The foundation of the Bronco build is an all-new Kincer Chassis, which gives old trucks a new lease on life, offering improved strength and reducing chassis flex. Better yet, it is officially licensed by Ford. The redesigned frame is two inches wider inside, creating crucial room for upgraded components like modern drivetrains, long tube headers, and transfer cases.

Powering “Pure” is a Ford 5.0L Coyote V8, a favorite among restomod builders for its combination of performance and reliability. Stopping power is provided by Wilwood disc brakes, which are a massive upgrade from the original 1960s brake system.

But it’s the attention to detail that truly defines this build. Every bolt on the truck has been replaced with new ones that are engraved with “RMD Garage” on the heads. That alone must have added thousands to the cost of this build, ordering entirely new hardware with custom engraving! It is details like this that elevate a SEMA build above a simple restoration.

Step inside, and the Bronco reveals a cabin more refined than most luxury SUVs. The interior is a blend of crisp white bucket seats, a color-matched dashboard, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with a polished chrome center. The gauges from Classic Instruments are customized with RMD Garage’s logo, adding a subtle nod to the builder’s craftsmanship.

Tan patterned material covers the flooring, door panels, and headliner, offering warm contrast to the otherwise light interior. A custom center console trimmed in light wood features two cupholders, a nice touch. While the white color palette might raise questions about off-road practicality, there is no denying that the interior is an elegant and comfortable place to be.

Above the pristine interior sits a lift-off hardtop, revealing a polished chrome roll bar for safety and style. The rooftop luggage rack features a matching white and chrome trunk, rounding out the aesthetic with a touch of luxurious, adventure flair.
Whether basking in the SEMA spotlight or cruising through Long Beach on a sunny California afternoon, “Pure” lives up to its name. It’s a showpiece that has been carefully engineered, tastefully styled, while retaining the classic look of the very first model year of the Ford Bronco.

RMD Garage has once again proven their mastery of automotive art, breathing new life into a classic while staying true to its spirit. “Pure” isn’t just a truck, it’s a bold, clean, and built with purpose.

Follow @rmdsgarage on Instagram for more.

SEMA 2024: Nissan 300ZX Widebody by Shea Seefeldt

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If there’s one thing the SEMA Show never fails to deliver, it’s bold builds that mix unexpected performance with radical style. These are the type of custom vehicles you will find in the Toyo Tires Treadpass pavilion. Among the many high quality vehicles at the 2024 event was a striking Nissan 300ZX Z23, built by Shea Seefeldt in collaboration with 10 Tenths Motorsports in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

This isn’t your average Z car. Under the hood, the original Nissan engine has been swapped in favor of American muscle: a GM LS3 V8. But it’s not just any LS3. It’s been upgraded with PRC heads from Texas Speed, dual valve springs, titanium retainers, and a GPI SS4 camshaft, giving it that extra boost of power.

The exterior grabs attention with a Pandem widebody kit, complete with enlarged wheel openings to house the aggressive stance and oversized rubber. The car rolls on gold-plated Rohana wheels that were designed in collaboration with Rocket Bunny, and wrapped in Toyo tires, of course.
Now, those dramatically flared fenders might not appeal to every purist out there, but I’ll be honest: I sort of dig them on this car. They give the 300ZX a lot more personality than the typical appliance aesthetic found in many Japanese cars.

This build is a perfect example of what happens when you combine creativity, craftsmanship, and a willingness to break the mold. This Z23 is not just a showpiece, it’s a statement.

For more, follow @shea_seefeldt and @10tenthsmotorsports in Instagram.

SEMA 2024: 1993 Honda Civic EG Hatch Tesla Swapped by RyWire

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The 1990s Honda Civic hatchback is one of those cars where you either had one, knew someone who had one, or wanted one. Cheap to own and endlessly modifiable, the Civic EG hatch was a favorite among tuners.

I remember high school classmates rolling up in Civics with neon underglow, painted interior bits, and the ever-present “fart can” exhaust. This was an era of questionable taste and boundless creativity. Keep in mind, this was only a few years after the original Fast and the Furious movie came out.

Fast forward to 2024, and the Civic is still a staple in the tuning world, but the game has changed. At the 2024 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, the Toyo Tires Treadpass area featured a remarkable build that represents just how far this 30+ year-old platform can be pushed. Enter RyWire Motorsports’ fully electric 1993 Honda Civic EG hatchback, which combines JDM style with cutting-edge EV tech.The car was built by Ryan Basseri of RyWire Motorsports of Santa Ana, California. Basseri is no stranger to high-end vehicle builds and custom wiring. He previously did a full EV conversion on a Honda S2000, which is documented on the RyWire YouTube channel. But this Civic? It’s next-level.

Gone is the original gas-powered Honda engine, replaced with a Tesla-sourced electric powertrain. He salvaged a Tesla motor, inverter, and charge controller and adapted them to fit the EG chassis.

Under the hood, the exceptionally clean installation shows off Basseri’s attention to detail. The electric motor delivers an estimated 300 horsepower, which is triple the car’s original 90 horsepower. In the trunk is a 16 kWh battery pack, which was salvaged from a Chrysler Pacifica hybrid. The pack runs through an AEM battery management system and offers roughly 70 miles of range, which is more than enough for short trips around the neighborhood or silently rolling up to the local cars and coffee.

And yes, it even has air conditioning! A stock Tesla compressor has been adapted to work in this setup, ensuring the essential passenger comfort of cooled air on a Southern California day.

Braking has also received a high-tech overhaul. The factory vacuum-assisted system has been swapped for a Bosch iBooster unit from a Honda CR-V, complete with a custom reservoir. The fully electric iBooster provides consistent and reliable brake pressure, which is essential when dealing with instant torque.

Inside, the car is just as impressive. Instead of the rattle-can-painted dash, the RyWire EG features Recaro DC2 JDM Type-R front seats, with the rear seat reupholstered to match in black suede with red stitching. The cockpit is rounded out with a fully digital AEM dash and a Spoon steering wheel.

The stance is proper, sitting on custom Nitron springs and a set of 15-inch Volk Racing TE37 wheels in dark silver. These one-piece forged wheels are a favorite among JDM enthusiasts and lend a timeless motorsport look to the modernized hatch.

The RyWire Civic wasn’t alone at SEMA this year. Sharing the spotlight was a second Civic in the CSF Radiators booth. That car was a red 1999 EK hatch with a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive swap and a larger 85 kWh battery pack built into a custom-fabricated floor. But while that car was technically more impressive, the 1993 EG in the Toyo Tires pavilion was the one that caught my eye for its super clean setup.

This build is more than just a show car, it is pushing the boundaries of the Honda tuning scene into the EV era. While many see electric conversions as soulless, RyWire has shown that with craftsmanship, creativity, and respect for the platform, even the humble Civic hatch can be reborn as something truly electrifying.

For more, follow @rywire_motorsport 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.