
	The SEMA Show, 2013 David G. Fox The 2013 event was my nineteenth SEMA Show. Even with all the spectacle and the enormous effort put in by a great many of the manufacturers, there is always a bit of sameness to numerous of the exhibits. On the other hand, every show has plenty to intrigue and even a few things (or people) to delight. A delight for me at the 2013 Show was getting to chat, if only for a few moments, with singer, songwriter, musician, and the Y of CSN and sometimes Y, Neil Young. Positioned in the large corridor between major exhibition halls was the post-fire restored LincVolt. Resplendent in white, the 1959 Lincoln Continental convertible was being overseen by a youthful fellow who told me about the car and its travels in recent months as a film of the big hybrid rolling down a two-lane highway played on a large screen. At some point Mr. Young came by and I had the opportunity to introduce myself and talk with him for a few minutes about the car and the music. Check out linkvolt.com to learn about the mission. The Ford booth (if you can call it that) was in the next hall; they typically have some of the best stuff to see. For example, a few years back they displayed a then new Ford GT cut down the middle, engine, gearbox, and all - you walked right through it. As I moved into the crowd there this year, I almost bumped into Jim Waldo. I hadn't seen him in years. I got to know Jim in the 1960s when we both lived in Idaho Falls. He was the local drag-racing hero who generally had some gently used Ford performance parts lying around. Later on he rebuilt the 427 in my 1963 Galaxie. An engineer by profession, Jim (and later his sons) had national-level success in NHRA stock class racing. He did go to the dark side with a Firebird late in his racing career, but most of his driving was at the wheel, and gearshift, of one in a succession of FE-powered high performance Fords (including my favorite, one of the oh-so-few 1966 Fairlane lightweights). Retired now from his day job and active racing, he has Jim Waldo Racing in Richland, Washington doing engine builds and drivetrain prep. Top Products - Complete Bodies Speaking of the Ford display, the car above features the new 1932 Ford 5-window coupe body from United Pacific. The project has been under development for several years now, but this year they are getting complete bodies out to builders. Goals with this effort, in addition to supplying complete assemblies, are to have every body part available to people who need them for resurrecting originals and to have those parts fit. United Pacific's 5-window is a welcome addition to the other steel early Ford reproduction bodies currently on the market. Here is the Walden Speed Shop project using United Pacific's Ford 5-window body, with Bobby's signature chop. Similar in concept, but likely different in target market segment is Dynacorn's early Bronco body. They showed a body in the raw last year. Here is a Stroppe tribute built using the Dynacorn body and an original Bronco chassis. The word was that they really only expect about 15% of their business with this project to be in complete bodies; the vast majority of their sales dollars are expected to come from shipping sheet metal parts to people restoring Broncos. The retro-restyles on new Corvettes keep coming. Some work better than others. This yellow carbon fiber "58" from Classic Reflection Coachworks looks pretty good if you shed your purist glasses. Modern low-profile tires are on wheels that simulate both the original caps in the center and white walls out toward the edge. Top Smaller Products Edelbrock will sell you a supercharger for your new Corvette, 3-2's for your flathead Ford, and a lot of induction stuff in between. Speaking of 3-2's, Lokar has a new linkage package. Lokar also has a new take on the Auburn-styled gauge panel. It was shown with this engine-turned insert at their booth and with a pearl insert in the new product area. Coker has some new radials with a more vintage look - American Classic Bias Profile Radials. Bob Drake is looking really old. Top Feature Cars Here's your most recent Riddler winner, as featured in the Ford display booth. Some of us still subscribe to the belief that the styling of the 1940 Ford coupe cannot be improved upon. There's no denying the level of effort and detail presented here. Plus it even has a hot flathead. John Mumford's Kelly Brown track T, the 2013 AMBR winner, sure is pretty. George Poteet's new '34 Ford (Goodguys Hot Rod of 2013) has a Buick motor that's as elegant as they come, plain and simple. Too nice for the Salt? Check out Johnson's Hot Rod Shop, way down south. One from the Mopar booth. A delicious smoothie for the Chevy crowd. Top Other Sweets Can you have a car show and not have attractive young women? Why would you want to? Here's a small sampling from SEMA 2013. Hey hey, my my. Top		Skip within to: Products - Complete Bodies Smaller Products Feature Cars Other Sweets Or go to: Fox-Kraft Home Page

The SEMA Show, 2013

David G. Fox

The 2013 event was my nineteenth SEMA Show. Even with all the spectacle and the enormous effort put in by a great many of the manufacturers, there is always a bit of sameness to numerous of the exhibits. On the other hand, every show has plenty to intrigue and even a few things (or people) to delight.

A delight for me at the 2013 Show was getting to chat, if only for a few moments, with singer, songwriter, musician, and the Y of CSN and sometimes Y, Neil Young. Positioned in the large corridor between major exhibition halls was the post-fire restored LincVolt. Resplendent in white, the 1959 Lincoln Continental convertible was being overseen by a youthful fellow who told me about the car and its travels in recent months as a film of the big hybrid rolling down a two-lane highway played on a large screen. At some point Mr. Young came by and I had the opportunity to introduce myself and talk with him for a few minutes about the car and the music. Check out linkvolt.com to learn about the mission.

The Ford booth (if you can call it that) was in the next hall; they typically have some of the best stuff to see. For example, a few years back they displayed a then new Ford GT cut down the middle, engine, gearbox, and all - you walked right through it. As I moved into the crowd there this year, I almost bumped into Jim Waldo. I hadn't seen him in years. I got to know Jim in the 1960s when we both lived in Idaho Falls. He was the local drag-racing hero who generally had some gently used Ford performance parts lying around. Later on he rebuilt the 427 in my 1963 Galaxie. An engineer by profession, Jim (and later his sons) had national-level success in NHRA stock class racing. He did go to the dark side with a Firebird late in his racing career, but most of his driving was at the wheel, and gearshift, of one in a succession of FE-powered high performance Fords (including my favorite, one of the oh-so-few 1966 Fairlane lightweights). Retired now from his day job and active racing, he has Jim Waldo Racing in Richland, Washington doing engine builds and drivetrain prep. Top

Products - Complete Bodies

Speaking of the Ford display, the car above features the new 1932 Ford 5-window coupe body from United Pacific. The project has been under development for several years now, but this year they are getting complete bodies out to builders. Goals with this effort, in addition to supplying complete assemblies, are to have every body part available to people who need them for resurrecting originals and to have those parts fit. United Pacific's 5-window is a welcome addition to the other steel early Ford reproduction bodies currently on the market.

Here is the Walden Speed Shop project using United Pacific's Ford 5-window body, with Bobby's signature chop.

Similar in concept, but likely different in target market segment is Dynacorn's early Bronco body. They showed a body in the raw last year. Here is a Stroppe tribute built using the Dynacorn body and an original Bronco chassis. The word was that they really only expect about 15% of their business with this project to be in complete bodies; the vast majority of their sales dollars are expected to come from shipping sheet metal parts to people restoring Broncos.

The retro-restyles on new Corvettes keep coming. Some work better than others. This yellow carbon fiber "58" from Classic Reflection Coachworks looks pretty good if you shed your purist glasses. Modern low-profile tires are on wheels that simulate both the original caps in the center and white walls out toward the edge.

Top

Smaller Products

Edelbrock will sell you a supercharger for your new Corvette, 3-2's for your flathead Ford, and a lot of induction stuff in between.

Speaking of 3-2's, Lokar has a new linkage package.

Lokar also has a new take on the Auburn-styled gauge panel. It was shown with this engine-turned insert at their booth and with a pearl insert in the new product area.

Coker has some new radials with a more vintage look - American Classic Bias Profile Radials.

Bob Drake is looking really old.

Top

Feature Cars

Here's your most recent Riddler winner, as featured in the Ford display booth. Some of us still subscribe to the belief that the styling of the 1940 Ford coupe cannot be improved upon. There's no denying the level of effort and detail presented here. Plus it even has a hot flathead.