This week, Linkage is in Las Vegas for the the Specialty Equipment Manufacturer Association’s annual show — SEMA for short. This is where the aftermarket gathers together to show off the best of what it has to offer, from top-level custom car builds through the new products that are about to make waves in the automotive industry.
We’ve been on-site, making connections and seeing what’s new for 2022 and 2023. Here are some of the things we’ve found most interesting.
Yep, we’re starting with a DeLorean. The original PRV V6 wasn’t very good. So why not convert one to electric power? Ampere EV has done just that.Why not electrify a Model A? LegacyEV has done that here with this car — and created a monster with a reported 1,500 lb-ft of torque. While we’re ruffling purists’ feathers, we’d better mention this Ferrari 308, fitted with a widebody kit and a boosted Honda K-series 4-cylinder. Next time you hear someone lament about how young people don’t like cars these days, remember this one…Trucks continue to be custom builder favorites — note the metalwork here, including the front roll pan and the underwood tins. This is a high-level example of a trend we spotted around nearly every corner.Here’s a good example of just how in-depth the trend has become: This is a small-diameter C10 steering wheel for 1967 and 1968 trucks from American Retro. Stock looks, sportier feel, and enough demand to warrant it in the first place.Interested in a modern manual transmission with overdrive? Modern Driveline has over 40 hydraulic pedal assemblies for classics. Their goal? Bolt-in solutions, which also mean unboltable solutions for those of you who want to return to stock at sale time.
Yes, even with all the EV talk, both at SEMA in general and with Dodge specifically, the Hellcat powertrain is still a hot seller.
If you’ve been watching the market, you know how popular Blazers and Broncos are in 2022. It was only a matter of time before a complete repro steel Blazer tub became available. This is GM-licensed, from Premier Street Rod in AZ. Great paint and body draws in people no matter where you are. This candy green C2 ’Vette has incredible depth and fantastic panel gaps.The era of the IROC is starting anew. Youngtimer cars are seeing plenty of aftermarket support — particularly when it comes to modern powertrain and suspension swaps.And yet, there’s still retro design popping up as well, as was the case with the 70/SS.This ’61 Bubbletop had W-motor power — 509 cubic inches of it — and custom touches that included flush-mount glass.Perfect trim stopped me on this Dodge van — note the mirror-like beltline chrome. Offbeat customs tend to draw in a lot of lookers.
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