SEMA Show 2013 - Denny's Picks

2013 SEMA was bigger, badder, and stronger. Having a predominate amount of Asian friends, it was no surprise that their top picks were the Liberty Walk 458 and GT-R. There is no denying that they are bitchen cars, but I wanted to show some of our DaYUUM readers some other cars that are just as awesome and why. By no means do I think the other builds weren't worthy, but there simply isn't enough time to see every car. The show is a bit overwhelming and unless you spend at least a day in each hall examining every single car, the conclusion would be the same, there just isn't enough time to see everything.But lets cut to the chase with my picks.My first pick is the Tjin Edition Ecoboost F-150. This F-150 is more than meets the eye and other than the obvious wide body treatment on the Ecoboost, the team at Unique Fabrication slaved over 300 man hours on the suspension alone. The mastermind behind the build, Neil Tjin, decided on using Raptor fenders and bed to widen the body. That addition later on became more of a challenge than he expected. While it seems like a simple bolt-on, not all parts are created equal. It's no where near a complete fit; the hood lines do not match up, the suspension wouldn't work, and the rear valences had to be custom formed.Neil's choice to keep the factory F-150 grille was an important detail to maintain the F-150 trim. The enthusiasts of the Raptor will know that the front bumper has also been chopped and lowered to maintain the same lower body line. It's those subtle details that tie this build together.The rear roll pan didn't have matching lines, so the guys at Unique had to form that in. They also included the rear bumper sensors to maintain factory functionality.After the body panels were on, Unique Fabrication diverted their attention to the front suspension. In order to maintain ride quality and drivability, a combination of custom fabricated parts and factory Raptor arms were used help with camber and travel issues associated with the factory F-150 suspension. The end result is factory comfort at any height.In the rear, a custom 4-link suspension was added along with a custom notched frame and tubbed bed to make way for the massive one-off 24" Rotiform six-shooter (aka 6 hole DIA's) to tuck under the fenders. At SEMA, the F-150 had a 4" lip all the way around, but currently its being reworked for a 4" front lip and 6" rear.The AccuAir air management system drops the F-150 on its frame with a touch of a button. A noticeable thump will let you know you're on the frame.Finishing off the body was DTM Autobody to complete the color transformation, while Styles finalizied the pinstripes, and Line-X solidifying the bed interior.The truck scene isn't a new breed, rather a breed that's been lost in the evolution of the aftermarket automotive industry. I especially loved the Tjin Edition F-150 because of its clean, near factory appearance that ironically took hundreds of man hours to complete.My second pick is a 1971 De Tomaso Pantera which was built by the Ring Brothers in collaboration with Nike's Skunk Work Innovation Team. It was built for Cheryl Brickle as a tribute build for her late husband Randy.The 1971 Pantera would be called - ADRNLN. The Ring Brothers has been one of my favorite build teams because of their keen attention to detail. From the factory, the '71 Pantera is equipped with a 351 Ford Cleveland engine outputting 330 hp. The mid-engine set up propels the 3,100 lbs Pantera to a top speed of 159 mph.The Ring Brothers decided to ditch the Ford 351 in favor of a Wegner Motorsports LS3 matched up with an Holly Dominator EFI, good for 600 hp.I'm very impressed by the execution of the Pantera. The color combo is absolutely beautiful and the custom machining is top notch. ADRNLN has been slightly widened and the factory pop-up headlights have been ditched for a pair of sealed lenses. The facelift has a Ford-GTish look.The carbon inserts is one of my favorite attributes of this build - one even had a Reply XD affixed to it.The dual Spal fans are outfitted with custom motor covers.A fabricated roof duct leads directly into the RMR set up of ADRNLN.I'm overly excited with all the machining involved with ADRNLN, including the coilover top hats and tower brace. The custom headers leading to a pair of stainless Flowmasters is a signature for the Ring Brothers.Like the Tjin Edition F-150, ADRNLN, has a reworked suspension. The front and rear suspension originated from a C5 Corvette attached to a custom Roadster Shop chassis.The interior was rather simplified and modernized with an added twist. The Ring team formed an alliance with Nike's Skunk Work Innovation Team to design the interior of ADRNLN. They ditched the airplane like cockpit and relocated the center mounted gauges to the main cluster. Classic instrument gauges, Alpine head unit, and even a USB port just awes me!By looking at the images you can tell why I love this creation so much. From the fastening hardware to the 6-pot Baer brake system coupled with custom HRE Wheels put ADRNLN on the pedestal. The fit and finish was on point!On to my next and final.The Torino Talladega began its life as a project to compete in NASCAR during the late 60's. The objective was to complete a more aerodynamic body, which resulted in the 1969 Torino Talladega. The Talladega adapted its name after the Talladega Racetrack in Alabama and less than 1000 was produce to satisfy NASCAR's production rules.At SEMA I stumbled on this 1969 GPT Special and it blew my mind! This '69 is a creation from Rad Rides by Troy, for owner, George Poteet. I first learned about Troy watching episodes of RIDES. RIDES was a show on Discovery Channel that would dissect the build process by trailing the builders step-by-step. It's was informative and genuine like how a reality show should be.The Talladega has a striking side profile that floors me. The fender arches were exaggerated and defines the overall look. I love the side duct and exhaust cut out in the fabricated lower panel. The tucking rim is never an eye sore.The ginormous brushed lip was hard to ignore and was one of the key factors which caused me to gravitate towards it.As I approached the car, I could just feel being sucked in more and more in amazement. The metal work on both the interior and exterior was phenomenal. The evenly space rivets was harmonious.The attention to detail extends to the windows and uses security tri-wing fasteners rather than standard philips or hex head hardware. Each fastener was countersunk into the Lexan (as it appears to be).The engine compartment was just as beautiful with the BOSS 530 pumping out 700 HP. The metal work and riveted panels carried into the bay as well.The molded rear spoiler is absolutely stunning.There is no denying the beauty of this 69. Pictures alone can not describe the work; the details, the creativity, and the personality. I was honored to have seen it and I appreciate all the work involved in this build.I wasn't able to get the information I wanted on this build during the show and I refrain from using the internet as a source of my stories, but If you want more information, I am sure there are plenty of articles about it on the web. My objective was to introduce vehicles for the readers to ponder on. Give them a taste of some amazing cars that might not have enough deserved expose in the mainstream and intrigue them enough to look further is the reasoning of why I chose these vehicles. Granted, there are 1000's of other well executed builds on the show floor but I was not able to see it all.In a later feature, I will do a round up of other cars of SEMA. In the meantime, thanks for reading and check out our other SEMA features by Scottie, Justin, and Jae. Thank you!-@DaYUUMDenJustin's SEMA picksScottie's SEMA pickJae's Ladies of SEMA