SEMA – the Specialty Equipment Market Association – is something to look forward to. It has run annually ever since 1970 (the only year that it missed was 2020, for obvious reasons), and it offers enthusiasts the chance to enjoy vehicles and vehicle performance. The biggest feature of the show is the cars and trucks, and there are always remarkable vehicles on display, as well as hundreds of one-of-a-kind constructions that are unveiled to the public at the show itself for the very first time.
This means that if there’s one thing we can always bank on at SEMA, it’s running into at least a few fantastic old 4x4s. This is the entire point of the show and why so many people love attending. Many will want to replicate some of the best ideas in their own custom builds, and the rest will simply enjoy exploring new ideas.
The 2021 SEMA event took place from 2nd to 5th November at the Las Vegas Convention Center, and as might be expected, there were some fantastic classic 4×4 rides and off-road builds to be seen. Here are some of the best.
The Bulldog K50 Blazer
Rtech Fabrications, known for its unusual huge Chevy pickups, has done it again with this one-of-a-kind ’72 Blazer. It’s driven by a 12-valve Cummins engine and sits on top of a 14-bolt rear end and a Dana 60 front axle, with four-link suspension.
The Bulldog is a large SUV built with C-Series body components, a heavy-duty K50 front clip, and a bespoke fender flare. A pair of KMC wheels with 40×15.50R20LT Nitto Trail Grappler M/T tires for competition-proven off-road grip completes the bulky and aggressive design. Which parts of this amazing design would look good in your build?
1936 Ford 4×4 Car
There is something exciting about a real classic, and it’s certainly a design trend for custom builds that is growing in popularity.
When it comes to the 1936 Ford 4×4 car, the rear axle is a Ford 8.8 with modified fittings to attach a four-link, and the front axle is a four-linked Dana 30, implying that it’s a stretched TJ chassis. This may or may not be the case, as it can be hard to determine for sure. The desert tan flat paint looks like something that would’ve been sprayed as part of a civil defense effort during WWII, and the black-painted trim is a wonderful way to make antique components look fresh without resorting to extremely costly re-chroming. The front bumper does look a little odd matched with the Ford car’s body lines, but the more you look at it, the better it all melds together.
DeBerti C10 Slayer
Doug DeBerti has a long history of creating ground-breaking vehicles, and his son, Brad, is now in charge of some of the designs. Their most recent invention is this ’65 Chevy C10, which is unlike anything you ever will have seen before but could be exactly what you need to boost your own design ideas.
The truck is built on a Scott’s Hotrod chassis and is powered by a Whipple supercharged LXS engine that activates the double rear axles. The body was totally redesigned to seem like a chaotic computer depiction. The bedsides have been replaced with fender flares, and up front are a pair of flares by Advanced Fiberglass Concepts, creating a highly different design.
Project Zero
Despite the fact that electric conversions were popular during the 2021 SEMA event, Mike Copeland of Arrington Performance collaborated with Redline Oils and Bosch to convert this ’48 Chevy to hydrogen power, really changing things up and showing what the future could be. Apparently, this alternative fuel burns more efficiently and emits just a small quantity of N20 and water.
The truck is inconspicuous, with a supercharged 6.2L LS3 engine that seems to be a standard gas engine. The fuel system, on the other hand, was altered to feed it hydrogen, so the combustion engine now operates more efficiently than ever before and sounds like a regular gasoline engine. It’s built on a TCI chassis with QA1 coil-overs and Forgeline JO3C wheels for a contemporary look. The exterior was painted shiny red and resembled a typical display car. The team did an outstanding job of designing a vehicle that is both visually appealing and functional.
Monik 56
Ricardo Lopez of Customs by Lopez made his wife this 56 Chevy truck as a means of repaying her for many years of support in his quest of becoming the owner of a premier autobody company. This magnificent car rides on a coil-over chassis and is powered by a pristine small block Chevy engine.
The body was redesigned and coated in a unique blend of House of Kolor silver paint, making use of the shop’s capabilities. It also has a pair of 19×8 and 20×12-inch Budink Spyder billet wheels wrapped in 245/45ZR19 NT555 G2 and 315/35R20 Nitto NT555RII DOT-compliant drag radial tires for maximum traction on the road.
