photos by Rick Seitz

Each year, the SEMA Show spotlights what’s happening in the automotive aftermarket; both by the showing of the acres of booths parts-makers display their latest and best in, and by the hundreds of show vehicles that are seen inside and outside of the Las Vegas Convention Center.  The question, then, is: out of that huge number, how do you pick a small group of them?

In this case, the criteria used was, “What would you like to be driving out of here in when the show closes?” That boiled down to a simple eye test. If a certain car in a booth or a stand-along display caught our eye, we grabbed photos and information about it.

Before anyone complains about the lack of one brand or another, or the over-representation of one brand or vehicle platform, keep this in mind, these picks were made literally “on the fly,” while moving along in the ever-flowing sea of humanity known as the SEMA Show Attendees In The Aisles. Stop for too long, and you will be “drowned” by them.

Here’s our rundown of the ten 2015 SEMA Show cars that we’d have loved to have driven out of there once the show closed.

1.) 1961 Ford Sunliner convertible:

This deep-blue droptop was built by Hollywood Hot Rods for the ARP/Street Rodder 2015 Road Tour, and it graced Custom Autosound’s booth during SEMA Week. Under its sublimely-subtle modified hood is a supercharged 427—definitely the kind of power plant to get this big slice of cold-rolled steel moving. Another reason it was such an eye-grabber: It was located next to the Chevrolet Performance booth, figuratively sticking out its tongue and thumbing its nose at the Chevys on display there!

While it may not exactly be a “textbook” definition of the musclecar, it certainly meets our criteria with that BBF under the hood. Keep that top dropped and cruise to the Pacific!

2.) 1971 Ford Mustang Mach I fastback:

Built by Gateway Classic Mustang, it has the look of what the “big” Mustang could have been. Under that “bread van” body is a full Gateway Performance chassis cradling a 5.0L Ford “Coyote” engine, backed by a Tremec T-56 6-speed manual gearbox. Inside, Recaro seats replaced the factory high-back front buckets, a set of Classic Instruments’ gauges went in, as did a Kicker-based sound system that puts the 1971-vintage factory radios and 8-track tape players to shame.

Imagine not only driving this out of the SEMA Show, but also out of Ford World Headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan onto the M-39 Southfield Freeway – with your foot in it!

3.) 1969 Dodge Charger R/T:

Seen in the ARMO (Automotive Restoration Marketplace Organization) display area, this Detroit Speed-built B-Body boasts a Whipple-charged and Arrington-built 426 cubic inch (and 1000 hp!) 3rd Generation Hemi, with a Bowler Performance 4L80E overdrive automatic behind it.

There’s a DSE front rack-and-pinion subframe assembly under the Hemi, with DSE’s rear Quadra-Link suspension with adjustable coil overs in back. If you think it’s stock, look again—that’s a ’69 Road Runner Hood between the front fenders, plus there’s a modified front grille, custom tail pan, and lots of subtle touches like shaved bumpers and modified door coves. Inside, modern-tech electronics meet classic style with Recaro seats, Classic Instruments gauges, and a remote-start system that works off the driver’s smartphone.

4.) 1970 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda:

McLeod Racing brought this to SEMA last year, and DRIVE! Magazine had it on their most-recent cover, which explains its presence in the Engaged Media booth. Underneath that original sheetmetal styled by Gerry Thorley’s Plymouth Exterior Styling Studio way back when is a 528-inch Arrington Performance Gen-2 Hemi wearing Edelbrock heads, Holley EFI with a Stage V intake manifold, a ProCharger F-2 supercharger with a belt-drive system by The Supercharger Store, backed by a McLeod Racing RXT twin-disc clutch , a manual gearbox and stout rearend.

It’s all held together by an Art Morrison “Max G” chassis rolling on Mickey Thompson-shod Weld wheels, and Jim Bassett’s Bones Fabrication Hot Rods & Muscle Cars in Camarillo, CA did the eye-grabbing build, including the sultry red paint.

5.) 1970 Chevy Camaro RS

This one was unveiled under the lights and drama of Chevrolet Performance‘s SEMA party, right alongside a slew of 6th-gens and Kid Rock’s Silverado. Powered by the GEN-V supercharged LT4 as found in the Corvette C7 Z06 and the third-generation CTS-V, the resto-mod 2nd-gen is packing just over 650 hp – more then twice of what it had left the factory with.

Every aspect of the car has been significantly mechanically upgraded; from the pro-touring suspension, massive brakes and huge (for a 2nd-gen Camaro) 18-inch wheels. The thumping LT4 is backed by a Tremec T-56 Super Magnum – in other words, it’s strong enough to handle the massive power and torque of the GEN-V V8. Who wouldn’t want to blast this thing all the way to the East Coast?

6.) 1967 Dodge Dart

For those of you who follow Roadkill and Gas Monkey Garage, you may have ben familiar with the little showdown they had both partook in over the summer; where they were challenged to build Hellcat HEMI-swapped classic muscle cars on the cheap. Whoever ended up with the quicker car, would obviously be proclaimed the winner.

Many of respected both builds; with Roadkill’s ’68 Charger “General Mayhem” and GMG’s ’67 Dart featured here. Obviously, being as how Dodge sponsors both shows, both teams ended up with (essentially) brand new powerplants sourced form pre-production Hellcat Chargers. Although the specifics of the gutted Dart have largely been left in the dark, we can’t get passed the fact that it’s rumored to be pushing close to 800 rwhp. and running E85.

7.) 1971 Camaro

This Dutchboys Hotrods-built Camaro simple stopped us in our tracks when we ran passed it in the Holley Performance booth. Sporting a Livernois-built, 700hp LS7, Detroit Speed suspension, Holley EFI components, JRi shocks, Forgeline wheels, massive Baer brakes and a Matte Maroon vinyl wrap, it had the same effect on just about every who seen the car.

Built from the ground up as a pro-touring monster, there was not an inch of the car that simply didn’t impress. Although it might be a bit  extreme for some, we were told that the car, despite its aggressive demeanor, was quite comfortable on the tarmac in Vegas.

8.) 1968 Camaro RS/SS 

There were actually a few of these at the show that we liked, but this one in particular captured our attention, not only because of its execution, but due to its perfect blend of hardware. From its COMP/F.A.S.T. hardware, to the clean LS-span and event the big-brake upgrade, a Centerforce clutch and Hotchkis suspension, it definitely combined form and function in one tasteful package.

It also had a smattering of restoration components from Soff Seal, P.U.I Interiors, Trim Parts and The Right Stuff. While it sat, technically immobile, with its front wheels removed, how hard would it be to throw them back on and hit the road? We’re game!

9.) 1969 Ford LTD hardtop:

What’s with the big Ford? This one was once owned by legendary guitarist Lonnie Mack, and includes plenty of custom touches that add to its style—and make it a rolling listening booth while on the road. (Thank Dynamat—whose booth this car was in—for a lot of that quiet, on top of what Ford designed and engineered in its big cars back then.)

The engine’s a period-correct 390-inch Ford FE big block, the wheels wear ’64-vintage Riviera aluminum covers, and the whole design theme was done around Lonnie’s 1958 Gibson Flying V guitar by the artisans at Speed Kings. Some would call that color “blood red,” but it looks a lot like Ford’s 60s-vintage CandyApple Red.

10.) 1971 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda convertible:

Yeah, it’s got a Hemi—built by Ray Barton with a Keith Black block that FX Engines machined, filled with a Mopar Performance crank, Manley rods and CP pistons, topped with Mopar Stage V heads and an EFI intake by Ray Barton, who also added a BigStuff3 system from Dale Cherry at Injection Connection to mix the fuel and air—resulting in over 650 hp on the dyno that a T56 6-speed and Dana 60 put on the pavement via the Pirelli-wrapped Billet Specialties rims.

Rad Rides prepped the original body by replacing its bad/rusted/crunched metal and smoothing the bumpers into the E-Body envelope before the Smoke Silver Glasurit paint and “Hemi” billboards went on. The cabin features low-back Recaros, Classic Instruments gauges, and a pistol-gripped Hurst shifter stirring the gears. (No wonder it graced the Hurst booth!)

Scott Ross

Scott brings his extensive background of automotive journalism to Timeless Muscle Magazine. Having staffed for many well-noted print and digital classic musclecar magazines, as well as authoring several how-to manuals, he’s the real deal.