First-Timer’s Trip to Iconic Show
Attending SEMA has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember. For years, I would have lengthy conversations with my buddies about who was at the show, which projects were finally unveiled to the world for the first time, or what company just dropped a new part that could improve one of our own projects! However, these discussions always ended the same way: Our talks about attending SEMA were just a distant dream, with the conversations being the closest we would ever get to the real experience.
That was until this year, when I was given the chance to fly out to Las Vegas and cover the show for this exact magazine! Now, enough about me. This year’s SEMA was nothing less than spectacular! Thousands of unique, high-end custom builds were displayed inside one of the four colossal convention center buildings or in one of the three massive parking lots.
I got into Vegas around midday Tuesday, and after a short ride from the airport to my hotel, I dropped my bags off, grabbed my camera, and took off running to the convention center! Now, I don’t know exactly what I was expecting to see when I got there, but it definitely wasn’t what I had in mind!
As I was making my way to the center grounds, I caught a glimpse of Zach Pennock’s rowdy built 58 Fridge burnout truck absolutely shredding tires on one of the three burnout pads set up on the property! I didn’t get to watch long unfortunately. I was in a time crunch and had to get my media badge before the show ended for the day and I was running out of time!
After using the Tesla loop, which is arguably the best way to navigate the convention center, I arrived at the central hall to pick up my media badge. While I was there, I ran into Jonathan Daniels and Tucker Harris who were busy capturing some fantastic shots of anything and everything related to diesels!
I completed my first day by exploring South Hall and meeting up with Devan Ence, Solomon Lunger, Amber Zanella, and Travis Zinner at the West Gate Hotel to enjoy some ice-cold drinks and catch up with each other!
I wasted no time getting to the convention center the following day. I had one goal: to explore every inch of SEMA before the week ended. I began my first full day in town outside the Central Hall, where I was amazed to find an incredible array of F-Series trucks. They showcased everything from brand-new lifted Alumidutys with massive custom lift kits and 30+ inch wheels and tires to a slammed and chopped-top Slickside!
One truck that stood out more than the others was Danny Derasmo’s fully carbon fiber, mid-engine 1970 F-100. Danny worked with Brothers Composite to design a custom carbon fiber F-100 body featuring a distinct camo/snakeskin pattern tinted in candy teal, enhancing the pattern’s visibility!
That said, the body isn’t the only feature that makes this truck stand out! Danny really took his truck to the next level! He swapped in a 5.2L Voodoo motor from a Mustang GT350R and added a Holinger transaxle right behind the cab. This setup makes the truck handle way better by improving the weight and power distribution. This combination should allow all 526 naturally aspirated horsepower to be put down to the ground with zero issues!
In addition to the impressive displays outside Central Hall, the trucks inside were even more remarkable! For example, Fat Fender Garage showcased several trucks this year, including its newly completed bare metal 1956 Fat Fender F-100. This truck, nicknamed RAW 56, features a 100% bare metal finish. It is coated with a Cerakote clearcoating to prevent any rusting issues and keep it in pristine condition year-round. They also nickel-plated all the chrome trim, bumpers, and badges to subtly contrast the bright and shiny bare steel.
The second truck showcased by Fat Fender Garage this year was a 1967 F-100, affectionately nicknamed “Stark.” It was displayed at the DNA booth and featured remarkably straight body lines, a Whipple supercharged Gen 3 Coyote engine, and a 6-speed Tremec transmission. Additionally, it boasted a stunning maroon paintjob accented with bronze details, truly living up to its name!
Another truck that caught my interest was Kyle Delfel’s unique 2024 Roush supercharged Chromatic F-150. The truck initially started as a completely stock XL F-150 equipped with a 5.0L Coyote engine, but it wouldn’t stay that way long.
Once Kyle got his hands on the vehicle, he installed a Roush supercharger and made all the necessary modifications to support its performance. He also threw on a Fox DSC 3.5-inch lift with Fittipalidi-forged bead locks and custom full-float-inspired center caps!
Following the installation of the power and drivetrain modifications, Kyle moved on to cosmetic upgrades. He removed the entire XL interior and replaced it with a brand-new Tremor interior. In addition, he upgraded the standard XL frontend to the more visually appealing Tremor clip. Along with this frontend swap, he replaced the front and rear bumpers with tubular off-road bumpers.
Kyle dove even deeper into the details. He installed an Air Designs tailgate panel and a roof wing, which included an added Rigid Lights chase bar. He replaced the XL taillights with OEM LED taillights, color-matched all the plastic parts, and finished the look by applying Iconic Ford Chromatic Stripes to the exterior.
Once I finished checking out what Central Hall had to offer, I jumped over to North Hall to check out my buddy Craig LoPresti’s ’71 F-100. This truck holds a special significance for me because it’s the one that got me hooked on F-Series trucks! I’ve been following Craig on his YouTube channel for years as he built “Mater” into what it is today. Seeing it in person for the first time and discussing all the details with him was an incredible experience!
For those who may not know Craig, he turned his 1971 Wibolton white, single-cab, shortbed F-100 into one of the rowdiest street trucks I have ever seen! Craig built everything himself, from lowering the truck and C-notching the frame to the 7,000 rpm capable small block Windsor in the truck today!
After chatting with Craig and his friends for a bit, it was time to wrap things up for the day. I snapped a few more photos outside Central Hall before heading back to my hotel room to prepare for another long day ahead!
I was up and out of my room by 5:30 a.m. Thursday morning. From Tuesday until now, I had seen and photographed approximately 75% of the entire show. The only area left to explore was the West Hall. Once I crossed that off my list, I could hang out and just enjoy the show for the first time all week!
West Hall focused mainly on trucks, SUVs, and everything related to off-roading. Here, I stumbled upon two fantastic trucks my buddy Solomon Lunger brought in. He was excited to showcase some new parts he’d just created and a few fantastic companies he had partnered with to complete the looks of both trucks!
The first truck that caught my attention was Solomon’s impressive bump side, which he named “Clyde.” Like Danny Derasmo’s truck, Clyde is a fully carbon fiber 1969 F-100, but the similarities end here. Solomon began Clyde’s build with a Porterbuilt Level 3 coilover chassis from Fat Fender Garage. He then sourced all the body components from Brothers Composite and embarked on the challenging task of assembling the truck and fitting it to the frame.
He then turned his attention to the drivetrain. To make Clyde genuinely unique, he collaborated with Ford Performance to install a 5.2L Whipple supercharged Predator crate engine from the Raptor R, which he paired with a Tremec Magnum 6-speed manual transmission. To complete the truck, Solomon equipped Clyde with a complete three-piece billet aluminum dashboard, custom 19×8 and 20×12 forged rims, and unique Clyde badges, all designed by himself. The truck features a titanium exhaust created by Harvy at Hutches Welding, along with a fully customized interior designed by Fat Fender Garage; the list goes on.
Solomon’s second truck at the show was “Snickers.” Snickers is a 1978 F-150 that Solomon found in a large collection deep in the backwoods of Tennessee a few years ago. Packing a 7.3L Whipple Supercharged Godzilla built by MAST Motorsports, this truck looks like an ’80s show truck on the outside but has the power and reliability of a brand-new truck!
To enhance the original ’80s-style paintjob, Solo collaborated with Sky-Jacker Suspension to elevate Snickers by installing a 4-inch lift kit. In addition to the new lift kit, Solomon designed several billet aluminum components for the truck. This includes all the cowl badging, a custom drip rail-mounted light bar, 17×12 turbine-style rims, a 78/79-style grille, headlight bezels, brush guard, gas and brake pedal, and more!
After appreciating everything Solomon had done to both trucks, I explored the rest of the hall to see what other builds were being displayed! It didn’t take long to discover the next impressive build, showcased at the Warn Winches booth.
Warn and several other companies presented a massive 2023/2024 single-cab Super Duty equipped with 43-inch tall super single Continental tires, creating the ultimate recovery rig. This truck was loaded to the roof with a variety of recovery gear! From multiple winches, kinetic ropes, and a fully custom ramp bed to haul broken vehicles out of the trails. This truck was prepared for any obstacle thrown in its way!
Having now covered most of the West Hall, I decided to head over to the Bronze Lot and see if I could catch any of the autocross rounds before they finished for the week! Disappointingly, I was a day late to the action, and they had completed the autocross portion of the event earlier in the week! While I was a little bummed out about missing all the action, I got to check out a couple of the F-series Autocross trucks, like Josh Wojciechowski’s 1969 F-100 and Jeff Glowniak’s 1972 F-100!
Josh’s and Jeff’s trucks have undergone extensive modifications to enhance their agility and speed. It would have been exciting to see these trucks navigate the intricate course designed by the team at Optima Batteries. I’m placing this part of the show on my priority list for next year!
Overall, SEMA 2024 was spectacular! I felt so privileged to experience the show and understand what people mean by having their minds blown when they walk into one of the halls for the first time! This year’s show demonstrates why SEMA is the ultimate destination for car lovers, builders, and dreamers. From the incredible new technology to the astonishing creations, I am already looking forward to returning next year and experiencing it all again!