Revved up by the Vegas car show

If customized vehicles are your thing, then attending the annual SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Assn., trade show is like being a kid in a candy store.

The Las Vegas specialty isn’t open to the public, but I was there last week with my buddy, Newport Beach resident Bill Taormina, founder of Clean City Motor Sports of Anaheim.

SEMA is a mecca of the latest in what manufacturers of automotive parts and accessories have to offer in the $36-billion aftermarket automotive industry.

When it comes to customizing vehicles, new or old, the sky’s the limit. Drawing over 140,000 attendees, this four-day trade show is massive.

The 49th annual show covered more than 1 million square feet of exhibit space inside the convention center and spilled outside in the parking lot and neighboring Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino.

This year there were nearly 3,000 products in the new-products showcase and 1,500 one-of-a-kind project vehicles, according to SEMA’s press release.

With over 2,400 exhibitors — 500 were there for the first time — my head was spinning as I, Taormina and my husband, Stan, walked the show.

I ogled a classic red Pantera customized by Huntington Beach designer Chip Foose.

Yorba Linda’s own John Force’s Chevrolet drag car was on display.

Speaking of Chevrolet, the company rolled out an awesome, black-on-black Nova concept. This car was sweet. I hope the car maker brings it to market as it did the updated Camaro.

Of course, lots of folks were taking pictures of the amazing vehicles and of celebrities, including NASCAR legend Richard Petty.

Eyeing a classic 1965 Ford GT350 Shelby Mustang — white with blue racing stripes — brought back fond memories of meeting the legendary car designer Carroll Shelby years ago at the Peterson Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.

I was wowed by the new Ford GT on display. This high-performance sports car is amazing. Taormina expects a limited-production run to drive up the price.

Media from around the world attended the show too. Newport’s Barry Meguiar, president of Meguiar’s Inc. car care products, was doing interviews for his Velocity TV show, “Car Crazy,” on a huge stage outside the convention center.

From restoration to “restomod,” this show had it all.

Not sure what the difference is?

Restoration returns a classic vehicle to its authentic state, with original parts and such, making it look and run as it did when it was driven off the showroom floor.

Restomod, on the other hand, is restoration, plus modern technology and parts. Restomod brings a classic-looking vehicle into the 21st century with performance, comfort and safety.

A prime example of restomod was the 1965 green Mustang, all carbon fiber body, 959 horsepower, which Ringbrothers of Wisconsin had customized, redefining this classic car. It was a beauty.

And then there were other edgier restomods, with exteriors made to look like a “barn find,” complete with rust and chipped paint, while the interiors and everything under the hood were all state-of-the-art technology, sparing no expense.

Taormina told me it’s not unusual for someone to pay upward of $50,000 for a vehicle with restoration or restomod in mind. When completed the price tag could be $250,000 and up.

When I asked car designer Rob Ida of Rob Ida Concepts of New Jersey how much he had in the stunning, classic blue 1940 Mercury he’d created, he wouldn’t say.

Looking at the workmanship and technology, Taormina told me he wouldn’t be surprised if there was $2 million plus in that car.

And gearheads, get ready for the latest trend in customization for hotrods, muscle cars, etc.: clean energy, electric cars.

SEMA was great, and now I’m ready for next week’s L.A. Auto Show at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

This new-car show is open to the public from Nov 20 to 29. Tickets are available at laautoshow.com/tickets/.

Yes, from Vegas to L.A., it’s a great couple of weeks for car-fun addicts like me!

BARBARA VENEZIA lives in Newport Beach. She can be reached at [email protected]. Listen to her weekly radio segment on “Sunday Brunch with Tom and Lynn” from 11 a.m. to noon on KOCI/101.5 FM or online at kociradio.com.