SEMA Show Inside Look - Vette Man WalkingBackstage pass to the 2011 SEMA Show From the April, 2012 issue of Vette By Steve Temple Photography by Steve Temple
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Cutting Up Somebody -sliced... Cutting Up Somebody-sliced a perfectly good Corvette right down the middle to teach body-shop techniques at the show. Interesting, though, to see what’s under the skin here. Consider it the ultimate automotive irony: One of the biggest car shows of the year, chock-full of show cars and parts, isn't open to the average Joe. Only those employed in the auto industry are allowed into the SEMA show, held in Las Vegas the first week of November.  Wipe Your Feet -Lloyd offers...  Wipe Your Feet-Lloyd offers all-weather, full-color logo mats for all C6 models. They're made with a blend of natural and synthetic rubber to create a soft, heavy, abrasion-resistant product. www.lloydmats.com  The Wanderer -Longing to roam...  The Wanderer-Longing to roam far and wide in a '54 Corvette Nomad? This repro of the famed GM Motorama concept is available through Superior Glass Works. www.superior54.com  As Time Goes by ...your Corvette...  As Time Goes by...your Corvette clock-face marks the minutes. Made in the USA and licensed by GM, this collectible clock is available in every factory color. www.usclock.net Ready to Paddle -Now entering... Ready to Paddle-Now entering production, the Mastershift system converts your Corvette into a paddle- or bump-shifted performance car. This new product was co-designed with the Pratt & Miller race team. www.mastershift.com Which means you have to rely on us, dear reader, to tromp through a dozen or so miles of aisles to find trick new items and custom builds of compelling interest to Corvette enthusiasts. Be glad we're willing to step into the breach for you, because by the end of the week our dogs are barkin'-loud. We've fried pedometers trying to cover just the SEMA portion of the show (not even attempting to traverse the million square feet of exhibits of tools and trinkets at the nearby AAPEX event).  Triple Clutch Play -OS Giken's...  Triple Clutch Play-OS Giken's racing clutch, designed for both C5 and C6 applications, features a triple-plate design with an integrated lightweight flywheel. www.osgiken.net  Radar Alert on Your iPhone...  Radar Alert on Your iPhone-We finally found a good reason to look at our iPhone while driving. Cobra Electronics Corp.'s new iRadar not only graphically displays the location of a police radar trap, it also lets users alert other iRadar users to speed-enforcement areas. Priced at $130, it costs way less than a speeding ticket. www.cobrairadar.com  Caliper Connection -Besides...  Caliper Connection-Besides showing off this wild, LS9-powered C1, Wilwood rolled out its D8-6 calipers, a bolt-on replacement for the OE calipers on all '65-'82 Corvettes. Features include lighter weight, forged aluminum bodies, six stainless-steel pistons, and high-temperature seals. D8-6 calipers mount over the stock rotors, use the original-style D8 pads, and fit snugly inside most '67 or newer production wheels. www.wilwood.com Control Freak -Global West... Control Freak-Global West offers control arms for '63 to '81 models that are designed to give more clearance for a larger rim-and-tire package. A Teflon-lined spherical bearing allows the swing arm to move through its travel without binding, making it easier to tune the suspension. www.globalwest.com Even so, we like walking the SEMA beat, because we're lousy gamblers, and those Vegas shows seem kinda blah compared to all the exciting new things we encounter. Granted, some of the products we come across are a bit odd (like Last Rides' custom-car urn to store your corporeal ashes, for when you head to that salvage yard in the sky). But strange stuff is all part of the fun. So we've gathered a bunch of spicy chestnuts for you to munch on, seasoned with shots of some of the weird and wonderful show cars. Sit back and enjoy, and be glad you're feet don't ache like ours.  Ramming Speed -Mast Motorsports'...  Ramming Speed-Mast Motorsports' two-piece tunnel- ram intake is designed to support 1,000-plus-hp NA and 3,000-plus-hp turbocharged LS engines. Models are available in both standard and tall deck, and for carbureted or EFI applications. www.mastmotorsports.com  Going out in Style -For that...  Going out in Style-For that one-of-a-kind urn, Last Rides handcrafts custom replicas of your favorite vehicle, such as the sculptured C1 shown here. It can be used as a showpiece or as unique cremains container. www.last-rides.com  Hot Laps -Instructors from...  Hot Laps-Instructors from Spring Mountain's Ron Fellows Performance Driving School took SEMA attendees for some quick spins around an impromptu autocross course set up in the parking lot. www.springmountainmotorsports.com  Topping Off-and On -For some...  Topping Off-and On-For some strange reason, this product reminds us of Darth Vader's helmet as it was lowered onto his singed skull. But we digress, as the wireless Glassworks Lift System makes raising or lowering your hardtop as easy as slashing with a light saber. www.thehardtopshop.com  Cover Me -Love your Vette's...  Cover Me-Love your Vette's LS motor, but not the look of the factory coil packs? TSP can help dress up your engine bay with a set of fabricated aluminum coil covers. Available in clear-anodized, polished, and matte-black finishes, they also come with an optional billet oil-filler neck and OEM-style cap. www.topstreetperformance.com  High-Fiber Diet -Ozmo, a California-based...  High-Fiber Diet-Ozmo, a California-based firm that specializes in carbon-fiber components, now offers a twin- plenum intake manifold for the LS3/L92 engine. The design features long runners, port-matched CNC flanges, dual plenums, and throttle bodies. www.ozmoengineering.com  Forced Induction -SLP sells...  Forced Induction-SLP sells TVS 2300 superchargers for a variety of makes and models, including Corvettes. To ensure sufficient clearance and properly display the blower case, the company also offers a ZR1-style  Speed Demon -This former open-road-racing...  Speed Demon-This former open-road-racing champ was slated to appear in the 2011 Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational (OUSCI), which takes place each year immediately following SEMA. The '90 ZR-1 is powered by a 415ci, 660hp Haibeck LT5. www.zr1specialist.com  Rack 'Em Up -In addition to...  Rack 'Em Up-In addition to steering products for later-model Corvettes, Unisteer now has a rack-and-pinion unit for earlier models, from '58 to '62. The kit includes a pump with accessories, hose kit, and shaft kit. www.unisteer.com  Time to Re-tire -Hankook is...  Time to Re-tire-Hankook is cookin' a lot of rubber on this Corvette drifter. www.hankooktireusa.com  Heads Up -RHS' Pro Elite 6-Bolt...  Heads Up-RHS' Pro Elite 6-Bolt Raised Runner CNC Aluminum Cylinder Heads are engineered for all LS7 intake manifolds and valvetrain setups. www.racing headservice.com  Legendary Look -Picking up...  Legendary Look-Picking up some visual cues from the Washburn C1 Corvette raced by Bob Bondurant (and now on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum), this stunning restomod version from Karl Kustom modernizes the mechanicals. www.karlkustomcorvettes.com  Another Optimum Performer...  Another Optimum Performer- RideTech's OUSCI entry was this '63 Corvette, driven by owner Mark Rife from Carolina Beach, North Carolina. It runs an LS7 engine, a five-speed transmission, and a full set of RideTech's new Triple Adjustable coilovers. www.ridetech.com  iPad Tuning -SCT Performance's...  iPad Tuning-SCT Performance's wireless iTSX tuner works with either an iPhone or iPad to pull more performance from a '96 to '11 Vette vehicle in as little as 15 minutes. www.sctflash.com  Rollin' on the River -Flaming...  Rollin' on the River-Flaming River now offers a power rack-and-pinion cradle system for converting '63-'68 Corvettes to power steering. This kit bolts into the original mounting locations, with no drilling, welding, or cutting required. www.flamingriver.com
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