Builds
Let’s cut to the chase, because this definitely isn’t your grandma’s set of rusty old manifolds. The HDR Sequential 8-1 Headers from Stainless Headers are a next-level, hand-crafted performance weapon for big-inch V-8s — purpose-built for jet boat and high-output marine applications — and they were one of the most talked-about exhaust systems as seen at PRI 2025.
The 2025 PRI Show in Indianapolis was a full-throttle showcase of performance automotive products, from street-ready upgrades to extreme race tech. We hit the floor to highlight the booths, parts, and builds that really stood out—gear that makes engines breathe better, weld stronger, and deliver reliable horsepower with precision.
The 2025 PRI Show just tore through Indianapolis, and if you weren’t there, you missed a full-throttle showcase of racing tech that doesn’t mess around. Builders, racers, and gearheads packed the floor, and the energy was absolute chaos—in the best way. The products? They didn’t whisper—they slammed onto the scene, sharp, loud, and ready to make your ride better, safer, faster, meaner.
Some guys love their Chevys so much that they’ll go out of their way to flush out and record every bit of their cars’ histories. Such is the case with Gene Lavine of Excelsior Springs, Missouri. Lavine is 65 going on 35. A car guy since he was 16, he served his country as a jet fighter pilot and then went on to fly for the Federal Aviation Administration. He also has a Ph.D. and now is vice president of a company that manages collections for more than 30,000 businesses.
Mike Buzzello has always liked Chryslers and once owned a tubbed Plymouth Road Runner. He lives in Omaha, Nebraska, and attends rod runs and car shows regularly with his friend Steve Gantz. One year at a Goodguys show, Buzzello saw an interesting car drive by, but he couldn’t identify it. Turns out it was a ’61 Plymouth Fury, and he could see how cool the car could be if it had all the right modifications. He searched for a clean body and came across a rust-free car from California that a collector from Texas had just bought. The ’61 Fury was a steal at $1,500, so Buzzello bought the car sight unseen. He knew the car had potential despite what some people said when it arrived at his shop.
The SEMA Show stands alone as the ultimate proving ground for the automotive aftermarket world. No other event brings this level of innovation, craftsmanship, and straight-up creativity together in one place. Everywhere you turn, there’s something new—fresh tech, wild ideas, and custom builds that push boundaries in ways only SEMA can inspire.
If you’re searching a crowd, you’ve got to look hard, and still you might miss the builder of this astounding yet subtle Corvette. It’s almost as if the man and his cars are one and the same—loaded with talent, with their most impressive aspects available only to those who take the time to notice.
SEMA always delivers sensory overload — the unveilings, the crowds, the horsepower echoing off every hall. But this year, the real thrill came from the unexpected. Tucked between the headline builds and mega displays were the parts that made us slow down, lean in, and say, “Okay… now that’s something special.”
Every November, the SEMA Show turns Las Vegas into the beating heart of the custom car world—but one showdown always steals the spotlight: the Battle of the Builders 2025. It’s the aftermarket industry’s ultimate test of skill, creativity, and innovation—where the best in the business fight for glory and the title of the world’s top custom builder.
We knew this one was special the moment we first spotted it at the 2024 Grand National Roadster Show. Now it’s official—the 2025 SEMA Battle of the Builders Presented by Mothers Polish has crowned Troy Trepanier of Rad Rides by Troy as the best overall builder of the year with his jaw-dropping Fenderless ’36 Ford Roadster.
