BURIED TREASURE
August 30, 2024
Spotlighter
Featured
RILEY’S ’72 Chevy
It seems never to fail: You buy an old truck from a friend or family member with the intent of just sticking a used motor in it and giving it a quick paint job. This usually means that the front clip comes off to put the motor in, and that leads to taking apart the front suspension, which leads to assorted chassis upgrades, as well as the rest of the frame components being unbolted and stripped down for paint, and that means the cab is taken off and sent to a paint shop. Well, you know how those stories play out, and without going any further, this is exactly what happened to Jim Riley and his son Dusty.
Short of a Restoration
By name alone, Reflections Restorations attracts enthusiasts whose worlds revolve around period-correct classics, muscle cars and other favorites built in the Motor City over decades past. Then again, not all of the exquisite creations emerging from this Cabot, Arkansas-based creative shop reflect originality, as an equal number of customers these days prefer a more modern approach to the cars they’ve found and have been attracted to for so long.
NO MORE POLISHING!
This is an easy-to-apply product that was designed to prevent dulling and oxidation of aluminum, retaining the polished brightness and luster.
HEMI WITH AN ACCENT
We know little about European drag racing, other than our sources tell us it is hotly contested and very popular. Frenchman Herve Caen is a drag racer, and at age 35, is the owner of not one but two silver ’68 ‘Cudas. One is a nitrous-equipped 440 Wedge built by
BAD BOWTIE
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
FURIOUS PLYMOUTH
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.
Inside the Hottest Booths at SEMA 2025
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
SUBTLE CONVERSION
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
CHEVY TRUCK ID: 1934-1972
Most of our truck-building buddies can date and identify any truck you can come up with from any distance, even from deep in a grove of trees and clear across a fairground show-’n’-shine. That’s what truck guys do: They enjoy identifying a rusted old fender at a swap meet…
The Hottest Trucks We Spotted at SEMA 2025
If there’s one thing SEMA delivers every year, it’s jaw-dropping builds—and the hottest trucks at SEMA 2025 didn’t disappoint. From slammed classics to high-flying off-road monsters, each build brought massive personality, insane attention to detail, and a presence that made the show floor buzz. These weren’t just trucks—they were rolling
Pyramid Optimized Design: The Builder’s Secret Weapon
When a build needs to go from “cool idea” to “everyone’s talking about this,” the pros call Pyramid Optimized Design. They’re the team behind some of the most talked-about show cars on the planet — using custom automotive design services to transform raw ideas into fully engineered, show-winning, road-ready components.
Our SEMA 2025 Hot List
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
Metal, Muscle & Mastery: Inside SEMA’s Battle of the Builders 2025
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
