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Editor’s Corner: Top Classic Cars of the 2011 SEMA Show

Posted By Ashley Smissen , November 8, 2011 9 comments

The display cars at the SEMA Shownever disappoint, but this year’s crop was possibly the best I’ve seen in my five years of attending the show. From muscle cars to roadsters to completely customized creations, it was impossible to capture all of the amazing cars on film (but I tried!).

While the display cars were eye-catching, it was also good to see the aisles of the shows constantly full. This year’s show was one of the busiest I can remember. This certainly was refreshing to see, as it represents the state of the industry.

Here’s a slideshow of some of my favorite display cars of the 2011 SEMA Show.

Veterans Day Weekend Car Shows & Events Roundup

Posted By Devlin Smith , November 8, 2011 1 comment

Car shows are being held around the country this weekend to mark Veterans Day.

A number of shows are being held across the country that will honor our nation’s veterans, including Goodguys’ 22nd Annual Autumn Get-Together, the 6th Annual Veterans Day Car & Motorcycle Show and the 2nd Annual Surf City USA Beach Cruise. Here’s information on those and seven additional shows that provide you with the opportunity to show off your shop’s best work and meet potential customers. More shows will be posted on Hotrod & Restoration’s Twitter throughout the week.

The 7th Annual Emerald Coast Cruzin runs through Saturday in Panama City Beach, Florida. The five-day event features cruises, car shows, parties, auctions, burnout competitions, a beach parade and live entertainment. Miss Hurst Golden Shifter Linda Vaughn will be on hand signing autographs Thursday, Friday and Saturday. For more information, visit www.emeraldcoastcruizin.com.

The 24th Annual Fall Carolina Collector Auto Fest takes place Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the N.C. State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, North Carolina. Saturday will feature a classic car show open to pre-1973 vehicles with over 60 awards presented. Sunday will feature an open car show with awards presented to classic and late-model vehicles. The indoor show will also feature vendors and concessions. For more information, visit www.carolinacollectorautofest.com.

Get the Latest Information on the 2012 Hotrod & Restoration Trade Show!

Posted By Ashley Smissen , November 7, 2011

The 2012 Hotrod & Restoration Trade Show is only a few months away! Our 14th annual show will be held March 22–24, 2012, in an exciting new location—the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The stadium is home to the Indianapolis Colts and will be the location of Super Bowl XLVI, being held a month before our show.

The official website for the Hotrod & Restoration Trade Show has been updated and now includes the 2012 show schedule, information about events and parties, and an updated exhibitor list.

The HRR Trade Show site also has information about the Grand Opening Breakfast, which will feature the presentation of the Robert E. Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award to Ed Iskenderian, founder of Isky Racing Cams.

A complete list of the HRIA Education Day seminars and information on ARMO’s Saturday business seminars can also be found on the HRR Trade Show site.

Ringbrothers Recieve Goodguys’ 2011 Trendsetter Award at SEMA Show

Posted By Ashley Smissen , November 7, 2011 1 comment

Jim (left) and Mike (right) Ring stand with Goodguys President Marc Meadors (center) after the award presentation.

Mike and Jim Ring, custom car builders and the owners of the Ringbrothers shop in Spring Green, Wisconsin, were named the dual recipients of the Goodguys 2011 Trendsetter Award. The Rings received the award at the annual Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) Industry Reception, held last week during the SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

Ringbrothers is known in the industry for its cutting-edge 1960s muscle car builds, including the 1967 Mustang “Reactor” and the 1969 Camaro “Razor.” Earlier this year, the shop took home the inaugural Golden Builder Award at the 2011 Hotrod & Restoration Trade Show for the 1970 Mustang “Dragon.”

In addition to the Golden Builder Award, Ringbrothers has also received several other prestigious industry honors, including two Goodguys Street Machine of the Year awards, and several Mother’s Shine and Ford Design awards.

Mike and Jim accepted the 2011 Trendsetter Award in front of several hundred of their industry peers, as well as their families. Goodguys President Marc Meadors presented the award.

5 Ways to Generate More Online Customer Reviews

Posted By Devlin Smith , November 5, 2011

As customers more and more rely on the Internet to find and research the brick-and-mortar shops they want to do business with, making sure your current customers are writing online reviews of your shop is key to bringing in new business. How can you make sure your best customers are telling their online community about you? The upcoming holiday season is a great time to encourage your customers to do just that, according to a recent Small Business Trends article by Lisa Barone.

In the article, Barone, co-founder and chief branding officer at Outspoken Media, Inc. an SEO consulting firm, shared five tips for encouraging customers to write those online reviews.

How to Fire an Employee

Posted By Devlin Smith , November 3, 2011

It’s a miserable fact of being manager, sometimes you have to fire employees. Jeff Haden, former manager of a 250-employee book plant, offered these seven suggestions for making the bad situation a little less terrible in a recent “Owner’s Manual” column on BNET.

1. Be sure. “The heat of the moment can cause you to make a snap decision that is neither correct nor fair,” Haden wrote. “Even if you have a zero-tolerance policy for certain behaviors, take a few minutes to make sure the employee’s action truly falls within the parameters of that policy.”

Real Deal Steel Releases 1957 Convertible Skeletons

Posted By Ashley Smissen , November 2, 2011 2 comments

Real Deal Steel has announced the release of its new steel 1957 convertible skeleton. The skeleton is the complete main body structure, less the exterior skins, which are available at an additional cost. The skeleton includes the full floor and trunk floor with all braces and supports, firewall/cowl/A-pillar and windshield frame assembly.

It also includes the inner and outer rocker panels, inner quarters, trunk walls and wheelhouse panels and the complete trunk hinge assembly. All of the components are fixture-welded and ready for an exterior skin to be installed.

Optional upgrades are also available, including factory installation of new full quarter panels/rear deck panel/tailpan, fitted doors and hinges, and a restored steel dash. All components are welded and fit into place, while the doors and deck lid are bolted.

Doc’s Kustom Introduces 2-in-1 Speedometer/Tachometer

Posted By Ashley Smissen , November 2, 2011

Omega Kustom Instruments, the gauge division of Doc’s Kustom, has released a new “2-in-1″ speedometer/tachometer combo. The gauge features a 4.725-inch stainless bezel with a true glass lens, and comes in a choice of black, white, tan or silver.

The gauge will fit a 4.375-inch hole, which allows it to be used in early dashboards. The speedometer features one-button programming, with an odometer and trip odometer. The tachometer is packaged at the bottom.

The units include senders and can be used in conjunction with Doc’s color-matched engine-function gauges. A variety of make- and model-specific custom panels are also available for use with the gauges.

Editor’s Corner: Jesse James Talks Shop & New DVD Series for Builders

Posted By Ashley Smissen , November 2, 2011

Famed custom car builder Jesse James of Austin Speed Shop took to the 2011 SEMA Show to announce the release of the “Jesse James Presents” series of how-to DVDs. The DVDs were created to take the viewer through the complete process of a specific part of a build, including how to create retro-style bomber seats, how to fabricate motorcycle fenders and how to build custom headers for a 1932 Ford roadster.

The series will also feature DVDs covering James’ love of off-road racing. In total, 40 DVDs will be created for the “Jesse James Presents” how-to series.

To check out a preview of the first DVD, “Jesse James Presents: Austin Speed Shop,” click here.

James was kind enough to sit down with me before the official press conference to discuss his new DVD series, as well as what’s going on with his shop and in the industry in general. After we spoke, he went over to the El Jefe Entertainment booth to sign autographs and meet fans.

HRR: Why did you decide to release these DVDs and who are you hoping they will most benefit?
Jesse James: For the last 10 years or so, people have been contacting me through phone calls, e-mails, letters, etc., asking me to let them apprentice for me or for me to teach them. With this series, I want to reach the guys with real shops and also the guys working on a project in their garage. I want to teach the basic skills so that they can do these things but also 100 other different things from those skills.

Live From the 2011 SEMA Show: Cool Car Gallery

Posted By Ashley Smissen , November 2, 2011

The 2011 SEMA Show has officially begun! Hotrod & Restoration will be posting coverage from Las Vegas all this week, showcasing the amazing display cars, new product demonstrations and more.

Here are just a few of the many eye-catching cars located outside of the SEMA Show exhibit halls.

(All photos by Ashley Smissen)