Mopar is joining forces on two projects with renowned custom-car builder Rich Evans at the fifth annual Chrysler Spring Festival in Irvine, CA.
Evans will utilize Mopar parts and bring to life a customized Dodge Challenger for the 2010 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas, NV, Nov. 3–6, 2010. Evans will also serve as a judge in a newly formed tuner category of Mopar’s “Top Eliminator” enthusiast recognition program.
Owner of Huntington Beach Bodyworks and Rich Evans Designs, Evans is a master automotive fabricator, welder and painter. His custom-made rides have appeared in numerous movies and television programs, including Pimp My Ride, Monster Garage, Man Cave and Chop, Cut & Rebuild. The Southern California native also recently debuted a new iPhone App, “The Rides of Rich Evans.”
His one-of-a-kind Mopar-flavored ride for the 2010 SEMA Show will begin with a base 2010 Dodge Challenger. Evans will employ an array of Mopar parts, some modified with his own fabricated spin, in order to create a new automotive work of art. Rich Evans Exclusive Parts, as well as products from numerous aftermarket suppliers, will be used during the build, which will be documented in a series of podcast videos posted to Mopar’s YouTube channel. Evans will also pen exclusive blogs for posting on www.mopar.com, as well as his own website, www.huntingtonbeachbodyworks.com.
“Rich Evans has crafted some of the most remarkable customized rides on the street today,” said Pietro Gorlier, President & CEO – Mopar Service, Parts & Customer Care, Chrysler Group LLC. “This Mopar SEMA project will demonstrate to our customers what they can create with proven, quality-tested Mopar parts and accessories.”
Evans will also act as a judge for the new tuner category of the Mopar “Top Eliminator” program. Now in its fourth year, the program highlights restyled or customized Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge or Ram Truck vehicles of Mopar enthusiasts. The new tuner category winner will be selected from enthusiast nominations based on creatively applying technology to a current-model vehicle while maintaining brand integrity and values. All “Top Eliminator” winners, from the various categories, will be displayed in the Mopar Alley at the 2010 SEMA Show.
“I’m pumped up to team up with a premier organization like Mopar on these thrilling new projects,” said Evans. “Together, I think we can seize the attention of the young Next-Gen crowd with the new ‘Top Eliminator’ tuner award and the SEMA-car build while still holding the attention of today’s enthusiasts. You will see an amazing Mopar/Rich Evans creation in the Mopar exhibit at SEMA in November.”
Fifth Annual Chrysler Spring Festival
The fifth annual Chrysler Spring Festival takes place March 20 in Irvine, Calif. The event is the largest gathering of Chrysler LX/LC platform vehicle owners in the world, featuring current-model vehicles such as the Dodge Challenger, Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300.
The Mopar Direct Connection rig will be on hand for show attendees to visit. Show vehicles packed with Mopar parts will be on display at the rig, including the Dodge Challenger 1320 Street Pak, Dodge Challenger Mopar Edition and Ram 2500 ST Reg Cab w/8.0 box. Enthusiasts may also inspect Mopar engines on display, including the 426 HEMI engine with cutaways, 426 HEMI Crate Engine and a Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak HEMI engine with a cutaway bell housing and transmission.
For more information on Mopar, visit www.mopar.com. For additional information on Rich Evans, visit www.huntingtonbeachbodyworks.com.