Premium synthetic lubricant manufacturer Royal Purple has announced the winners of its third annual Show It Off at SEMA contest and first-ever Royal Purple Ladies feature vehicle contest. A customized 1969 Chevy Camaro, a 1955 Ford-F100 and a 1964 Chevy Corvair have been selected to be on display as featured vehicles sponsored by Royal Purple at the 2013 SEMA Show Nov. 5-8 in Las Vegas.
The Royal Purple Show It Off at SEMA contest was hosted online during the month of August. Over the course of two separate seven-day periods, car and truck owners had the opportunity to submit a photo via Facebook for the opportunity to display as a featured vehicle at the SEMA Show. The top five finalists from the car and truck classes were chosen by Royal Purple, with the two winners selected by two separate expert panels of judges.
Among a field of more than 40 entrants, Mark Field’s 1969 Chevy Camaro stood out from its competitors in the contest’s car class. Virtually every aspect of the Camaro is modified in some way. Included in the list are a Chevrolet Performance Ram Jet 502-ci engine, high-performance suspension equipped with a range of products from Heidt’s and DSE, hand-stitched leather interior and a custom-designed three color flamed paint job, among other custom touches. Field’s Camaro was selected by Royal Purple’s panel of judges for the car class that included Mike Alexander of Power Automedia, Jayke Milton of Fuel Culture, Hot Rod Power Tour stage host Clarence Barnes and last year’s Show It Off at SEMA contest winners Todd Faust and Dennis Rostenbach.
In the truck class, Steven Bloom’s 1955 Ford F-100, named “Gertie,” was chosen as the winner. Built in just 300 days, the Ford pickup features a custom tube chassis, 495-hp Ford 347-ci stroker engine, a long list of body modifications that includes a 2-inch pancaked roof and larger rear window grafted from a 1956 F-100, as well as a one-off custom interior. The panel of judges who hand-picked Bloom’s F-100 as the truck contest winner included Jason Mulligan of Street Trucks; Bob Carpenter of 8 Lug HD Truck, Ali Mansour of Four Wheeler, Jefferson Bryant of "Red Dirt Rodz" and Hoss Nobles of Torqued Magazine.
The Royal Purple Ladies female-owned vehicle search spanned the entire month of May, where women submitted photos and comprehensive spec lists of their car, as well as a one-page essay conveying why they should be selected for the honor. Carrie Strange and her 1964 Chevy Corvair were selected as the search’s top entrant.
Strange’s Corvair is a radical departure from the original car. The car features a custom tube chassis that places the engine opposite of its original orientation, at the front of the car, a Chevy 4.3-liter V6 engine equipped with Inglese sidedraft carburetors, Heidts PRO-G suspension and Bonspeed billet aluminum wheels, among many other performance parts.
“We couldn’t be happier with the response we received for both our Show It Off at SEMA contest and Royal Purple Ladies vehicle search. With so many great submissions, it was incredibly difficult to narrow down a single winner for each category,” said Royal Purple Communications Specialist Marlena Solomon. “We’re looking forward to sponsoring the winners’ remarkable builds as featured vehicles, all three shining examples of the talent and creativity that exists in our industry.”
The winners of the Show It Off at SEMA contest and Royal Purple Ladies vehicle search will have all SEMA feature vehicle fees and registration taken care of by Royal Purple. Each winner also will receive a number of Royal Purple wearables as well as a seat at Royal Purple’s VIP dinner in Las Vegas.