Big Hemi Customs' 1969 Big Hemi Road Runner Gathered Big Crowds at SEMA
- Feb 8, 2011
"I've had a love for cars all my life, from Hotwheels, to models, to the real thing," declared Lowden. "Just going to car shows and seeing all the nice cars, I wanted my cars to look that way, or a little better, and I wanted to show my own talents." Lowden's talents were on display big-time, for all to see at the 2010 Las Vegas SEMA show, in the form of a sculptured 1969 Big Hemi Plymouth Road Runner; featuring a 472 cubic inch Mopar Performance headed stroker, fuel-injected hemi that pumps out 560 ponies.
Lowden says his inspiration for the SEMA Road Runner was "To show the caliber of work we do at Big Hemi Customs, and hopefully to bring in some new customers." We have to suspect it's mission accomplished, as the Road Runner gathered many new fans and lots of respect at the show.
This was Lowden's first ever SEMA show and he says there was a lot of long hours put in to making the car perfect. And, being that the shop is in Indiana it had to leave a week before the show. "We crossed our fingers that nothing happened while in transit to SEMA," said Lowden. Lowden's tips for prospective car builders looking to get started, "Just try to do the best you can and learn from your mistakes. Get a game plan for the car your doing and try to stay in a budget. Then take it to some shows and get some feedback." Lowden chose to go with a K&N air and oil filter in the Road Runner "First, because of performance and quality and second, because they just look good," he explained. "We have been putting them on 95% of the cars we restore the other 5% want the total stock way. I have been using them myself for about 20 years." We asked him if he'd won any awards, or had his cars featured in magazines or other publications? "Yes, we received first place in Modified at Mopars at the Strip (Las Vegas) in March of 2010. We were on the cover of the October 2010 Mopar Muscle Magazine and also had a small TV interview with Dan Woods of 'Chop Cut Rebuild' that aired on the first episode of the new season last fall." Lowden's impression of the SEMA show, "Well, since it was my first time, one word says it all - WOW. It was awesome, so big I think the show should last for two weeks so I could see it all." Lowden and the crew have every intention of returning next year. "Hopefully, we are getting ready to work on a '68 Charger to take to the show this year." Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world. |
