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Not every vehicle that attends the SEMA Show was built to be simply a show car. Gary and Monika Wescott attracted much attention to their custom truck, which is equipped to handle just about anything life could throw at them on the road. For over 40 years now, Gary has committed his life to traveling around the world. To do this, he had to make sure his vehicle could stand up to the extreme elements as well as carry all his necessities. This inspired Gary to make upgrades to his vehicles throughout the many years of travel. Today, Gary and Monika Wescott trek across the world in a Ford F-550 with a customized camper shell on the back. It has all the amenities and comforts of home minus the square footage.
Gary and Monika Wescott's Ford F-550 with a custom camper shell at the 2011 SEMA Show
K&N had a chance to ask Gary some questions about SEMA and his adventures:
What was the process of getting the truck ready for SEMA?
Continuous maintenance and preparations at our shop, like taking all the tires off and cleaning the back side, design and modifications for two show cards, 12-hour drive to Las Vegas, $10 in the car wash followed by two days of waxing, Armor All, and nitpicking detail. This year, Chuck Swartz marked us a VIPs, so we got to move in a day early in a reserved spot we have used for several years. The funny thing is, everyone always wants to know where we have been and where we are going, but at SEMA, the truck has to look like it has never been off the road. With 130,000 miles on it now, that gets increasingly difficult.
Have you received any awards or had any magazines feature The Turtle Expedition truck?
We were recently inducted as Fellows into the Royal Geographical Society, and we have been nominated for induction into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame. I write for Four Wheeler, Trailer Life, MotorHome, Truckin', Truck Trend, Diesel Power, 8-Lug HD Trucks, Power Stroke Registry, Overland Journal and Turbo Diesel Registry, so travel and tech features are ongoing. The next issue of Four Wheeler will have the history of all The Turtle Expedition trucks. Overland Journal is planning a series called "Living Legends", which we will be part of.
2011 SEMA Show featured The Turtle Expedition Ford F-550 outside of the Central Hall
How long have you been involved with The Turtle Expedition?
39 years - 40 in 2012
Why did you use K&N products in your vehicle?
Our extended adventures are measured in years, not weeks. The life of our engine and truck in general are the most important aspect of our day-to-day life on the road after our health. We cannot carry 10 air filters, so being able to wash our K&Ns and reuse them is a huge saving of space. Back in the early 80's when we first met Ken Johnson and later John Shelton, we were impressed by the quality of the K&N Filters. K&N has been an important sponsor for over 20 years.
What has been your experience with K&N?
Not much to experience except their ongoing product support and the confidence that we are using the best air filters available. We recall having lunch and taking a tour of the plant with Ken Johnson back before K&N really started to grow.
This SEMA featured Turtle Expedition truck can go just about anywhere.
What does the vehicle do when it's not traveling?
Aside from ongoing modifications in preparation for The Trans-Eurasian Odyssey, driving from Lisbon, Portugal to Shanghai, China through 26 countries and following the legendary Silk Road, The Turtle V is used for tech stories and travel/adventure features for the various magazines I write for.
How long have you been going to SEMA?
Chuck Swartz and I figured out that it has been about 24 years.
What are your goals for the coming year?
Finish final preparations on The Turtle V. Place The Turtle IV in the National Automobile Museum in Reno, NV. Pack up all our belongings in our garage. Drive east to ship the truck to Europe and the start of The Trans-Eurasian Odyssey.
For further updates on Gary and Monika's Turtle Expedition and The Trans-Eurasian Odyssey, visit their website: http://turtleexpedition.com. 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.
What could be better than having your dream car become a reality? Having two of them! One for racing and one for show! Two years ago, Ed Stikeleather and Richard Andrews established Extreme Auto Concepts in El Mirage AZ, right outside Phoenix. Before that, they dreamt of having two wildly modified 350Zs and went to work. At this year's SEMA Show they brought two well-done Nissan 350Zs to SEMA this year and they were really, and I mean really cool.
The first up, is aforementioned 2005 Nissan "1WIDEZ" 350Z. It has a never ending list of aftermarket components; not to mention, endless hours of hard work put into it. Each build has its challenges and Stikeleather claims,
Extreme Auto Concepts' wildly modified Nissan 350Z at SEMA
"The most difficult had to be the body work and twin turbo setup." The custom one off body kit is made by Donlyson Auto Concepts and all of the performance upgrades were done by Extreme Auto Concepts.
Here is a brief list of aftermarket components used on this vehicle:
SEMA Feature Vehicle 2004 Nissan 350z called "Felony Z"
The next cool ride Extreme Auto Concepts brought to SEMA 2011 for its debut was the recently completed 2004 Nissan 350Z. The so called "Felony Z" has been gutted and rebuilt with the help, again, from Donlyson Auto Concepts. The goal was to complete a great looking time attack car and it is exactly that. Now that SEMA 2011 is over it is time to test and tune the car for the 2012 race season.
Highly customized 2004 Nissan 350z at the 2011 SEMA Show.
Here is a brief list of aftermarket components used on this vehicle:
It is not a coincidence that both vehicles use K&N products. Ed claims, "K&N is most argueably the best performance air filter available for street and track use. No other product for our application even crossed our minds. We have used K&N products on every daily driver, and performance vehicle we have worked on."
For more information on these vehicles be sure to check out: www.ExtremeAutoConcepts.com. 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.
The car began as a 1959 Chrysler Imperial but was transformed to this Imperial Speedster at SEMA.
Positive and negative responses normally arise when it comes to building a custom show car and that is part of what makes building a show car so exhilarating. Most custom car builders go through numerous hours of designing and re-designing in hopes of creating something truly amazing and it's infinitely rewarding when an on-looker appreciates the completed product. The negative feedback that comes with putting your ideas out there allows a designer and custom builder to consider what could possibly make the build more exciting. Building a show car would not be worth the time and money without both positive and negative feedback.
The 2011 SEMA Show featured this all-original Imperial Speedster.
Murray Pfaff runs Pfaff Photo Rendering and Designs out of Royal Oak, Michigan. Founded in 2002, the company helps builders make sure they see the light at the end of the tunnel before a project begins. Pfaff claims his duties are to, "Illustrate, render, and design cars for builders, automotive aftermarket companies, magazines, and individuals across the country." The design process is done with digital imaging tools. The Pfaff Designs website explains how they can, "take an existing photograph of your vehicle or one similar to it and make any modification you can dream of to make it shine, stand out, or simply be unique." Understanding the end result during a custom build is crucial.
For this year's SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Pfaff showed up with his one-of-a-kind Imperial Speedster. The car originally began as a 1959 Chrysler Imperial. Pfaff designed a shorter, narrower, two seat version of the vehicle and ran with it. He claims that his inspiration for this build evolved from the fact that, "Chrysler never produce a two-seat sports car until the Dodge Viper in 1992." Once the design was drawn out, the build process began. With helping hands coming from all around, Pfaff claims the build took a total of 10,000 well documented hours. The body work is the makeup of the vehicle that gives it the unique look but, aftermarket performance parts allow the vehicle to be driven like a sports car. Pfaff claims to have put 1,400 miles on the vehicle last year. Just to get an idea, here is a list of a few aftermarket products used on the build:
Pfaff's Imperial Speedster equipped with Dayton wheels and whitewalls at SEMA.
6.1 SRT HEMI crate motor
Aeromotive fuel system
Ohio Generator alternator
Phoenix Transmission
Mopar headers
Flomaster Hushpower mufflers
Summit Racing exhaust hardware
K&N High Flow air filter and wrench off oil filter
Dana 44 differential
Dayton wire wheels
Goodyear tires
2009 Dodge Viper suspension
Raybestos brakes
One-of-a-kind Imperial Speedster was a big hit at the 2011 SEMA Show.
The 6.1L HEMI breathes through one of K&N's universal high flow air filters and the oil is filtered through the premium wrench off oil filter. K&N lists a wide array of universal air filters for automotive applications and offers products for just about every vehicle on the road. Pfaff said that he used his first K&N filter, "20 years ago when I bought my 1988 Mustang GT and now I have them on all of my vehicles!"
All of this hard work has earned the Imperial Speedster the following awards: Mother's Choice Award in 2011, Barris Award, Winifield Select Award, Miguire's Magnificiant Masterpiece Award, Most Unique Award - Goodguys Columbus Nationals, and an eight page feature in Hot Rod Magazine. The Imperial Speedster has received a lot of attention since its completion and one would have to stare long and hard to find areas of improvement for this build. The next goal for Pfaff is to get a Hot Wheels version of the Imperial Speedster put into production.
The family owned Folk Race Cars had another successful season of racing in 2011.
Montgomery MotorSports Park in Montgomery, Alabama hosted the 16th Annual Million Dollar Race Weekend. This year's car count came to 300 plus, and the combined pay-out exceeded the $600,000 mark over the four day racing schedule. K&N sponsored Folk Race Cars made the twenty-hour trip from their home in Durand, Illinois, where they maintain their family owned business, in an effort to claim a share of the loot. Three generations of successful racers make up Folk Race Cars, headed by patriarch Ron Folk, his son Brian and grandson Nick. As the youngest of the racing Folk Family, Nick is the last person any stock eliminator driver wants to see in the other lane, and he confirmed that status with his showing at Montgomery MotorSports Park.
The Folk Race Cars' office space may be cramped, but the view more than makes up for it.
"With five separate races in one weekend, let's just say it was action packed," Nick's dad Brian told K&N News. "In Thursday's $20K race Nick had a semi-finalist finish, and then he went on to win Friday's $20K race. In the actual Million Dollar Race we both went deep in rounds, but we couldn't find the winners circle. All-in-all we felt the weekend was a success for our race team."
"If you wondered what we do with all the great K&N filters we're supplied, our dragsters made over 65 runs each this weekend without needing an oil filter change! Thanks for the great product," said Nick. "Although 65 runs is on the high-end for a four day weekend race, more times than not we make 40 to 50 passes on a normal good weekend. Now that's good equipment," added Brian.
At the 16th Annual Million Dollar Race Weekend the Folk dragsters made over 65 runs each without needing a filter change.
Since the Million Dollar weekend back in October the Folk Race Cars team has raced the Winter Series, starting in Adel, Georgia at South Georgia Motorplex, then onto Bradenton, Florida and then winding down to West Palm Beach at Moroso Motorsports Park. "We went a lot of rounds, quarter finalist three times, semi-finalist twice and runner-up in a dragster race," said Brian. "We've winterized everything and we're finished for the year." Nick finished NHRA in the top 10 in the Stock Class with his 1999 Chevrolet Camaro.
As for their plans for the 2012 season Brian reports, "We're building a 2004 Chevrolet Corvette for the B/SA Stock Class and we're hoping to campaign our 2006 Cobalt in the Super Stock Class. We also are assembling a new 'Dart' motor for one of the dragsters. Thanks again, K&N, for the continuing support!"
Located in the Ouachita Mountains, near Hot Springs, Arkansas the Superlift Off-Road Vehicle Park is a great destination for those with a passion for four-wheeling.
The Ouachita Mountain Region of Arkansas is noted for providing outdoor enthusiasts with an array of opportunities throughout all four seasons. Beginning near the town of Little Rock in central Arkansas, the Ouachita Mountain range heads west through the state before ending in eastern Oklahoma. Hikers and backpackers travel from abroad to experience the 235 mile long Ouachita National Trail, while mountain bikers throughout the United States show up to ride the Womble Trail.
Although there are countless miles of dim roads and trails throughout the Ouachita National Forest, new regulations deem many of them closed to off-road vehicles. That being said, there is still one destination in particular in the Ouachita Mountain region that is privately owned and has been set aside for the enjoyment of off-road vehicles of all descriptions.
Nestled amongst steep and boulder-laden valleys and ridges near Hot Springs, Arkansas, the Superlift Off-Road Vehicle Park consists of 1,254 acres of designated trails. Although the exact mileage of the trails on the facility has never been recorded, one can spend a full day at the park and not even come close to tackling all of the trails. In fact, folks return to the facility time and time again, not only to revisit some of the same routes they have already experienced, but possibly tackle some of the ones they previously missed as well.
According to the General Manager of Superlift Off-Road Vehicle Park, Knox Kendrick, the trails have been designed in a manner that folks of all skill levels with vehicles of various capabilities can come out and enjoy a day of four-wheeling. Of course, there are plenty of challenges awaiting those hardcore drivers who live to push it to the limit, but there are also stretches where one could actually drive a stock four-wheel-drive from the showroom floor and be entertained as well.
The Superlift Off-Road Vehicle Park sports trail for various skill levels and vehicle capabilities.
A sign is posted at the beginning of each trail explaining the difficulty level. Those sporting one diamond are fairly level and designed with the novice driver with totally stock vehicles with street tires in mind. On the other hand, as the number of diamonds increase, the difficulty level does as well. As such, the five diamond trails are the real deal and should only be tackled by experienced off-road drivers with properly modified vehicles. In fact those traversing the five diamond courses are apt to be challenged with practically vertical ledges in the neighborhood of eight feet in height as well as an array of other extreme obstacles.
When asked if there are any particular sections of trail that beckon the most experienced drivers back time and time again, Kendrick suggested that a route referred to as Ingrid's Revenge seems to be a very popular challenge. This particular trail consists of huge boulders, and large, slick slabs.
When asked how a vehicle must be modified to tackle the tougher courses, Knox said, "Everybody does it differently. You can take a typical off-road vehicle put larger tires and a lift kit on it. It all varies; some guys who come out here might spend $5,000 on their rig, while some folks spend in the neighborhood of $100,000 on theirs."
Not only are four wheel drive trucks and jeeps welcomed at the park, but Superlift caters to ATV, motorcycle and UTV riders also. As one might suspect, there are trails designed specifically for these styles of vehicles.
According to Kendrick, many of the drivers who visit the facility depend upon K&N filters to ensure an adequate air and oil flow is maintained during the rigors of maneuvering the course. Not only do the drivers using K&N products know that they have optimal oil and air flow, but they also have the luxury of knowing the internal components of their engines will remain free of dust and debris.
"We've noticed a growing interest in off-road vehicles," explained Kendrick. "Although some of our courses are designed with very serious off-road drivers in mind, we are also geared toward family as well. We have a little playground for children and are nearing the completion of an R.C. track that can be enjoyed by adults and youngsters alike. Folks can come out to wheel and bring the entire family and have a good time."
