SEMA 2009 - Day 2: Tuning, what else? (photos and video)

While SEMA 2009 houses hundreds of exhibits and activities, the entrance itself is probably the most spectacular part of the show. Lining up in front of the Las Vegas Convention Center are over 700 highly-customized machines designed by tuning specialists and companies from all over America.


The West may not have been won with hopped-up cars or converted land rockets, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at the automobiles on display at SEMA. Professional tuners proudly stand here with their latest and shiniest creations.

Carolina Streetrod, for one, uses vintage hot rod chassis to create new interpretations. This North Carolina-based shop, headed by Harold Hall Jr., sees SEMA has a unique opportunity to break through the lucrative Western market.

Of course, every attendant wants in on the action. Some tuners came here with more modern cars, while others brought "theme cars", like a former U.S. Marine’s Memorial Tour for Veterans of Iraq, which consists in a parade of custom automobiles identified with the colors and badges of soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The heart of the tuning exhibit remains the West Coast Customs Experience, sort of a training camp for would-be tuners who want to learn more about the various techniques used by the famous California shop. Daily sessions of 90 minutes are held for pre-registered students, with the topics ranging from mechanics to electronics and aesthetics.

Sean, a skilled welder who specializes in car assembly at West Coast Customs, loves these sessions even though he admits they’re fairly demanding. "A lot of people come here thinking they already know everything or looking for a job with us. It’s always a pleasure to share your expertise with others, but there’s no way anyone can become a tuning expert overnight," he said somewhat gruffly before getting back to work with his students.