SEMA 2004, we took over 800 pictures in 4 days

Mopar, Superchips and Paxton, we sort threw the news.

I was surprised to see older folks in the Mopar booth this year. Last year the punks were in puberty and could care less about the Ram Hemi. Still not much coming from Mopar for Hemi Trucks and SUV's. Even the Shaker hood on the lime green Daytona Ram in the booth had a shaker functional ram air mounted to the engine, but this shaker is being built for the 300 and magnum not the Ram.

Same thing with the dress up kits for the engine, I found at SEMA are being produced to offer on the Hemi cars for Mopar. No one at the Mopar booth could explain to me why the Dodge Ram Hemi, which started the latest craze for Hemi enthusiast, was being left by the side of the road as Dodge and Mopar act like the cars are the only ones with Hemi's. Colorado Custom did have their dress up kit for the Ram Hemi on display. One is being sent to MrHemi for review.

This is where I need MrHemi here with the voice of reason as I tend to get upset if can't find explanations that make sense. A DC engineer in the Mopar booth, Eric Vickerman did answer questions for me. He said the 03 Hemi has room for improvement with engine controls and this might be why Superchips was able to modify it. But he claims the 04 and 05 Hemi  were built at their maximum ability and couldn't be modified or at least not more than 5 horsepower. ( Do we believe this).  Vickerman told me the 6.1L Hemi won't come to Ram trucks as it's a SRT engine and will only be used on those vehicles (Magnum, 300). I asked him if there were any improvements planed on the Hemi 545RFE automatic to improve the power in 4th gear and he said no. Vickerman stated that the transmission was controlled by engine and was what it was. (Made no since to me as 4th shouldn't be an overdrive in a gas engine when 5th is also overdrive). So hopefully the aftermarket manufactures will continue to work on products for us to fill in the many gaps left by DC.

Next I asked Superchips vice-president of engineering, Steve Madole if what Mopar said about 04/05 Hemi's not having room for improving engine performance was true. Madole stated that there was room for better managing the engine controls on the 04. Superchips hasn't finished the 04 programmer and are also working on the 4.7L as it is easier to modify. And we know OEM's purposely make it hard to modify engine controls, so it does take a lot of time. Superchips hasn't finished the new common rail Dodge Cummins diesel programmer either, and it came out in 2003. It's looking like next spring before we see a 04 Hemi Superchips programmer.

I talked to Roush and Paxton about their plans for a Hemi blower. Roush's program manager, Todd Andrews, said they are looking at a blower for the Hemi but no definite date. Paxton had more to say, they do make a Mopar blower as part of a tuner kit but don't recommend it for the Hemi. The reason I was given was the pistons. The Hemi top ring land is only 3 mm from the piston top and according to Paxton, 3 or 4 psi of boost could break the piston land lip off. They went on to say that a good aftermarket piston would easily handle 14 psi of boost from their blower.

New aFe cai for the Durango Hemi , I expect to see a new Hemi cai in the future as aFe does respect the Dodge Ram Hemi and SUV's and are devoted to providing us with the best power products for more air.

Freedom Truck, you gotta see it. It took 5 years to build. Click

Can't remember what I was going to ask

In the Mopar booth

Daytona is a nice looking Hemi

Shaker designed for the Hemi cars, why?

Less Hemi Rams in the DC booth this year

Oakley built these two trucks

Twins, what can I say, we had to ask them a lot of questions about Toyo Tires

Oakley's functional dragster was cool

I hope you can see some of the details, a great job by Oakley

Door handles I'd like to have. All this in Mopar Alley

Everyone was so friendly at SEMA

They said the parachutes worked

Side exhaust

Shaq's 35" my son went to the DUB party

These are the doors I'm trying to get for MrHemi

Good looking Camero

Lost my notes

Alpine

Magnums and 300's were everywhere

The year of slammed Ram's

    

I know, I'm looking for trucks, the Mopar booth is in the same room with the tire and wheel models, maybe that's why they have a hard time thinking about trucks.

Chip Foose the car builder builds a car and wheels at SEMA

Lamborghini's everywhere

My youngest son goes to the Army in January, I hope they upgrade equipment

They opened the missile doors for us

Remote controls for the machine gun and periscope

This is how we should be selling the HTC.com T-shirts

Quiet hydrogen cell Special Forces vehicle

  

 

My son toured Carol Shelby's shop at the Vegas Speedway

  

 

Really chopped

  

Good look'n truck

    

   

Oldies

Imagine a room the size of two Super Wal-Marts and fill it with tires, wheels and models.

Nice trailers

NASCAR in comfort Featherlite inside

Here's the Hemi dress up kit from Colorado Customs. MrHemi will be reviewing

Less Hummers this year but they were sick

Hemi seats

   

Hong Kong hood

Of course Mopar has contracted to have this available in Magnum and 300

But this company said they would try to offer us something for the Hemi Ram

A Ram in three sizes

Front

    

 

No, only being made for Mopar as a Hemi car accessory

  

 

I'll be reviewing on of these International 4x4's this winter, only $160k, but $20k is the stereo

But the red one was nicer inside. Rearview mirror is a camera of course

Nice flames

    

I know it's a Ford but it lowered it's bed with a HD flat on the ground. Kelderman had two Dodge's at SEMA with 12" air lifts. 

You'll see this truck on several mag covers

You can see the Kelderman ad on MrTruck.com

Here is Kelderman's red one on Truck Trend's current cover, with graphics

Jeff Kelderman took a foot off the bed and added it to the cab

 

 

International

  

   

As if they can't already go anywhere

These are my second favorite flames

I thought there'd be more Hemi Durango's

First year for a rock climbing demo

Big hot rod and restorations section at SEMA

A tribute H2

Great art all over the H2

Big Foots having sex

Lots of Dodge trucks

Monorail once again doesn't work this year ether

This is the place for wheels

Large wheels

Grave Digger

Many hot rod boats, this one had a cool tilt trailer. Jesse James had his boat here

Ford GT

Ford forgot to renew the Ford GT 40 name

O5 Mustangs were thick as Ford is the sponsor of SEMA for the second year in a row

I know it's a Chevy SSR

But I really like the flames

This may be the install article I should do, first the model

Wild interiors

Tall H2

Freedom Truck, you gotta see it. It took 5 years to build. Click