By Fredy Ramirez
SEMA is gearing up for the 2019 Battle of the Builders (BOTB) competition, set to take place during the SEMA Show, and the list of competitors keeps growing longer as November approaches. SEMA eNews will highlight several vehicles each week leading up to the Show. This week's featured builds include: Thomas Nguyen’s ’10 Nissan 370Z, Steven Nadaskai’s ’11 Volkswagen GTI, Curtis Larsen’s ’70 Plymouth Barracuda and Keenen LaCour’s ’03 Mitsubishi Evo.
The performance mods on Thomas Nguyen’s Z include twin BorgWarner turbos, plus upgraded injectors, a clutch, an intake and an exhaust system, among many others. |
Thomas Nguyen, ’10 Nissan 370Z
Inspired by the villains’ ’02 350Z from Tokyo Drift, Nguyen started modifying his own ’10 370Z little by little. Soon, those small projects turned into big projects until this once-stock Nissan became the show-stopper we see today. His Z is set apart from the pack with the uniquely styled wide-body kit that he’s added to it, which also happens to be his favorite modification. Pushing out 666 whp, the once saintly coupe has been dubbed the “Demon Z.” The performance mods on Nguyen’s Z include twin BorgWarner turbos, plus upgraded injectors, a clutch, an intake and an exhaust system, among many others. The judges didn’t miss anything at this stop as they awarded Nguyen a golden ticket to the SEMA Show this year to display his car alongside some of the most amazing builds out there.
 Steven Nadaskai’s ’11 Volkswagen GTI |  Curtis Larsen’s ’70 Plymouth Barracuda |  Keenen LaCour’s ’03 Mitsubishi Evo |
Steven Nadaskai, ’11 Volkswagen GTI
Scheduled to Appear: Young Guns Regional Winner, Blue Lot
Steven Nadaskai stamped his “golden ticket” to the SEMA Show in Long Beach, California, as the winner of the Young Regional competition. He enters with an ’11 Volkswagen GTI. The build’s profile features Ingo Noak Widebody flares, Rotiform 3pc YVR wheels, a custom one-off front bumper and a custom notch shaved carbon hood. The exterior also includes a Enforced Aero one-off Chassis mount front splitter, Enforced Aero one-off side skirt extensions, Enforced Aero one-off Rear diffuser and RG style side skirts. The interior features Corbeau RRB seats and a custom-made full wood trunk setup with false floor.
Curtis Larsen, ’70 Plymouth Barracuda
Scheduled to Appear: Young Guns Regional Winner, Blue Lot
Curtis Larsen turned heads in Philadelphia with his ’70 Plymouth Barracuda. The build is powered by a Viper V10 engine and a Tremec T56. The project vehicle also features a Magnum Force Transformer K-Member conversion. The profile includes a custom fabricated hood, decklid, front valance and rear diffuser. The build lays upon a RideTech 4-link rear suspension and Wilwood Brakes. The Interior is custom and features ’14 SRT Challenger Seats.
Keenen LaCour, ’03 Mitsubishi Evo
Scheduled to Appear: Young Guns Regional Winner, Blue Lot
At 26 years old, Keenen LaCour’s Evo is modified from head to toe. The build features a concrete-filled block, Clevite Race main and rod bearings, R&R 156mm solid-beam aluminum rods, L19 bolts and 87mm Diamond Racing gas ported 10.5:1, to name a few of the components that help the engine push out more than 1,100hp. The exterior consists of Seibon and Rexpeed carbon-fiber parts, which include the hood, trunk, front lip, side skirts, spats and rear bumper. The interior includes a Blacksmith Fab Chromoly 10-point roll cage, G-force six-point racing harnesses, Pro EFI CAN display and other components.