SEMA Member News—March 2017
By Katie Carson
TORA Featured Vehicles Highlight Up-and-Coming Builders
Members of the Truck and Off-Road Alliance (TORA) showcase their vehicles throughout the SEMA Show each year to promote their products and expertise. TORA recognizes a handful of amazing vehicles from member companies that have supported SEMA Cares Charities during the year by featuring them either in the TORA booth on the Show floor or on the outdoor promenade between the South Hall and the Performance Pavilion. Here is an inside look at some of the TORA feature vehicles that were at the 2016 SEMA Show.
| The TORA feature vehicle program puts trucks on display at the world's best specialty-automotive trade show. | |
Flo Airride Manufacturing Eric Conner, owner of SoCal Suspension and co-founder of Flo Airride Manufacturing, built a ’58 Chevy Apache. Conner is constantly looking for ways to improve suspension design, stance and the overall look of a build. With more than two decades in the custom automotive industry, he was proud to team up with Mike Alexander to launch the Flo Airride product line and take things to the next level. Conner’s favorite components of the build were the new Dakota Digital HDX dash, the all-new Flo Airride billet air tanks and the McGaughy’s front kit. |  |
Hellwig Products Andrew Rivera of Hellwig Products co-built a ’68 Ford Bronco with Coach Works of Visalia, California. This barn-find ’68 Bronco started as a simple frame-off restoration and evolved into a full-blown restomod. From the ground up, the Bronco has details seldom seen in a build like this. The Art Morrison frame carries a Ford Coyote V8 that sends power to an automatic transmission that is coupled to an Atlas transfer case. Currie-fabricated 9-in. axles rotate 37-in. Mickey Thompson tires on Hutchinson beadlock wheels. The dash, console and rollcage are custom fabrications. There is new glass all around, and a spectacular paint job rounds out the build. |  |
Iron Cross Travis Haecker built a ’17 Ford F-350 for the 2016 SEMA Show. “I have always had a passion for building vehicles, and going to the SEMA Show was a dream,” Haecker said. The truck build took place in his home garage, and he said that the build wouldn’t have been possible without the help and support of his family and sponsors. His favorite component of the truck was the thin blue line that represents a cause near to his heart. |  |
Richie’s Truck and Auto Rich Strube of Richie’s Truck and Auto built a ’13 GMC Sierra Denali HD 3500. Strube’s favorite components are the appearance and fitment of the Congnito Motorsports 9-in. lift system and the candy blue and metallic silver powdercoat. Strube has been building and modifying trucks for 20 years, and this is the fourth year his vehicles have been featured at the SEMA Show. All work is done out of the small but impactful family-run business back in New York. The truck is proudly used and driven as a tow rig for a diesel race truck all season long and all over the country. |  |
Voodoo Customs LLC Jeff Cleer of Voodoo Customs built a ’15 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 Extended Cab. “Voodoo Customs started in 2014 in rural Ohio,” Cleer said. “We build lifted trucks to our customers’ specifications using the latest and best parts available. At any given time, you can find me, my wife, close friends and some combination of our five daughters in the shop working on trucks.” His favorite aspect of the Silverado is the truck’s usability. |  |