Automotive Trends | 10 Things We Learned in 2015
December 08, 2015
What Automotive Trends caught our attention in 2015? As usual, you look back on a closing year with a few takeaways regarding trends and styles. More than just trends, how about a fun look back at what we learned in a very busy year for car guys and gals. Enjoy 10 Things we learned in 2015.
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Rutledge Wood's awesome Plymouth wagon hot rod features some trick custom LED lamps up front.[/caption]
If you attended SEMA Show in 2014 or 2015, you know this. LED lights are everywhere and they�re getting brighter and more creative by the minute. See them on everything from Rutledge Wood�s likeness on a hot rod to the lightning-bolt-bright mega-stacks on the roll bars of off-roaders. LED lighting is here to stay, and the race is on for the most unique way to employ the efficient little blazers on your next custom build.
Boosted Bela's original weathered patina always draws tons of admiration and disdain.[/caption]
There�s a war being waged on the streets. Apparently, shiny isn�t the only acceptable finish. Once a movement among rat rodders, patina and originality have become a bizarre currency with both car guys and motorcycle guys. The �you can�t fake this� appeal of a well-aged paint finish is more common than ever before. Even more interesting is the popularity of some pretty extreme builds where everything is state-of-the-art except the paint job. It�s a curious trend highlighting the old adage that it truly is original only once.
This LS powered truck is a true junkyard creation running mid-to-high 5's in the eighth mile.[/caption]
Yeah we know, It�s already come full circle. People are everywhere grumbling about the �lack of creativity� when they see an LS poking out from under the hood. Let�s be honest, 50 years ago you had to sell your house to get 300 horsepower out of a flat head V8. The fact that you can get close to 400 horsepower out of a junkyard motor for about a grand, shouldn�t ever be a bad thing. Thousands of LS installs would back up that logic, too. It�s probably worth noting that an LS swap isn�t always as simple as the good old small block Chevy weekend swaps of yore, but that�s not exactly what were talking about here. With a little creativity and a good junk yard handy, you can strap well over 300 horsepower to the motor mounts for a few hundred dollar bills, and if you can scratch up a few more dollars, turbochargers and nitrous can put you up on the rear wheels in a hurry. That�s what hot rodding has always been about, right?
Stills do Formula Drift absolutely no justice. Go see it in person![/caption]
After we drove our mix of custom cars out of the SEMA Show and over to the SEMA Ignited event and parked them next to our truck, our buddy Tim Kawasaki waived us over to the jersey barricades surrounding the Formula Drift series demonstration area. He told us to be sure and see these cars run before we left. Having seen all sorts of racing and hot rod shenanigans, we took it with the grain of salt, and headed over to grab a bite to eat. No sooner than we took our first bite, the cars came shredding by and we literally threw away our food and ran to see the cars. We'd seen this stuff on tv and the internet, but somehow had missed the ridiculous awesomeness that these cars bring to the party. Banging all over the rev limiters, they battled down and back on the small course all night long filling the night air with glorious tire smoke and a symphony of screaming engine sounds. We gazed with the biggest smiles on our faces the whole time. Go see Formula Drift in person!
The laid back Born Free Show is a custom bike wonderland in SoCal.[/caption]
We sell all sorts of tires and wheels. It�s a built-in perk of our business that we get to attend so many cool shows for everything from restored military vehicles to custom motorcycles. For the second year, we sponsored the Born Free motorcycle event in California. It�s not exactly breaking news that custom bikes are cool, but this event�� It�s on a whole different level. In its seventh year, Born Free attracted thousands of motorcycles and spectators to Oak Canyon Ranch in Southern California. The event featured live music, sponsors, vendors, AMCA Swap meet and a special Invited Builders area. It might not be on your radar just yet, but this is a killer motorcycle event that you need to know about. Born Free 8 has already announced their Invited Builders and the June 25-26, 2016 show dates.
Get your Tri-Five fix at the 2016 Tri-Five Nationals in Bowling, Green, Kentucky.[/caption]
Our buddy Christopher Sondles told us he wanted to have a show for 1955-57 Chevrolets. �Yeah that sounds like a good idea� was the understatement of the century. The Danchuk Tri-Five Nationals opened with a whopping 1,800+ cars in their inaugural show. The show is the perfect platform for all sorts of restored, custom and racer Tri-Fives to show off, the people love it. It was so well received that Chris was already scrambling to build on the 2015 success for 2016 before the 2015 event even happened! After talking to him, he�s going to do just that! Put this one on your calendar, folks ! August 12-13, 2016
The Chattanooga Cruise-In has gone ballistic over the last 5 years.[/caption]
We dug in our heels a few years ago. Like most companies, we were focused on getting to all the good shows around the country. The trade off for being so busy, is that we were overlooking our home turf. So we reached out. Well, first we asked the bosses if we could do it�.. Then we asked our friends on Facebook and spread some flyers around to come hang out at a cruise-in at our place. A couple hundred cars showed up at that first event in September of 2011, and it�s basically gone nuts ever since. This spring will be the fifth year for the Chattanooga Cruise-In, and we expect 2,000+ cars and thousands of people, hanging out at our place. We�re so proud to host this event and to have so many folks show their support for what we do. Yeah it�s good for the city, but it�s great for the people. Events like cruise-ins and Cars & Coffee put these incredible cars in front of kids and adults who need to experience the hobby first-hand. It�s what the car hobby is all about and we�re stoked to be a part of it.
The GMGT makes a heckuva statement about what makes a car cool. An 800 horsepower statement, by the way.[/caption]
Maybe you were getting a little bored with Gas Monkey�s show, but you still DVR it because, why not? Then out of nowhere, the guys snatched up a busted Ford GT. They hammered, welded and scuffled around on the thing, then applied their trademark formula to the car, and BAM!
Follow blogs, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube for tons of automotive goodness.[/caption]
Cable is dying? In fact, even if cable wasn�t on notice, you might be better off with a Roku and a smart phone when it comes to cool content specifically for car guys. These days you can watch feature length content on YouTube from the likes of Tanner Foust all the way to the mighty Motor Trend Channel and not even turn your cable box on for days at a time. You can also go a step further and follow your favorite personalities on Twitter and Instagram for a more personal connection. It seems like social media is tailor-made for following a build or following behind the scenes production of your favorite shows. Networks like Velocity still offer better-than-ever shows for auto enthusiasts, but you can really fill your cup to overflowing with web content from virtually any segment of the automotive and motorsports universe.
Mike Goodman is a car guy's car guy and will be missed greatly around here![/caption]
We work with Mike Goodman all the time. He�s a helluva hot rodder with a wealth of knowledge and an incomparable desire to help customers with problems. We�ve seen him literally drive to someone�s house to help them so many times, we lost count. He lives on the phone. Mike tells everyone to call 24-7 and they do. And he answers, always. Many people know this Mike Goodman. Some don�t know that Mike started out in the seventies with Honest Charley Speed Shop, even less know that he made a name for himself engineering speed parts back then as well. Even fewer people know that Mike was wounded in combat in Vietnam. You wouldn�t know anything about his heroic career in the military or his product development successes, because he doesn�t talk about it. He doesn�t talk about any of that stuff, instead he helps customers with their needs. Mike is a rare gem, and after his recent retirement announcement, we organized some of his incredible accomplishments so that we could honor him with a little party. We�re going to miss Mike so much, but rumor has it you�ll be able to find him in his shop, tinkering with old hot rods. One thing is for sure, they don�t make �em like this anymore!
1. LED lights are a thing
[caption id="attachment_7136" align="aligncenter" width="780"] Rutledge Wood's awesome Plymouth wagon hot rod features some trick custom LED lamps up front.[/caption]
If you attended SEMA Show in 2014 or 2015, you know this. LED lights are everywhere and they�re getting brighter and more creative by the minute. See them on everything from Rutledge Wood�s likeness on a hot rod to the lightning-bolt-bright mega-stacks on the roll bars of off-roaders. LED lighting is here to stay, and the race is on for the most unique way to employ the efficient little blazers on your next custom build.
2. Everything Old is New Again
[caption id="attachment_7137" align="aligncenter" width="780"] Boosted Bela's original weathered patina always draws tons of admiration and disdain.[/caption]
There�s a war being waged on the streets. Apparently, shiny isn�t the only acceptable finish. Once a movement among rat rodders, patina and originality have become a bizarre currency with both car guys and motorcycle guys. The �you can�t fake this� appeal of a well-aged paint finish is more common than ever before. Even more interesting is the popularity of some pretty extreme builds where everything is state-of-the-art except the paint job. It�s a curious trend highlighting the old adage that it truly is original only once.
3. Put an LS in anything... still
[caption id="attachment_7138" align="aligncenter" width="780"] This LS powered truck is a true junkyard creation running mid-to-high 5's in the eighth mile.[/caption]
Yeah we know, It�s already come full circle. People are everywhere grumbling about the �lack of creativity� when they see an LS poking out from under the hood. Let�s be honest, 50 years ago you had to sell your house to get 300 horsepower out of a flat head V8. The fact that you can get close to 400 horsepower out of a junkyard motor for about a grand, shouldn�t ever be a bad thing. Thousands of LS installs would back up that logic, too. It�s probably worth noting that an LS swap isn�t always as simple as the good old small block Chevy weekend swaps of yore, but that�s not exactly what were talking about here. With a little creativity and a good junk yard handy, you can strap well over 300 horsepower to the motor mounts for a few hundred dollar bills, and if you can scratch up a few more dollars, turbochargers and nitrous can put you up on the rear wheels in a hurry. That�s what hot rodding has always been about, right?
4. Formula Drift is Awesome
[caption id="attachment_7139" align="aligncenter" width="780"] Stills do Formula Drift absolutely no justice. Go see it in person![/caption]
After we drove our mix of custom cars out of the SEMA Show and over to the SEMA Ignited event and parked them next to our truck, our buddy Tim Kawasaki waived us over to the jersey barricades surrounding the Formula Drift series demonstration area. He told us to be sure and see these cars run before we left. Having seen all sorts of racing and hot rod shenanigans, we took it with the grain of salt, and headed over to grab a bite to eat. No sooner than we took our first bite, the cars came shredding by and we literally threw away our food and ran to see the cars. We'd seen this stuff on tv and the internet, but somehow had missed the ridiculous awesomeness that these cars bring to the party. Banging all over the rev limiters, they battled down and back on the small course all night long filling the night air with glorious tire smoke and a symphony of screaming engine sounds. We gazed with the biggest smiles on our faces the whole time. Go see Formula Drift in person!
5. Custom Motorcycles are Cool
[caption id="attachment_7140" align="aligncenter" width="780"] The laid back Born Free Show is a custom bike wonderland in SoCal.[/caption]
We sell all sorts of tires and wheels. It�s a built-in perk of our business that we get to attend so many cool shows for everything from restored military vehicles to custom motorcycles. For the second year, we sponsored the Born Free motorcycle event in California. It�s not exactly breaking news that custom bikes are cool, but this event�� It�s on a whole different level. In its seventh year, Born Free attracted thousands of motorcycles and spectators to Oak Canyon Ranch in Southern California. The event featured live music, sponsors, vendors, AMCA Swap meet and a special Invited Builders area. It might not be on your radar just yet, but this is a killer motorcycle event that you need to know about. Born Free 8 has already announced their Invited Builders and the June 25-26, 2016 show dates.
6. People Like Tri-Five Chevys
[caption id="attachment_7141" align="aligncenter" width="780"] Get your Tri-Five fix at the 2016 Tri-Five Nationals in Bowling, Green, Kentucky.[/caption]
Our buddy Christopher Sondles told us he wanted to have a show for 1955-57 Chevrolets. �Yeah that sounds like a good idea� was the understatement of the century. The Danchuk Tri-Five Nationals opened with a whopping 1,800+ cars in their inaugural show. The show is the perfect platform for all sorts of restored, custom and racer Tri-Fives to show off, the people love it. It was so well received that Chris was already scrambling to build on the 2015 success for 2016 before the 2015 event even happened! After talking to him, he�s going to do just that! Put this one on your calendar, folks ! August 12-13, 2016
7. Car Guys Like to Hang Out
[caption id="attachment_7142" align="aligncenter" width="780"] The Chattanooga Cruise-In has gone ballistic over the last 5 years.[/caption]
We dug in our heels a few years ago. Like most companies, we were focused on getting to all the good shows around the country. The trade off for being so busy, is that we were overlooking our home turf. So we reached out. Well, first we asked the bosses if we could do it�.. Then we asked our friends on Facebook and spread some flyers around to come hang out at a cruise-in at our place. A couple hundred cars showed up at that first event in September of 2011, and it�s basically gone nuts ever since. This spring will be the fifth year for the Chattanooga Cruise-In, and we expect 2,000+ cars and thousands of people, hanging out at our place. We�re so proud to host this event and to have so many folks show their support for what we do. Yeah it�s good for the city, but it�s great for the people. Events like cruise-ins and Cars & Coffee put these incredible cars in front of kids and adults who need to experience the hobby first-hand. It�s what the car hobby is all about and we�re stoked to be a part of it.
8. Gas Monkey Garage can build a Killer Car
[caption id="attachment_7143" align="aligncenter" width="780"] The GMGT makes a heckuva statement about what makes a car cool. An 800 horsepower statement, by the way.[/caption]
Maybe you were getting a little bored with Gas Monkey�s show, but you still DVR it because, why not? Then out of nowhere, the guys snatched up a busted Ford GT. They hammered, welded and scuffled around on the thing, then applied their trademark formula to the car, and BAM!
�Wait a minute, did they just bag a GT?�
The car quickly reinforced what caught everyone's attention with GMG builds in the first place. These guys flat-out know exactly how to make a car better. Granted it�s better in their style, but there is no denying how well that formula worked on this relatively run-of-the-mill red GT. Not only did they pick up the pieces and put the car back on the road, they created an iconic custom super car in the process. We saw the car at SEMA Show and it was so so so killer. As simple as it sounds, the formula of more power, black paint and slammed to the ground reached a whole new level with this thing.9. You Don�t Need Cable
[caption id="attachment_7144" align="aligncenter" width="780"] Follow blogs, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube for tons of automotive goodness.[/caption]
Cable is dying? In fact, even if cable wasn�t on notice, you might be better off with a Roku and a smart phone when it comes to cool content specifically for car guys. These days you can watch feature length content on YouTube from the likes of Tanner Foust all the way to the mighty Motor Trend Channel and not even turn your cable box on for days at a time. You can also go a step further and follow your favorite personalities on Twitter and Instagram for a more personal connection. It seems like social media is tailor-made for following a build or following behind the scenes production of your favorite shows. Networks like Velocity still offer better-than-ever shows for auto enthusiasts, but you can really fill your cup to overflowing with web content from virtually any segment of the automotive and motorsports universe.
10. They Don�t Make �Em Like They Used To
[caption id="attachment_7145" align="aligncenter" width="780"] Mike Goodman is a car guy's car guy and will be missed greatly around here![/caption]
We work with Mike Goodman all the time. He�s a helluva hot rodder with a wealth of knowledge and an incomparable desire to help customers with problems. We�ve seen him literally drive to someone�s house to help them so many times, we lost count. He lives on the phone. Mike tells everyone to call 24-7 and they do. And he answers, always. Many people know this Mike Goodman. Some don�t know that Mike started out in the seventies with Honest Charley Speed Shop, even less know that he made a name for himself engineering speed parts back then as well. Even fewer people know that Mike was wounded in combat in Vietnam. You wouldn�t know anything about his heroic career in the military or his product development successes, because he doesn�t talk about it. He doesn�t talk about any of that stuff, instead he helps customers with their needs. Mike is a rare gem, and after his recent retirement announcement, we organized some of his incredible accomplishments so that we could honor him with a little party. We�re going to miss Mike so much, but rumor has it you�ll be able to find him in his shop, tinkering with old hot rods. One thing is for sure, they don�t make �em like this anymore!