Ford F-100 with over 540 kW and GT3-inspired Aston Martin take the SEMA stage
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Meguiar’s brought two very different custom projects to the SEMA show: a Ford F-100 pickup five years in the making and TJ Hunt’s Aston Martin Vantage, which combines a road car with racing-inspired bodywork. One relies on supercharged V8 power, the other on hand-fitted GT3 components and the character of a naturally aspirated engine.
Two different routes to the same goal
The company unveiled both cars at SEMA in Las Vegas, which runs from 3–6 November. The car-care brand is also celebrating its 125th anniversary there.
These projects offer more than striking looks. The Ford’s builders extensively reworked both the chassis and body, while the Aston Martin team had to adapt race-car-derived body panels to a road car. The results are two distinct examples of how far custom work can go.
Ford F-100 GT/FX: 1956 pickup, FF1 chassis, 5.0-litre Coyote V8 with a Whipple supercharger, approximately 541 kW and a ten-speed automatic transmission.
The Ford took five years to build and cost more than US$1 million; its front brakes use six-piston Wilwood calipers.
Aston Martin Vantage: 2013 road car, modified AMR GT3 body kit, 4.7-litre naturally aspirated V8 and six-speed manual gearbox.
The Aston Martin’s VelocityAP exhaust manifolds and exhaust system save approximately 30 kg compared with the original parts; its suspension uses Nitron R1 coilovers.
The Vantage’s Nitto NT01 tyres: 285/35 R20 at the front and 315/30 R20 at the rear. No information is available on European availability or road legality.
F-100 hides a supercharged Coyote beneath its classic shape
Tony Peressini’s 1956 Ford F-100 GT/FX was built by Arizona workshop Fat Fender Garage. The project took five years and cost more than US$1 million.
Beneath the cab sits an FF1 Performance Coilover chassis. The workshop chose a third-generation 5.0-litre Ford Coyote V8, with a Whipple supercharger boosting output to approximately 541 kW. The engine is paired with a ten-speed automatic transmission.
Six-piston Wilwood calipers handle braking at the powerful pickup’s front wheels. The truck rides on 20-inch HRE wheels, with 315/35 Toyo tyres fitted at the rear.
The body retains the old Ford’s recognisable face, but its details reveal extensive craftsmanship. The builders reshaped the roof and bonnet, reduced the height of the cab’s body section by approximately 51 mm and widened the wings. Custom running boards and a custom pickup bed, flush-mounted glass and a Mustang GT350 rear diffuser take the result a long way from the original workhorse.
The original grille was retained. The stainless-steel bumpers and trim received a Cerakote coating, the body was painted champagne with a racing stripe, and the cabin was trimmed in black leather.
Vantage gets GT3 looks, but is not a factory race car
TJ Hunt’s 2013 Aston Martin Vantage follows a different idea: bringing the looks of the factory GT3 race car to a road car. The important distinction is that this is a GT3-inspired conversion, not a factory GT3 race car.
Hunt sourced a modified version of Aston Martin Racing’s GT3 body kit. It includes a deep front spoiler, a vented bonnet, side extensions, a rear diffuser and a rear wing. Installing the components required bespoke fabrication and fitting, rather than simply bolting on catalogue parts.
Instead of traditional British racing green, Hunt chose Macadamia Metallic from Porsche’s Paint to Sample range. The project thus combines a British sports car’s shape with a Porsche colour and the assertive aerodynamic styling characteristic of a GT3 car.
Naturally aspirated V8 and an exhaust almost 30 kg lighter
Under the Aston Martin’s bonnet sits a hand-assembled 4.7-litre naturally aspirated V8. VelocityAP supplied GT4-specification exhaust manifolds and an exhaust system, which together weigh approximately 30 kg less than the original parts. The pipework uses grade 304 austenitic stainless steel.
The same company supplied the project with a clutch kit for the six-speed manual gearbox. The suspension is complemented by adjustable Nitron R1 coilovers and AP Racing air jacks, which lift the car when an external compressed-air line is connected.
The HRE R101 Lightweight wheels are 10 inches wide at the front and 12 inches at the rear, with a diameter of 20 inches on both axles. The Nitto NT01 tyres measure 285/35 R20 at the front and 315/30 R20 at the rear. The press material does not disclose the engine’s final power output, torque or the car’s acceleration figures, so a numerical performance comparison with the Ford cannot be made.
Inspiration for European enthusiasts, not a sales listing
For European car enthusiasts, these two projects primarily illustrate different approaches to customisation: a thorough technical overhaul of a classic pickup and a race-inspired transformation of a road-going sports car. The source provides no information on the cars’ availability in Europe, local prices or the road legality of the conversions.
Meguiar’s is also presenting its 2027 car-care product range for professionals and enthusiasts at the show. The accompanying material does not specify the technical characteristics of individual products or when they will reach the European market.
