SEMA COVER

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91 The following day, I eagerly made my way to the convention center, energized by the excitement that lay ahead! I had one goal this week: to cover every square inch of the property before the week’s end. With that in mind, I dove right into the heart of the action!

I kicked off my first full day in town by exploring the expansive Central Hall and the giant Silver Lot. Just as I had experienced in the South Hall, I was greeted by thousands of incredible and unique creations—each one a testament to the ingenuity and craftsmanship that each builder brings to the table!

The first truck I encountered was a 1949 Willys Pickup built by RJ Fab. Rob Lindsay, the owner of RJ Fabrication, and his team started this project by cutting off the back of the standard Willys pickup cab.

They then grafted a rear section from a Willys wagon, extending the cab by 16 inches. This modification increased the interior legroom while preserving the factory appearance on the outside.

Rob and his team not only designed a custom cab for the truck, but they also built a complete custom chromoly tube chassis to complement it. This innovative chassis supports a suspension system that handles everything from 3-foot-high sand dunes at high speeds to significant articulation when navigating tight and challenging obstacles.

When it comes to a super modified truck like this, Rob had no doubts about the ideal powertrain for it. The Willys is equipped with a Moruzzi-built, 3.0L Whipple supercharged 422 ci LS3. It is paired with a built 4L80E from Maximum Transmissions and features Evan Weller 9-inch differentials front and rear holding 10-inch 5.43 ring gears. With this setup, the Willys easily gets its 40-inch BFG Baja T/A KR3s up to speed without any issues!