What goes around, comes around tried and still true. For the past few years we have seen an onslaught of "modern" hot rods made up of every year, make, model, and description. It was like going to a CNC convention each car was a magnificent example of what could be done in a machine shop, with a good programmer and great effort on behalf of the builder. Don't get me wrong I appreciate the latest in technology and what can be made as much as the next. However, I guess I really am ol' school and still like imagination in both design and craftsmanship to take the forefront in my hot rods.

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For starters, this past SEMA Show represented the epitome of what can be built when technology is cut loose but at the same time when imagination and craftsmanship are forefront. Each year SEMA is very proud, and rightly so, of its Battle of the Builders. It represents hot rodding on a pallet, a myriad of colors to be chosen from, but let's see what the artist can bring forth from the canvas. While we have had true hot rod builders, such as Bobby Alloway several years back taking home top honors and Alan Johnson was a finalist in 2015, for the most part the winning cars are really an acknowledgement to what can be done with technology not necessarily what's aesthetically pleasing. There's an old saying around the indoor car show circuit, "they don't judge ugly." Oftentimes a car is judged on its effort, complexity, execution of effort, yet little is given to the final result and what it looks like.

This year more than 300 applications were submitted for the 2017 SEMA Battle of the Builders contest, which were whittled down to the Top 40, then the Top 12 by industry judges before the 12 finalists judged their fellow competitors in front of an audience at the 2017 SEMA Show. Troy Trepanier of Rad Rides by Troy built the 1929 Ford Model A Tudor sedan (owned by the Mariani brothers) that edged out the amazing builds of fellow Top 3 finalists Alan Johnson of Johnson's Hot Rod Shop (1932 Ford Tudor owned by George Poteet) and Troy Ladd of Hollywood Hot Rods (1936 Packard roadster owned by Bruce Wanta) for the title. (Fellow TEN: Discovery Communication Company partners at the Velocity Channel will air the TV special "SEMA: Battle of the Builders," Tuesday, January 2, 2018, at 10 p.m. ).

All three of this year's winners come straight from the world of hot rodding the old fashion way. While each of the cars typifies stunning design and technology, each features craftsmanship second to none. Each looks like a hot rod and not something whittled out of a block of aluminum. (Billet is cool, it just has its place.) Don't get me wrong there's plenty of technology neatly "hidden" in each of these hot rods but the end result is a stunning presentation.

Interestingly enough, each was deemed by the STREET RODDER staff to warrant coverage on the pages of SR. The next and last one to appear will be the 1932 Ford highboy sedan built by Johnson and owned by Poteet. It will be part of the Triple Crown of Rodding Apr. '18 cover of SR. Another finalist in the Top 12 was Andy Leach of Automotive Creations' 1930 Ford Model A coupe, which has also appeared as a STREET RODDER cover car. To this the 1938 Graham 97 belonging to Mike Markin joined the ranks. The car was built in two stages, with two different teams. The transformation took place in Donn McFarlane's shop in Altoona, Wisconsin; the body, paint, fitment, and interior took place in Cameron, Wisconsin, at L'Cars Automotive Specialties. In addition to McFarlane, Tony O'Meara (O'Meara's Customs) and Trent Lewis (Midwest Metalworks) were key players in the transformation stages.

SEMA can be a mind-numbing experience as there's so much to see. But should you know what it is you want you can zero-in on the finest efforts effectively seen anywhere in the world. The Battle of the Builders didn't disappoint, especially if you like you hot rods to look like, well, hot rods! One last congratulations to all of the hot rod builders within our industry, but a special thanks to Troy Trepanier for taking home top honors. A tip of the Stroker cap to Alan Johnson and Troy Ladd for their outstanding hot rod efforts. Long live hot rods apparently they're back, but then we knew they were never gone.