Story by ALLISON ROGERS
Photos by DARRYL SIMMONS
Well, another SEMA Show has come and gone from the Las Vegas strip— but not without giving us plenty to think about as an industry. Marking the first time attendees gathered for the SEMA Show since 2019, this year’s event hosted more than 100,000 attendees, exhibitors and media, according to show officials. Collision Repair mag was on-site at the Las Vegas Convention Centre all SEMA week—check out our exclusive photos from the event!
New Products Galore
The winner of this year’s Best New Collision Repair/Refinish Product was the KECO Body Repair Glue Pull System. KECO’s Glue Pull System comes with a shop light and stand as well as a cart that’s said to offer complete GPR solutions.
The two runner-ups in the Collision Repair and Refinish category are the Eagle electronic measuring system from Celette Inc. and the Drain Cleaner SR250 from Reliable Automotive Equipment.
Other products featured in this year’s New Product Showcase included the BASF Glasurit 100 Line, which the company says is the first basecoat line on the market that offers a VOC value below 250 g/l.
3M’s new Cubitron net discs were also on display, touting the motto: Dust is the Enemy. The 3M Automotive Aftermarket division says the new abrasives offer prime dust extraction properties thanks to its innovative mesh technology. The company says the open net structure provides a virtually dust-free environment—up to 95 percent or higher in dust extraction performance than other net abrasive families.
Frank Terlep’s ADAS CoPilot Pro was also featured in this year’s lineup. Through its mobile apps and web portal, the ADAS CoPilot Pro system provides instant access to a vehicle’s ADAS systems, components, location, calibration requirements, repair procedures and other ADAS-related information based on a vehicle’s VIN.
Runner up for this year’s best Collision Repair/Refinish product was the Eagle measuring system from Celette.
This year’s title for best new Collision Repair/Refinish product was awarded to the KECO Body Repair Glue Pull Repair System.
ADAS CoPilot Pro
3M’s new Cubitron net discs
BASF Glasurit 100 Line
Second runner up for this year’s best Collision Repair/Refinish product was the Drain Cleaner SR250 from Reliable Automotive Equipment.
Battle of the Builds Young Guns
SEMA 2021 will surely be a year to remember for Canadians, with Penticton, British Columbia duo Chelsie Lesnoski and Cole Marten, securing two of the competition’s top three slots.
Lesnoski and Marten, who own Throttle Thrashers Garage together submitted a 1993 Mazda RX-7 FD and a 1991 Nissan Skyline R32 GTR, respectively. “What a wild ride it’s been,” Marten wrote on the Throttle Thrashers Garage Facebook page.
Lesnoski was also the first ever female builder to make the top three in the Young Guns portion of the competition. They also made history as the first couple to make the top three with separate builds.
Lesnoski actually made history twice at SEMA 2021 as the first female Battle of the Builders Young Guns contestant to make the top three.
Cole Marten and Chelsie Lesnoski, co-owners of Penticton, B.C.’s Throttle Thrashers Garage made history at the Battle of the Builds Young Gun’s competition, marking the first time a couple made the top three with two separate builds.
It’ll make you say, “JINKIES!”
In 2020, Len Boschman had planned to participate in the International RATical Rod Build Off Drive Off. His blueprints included a 1961 Ford Econoline restored to mirror one of North America’s favourite cartoon classics.
Boschman, who owns MacGregor, Manitoba’s Fourway Motors, had plans to turn the vehicle into the iconic Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine saw his dream fade last year when SEMA opted to go virtual for the 2020 event. Thankfully, the build made it down to the Vegas strip this year to showcase the vehicle at SEMA.
Len Boschmann, owner of Fourway Motors in MacGregor, Manitoba, alongside his Mystery Machine build. Boschmann constructed his build from a 1961 Ford Econoline. It was originally supposed to compete in International RATical Rod Build Off Drive Off at SEMA 2020, but the pandemic cancelled that plan. Thankfully, the build made it down to Vegas for SEMA 2021.
