WyoTech Joins Forces With Semper Fi Fund To Create Cool Car Show

Summer and its heat waves are in full swing, but tell that to the countless show goers at this year’s Wounded Warrior Car Show, now in its sixth year. Put on by WyoTech‘s Long Beach Campus, the event found them once again partnered with the Semper Fi Fund, a nonprofit with a mission to provide immediate financial support for injured and critically ill members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families. All proceeds go toward the fund, and the car show is open to all pre-1974 American cars, trucks and special interest vehicles.

This was a terrific show for an honorable cause, so we were more than a little excited to be there covering the goings-on. And judging by the nearly 200 cars and myriad visitors, whatever their motivations or interests, the feeling was universal.

It certainly paralleled the hubbub and atmosphere of last year’s show, when Sgt. Matt Amos was fortunate enough to receive a 2012 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, Modern Warfare 3 Special Edition.

One man who was certainly overwhelmed and overjoyed to be in attendance was the man of the hour: SSgt. David Lyon, a proud Marine who served our country during the Afghanistan conflict. You see, part and parcel of WyoTech and the Semper Fi Fund’s involvement with the Wounded Warrior Project is to donate a great gift to a veteran.

Lyon got just that when the WyoTech staff borrowed the Marine’s 2011 Jeep Wrangler and heavily customized it. Courtesy of 4WheelParts, SSgt. Lyon’s Jeep went through a sweet overhaul. It received a Flashcal flash tuner, massive LRG 106 20×9 wheels and Pro Comp XMT2 LRG tires. An SEL-Series LED light bar was also part of the gift package.

Further modifications included a Smittybilt XRC Rock Crawler winch bumper with grille guard and D-ring mounts, as well as a Rubicon 2.5-inch standard-coil lift kit with monotube shocks. It all came together to create an awesome, off-road-ready Jeep. Hearing it fire up was a real treat too; you could tell this thing was just aching to get to back to the dirt and rocks.

The build was overseen by automotive instructors Jonathan Cicchelli, Matt Sunbury and Fernando Alvarado. Together with 14 other students and faculty, the project took about three days to complete at the Long Beach, California WyoTech campus.

We wish SSgt. Lyon the best of luck wherever life takes him, and we’re grateful for the service he’s rendered to this country; he’s more than earned this beastly black beauty. And with that fresh black Jeep of his, we expect he shouldn’t have any trouble getting there, no matter the terrain.

As for the cars, we saw too many to count, and they were all special and terrific in their own way. A couple of sweet Corvettes were on hand for the Wounded Warrior Car Show. Both were from the Vapor Trails Vette Club.

One was a 1961 in all its regal splendor coated with the factory Roman Red and White paint and decked with the factory chrome dressings. The second was a ’56 in Cascade Green and White and in the same perfect condition as the ’61. The pair were parked next to each other and were stunning examples of the breed.

Other beauties on hand were the Olds 442 pace car replica, a ’62 Chevy Spyder Corvair and a ’69 Coronet “Super Bee.” Inside the Super Bee, show attendees could see the racy gauge cluster and Hurst shifter sitting pretty. With its hood lifted up on stands, everyone also got a good peek at the 440 Six-Pack. This was a serious, bad-ass, no-frills car. 

Our mouths watered when we saw Jimmy Belson’s mellow blue ’33 Ford Roadster. Now this is exactly what we’re talking about! A chopped, removable roof, suicide doors, and silvery ghost flames made us do a double-take as we walked through the rows of cars.

Peering inside James McLeod’s Chrysler, the wonderfully maintained lines and leather of the interior left an indelible impression on us. A poster in the backseat confirmed what our eyes had told us: The New Yorker was a national treasure.

As one of just 44 left in the national registry (only 9 in California), this car was bought with the St. Regis trim option that gave it the three-tone paint job, dubbed “Jukebox.”

Under the hood, a 354 ci V-8 HEMI engine can put out a respectable 280 hp at 4600 rpm, with a 9:1 compression ratio to boot. As the poster states, the car “cruises effortlessly at 95-100 mph.” To say this car would be our pick for “Best in Show” is a bit of an understatement.

The cars and trucks highlighted were simply a few of our favorites. But be sure to check out the gallery below to see more of the fine examples of automotive engineering that were on display at the Annual Wounded Warrior Car Show!