SEMA has a long history of bringing some of the most incredible builds to the forefront of the automotive aftermarket industry. This year, TMI Products Inc. has included its special TRIM Award into the mix to highlight builders who exhibit exceptional craftsmanship in the interiors of their builds.
There were many incredible builds at this year’s SEMA show and choosing one over all the others is a daunting task, for sure. In order to be as fair and unbiased as possible TMI utilized a team of independent and expert judges that have hundreds of years of experience between them. The judges inspected each ride and determined the winner in each class and ultimately, which ride stood out as the absolute Best of Show Champion. The TRIM Awards includes multiple and distinct categories for each of its winners. Having a TMI interior wasn’t a requirement to enter the TRIM Awards but did open entrants up to more potential categories to win. Here are this year’s SEMA Trim Awards winners.
Best Full TMI Interior
The 1971 Chevy Nova can get overlooked by enthusiasts, but when it’s done up like Ken Johnson’s it can’t help but get recognized! That’s exactly what Ken’s Chevy did to our judges. Just about every area of Ken’s Nova is covered with TMI products and that is why this LS-powered Chevy wins the Best Full Interior Award.
The interior comprises everything TMI offers for the car, including Pro-Series Universal Sport-SS Chicane II seats in the front, matching door panels, carpet, floor mats, one-piece headliner, dash pad, console, and even a trunk kit stitched up in Distressed Blood Red Vinyl.
Best TMI Car Interior
This Matte White 1966 Chevy II, known as MaxStreet, is the latest project vehicle of our sister publication, StreetMuscleMag.com. It won the Best TMI Car Interior with a complete TMI kit of contrasting black vinyl and black suede, with white racing stripes to tie everything together. There’s also a pair of TMI’s Pro-Series Universal Sport-SS Chicane II seats along with matching door panels, dash pad, and a universal console to round out the interior.
Best TMI Truck Interior
Trucks are extremely popular and there were many examples at this year’s SEMA show. This slick black hauler was positioned right in the TMI Products’ booth during the SEMA event. Daniel Stewart, the owner of the gorgeous 1967 Chevy C10, used a super-smooth black paint and copper flake to catch the judges’ eyes. Inside, he used TMI’s Double-Diamond Stitched interior using Black distressed vinyl and Tan distressed buck vinyl on a TMI 60-inch deluxe Sport bench, molded door panels, and carpet kit.
Most Creative Interior
When it comes to creating an entire interior for a 1976 GMC Jimmy, there is a lot of ground to cover! That’s exactly what Terry Rose did when he modernized the insides of his GMC.
Those dark red seats and squared-off dash full of displays instantly catch your eye. They also make it easy to forget that the entire interior has been covered with soft goods as well!
Best Color Matching Interior
There could be no better way to describe the interior of John Sutherland’s 1932 Ford Roadster pickup. The painstaking attention to detail throughout the entire build which carries over into the cockpit makes it difficult to distinguish where the interior and exterior meet.
Perfectly matching inside and outside colors with slightly contrasting touches of copper gives the car’s interior a monochromatic look while still having depth and flow.
Best Custom Car Interior
On the other side of the spectrum was Chuck Hanna’s 1978 Pontiac Trans Am. This silver beauty with the striking red interior and accompanying red accents made this car stand out on the show floor.
The red interior featured white baseball stitching throughout and featured a pair of Recaro seats in a matching shade of red.
Best Custom Truck Interior
Ricky Holly’s 1976 Chevy Blazer looks more like a Cameo pickup than a blazer. Those flowing bedsides are just the tip of the iceberg so far as modifications are concerned.
The interior of Ricky’s ride is what caught our judges’ eyes. They explained that Ricky’s work inside his ride set the bar for quality custom workmanship. Everything inside the truck/Blazer was modified, but it all works together as a unit.
Fan Favorite
The fans have spoken, and Jeremy Rice’s 1974 Chevy C30 heavy hauler came out on top!
This crew cab dually rides on air and inside, and each of its occupants rides in their own individual bucket seat. It’s a deviation from the norm that makes great use of the additional space is a console that runs entirely from the front to the rear of the cabin.
Best Of Show Champion
When it comes to picking the absolute Best Of Show Champion, it goes without saying that the level of craftsmanship is exemplary. As such, all of the judges agreed that Wes and Vivian Rydell’s 1941 Chevy Fleetline had what it takes to wear the crown. The ‘Chevy started out as a four-door, but that number was cut in half by the crew at Rad Rides by Troy.
The front doors were elongated to meet up with the extended rear section of the car. This solved having to buy more hinges and latches, but now all the interior panels would need to be hand-crafted to fit a car that Chevy never made! The car’s creators did that and more, adding front seats from a Cadillac ATS and a custom matching rear seat, both all stitched up in a rich Red Garrett Leather. Modern amenities abound inside, such as power windows, modern touch-screen stereo, and climate control. The extent of fabrication skills, along with a tasteful blend of modern amenities and a vintage vibe, and a level of detail that is out of this world meant that Wes and Vivian’s ’41 Chevy was a shoo-in for the top award. Congratulations!
All winners of this year’s TRIM Awards received a personal invitation to compete in Barrett-Jackson’s 2023 Barrett-Jackson Cup. All TRIM Winners are automatically entered into Barrett-Jackson’s top 50 contestants and the invitation is extended to winners of next year’s 2023 SEMA TRIM Awards winners as well. Start planning your builds now for consideration at the next SEMA event next year. Your work could be singled out as one of the proud winners of TMI Products’ TRIM Awards. Good luck!