2003 Custom Car and Sport Truck Show
Speed, Style, Power and Performance
The Caltex Delo Sport Truck and Custom Car Show is one of two annual events organized by Tradeshow International which unites the automotive aftermarket to showcase the latest styles and trends for trucks and cars. This year's show featured 50 different cars and trucks with mild to wild modifications, and more than 30 exhibitors of auto accessories, parts, wheels, tires, and other products. Speed, style, power, and performance were the theme of the show being the country's only performance parts and motor racing exhibit.
Show presenter Caltex made the public introduction of its new flagship diesel engine oil product Delo Sports, a new synthetic blend diesel engine oil. The new Delo Sports carries the Delo heritage of providing diesel engines with the best protection for maximum performance. On hand at the introduction were Lubricants Marketing Manager Jojo Sacdalan and Delo Product Manager Jean Maningo.
The halls were lined with various trucks from extreme off-road application engineered vehicles to restored trucks from 199 Off-Road House, Ride Inc., and 4xForce. A trend with rising popularity, aside from off-road trailing or competition use, these setups have been found to be useful in Manila's beat-up roads and flooded roads during the rainy season. Street truck-styled Ford Expeditions and conversion kits were also on display by both A-toy Bodykits and Options Unlimited.
The most unique entry for the Sport Truck category was Ramon To-Ong's 1979 'Chevota' (Toyota with Chevy engine) Hilux with specially fabricated Bilstein shock absorbers, a re-engineered suspension system with 17-inch lift, standing on massive 44-inch tires. The metallic orange-colored truck aptly name "Shogun" garnered a well-deserved Best in Show award, giving 199 Off-Road House the prestige of winning the title for three consecutive years.
Mobile entertainment systems took their flight at this year's show with the increase in custom installs featuring curvy fiberglass-molded modules, LCD monitors, neon lighting, and exceptional sound. One particular entry was local JL Audio distributor A+ Audio's Mitsubishi Pajero who proudly went home with the Best Audio Setup award. "We are very impressed that the mobile entertainment division in the show is growing and we see many people making custom installs like these themselves. This means that we will see the industry growing in the coming years," said Mr. Vic Peña of A+ Audio.
Car customization was taken to new levels at the recent show as modification broke the boundaries of creativity and innovation with scissor doors, wild body styling kits, futuristic mobile entertainment system setups, and artwork paint jobs. Obvious hints of the influence of the movie 2 Fast 2 Furious was seen in many of the cars, a trend that has been fuelling the rise of the local aftermarket accessory industry.
The most customized car in the show was Thirdie Icasas' Honda Civic which was the obvious Best in Show winner from the very start was a joint project of A-toy Bodykits, PR Autosport and Autoline. The car featured a custom wide-body styling kit, airbrushed artwork, scissor front doors, custom paintjob, a mobile entertainment system, Concept One's latest GT7 design wheels and a bottle of nitrous oxide to boot.
The show also featured different seminars about different automotive and motorsport topics. The different speakers include experts from the field of auto restoration, auto modification specialists, professional racecar drivers, and a special guest from the Nihon Automotive College.
The successful 5-day event attracted more than 25,000 visitors. Tradeshow International President Sophie Delos Santos expressed delight with the success of the show and credited it to the sponsors, exhibitors, and the visiting public.
