Meguiar's Unveils Two Custom Builds at SEMA
The 125th-anniversary company showcased a 1956 Ford F-100 and an Aston Martin Vantage GT3 conversion at its Las Vegas booth.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Car Culture
Meguiar's unveiled two project vehicles at its Central Hall booth at SEMA 2026 in Las Vegas during an 11:30 a.m. press conference on opening day. The reveal also marked the launch of the company's 2027 product lineup during its 125th anniversary year.
Why it matters
The showcase highlights the level of detail and finish that professional car care products are meant to deliver, which Meguiar's used its anniversary to emphasize. For Las Vegas, the week-long trade show brings the custom car community to the city's convention center.
The F-100 build, owned by collector Tony Peressini, took roughly 15,000 hours over five years at an estimated cost north of one million dollars. Its 5.0-liter Coyote V8 with a 3.0-liter Whipple supercharger produces 800 horsepower and 750 lb-ft of torque.
The players
Meguiar's
Meguiar's is a longstanding automotive care brand celebrating its 125th anniversary, known for detailing and car care products.
TJ Hunt
TJ Hunt is a builder known for GT3-style conversions, including the Aston Martin Vantage featured at the booth.
Fat Fender Garage
Fat Fender Garage is a custom shop based in Gilbert, Arizona, that built the 1956 Ford F-100 GT/FX shown at SEMA.
The details
TJ Hunt's 2013 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 conversion uses a modified Aston Martin Racing GT3 body kit and is painted Porsche Macadamia Metallic, powered by a hand-built, naturally aspirated 4.7-liter V8. The 1956 Ford F-100 GT/FX was built by Fat Fender Garage, whose shop is in Gilbert, Arizona, and its body was sectioned two inches with a pancaked roof and hood.
Timeline
November 4, 2026: Meguiar's unveils the two vehicles at 11:30 a.m. on SEMA opening day.
Tuesday: TJ Hunt signs posters at 2 p.m. at the booth.
Wednesday: Dustin Williams signs posters at 10 a.m., and Fat Fender Garage signs at 2 p.m.
November 6, 2026: SEMA 2026 closes in Las Vegas.
Car Culture
The Fat Fender Garage F-100 extends the restomod tradition in which classic Ford trucks are rebuilt around modern drivetrains. Pairing a 1956 body with a supercharged Coyote V8 follows the same path of custom show builds that have become a staple of SEMA.
Meguiar's launched its 2027 product lineup at the booth, giving detailers and enthusiasts a look at the products it plans to sell next year. The showcase also gives enthusiasts a sense of the finish quality that its care products are designed to achieve.
The takeaway
The builds show how factory-level finish and modern drivetrains can be combined in a single classic, a reminder that careful preparation and maintenance matter as much as the parts themselves. Enthusiasts planning a restoration can start by focusing on body prep and paint quality before committing to major powertrain upgrades.
Further reading
For more on the custom scene that drives shows like this, browse Car Culture coverage from Las Vegas.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Top Speed.
