CENTER LINE, Mich., Oct. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Mopar(R), Chrysler LLC's original equipment manufacturer, learned that renowned blues and rock guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd is passionate about two things: cars and guitars. The two-time Grammy(R) nominee who has sold millions of albums worldwide will show his restored 1970 Plymouth Duster in the Mopar booth (#42427) at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) trade show. The annual showcase of technology, trends and products representing the $36.7 billion automotive parts and accessories industry, the SEMA show will be held Oct. 30 - Nov. 2, 2007 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Shepherd's latest restoration project is a 1970 Plymouth Duster. The Duster features a 406 cu. in. engine from Mopar Performance Parts. The vehicle features a custom two-tone paint job and custom-painted hood treatment from Ted Moser's Picture Car Warehouse. It has one-off FOOSE Nitrous II wheels, custom one-off brakes by SSBC, Hydratech brake boost system, Be Cool radiator and a Bowler Transmissions custom-built 4-liter 60 overdrive transmission. The Duster also features Eaton drop leaf springs, headers and exhaust by TTI, Magnum Force control arms, restored original dash pad by Just Dashes and custom seats. Year One provided the interior and assembly. The restored original gauge cluster with custom tachometer was provided by Redline Gaugeworks. GCAR trim did the chrome plating plastic interior pieces.
Shepherd has four No. 1 blues albums and a string of No. 1 mainstream rock singles. He's also received two Billboard Music Awards and was twice awarded the Orville H. Gibson Award for Best Blues Guitarist. Shepherd will be performing at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on Friday, Nov. 2 at 9 p.m. Tickets are available at the Hard Rock Box Office and Ticketmaster.com.
About SEMA
The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show, the annual showcase of technology, trends and products for the $36.7 billion automotive parts and accessories industry, will be held Oct. 30 - Nov. 2, 2007 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The premier automotive specialty products trade event in the world, SEMA draws the industry's brightest minds and hottest products to the Las Vegas Convention Center and attracts more than 100,000 industry leaders from over 100 countries in the automotive, truck and SUV markets. Open to domestic and international industry professionals and media, the 2007 SEMA Show will feature more than 2,000 exhibitors. More than 100,000 are expected to attend this year. SEMA was founded in 1963. The industry provides appearance, performance, comfort, convenience and technology products for passenger and recreational vehicles.
70 Years of Mopar
When Chrysler bought Dodge in 1928, the need for a dedicated parts manufacturer, supplier and distribution system to support the growing enterprise led to the formation of the Chrysler Motor Parts Corporation (CMPC) in 1929.
Originally used in the 1920s, Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) was trademarked for a line of antifreeze products in 1937. It was also widely used as a moniker for the CMPC. The Mopar brand made its mark in the 1960s - the muscle car era. The Chrysler Corporation built race-ready Dodge and Plymouth "package cars" equipped with special high-performance parts. Mopar carried a line of "Special Parts" for super stock drag racers and developed its racing parts division called Mopar Performance Parts to enhance speed and handling for both road and racing use.
Today, Chrysler's Global Service and Parts division is responsible for the manufacturing and distribution of nearly 250,000 authentic Mopar replacement parts, components and accessories for Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles sold around the world. To assure quality, reliability and durability, all Mopar parts and accessories are designed in strict adherence to Chrysler engineering standards.