The Next Generation: Eric Saltrick

At the 2011 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, guests couldn’t miss the sleek, black 1960 Cadillac convertible sitting at the entrance to the Central Hall, nor could they miss the Steele Rubber Products license plate on the front of the car. During the week of the show, the car known as “Cruella DeVille” gathered national attention, including feature stories on MSN.com and AutoWeek. The car also served as a fantastic advertisement for our company, showcasing our parts on a killer ride built by a fantastic young custom car builder.

Each year, Steele Rubber Products works with several young builders to showcase their skills at the SEMA Show. Most folks in our industry have heard of guys like Chip Foose, Bobby Alloway, Alan Johnson and Troy Trepanier, and everyone can expect to see their latest creations at the SEMA Show. But, we at Steele Rubber take great pride in introducing the next group of young hot rod builders to the aftermarket industry. The 2011 show was our second year sponsoring a young builder named Justin Carrillo. We had seen other Cadillacs built by Justin, and we jumped on the chance to sponsor his ’60 Caddy for the show.

The 1960 "Cruella Deville" Cadillac built by Justin Carrillo.

The 1960 “Cruella Deville” Cadillac built by Justin Carrillo.

By meeting and sponsoring young builders like Justin, we get a chance to talk with the next generation of car builder, as well as introduce these young talents to the movers and shakers in our industry. We first met Justin in 2010 when we sponsored another one of his Cadillac creations that captured a Mothers Polish Award. His latest achievement, the “Cruella DeVille” Caddy, earned the Best GM Award at the 2011 SEMA Show.

Justin Carrillo is just one of the many young builders Steele has worked with over the years. Our commitment to this program began nearly seven years ago, at my first SEMA Show. In an effort to build a new market for our rubber parts among a younger generation of car builders, I sought advice from anyone who would talk to me. The first person to take me up on my offer was a young builder known as “Pin.” As the founder and owner of a small shop called “Pin Did It,” he was just beginning to make a name for himself in the custom car world.

At that first show, Pin was building a retro-inspired lead-sled Mercury. As fans of old-school rods, Pin and I immediately hit it off. Before the show, Pin introduced me to another young builder, Kurt Forqueran of Autocore Customs, who was hoping to bring a 1960 Cadillac convertible to the SEMA Show. We immediately sponsored both Pin and Kurt for the show and proceeded to help them fit our parts to their vehicles. This was the first time that Steele Rubber Products had sponsored vehicles for the SEMA Show; our president, however, wasn’t sure how these sponsorships would benefit the company.

On the first day of my first SEMA Show, I stood proudly in our booth with our president, admiring the sheer size of  it all. Soon, two guys covered in piercings and tattoos approached the booth. Our president looked at both of them with a puzzled look on his face, until I introduced him to the next generation of our customers…Pin and Kurt. Neither guy looked like any of our current customers. Our president owns a beautiful 1957 Cadillac Eldorado, and the first thing he noticed about Kurt was the huge Cadillac tattoo on his chest poking through his open shirt. As he would later tell me, that was the moment he realized that Kurt was “one of us”—a car guy.

Since that first SEMA Show, Steele has sponsored dozens of young and unknown car builders. We do it because we know this is the next generation of our industry. And we do it because we love cars! We love to work with creative folks and see the finished product of their efforts. The SEMA Show gives us an opportunity to show off the hard work of our new friends, and it gives us a chance to stay close to the actual people using our parts. We are also selfish in our reasons for sponsoring these cars. We want to make sure that classics and hot rods are well represented at the SEMA Show because those are the cars we love the most.

For 2012, Steele will once again be sponsoring Pin and Justin, along with a half dozen other young car builders. Adam Cox from Iowa will be debuting an amazing 1954 Chevy Bel Air, and Joe Molina of Arizona will be showcasing a 1964 Cadillac Coupe DeVille. Our friend Phil Schwade will once again be bringing a lowrider Impala from California, while Clarence Chen and the folks at BareSpeed are showing up with a 1968 El Camino. And, our friend Todd Jubert will be showing a 1953 pickup truck to honor a friend and car club member who recently passed away.

All of these vehicles have been built by “twenty-somethings” but are often overlooked in our industry, mainly because they don’t look like the legendary hot rod builders we are used to. They wear baggy clothes, have tattoos and piercings and belong to car clubs we’ve never heard of. But, just as the president of Steele Rubber Products found out, they are car guys to the core. I encourage other companies in our industry to uncover the next great car builder and sponsor them for a show. You’ll not only earn a customer for life, but you’ll probably also learn more about the next generation of “car guy” than you ever imagined.

– Eric Saltrick

About the author

PPN Editor

Power & Performance News is the source for news, tech and products that help you get more performance from your vehicle. If powertrain performance projects and hardcore technical content are your interest, Power & Performance News is the publication designed for you. Our acclaimed editorial staff covers all aspects of engine and driveline upgrades with a mission of presenting information that is both interesting and achievable for the “average car guy”.
Read My Articles

Hot Rods and Muscle Cars in your inbox.

Build your own custom newsletter with the content you love from Street Muscle, directly to your inbox, absolutely FREE!

Free WordPress Themes
Street Muscle NEWSLETTER - SIGN UP FREE!

We will safeguard your e-mail and only send content you request.

Street Muscle - The Ultimate Muscle Car Magazine

streetmusclemag

We'll send you the most interesting Street Muscle articles, news, car features, and videos every week.

Street Muscle - The Ultimate Muscle Car Magazine

Street Muscle NEWSLETTER - SIGN UP FREE!

We will safeguard your e-mail and only send content you request.

Street Muscle - The Ultimate Muscle Car Magazine

streetmusclemag

Thank you for your subscription.

Subscribe to more FREE Online Magazines!

We think you might like...


fordmuscle
Classic Ford Performance
dragzine
Drag Racing
chevyhardcore
Classic Chevy Magazine

Street Muscle - The Ultimate Muscle Car Magazine

Thank you for your subscription.

Subscribe to more FREE Online Magazines!

We think you might like...

  • fordmuscle Classic Ford Performance
  • dragzine Drag Racing
  • chevyhardcore Classic Chevy Magazine

Street Muscle - The Ultimate Muscle Car Magazine

streetmusclemag

Thank you for your subscription.

Thank you for your subscription.

Street Muscle - The Ultimate Muscle Car Magazine

Thank you for your subscription.

Thank you for your subscription.

Loading