Battle of the Builders Winner at the 2025 SEMA Show
Troy Trepanier of Rad Rides by Troy took home the winning trophy for his 1936 Ford Roadster…
On Friday, Nov. 7, the final day of the 2025 SEMA Show, the winner of the Battle of the Builders was announced. This year, there were around 200 entries, including the most Young Guns entries to date. During the week, the entries were narrowed down to the Top 40, then the Top 12, followed by the Top 4.
The winning trophy was presented by Jim Holloway, VP of Mothers Polish, to Troy Trepanier of Rad Rides by Troy for his 1936 Ford Roadster named “Fenderless.” This was Trepanier’s second Battle of the Builders win, with his first in 2017.
On “SEMA Live,” Trepanier said that Ford never built a ’36 fenderless Roadster, so this is truly a coach-built car. He said the team spent 26 months and around 15,000 hours on the build that included everything except the tires, engine block and transmission. Since then, they have put 700 miles on the car.
The car features a 1957 McCullough-supercharged 312-cid Ford Y-block engine, paired with a Bowler 4R70W transmission and quick-change rear axle with torsion bar suspension. The bodywork, paint and interior were handled entirely by Trepanier’s team, which finished the roadster with a modified Porsche Aventurine Green Metallic color to radiate elegance.
“It was great to be back in the SEMA Battle of the Builders contest. It has grown a lot since we first won the event eight years ago,” said Trepanier. “We finally had a car worthy of being back in the competition. There were so many great cars this year. Everybody was a winner—the Top 40, Top 12, and especially the final four.”
“Trepanier’s vehicle is a testament to the level of creativity, craftsmanship and innovation that define the SEMA Battle of the Builders competition,” said RJ de Vera, SEMA vice president of marketing. “This program celebrates the builders who push the boundaries of what’s possible and inspire the next generation of automotive visionaries.”
