Since 2015, the annual SEMA Battle of the Builders has shined light on extremely talented individuals who have demonstrated awe-inspiring creativity and craftsmanship in modifying cars, trucks, SUVs, sport compacts and luxury and exotic builds. The 2023 SEMA Show carries on that tradition with the announcement of this year’s Battle of the Builders winner, Andy Leach with a custom 1960 Buick Invicta.
Before settling on an overall winner, the competition recognizes a group of top four finalists that place in one of four different categories: Hot Rod & Hot Rod Truck, 4 Wheel Drive & Off-Road, Sport Compact/Import Performance, Luxury & Exotic, and Young Guns. The Buick Invicta, built by Andy Leach and the Cal Automotive Creations (CAC) team for George and Angela Eliacostas, conquered every custom car in the Hot Rod category.
The “X60” Invicta, as it’s called, wears a ton of subtle reworking of the original sheet metal to create the killer profile that we see today, all 222.0 inches of it. The Buick’s already amazing lines are accentuated by the modifications. The front wheel openings are moved forward by 1.5-inches and the body was wedge sectioned by two-inches in the front. The cowl is shortened and the hood is lengthened. CAD machined trim pieces, custom bumpers, and one-of-a-kind nine-piece interlocking component wheels wrapped in wide white tires tie the ‘60s look together.
The custom chassis is based on a 122.25-inch wheelbase and features a one-off IRS four-link rear end and machined upper and lower control arms in the front, along with Penske coil over shocks at all four corners. Stopping power is provided by Baer brakes, six-piston in the front and four-piston in the rear. Under the hood, the factory-correct 401 Buick Nailhead V8 is topped with a crank-driven supercharger and a blower mounted with custom brackets. A Bowler Performance 4L80E automatic sends power to the rear wheels.
The remaining 2023 SEMA Show Battle of the Builders Top 4 finalists included Jordan Henke’s 1987 Merkur XR4TI in the Sport Compact/Import category, Jared Hancock’s 1978 Jeep Cherokee Chief S for Off Road, and Charles D Spencer’s 1969 Chevrolet C10 for the Young Guns category. Follow this link to see the 2023 SEMA Show Battle of the Builders Top 12 finalists.