This LS7-Powered 1962 Chevy Bubble Top Is A Custom-Built Masterpiece

The first day at SEMA 2026 involved a sprint to the Speedmaster Featured booth. Why, you ask? Well, because Speedmaster sells some cool components, and because we wanted to be one of the first folks to lay eyes on CAL Automotive Creations’ latest early 1960s GM masterpiece.

CALculated Perfection

CAL Automotive Creations often adds the hashtag #SophisticatedSimplicity to their social media posts, with the idea being to take a beautifully retro car and perfect it with modern techniques and technology. As you can tell from the awesome 1962 bubble top, that’s a great descriptor of the reality the company creates. It’s the kind of detail-oriented build that proves good design endures, especially in the hands of skilled craftsmen who are at the top of their game and, quite frankly, the top of the hobby.

Inspiration for the project began with the shop’s owner, Ridler, and two-time Slonaker award winner Andy Leach. Andy makes no bones about the fact that bubble top Chevys are some of his favorite classics. This is actually the second prestigious bubble top the company has created, with the first car extensively touring the show circuit and winning the prestigious Barrett-Jackson Cup.

Bubbletop Version 2.0

That said, this Chevy ups the ante in so many ways. For starters, CAL Automotive Creations carefully massaged the car’s sheet metal from rusty ruin to virtual perfection. That exquisite profile is complemented by billet side trim, billet trunk trim, billet taillights, and billet door handles that, machined to fit the car much better than factory pieces, are actually manufactured and sold through CAL Machine, a separate business owned and operated by Andy and his wife. Up front, reshaped headlight bezels frame a custom grille that subtly dons an extra bar.

Of course, great builds need a great foundation, and this Chevy’s Roadster Shop FAST TRACK chassis is certainly a great foundation. Power is provided by one of the best LS blocks ever created: our beloved LS7, which is cleverly dressed as an old-school 409. Power flows through a 4L60E 4-speed automatic transmission and a familiar 9-inch rearend. A glorious V8 soundtrack is provided by custom CAL Automotive Creations stainless exhaust that incorporates rowdy SpinTech mufflers, and everything rolls on stylish Schott wheels.

With the exception of the car’s handsome Black Upholstery seats, every piece of this showstopper was created at CAL Automotive Creations. Those quality units, sourced simply because the shop ran short on time, are centered in a fully custom cockpit that wraps fresh door panels, which, machined in-house from plastic, complement a custom-machined, reduced-diameter steering wheel. Driver comforts include Vintage Air conditioning and Dakota Digital telemetry. And that cockpit looks great, floating amid Advanced nickel plating and custom Sherwin-Williams paint that shines like a Neon City star.

SEMA is full of incredible builds, but it takes something special to stop us in our tracks. With its flawless bodywork, custom billet details, and a killer LS7 masquerading as an epic 409, CAL Automotive Creations’ latest bubble top does exactly that. It’s a masterclass in blending old-school Chevy styling with modern performance, and another reminder of why Andy Leach and his crew are among the best in the business. If this is what #SophisticatedSimplicity looks like, we’re all for it!