Help Bring “Moe” to Life for SEMA 2025 – A Young Builder’s Dream

Hi, my name is Zachary Hidalgo. I’m 22 years old, and I’m an aspiring car builder chasing a dream that started with a forgotten truck in a salvage yard — and now has the chance to be showcased at SEMA 2025, the largest and most prestigious automotive aftermarket trade show in the world.

SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) is held annually in Las Vegas and features the most innovative custom vehicles and parts from around the globe. For builders, it’s the ultimate platform to gain exposure and recognition.

My project is Moe — a 1965 Dodge D200 Quad Cab that I rescued from a tow yard in West Covina, California. When I first found Moe, it was rusted through and buried under layers of chipped white paint, and its wheels hadn’t turned in years. But even then, I could see something special. At 19, I scraped together what I could to claim the title and get it home and I made a promise: I’d bring it back to life, not just as it was, but as a blend of restoration and reinvention.

In the spring of 2025, I officially committed to pursuing Moe’s spot at SEMA, aiming to showcase my project alongside the most innovative and prestigious auto builds in the world, and to compete in the highly competitive Young Guns category. I set myself an ambitious timeline — just seven months to solo design, engineer, and build this truck from the ground up.

The Young Guns category at SEMA is reserved for rising builders under 29 who are pushing the boundaries of design, fabrication, and creativity. It gives people like me a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to break into the industry, show our work to the world, and stand shoulder to shoulder with some of the most respected names in custom car building.

This project is personal. It’s a marriage between history and innovation, staying true to Moe’s vintage roots while transforming it into a fully capable, retro-modern overland machine. I’ve planned every detail myself — from chassis engineering and drivetrain design, to suspension geometry, TIG welding, and SolidWorks modeling. I’m doing the majority of the work with my own two hands, with a few late-night assists from my parents and close friends.

I’m building Moe to be more than just a showpiece. I want it to stand as proof that creativity, skill, and grit can come together to make something extraordinary — even without a big-name shop or massive budget. I work 8-5, five days a week as a Design Engineer at Cognito Motorsports, and I spend every spare hour I have building Moe. This is my shot to prove myself, to pursue my dream of becoming a respected builder, and to get my name on the map doing what I love.

That’s why I’m asking for your support. I’ve put everything I have into this build — time, money (I am primarily self-funding this project), energy, and every ounce of passion — but to get Moe across the finish line and into the SEMA Young Guns showcase, I need help covering the final $10,000 in materials, parts, and services. Every dollar raised will go directly into completing the project: from finishing fabrication and custom drivetrain work, to body prep and paint.

Your support isn’t just financial — it’s fuel to help me finish strong and get Moe where it belongs. You’re helping a young builder carve out a future in the world of custom cars and fabrication, and to prove that with enough heart and hustle, anything is possible.

If you’ve ever chased a dream that felt just out of reach, or believed in the power of building something from nothing — I hope you’ll join me.

Let’s get Moe to SEMA.

With gratitude,

Zachary Hidalgo

Builder of “Moe”