Three clean Jeep Wranglers loaded on the trailer and two more are set to follow as the team from FinishLineWest sets out for the three-hour drive to take part in the biggest aftermarket auto show of the year, the 2009 SEMA Show.

It's not an easy task to get five off-road vehicles with the reputation of getting dirty to sport the showroom "bling" factor they need to impress the thousand of spectators that will walk across the Las Vegas convention hall floors.  I spent the day with the guys at FLW to see how hectic one shop can get when they are down to the wire on last 24 hours spent dealing with upgrades and fallouts that come along with the show.

At SEMA, the vehicles are the stars of the show and each vehicle showcases its own flare. SEMA is a great place to showcase your new products and no better to show it off other then on the actual vehicles. It's a show where no two rides are identical no matter how much they look alike. It sounds cliche, but after spending some time with these five jeeps it really brought my whole respect to the men and women behind the scenes.

The tension was low as I first showed up at the FLW shop located in the high desert of Oak Hills, CA. The plan for the day was to cut and lay some vinyl, install new lights, add a few more gizmos, clean every nook and cranny, and get the vehicle loaded on the trailer by nightfall. As the hours started burning away and the wait for a last-minute product in the mail from the vehicle sponsor, it was evident the anxiety of the team started to grow. But with any good team, the tension would break with some wisecrack joke.

With the show set to open in less then 24 hours, the Jeeps have all ready been delivered to the convention center and placed in position. Make sure to come back this week to read more about these five Jeeps and the products they will be debuting at the show along with hundreds of others we’ll be covering live from the showroom floors.

Some photos by Andy Cohen @ finishlinewest