Some Of These Put Chip Foose To Shame
Chip Foose may be known as one of America's greatest custom car manufacturers, but West Coast Customs has been chopping up cars and producing incredible custom vehicles since 1994. Let's review some of the craziest custom creations and who they were for.
A Bit About West Coast Customs
West Coast Customs was founded in 1994 by two friends who shared a passion for cars: Ryan Friedlinghaus and Quinton Dodson. Ryan began the company with a $5,000 loan from his grandfather. Although still a teenager, Ryan had already gained notoriety by featuring his creations in auto magazines. The LLC was incorporated in 2000 and settled in Inglewood, California.
Jeff Sandquist, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Shaq Was One Of Their First Customers
According to Friedlinghaus, then-LA Lakers star Shaquille O'Neal was one of his first customers, wanting to customize his Chevrolet Suburban. While we don't know exactly what modifications were made to Shaq's car, that initial build for O'Neal helped West Coast Customs gain notoriety.
West Coast Customs, SHAQ'S SUPERSIZED PHANTOM
Pimp My Ride Begins
After just 10 years in business, MTV came calling, and West Coast Customs got its own TV show with Xzibit as the host. Pimp My Ride (2004) would feature outlandish customizations made to ordinary cars. Let's go over some of the craziest things they did during the early years of West Coast Customs.
Matti Hillig, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Wrapping Justin Bieber's Ferrari, Getting Him In Trouble
When Justin Bieber wanted to add this Ferrari 488 Italia to his , nobody told him he couldn't. But when Bieber hired West Coast Customs to apply a teal wrap to his Ferrari? Bieber was hit with an angry letter from Ferrari, telling him he'd breached his ownership contract by heavily modifying the look of his car. Not that it was West Coast Customs' fault—read the fine print, JB.
Manderson, Justin Biebers Ferrari 458 Italia
A Tribute Piece To Boyd Coddington
Boyd Coddington may be one of the greatest custom car designers in American history. In homage to the great man, WCC built a 1967 Plymouth Barracuda, beefing it up with a HEMI V8 engine that produced 500 hp, compared to the paltry 180-hp stock. Boyd would have loved it.
Putting A Chandelier & A Coffee Maker In A Trans-Am
You and I might be happy enough to own a Pontiac Trans-Am, even one that was as beat up as the one from the eighth episode of season 1 of Pimp My Ride. But Xzibit challenged WCC to put a coffee maker and chandelier inside the Trans Am. They also installed a coffee maker in the armrest. I suppose that would save lining up at the drive-thru.
West Coast Customs, HÄAGEN-DAZS X WEST COAST CUSTOMS:
CAT Scanner In A Crown Vic
When a prospective nurse came into the shop, West Coast Customs knew exactly how to pimp her 1984 Ford LTD Crown Victoria—by putting a CAT scanner inside the rear compartment.
Bugs & Snakes
Nobody knew what to think when a 1973 VW Beetle rolled into the chop shop. Then, word came down from Xzibit that the customer (apparently) wanted something to do with snakes. So, what did Ryan & Co decide? A snakeskin interior with a rear seat filled with a snake terrarium. Paired with the Atomic Green paint job, Herbie was rolling in his grave.
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Kylie Jenner's Classy Ferrari
Unlike her sister, Kim K, Kylie Jenner's Ferrari didn't break Ferrari's ownership rules. She kept her modification simple: a silver paint job, huge Lexanti LZ-105 wheels (each is about $2,000 per wheel!), and darker window tint.
X17onlineVideo, Kylie Jenner Rocking A New Silver Ferrari
The Juicer Doesn't Make It More Powerful
One of the wildest custom jobs ever done by West Coast Customs was to take the AMC Pacer, a historic American car (the first during the era of the fuel crisis of the early 1970s) and put a juicer in it for a nutritionist customer. Unfortunately, shag carpeting was also included. Don't spill the juice.
MTV France, Sa voiture est honteuse | Pimp My Ride | Episode complet
A Chevy Fit For The Pope
When Xzibit told West Coast Customs they'd be transforming a 1957 Chevy Panel Truck into something resembling the Sistine Chapel, they'd have known they had their work cut out for them. Still, someone was watching from above as the van had the Sistine Chapel ceiling printed and stuck on and marble flooring added. If the Pope was looking for a new car...
MTV UK, Pimp My Ride's Most Outrageous Modifications | Pimp My Ride
Blazing The Blazer
A 1987 Chevy Blazer showed up on one episode of Pimp My Ride. Beat up beyond recognition, and with enough paint chips to fill a can, the team transformed it into something that kept up with its namesake, including an electric fireplace inside. Other additions were 20-inch rims and HD monitors.
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A Stunning Hybrid Modification
People may have found hybrid cars a hard train to jump on in 2017. But at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) car show that year, WCC introduced a gorgeous purple-colored BMW i8 featuring twin electric motors and a three-cylinder turbo diesel engine. A top speed of 155 mph awaits, but reaching 60 mph will only take you 4.4 seconds.
RDDC, Inozetek Supergloss Midnight Purple BMW i8
Travis Scott's Nearly-Edible Lamborghini
"Different" is the word you might use to describe rapper Travis Scott's customized Lamborghini. Without touching the Lamborghini Aventador's extraordinary power, drawn from a 6.5L V12 engine that produces a staggering 690 hp for an insane top speed of 217 mph, West Coast Customs painted Scott's Lambo a delicious chocolate brown color with white chocolate colored wheels. Don't bite into it. We promise it's not edible.
MotorTrend Network, Travis Scott's New Lambo | Inside West Coast Customs
For The Aspiring DJ In The Family
Sirius XM Radio and West Coast Customs collaborated at the 2014 SEMA show to unveil a custom-crafted mobile DJ car. Based on the body of the Toyota Sienna, this custom creation featured 16 speakers, two 40-inch LCD monitors, and a 360-degree A/V column fixed onto the roof. If you're a DJ, chances are this is your dream car.
West Coast Customs, Teaming Up with Toyota and SiriusXM for The Sienna Remix | West Coast Customs
An Expendable Design
One of the most memorable West Coast Custom designs came from The Expendables (2010), where you see Sly Stallone's 1955 Ford F-100 Pickup. That was designed by WCC and involved a matte black paint job and a new Ford 417 Edelbrock engine producing 429 hp. It is most definitely not an expendable vehicle.
West Coast Customs, Stallone's '55 Ford (Part 6) | West Coast Customs
Will.i.am Gets His Custom Chevy Wish
Creating outlandish customer creations are kind of WCC's thing. Will.i.am found that out when he hired them to modify a 1958 Chevy Corvette with a classic red and white paint job featuring custom-made rims from Colorado Customs. Will.i.am has many custom cars in his garage, most of which have been handled by West Coast Customs.
petroneparker, Will.I.Am's West Coast Corvette
Shaq's Polaris Slingshot
Two seats? Three wheels? A 7'1 NBA center to fit in there? No problem. West Coast Customs once again picked up work from long-time patron Shaquille O'Neal when he needed his three-wheeled Polaris slingshot stretched, so that his massive frame could ride in it.
Polaris Slingshot, Shaq Takes It To The Edge with a West Coast Custom Slingshot | Slingshot
Kid Rock's Stylish Limousine
Kid Rock's stylin' in this 1975 Cadillac Limousine. Gold and black was Rock's wish for his beautiful custom limousine, so WCC gave it a deep black paint job with gold trim and lined the interior with black velour seats with gold stitching. Classy.
West Coast Customs, Kid Rock's Cadillac | West Coast Customs
Now That Drive-Ins Are No More, Families Are Having To Improvise
Drive-in movie theaters were part of childhood for much of the 1960s and 1970s, but now that they've gone the way of the Dodo, families are having to improvise. For West Coast Customs, this meant the job of retrofitting a Chevy Cavalier van into a mobile movie theater—complete with a popcorn maker in between the seats and rear-mounted LCD screens for the kids in the back. Remember, this was the early 2000s and LCD screens weren't as common as they are today.
MTV UK, Pimp My Ride's Most Outrageous Modifications | Pimp My Ride
The Very First Episode: A Hot Tub Time... Ford Econoline?
Back in the 1990s, everyone loved to travel in their Ford Econoline vans. They were one of the most popular vans in America for road-tripping. Nobody could have expected that during the very first episode of West Coast Customs' Pimp My Ride that they'd be retrofitting a Ford Econoline van with a functional hot tub. The epitome of relaxation.
MTV UK, Pimp My Ride's Most Outrageous Modifications | Pimp My Ride
Range Rover Phone Home?
In the eighth episode of season 5, Tad brought in a 1989 Range Rover. A classic British SUV by all accounts, it was about to get a very American makeover. The body went from green to orange with a sporty racing stripe, and it was fitted with a huge white tow bar. Inside? A huge waterbed was installed to fit the Range Rover's rear compartment with the back seats removed, and a satellite dish was placed atop. We heard ET was looking for a ride home.
MTV France, Un matelas à eau dans sa caisse | Pimp My Ride | S4E08
Pickup Pool?
When Sara brought in her 1988 Chevy S10 pickup for modifications, it was little more than an aging truck soon headed for the scrapheap. But West Coast Customs decided they could do something about that. They painted it metallic black, added a chrome grille, and even installed a fog machine under the hood. Their greatest addition, though, was a pool table in the bed of the truck. Apparently, it could be played from any angle.
MTV UK Pimp My Ride's Most Outrageous Modifications | Pimp My Ride
Everything's Shiny On This TRON Audi R8
Without touching anything under the hood, West Coast Customs managed to create a chrome-covered, shiny, brightly-lit car that resembled the TRON movie from 1982. Featuring bright LED lights of all colors and a chrome wrap that was so clean you could see your face, this Audi R8 looks like it was built for Deep Space.
amine naim, Inside West Coast Customs S1 EP107 TRON Audi R8 Colour chromium
The Jewellery-Making Station Minivan
One of the most touching moments of West Coast Customs' long career on MTV came when Laila brought in her old 1998 Plymouth Voyager Minivan. Reimagined with a hot pink paint job, a front spoiler, running boards, and a sound system that would deafen you, the minivan was already a stunning transformation. Add in the jewellery-making station for Laila's jewellery business, and the results were... Well, they made her cry.
West Coast Customs, PUBG Bus In Real Life (Xbox) | West Coast Customs
Rascal Flatts' Custom Camaro
Realizing they needed a red Camaro for their song "Red Camaro", and not wanting just any old red Camaro, country band Rascal Flatts approached West Coast Customs with an idea. The custom car included 22-inch wheels, custom tires, and three exhaust tips for each band member. Very touching.
Dream Cars, Inside West Coast Customs S1 EP110 RASCAL FLATTS TAKE THE T TOPS OUT
Will.i.am's "Rocket" Tesla
In 2018, Will.i.am once again commissioned West Coast Customs to build him a Tesla of extraordinary capability. Dubbed "The Rocket", the car features rear-opening doors, deep-dish rims, and a fresh body kit that give his Tesla Model S a whole new look.
Agent Clifford, Will.I.Am TESLA Ultimate Car
Their Most Technical Project Ever Undertaken
When the CEO of Meta comes knocking with a crazy idea, you don't say no. Mark Zuckerberg approached West Coast Customs in October of 2024 with an idea: a pair of customized Porsche Cayenne SUVs for him and his wife. Modifications needed to be made to almost every area of the Porsche Cayenne, including two sliding doors, like those of the Toyota Sienna, with an additional row of rear seats added and trunk space for the couple's three children. Friedlinghaus says it was "the craziest, most technical project we've ever done".
A Fitting Send Off For A Custom Car Show
On the last episode of Pimp My Ride, West Coast Customs was given a Cadillac Fleetwood Hearse in a brilliant moment of foreshadowing for the end of the show after three years on the air. Adding a glossy black paint job and a purple trim, the real work was done inside. The team transformed the hearse's empty coffin into a barbecue station, complete with a grill. Don't worry, everything tucked away so it could still be used for its intended purpose.
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West Coast Customs, The Wednesday Hearse | West Coast Customs
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