Great builders, but you hear very little about them...
 

Interested in the great builders out there that for one reason or the other get little if no publicity.

What kind of cars? Hot Rods, Custom, Sleds, Street Rods, there are so many types you need to narrow it down, unless its just for chit chat

Yes, there are obviously a lot of styles, but its more about capabilities. I think people here are interested on who else is out there is doing some real trick car building, besides who we normally hear and read of.

Shops that have the talent and resources, whether they seek to or not, of producing vehicles capable of winning major awards such as the AMBR, Ridler, SROTY, SMOTY, etc.

I know everyone mentions their products, but I would have to say DSE.
They also build cars as well as kick ass suspensions. Just check out John Stavola's '69 Camaro they just finished & Dale Jr.'s cars. WOW!!!:bow: :cheers:

Great shop obviously IMO they're too well known as a builder for this thread, especially after Dale Jr's '72 Camaro.

I was thinking more like a J.F. Launier. Not sure how well known he was known in the industry before the '08 Detroit Autorama when they made the Great 8.

https://www.hubgarage.com/mygarage/r...8/vehicles/461

J.F. Launier is definately someone to keep an eye on, a young guy from a small town building some cool stuff.
While paying for it out of his own pocket.

And he is a damn good guy too.

Good info...thanks.

(Looks like a cool '56 Shivy in your avatar. :thumbsup:)

(Looks like a cool '56 Shivy in your avatar. )


Thanks, I am painting it right now.
http://www.hubgarage.com/mygarage/vehicles/1323

How 'bout JOHNSON's HOT ROD SHOP?
I never heard of them before until I saw their beautiful '69 Camaro posted in this thread.:bow: :cheers:

Johnson's is getting alot of attention. and has always got some attention. Bob's Cuda, now a Ridler winner.

Kenny Davis is one i think doesn't get enough attention.

Alan Johnsons is well known guys, i love there style
and i also like Pinkees they have some major car builds under there belt!

Pinkees. :thumbsup:

Worth a tour...http://www.pinkeesrodshop.com/

I had never heard of these guys till seeing 'Lomad'

http://www.hotrodconstruction.com/gallery/lomad

http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/3678/picture3096.jpg
http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/652/picture3015.jpg
http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/4667/picture1931.jpg

We have worked on alot of cars from shops that are not known outside of there regions,Some of these guys can build with the best.Money and the right customer just has not walked thru there doors.The biggest factor IMO is for a shop to be able to work on different style of cars,Street Rods,Street Machines,Custom and be good at all those styles.There is a post about not knowing who Johnson's Rod Shop was,They were punching out some of the best Street Rods around before the PT style was going strong.There are alot of good builders out there that are capable with any style of car put in front of them,Those are the one's that are waiting for that right customer.Then you will here about them.

Excellent points...thanks Tracy.

Would you say it usually takes just one well funded 'right' customer (one that lets a talented shop 'do their thing') initially to launch the builder into a sustained growth period?

It will get them noticed,They will need to back it up with another good one tho.The bad thing in the car world is everybody wants to see the next big project coming out.By the time the next years show start, Last years great cars are forgotten about(most of them).There is some great builders that only put out a car every three to five years,Most people will forget there names.

Steve Cook was not on the map until Bruce Ricks 55 was SMOY runner up to Terzich and his 56 in 2003.

I've been on this forum reading and looking at everyone's projects for awhile now. I thought to myself why not throw something a little different in here. I can say that Im absolutely impressed with people's talent on this board. One that stands out in my mind is the '58 Corvette from the Roadster Shop (I think its a '58:_paranoid ). The reason I decided to not start a new thread is because Im one thats unknown and felt that this is a great thread to come in on.

This build is out of the "norm" for me, but I cant and wont turn down a good paying customer. Its a 1989 Toyota Supra. He will be autocrossing this thing. It will be a very nice Pro Touring car. I'll have more pictures coming in the near future of other builds currently in my shop. I hope you guys like it.

Glad you posted ...welcome. :thumbsup:

The Roadster Shop Vette is a '62...but I'm a big '58 fan and obviously a '58-'60 would also look great in that style. IMO they're a great example of what Tracy was saying; what having the "right customer" will do for a shop.

I have to mention CPR Streetmachines in San Diego. 2 owners + some hired hands so not the high capacity shop that can do you car in 3 months.
What they have going for them is:

• HONEST! A deal is a deal is a deal
• Great fabrication skills and ingenuity.
• Some of the best welding work I've seen stateside.
• Turbo specialists.
• Next door to prof paint shop, engine builder and chassis dyno shop.

Well I woudnt have ever heard of these guys until I became a member here
Ironworks
Kenny Davis
Bruning
Autokraft
Comp spec
Bent fab
Precision (division of Air ride),

Bruce Harvey- ProComp Custom- He did my 34 for me when he was local in WI. Now hes out of Pittsburgh. Known for his painting hes done some pretty trick rods over the years. He had his 1930 "Ratical Rod" at Columbus.

For restoration I would have to say MCR (Muscle Car Restoration) also local to me but they have put out some of the finest 100 point cars Ive seen.

New Guys I met at Columbus:
Kindig It Design
R.P.M.

Yeah, that was me. I'll be totally honest, I've never heard of them up until someone starting posting their cars on line here. They do great work it seems.:cheers:

I think if you go to any car show, different venue, or internet site your only going to hear about certain builders. There are some awesome builders many that run outside the pro-touring circles many have never heard of. But are famous in their circles

Dave Lane - Fast lane Rod shop ( Most amazing one man band, booked up for like 8 years )
Steve Moal - Moal coach builders ( huge shop in Oakland ) www.moal.com
Steve Davis Metal works- Huntington Beach
Dan Fink Metal works- Huntington Beach
GMT - Huntington Beach until he moved back to New Zealand
Tom Hanna - went to his shop on our way to Columbus, only works on his personal cars. Amazing work
Neil Lea - Rods and Restos in Centre AL
Jesse Greening - Alabama also
Steve Frisbe - Steves Auto Restorations. Portland Or ( Huge shop ) www.stevesautorestorations.com
Roy Pigford - He built a crazy nova a few years ago.
Roy Brizio - San francisco ( Huge shop ) www.roybriziostreetrods.com
Bobby Alloway - Tennesse

Some of these guys listed are probably unknown on here, but a guy Like Brizo finished like 2 dozen cars per year that all cost more then most every car on this site.


There are alot of guys out there that do amazing work but may only be known in the circle of what they do, Drag racer, Traditional hot rods, Pro-touring, Original Restorations, etc. Some guys like my Buddy Neil Lea don't have a website and only gets on the internet once in a while does some truly amazing work, He has some projects going and has finished some cars that you have seen but you probably have just forgotten about like Tracy said. Bob Alloway was interviewed on the HUB garage and he tells people who are interested in checking out his work to look him up at the shows and that guys is busy as can be because I don't think anybody can paint a car black like him and his guys.

Tracey,
You nailed it write on the head. I have a great customer write now (the Cuda) But I still have'nt had a chance to let my mind go wild on something without worrying about the budget. The Cuda is high end but there are a lot of points the customer likes witch does'nt realy reflect my style or look. Don't get me wrong there are a few things on the car that I said my way or no way. But I still need that golden ticket. Besides I realy want to send a car to you.

I didn't know that.

I checked Ricks' '55 out...sweet.

http://www.stevecookcreations.com/bruce.htm

Randy Clark - Hot Rods and custom stuff
Dan Webb - Michigan ( I think he works for FORD ) amazing
Dale Bosch - Awesome cars, Tracy has done work on his cars

Thanks for the info Rodger.

Obviously the more excellent builders we learn of here, the better it is for those looking to hire a shop.

Plus, now members local to these previously unknown builders can drop by and see the artistry.

Good stuff. :thumbsup:

I heard it cost over $300k to build, sold at Barrett around $210K a few years back

Good list Rog,...Dale is a total builder.There shop can work on anything.He won SROY in 2007 with the Black 38 chevy.Dan Webb has been doing cars for Ford for a long time,Very amazing fab skills.

A lot of mad skills on that list,Some of those guys been around a long time.

Brad Starks built this wagon I saw at Columbus. One of the sickest cars at the show.

http://www.musclerodz.com/gallery/al...s/IMG_0142.JPG

i did the interior in it,And he will be heard of in time.He did all the body fab and paint work on car.Very nice ride.Brad is a nice guy to work with also.Alot of people did not know it started out as a four door and two foot taller!

Hope to see more pics of it, including the interior.:thumbsup:

Nice '56 also from him.

https://www.hubgarage.com/mygarage/b.../vehicles/5441

I met Brad at Columbus, Nice Car and Nice guy. Some great talent there for sure.

Tim Divers comes to mind, although he's fairly well known now due to the Ferrambo. Wicked Fabrication and Hot Rod Fab are a couple others.

Art Morrison is another one, especially since he's just a guy out of his own garage. Not many people can do that...

I figure I'll jump in as I consider myself one of these "unkown" builders. I have built a couple pretty cool cover vehicles of different styles (truck and hot rod). I'm young, starting the shop at 19 and being 25 now. My names Robbie Azevedo and the shop is Pacific Coast Customs. Were located in the northern bay area (napa Valley) of California. We have a couple cool projects boiling right now, it does take a while as I am a one man team with 5 projects right now (I'd think of hiring if I could find the right guy)! One upcoming is a '66 GTO I've posted some photos of before but haven't updated in a while and a '71 Chevy pickup in a couple years. Here's some shots of our stuff:

GTO chassis. Car is being blocked right now at the paint shop. The owner wanted to work of the stock chassis with bolt on suspension as his Mom is the second owner of the car and he wants it to look mostly stock on the outside.
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...s/IMG_1274.jpg
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...s/IMG_1288.jpg
Here's the work under the hood. I did all of the machine work, aluminum work and sheetmetal fab in house.
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...toms/web17.jpg
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...toms/web16.jpg
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...kbluefinal.jpg

Here's a couple more things. First off my truck, who knows when it'll get worked on again:
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...IMG_0953-2.jpg
A customers car we did pretty much all of the work on. The first project I had to let go un-finished:
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...cherosmall.jpg
My AMBR competing Roadster. I won best engine in the AMBR class with it.
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...odysmall20.jpg
A little shop overview:
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...lloverview.jpg

Thats about it. For more photos you can look up our website. Thanks!

So Lets see some pics of the that sick looking tube frame. Come on, quit holding out on us.

Rodger

I'd like to say Bruning Auto Design is one of those builders that is just starting out that isn't really known outside these message boards.

Since they started the company last year and being new they don't have a finished car that they can take to promote the biz. Once they do get some cars done I think they will be well known.

Tim worked at Steve's Auto Restoration for approx 10 years. He worked on some very popular high exposure builds while working there.

3 members of this board have had cars there being worked on. All of us can say that the quality of work is great.

http://www.bruningautodesign.com/

That project has a ton of work into it already, I'd love to show more photos...but I can't.

WOW!! Some nice work there Pacific Coast Customs!:cheers: