Builds - page 2

Every build has a story; an identity that only it can claim. No one knows this better than DCD Customs in Los Angeles, a shop that literally builds Jeeps from the ground up. A focus on detail has found DCD Customs, and its owner David, at an intersection not often found in the world of off-roading— blending rugged with precision.

If to “err is human,” and “to forgive is divine,” then to rescue a stranger’s upturned rental Jeep out of a rocky gulch on an 80-something degree day in Moab is downright heroic. But it’s just a typical Tuesday afternoon for Rory Irish, owner and operator of the “Trail Mater” off-road tow truck. When wheeling out in Moab, Rory’s number is one that you never want to call, but if or when you do, you’ll be so very glad when he shows up.

Mike Davidson is the proud owner of a 1967 Porsche 912. A casual glance will tell you it’s unquestionably a Porsche. The inside tells a different story.

In 2012, Austin Smith was invited to a car show at his friend Caesar's paint shop. The two went way back, both having been involved in the local car scene for years. Caesar had a thriving paint shop in town — Green Cove, Florida, just outside Jacksonville — and Austin had recently founded a shop of his specializing in vinyl wraps.

On a dusty Friday evening, Lucia was driving a girlfriend home in an old beater Mustang. Her friend wanted to know more about cars, and Lucia was mid-lecture when another Mustang — a nicer, newer model — rolled to a stop beside them. The classic stoplight once over gave her pause. Something was off with this dude’s car. She rolled down her window, leaned over, and asked: “What year is your car?” “‘79.”“Those are ‘84 tail lights, you know.” “I know.”

Last year on December 31st, we asked our social media audience, “in 2021, what are you building for?” And dozens of people responded with their hopes and plans for the coming year. In December, we caught up with a few of them to ask “how’d it go?” And, “in 2022, what are you building for?” Here’s what they had to say.

The Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) in South Carolina has a tall order: Develop the next generation of automotive engineers. Alongside more than 20 industry partners, CU-ICAR provides equipment, technology and expertise to Clemson graduate students working on Deep Orange projects.

For many of us, working on cars is much more than a hobby. It’s a pastime. We toil in the garage working towards future goals, but the work is also a deep connection to our pasts. Understanding how to disassemble, repair, and reassemble a combustion engine is a sacred skill set, one that is passed down from generation to generation. Growing up handing wrenches to our mentors, we learned countless valuable lessons, but we also had fun.

Meet Dave Budge — the co-founder of Jaunt Motors, an off-road vehicle EV conversion shop and supply manufacturer in Melbourne, Australia. Jaunt just merged with a like-minded firm in the UK to form Fellten, a bigger, more capable shop within the growing EV conversion space. At Fellten, Dave serves as Chief Product Officer. 

Car Culture is far from monolithic. BFGoodrich Tires’ "Battle of the Builds" — held on our social channels at the end of 2023 — was proof that there are endless perspectives from which to channel creativity into unique car builds. Building a custom car is a science and an art — and no two projects are alike. This year, three great cars #BuiltOnBFG rose to the top.

If you’ve cracked open a muscle car magazine in the last few years, you’re probably already familiar with Rodger Lee, the owner and founder of Ironworks Speed and Kustom. Ironworks is an elite fabrication shop in Bakersfield, CA which, for over 20 years, has been dreaming, chopping, and masterfully welding up some of the most celebrated custom cars in the world. 

Freelance auto photographer Andy Carter doesn’t focus on the competitive side of car culture. He’s not one for retreading old ground. Instead, he’s shining the spotlight on unique—but never over-the-top—restorations.