'Pimp My Ride' Shop Leaves L.A. for Corona

The company that spruced up cars with hip-hop street flair for MTV's "Pimp My Ride" is taking a stab at another reality show based on its move to Corona.

West Coast Customs Inc. is set to star in a six-part documentary that profiles the company's move from Los Angeles to the Orange County-adjacent city as it tricks out cars with crazy features.

"Street Customs" is set to air on Discovery Holding Co.'s TLC as part of the cable channel's "Turbo on TLC" series, a motor-themed lineup for Thursday nights.

Ryan Friedlinghaus, West Coast Customs' chief executive, is the show's executive producer. Sherman Oaks-based Pilgrim Films and Television Inc. is producing the show.

The show and move to Corona are all part of West Coast Customs getting back to its roots, he said.

'"Pimp My Ride' was great because it got our name out there," Friedlinghaus said. "But it hurt us in the sense that we weren't taken seriously in the industry. We're not in this business to put coffeemakers in cars or anything like that. I got into this business because I have a passion for making cars unique."

"Street Customs" aims to show that West Coast Customs, which counts some $10 million in yearly sales, is a serious player in the custom car business, according to Friedlinghaus.

The Corona headquarters gives it more space to take on bigger projects, he said.

After nearly four seasons of "Pimp My Ride," Friedlinghaus said in 2005 that West Coast Customs planned to leave Los Angeles and end its relationship with MTV.

The company moved to Corona because it kept outgrowing spaces in Los Angeles, Friedlinghaus said. He wanted to buy a building that was affordable, which left OC off the table, he said.

"I was tired of leasing spaces because the company just kept outgrowing all of them," he said. "It was like throwing money out the door. I decided to move the business (to Corona) because you get what you pay for out here."

Friedlinghaus moved his family from L.A. to Corona about five years ago because he liked the reasonably priced homes, schools and clean environment, he said. The commute, on the other hand, was brutal, he said.

"I was spending so much time on the freeway and it got to be too much," he said. "I'm a dad and I wanted to make sure that I could have enough time for my kids."

West Coast Customs bought a 25,000-square-foot building at 181 Via Trevizio about two years ago, and moved last year, Friedlinghaus said. Some of West Coast Customs' workers followed. Others didn't.

The building, which sits in a nondescript corporate park off Interstate 15, is about five miles from the county line.

The exterior is splashed with graffiti art and boasts a large "West Coast Customs" sign.

Inside, the walls are splattered with bright graffiti paintings and laced with chain link fencing. The ceiling is embroidered with barbed wire. Plasma-screen televisions are strategically placed at almost every corner.

Much of the building is open space so workers can do dieir magic on cars for celebs like Shaquille O'Neal and Snoop Dogg and other car enthusiasts.

There's also office space, a store that sells West Coast Customs apparel and a lounge where customers can sit on beanbags and play Xbox games.

West Coast Customs buys materials from local vendors but does all of its work itself, Friedlinghaus said.

Metal, interior fabric, electrical, tire and paint work are done onsite. The company even has its own graphic design and printing department, which makes the vinyl wrap art used to decorate cars, office manager LiI' Mike said.

Auto shops typically specialize in one type of service such as paint jobs or tires, Friedlinghaus said.

"It was my dream to make this place a onestop shop so that customers wouldn't have to go from one place to the next to make their car look great," he said.

It can take the company anywhere from four to six months to finish an elaborate job, according to LiI' Mike. When West Coast Customs was on MTV, it had to finish projects within a week, he said.

"Our time frame was really narrow so it was stressful at times," he said. "We were literally working around tht clock."

The company still works late nights, according to LiI' Mike. The main work area has a DJ station above it. Hip-hop and rap music are blasted when the guys are working late.

"It's a nice pick me up for the guys who have to stay late to finish a job," LiI' Mike said.

LiI' Mike is one of West Coast Customs' 35 or so workers that go by nicknames. Other nicknames include Big Dane and Bear. Friedlinghaus even has his own, "Shady."

"Almost everyone's got a nickname here. It's just the lifestyle we're in," LiI' Mike said.

Friedlinghaus calls his guys artists.

"Everyone here is like their own Picasso," he said. "They're artists. It's incredible what these guys can do."

The company's outrageous designs keep Friedlinghaus confident that the business will continue to grow.

Moving to Corona is definitely far from the fast lane of Los Angeles car culture, but the move hasn't hurt business, Friedlinghaus said.