The world of custom automobiles has exploded in popularity in the last two decades with the Fast And The Furious movie franchise and hit TV shows like Pimp My Ride and Overhaulin, both of which explored the virtually unlimited possibilities of average everyday vehicles. Now, of course, there has already been a market for custom vehicles in the past. With the original Hot Rod king being Boyd Coddington, there's virtually no limit to what the world has seen a classic car can be capable of. Meanwhile, in Las Vegas, Nevada, there's also a famous classic car designer who also happens to be a lead singer in a rock band, and that's Danny Koker.
The so-called “Count” has been restoring vehicles for decades in the desert city of sin, and he specializes in creating some of the most memorable vehicles that you've ever seen. Now, that's not to say that he isn’t a well-known personality. In fact, he's been featured on the hit television show Pawn Stars for many years as a used vehicle expert. Giving his expert opinion on appraising many vehicles that came through the world-famous pawn show, which included the original Ford Bronco owned by OJ Simpson, Danny Koker has been in the car business for a long time, and he stands to be one of the most knowledgeable guys in the industry. The Count recently got his own TV show as a spin-off titled Counting Cars, and the show has been a breakout success.
20 Elvira's 59 Thunderbird
Probably one of the most memorable cars to be featured on Counting Cars was a special car that Danny personally took a hand in designing. Elvira’s 59 Thunderbird was restored by the famous auto customizer, and he personally felt obligated to do this build because of how much Elvira was a part of his childhood growing up. The beautifully restored 59 Thunderbird had all of the evil details that you might expect a car of Elvira to have, and he managed to nail every aspect of the design that the famous actress was hoping for. (History Channel)
19 Danny's 74 Roadrunner
What originally started as a quick-flip project turned into a personal vehicle for Danny Koker because after the design had been finished, he just fell in love with every aspect of the car. The 74 Road Runner was painted in an authentic Hemi purple color to match with the original color combination, but where the car was different were the added Count's Kustoms touches such as the all-black rally wheels and the one-of-a-kind touches to the interior that made the car modern with a retro twist. (History Channel)
18 George Lynch's 65 Buick
Count's Kustoms is a very popular restoration outfit in the Las Vegas, NV area, so naturally, there have been quite a few notable cars to come out of the shop. George Lynch's 65 Buick was a custom order where the owner wanted Danny Koker to add his signature twist to the project, and the Count did just that.
Everything about the 65 Buick was a unique proposition, down to the custom upholstery in the interior.
Naturally, the beauty of Count's Kustoms is that most of the work is done right in the house. (History Channel)
17 Kevin Mack's 1969 Cadillac DeVille
With every well-run operation, there has to be a team aspect, and with Danny Koker, he has a right-hand man that makes the shop run as smooth as butter. That man is no other than Kevin Mack, a guy that's been with Danny by his side for over a decade.
Kevin Mack's 1969 Cadillac DeVille is a very special car that has a noticeable paint job that you just can’t miss.
Coupled with a high-performance engine and some special rims, there's nothing average about this Cadillac in any way. (Hot Rod)
16 1973 Buick Riviera
The beautiful thing about Count's Kustoms is that they specialize in creating all types of different cars, and big V8 sedans and coupes are their specialties. The 1973 Buick Riviera is a special project that combined most of the original features that make the Riviera a stellar car and added the special Count's Kustoms touches to it, making for a special Buick that'll be noticeable anywhere that it goes. The big and bold Buick stands to be one of the most recognizable projects designed by Koker. (History Channel)
15 67 Bronco
The 67 Bronco is a classic car that almost everyone has seen at least once in his or her lifetime, and naturally, this is a must have for any car collection. The 67 Bronco that was designed by Koker and his crew managed to stick to the original formula that made the SUV such an instant classic, and with an aggressive off-road stance and a stellar modern engine and transmission, the Count's Kustoms 67 Bronco is a must-have SUV that was designed as a homage to Bronco lovers everywhere, even OJ Simpson. (History Channel)
14 79 Camaro Z28
The Camaro is a legendary Pony car that was released to compete with the Ford Mustang, and it continues to do so to this day. The 79 Camaro Z28 that was designed by Koker at his shop will make even the most discriminating Camaro enthusiast proud. The 79 Camaro Z28 from Count's Kustoms features a bright and very noticeable paint job that screams performance, and the car will definitely make a standout impression on anyone who loves the Camaro or performance cars. (History Channel)
13 55 Chevy Truck
The cool thing about Danny Koker and the Count's Kustoms is that they specialize in creating some of the most unique cars on the planet, and these cars are actually functional, too, which is great when you're talking about spending that kind of money. The 55 Chevy Truck that was designed by the Count features a body-on-frame restoration and a brand-new modern V8 GM engine that's the pinnacle of performance for such a classic truck, and this is part of what made the restoration such a success. (History Channel)
12 61 Econoline Truck
There are many cars that were released during the sixties that really changed the face of the automotive world, and Ford was one of the companies that were really doing a lot of innovation at this time. The Econoline brand of vehicles was designed for commercial clients who needed a versatile van or truck to make deliveries for their business. The 61 Econoline Truck designed by Danny Koker is beyond unique with a retro-inspired paint job and the usual custom flares that the team likes to add to these builds. (History Channel)
11 G-T-Whoa: 1967 Pontiac GTO
There are many vehicles that Danny Koker has designed and decided to keep for his massive personal collection, and one of them happens to be a very special Pontiac GTO.
The G-T-Whoa: 1967 Pontiac GTO was a car that was featured on an episode of Counting Cars, and what was suppose to be a quick flip ended up in another car that Danny fell in love with.
The G-T-Whoa: 1967 Pontiac GTO featured a unique paint job that was unlike those on similar cars, and the modern high-performance engine made the car burn rubber like never before. (History Channel)
10 1971 Chevy C10
There are many vehicles that the Chevrolet brand has released over the years that have become instant classics, and one of them is the Chevrolet C10 truck. This vehicle is renowned by collectors as one of the best trucks to come out of Detroit. With a one-of-a-kind design that separates it from the pack, the Chevrolet C10 is a winning combination of style and substance. The model that was designed by Count's Kustoms was a one-of-a-kind design with a wild paint job and the usual performance modifications. (Hot Rod)
9 1974 Ford F100
Another interesting pickup truck that was designed by the crew at Count's Kustoms was the one-of-a-kind 1974 Ford F100 pickup truck. This one-of-a-kind truck featured the notable wild paint job that comes on most of the pickup trucks that leave Koker's shop. There's nothing ordinary about this truck, as it features a full body-on-frame restoration, not to mention, the modern V8 engine that was put into the truck thanks to Ford Racing, which gives it a nice modern driving feeling that you don’t usually find in an old farm truck. (Hot Rod)
8 1963 Ford Galaxy
Probably one of the most underrated classic cars on the planet, the 1963 Ford Galaxy that came out of Count's Kustoms was nothing short of amazing.
With a fire-breathing performance motor and a one-of-a-kind design that'll rock your socks off, the 1963 Ford Galaxy is a surprising combination of style and substance that make for a pretty cool driving experience.
You can expect to see this one-of-a-kind hot rod driving the streets at Hot August Nights. (Hot Rod)
7 1960 Sedan Delivery
Another noteworthy car is the 1960 Sedan Delivery. This one-of-a-kind car was designed by Count's Kustoms with the intent of making one of the most classic delivery vehicles in the world look cool. Nevertheless, the team at Count's Kustoms did an awesome job in transforming this barn find into a car that'll literally make your jaws drop. The 1960 Sedan Delivery doesn't just feature an amazing paint job, but it also features a high-performance modern LS engine which gives the car an amazing amount of power. (Hot Rod)
6 1968 Camaro SS
This is a car that'll never get old, and its popularity has been exploding over the last couple of years with the advent of the popular Transformers movie franchise. The 1968 Camaro SS is one of the most legendary performance cars to hit the market—and with good reason. The lightweight design is something that GM designed to perfection, with the intent of beating the Mustang. The 1968 Camaro that was designed by Count's Kustoms features one of the most beautiful paint jobs to come out of the place and the high-performance engine to match. (Hot Rod)
5 1978 Chevrolet El Camino
The 1978 Chevrolet El Camino is another amazing car to leave the shop at Count's Kustoms. With a screaming paint job and one of the fastest modern GM motors in production, this El Camino is anything but retro. The crew at Count's Kustoms wanted to design an El Camino that would make people's jaws drop when they saw it, and the team did just that with an awesome design that really breaks the mold for what an El Camino should look like. Between the amazing paint job and the stellar performance, this was one of Danny Koker's best cars. (Hot Rod)
4 1955 Chevy Nomad
The 1955 Chevy Nomad that left the shop at Count's Kustoms was something that was truly breathtaking in terms of design and just the sheer amount of engineering that went into the design. What makes the 1955 Chevy Nomad from Count's Kustoms great is the amazing paint job that really sets the car off no matter what way it's sitting, coupled with the interesting-looking rims that give the car a nice pro street look. The modern LS engine also really helps the car to have some power behind it, and that's just half the battle. (Hot Rod)
3 Volkswagen Bus
There have been many amazing cars that left the shop at Count's Kustoms, but one of the most interesting is the Volkswagen Bus that Danny and his crew designed. This one-of-a-kind bus featured a completely authentic paint job, coupled with a fully redesigned interior that made the Volkswagen Bus true to its era and functional. Coupled with the original air-cooled motor that's been completely restored to function like a new engine, and you have a Volkswagen Bus that you can just about take anywhere in the country. (Hot Rod)
2 Mustang GT350
Probably one of Danny Koker's favorite cars is going to be the Ford Mustang GT350.
This full-on body restoration of the legendary Mustang model that was designed by Carroll Shelby featured an era-correct paint job and a modern Ford Racing motor that pushed out some serious horsepower.
Of course, with every car restoration that comes out of Count's Kustom, the GT350 featured a fully redesigned interior that was meant to show off the car's true beauty. The Ford Mustang GT350 to come out of Count's Kustoms was an excellent car that'll be around for a long time. (Hot Rod)
1 77 Lincoln Continental Mk5
Perhaps, there's not another luxury car maker around as legendary as Lincoln, as the company has been around a long time and introduced the world to a lot of cool rides. The 77 Lincoln Continental Mk5 was a pretty cool restoration for the team as they took a later-model big-body Lincoln and gave it some of the more interesting touches that the team is famous for, such as a beautiful paint job and a one-of-a-kind modern engine that gives this big boat some serious tug. (Hot Rod)
Sources: Hot Rod, History Channel