West Coast Customs, otherwise known as WCC, is a car repair shop located in Burbank, California. The shop mainly focuses on the customization of vehicles, a practice that includes modifying and altering a vehicle in order to enhance its performance or to make it look that little bit better.
Updated January 2022: If you're a fan of Ryan Friedlinghaus and his crew over at West Coast Customs, you'll be pleased to know that we've updated this article and included more external and internal sources to support the claims.
The company was originally founded in 1994 by enthusiasts Ryan Friedlinghaus and Quinton Dodson. Friedlinghaus recently claimed that he had begun the business after receiving a $5,000 loan from his grandfather. Over the years, West Coast Customs has attracted a number of celebrities, with high-profile Hollywood A-Listers going to the company in order to get their cars revamped or restored.
Due to the high amount of publicity, West Coast Customs began appearing in several reality TV shows, such as Pimp My Ride and Street Customs. In 2011, Friedlinghaus decided to create his own show dedicated to his company and his own employees. The show was named Inside West Coast Customs and focused on extraordinary vehicle restorations. The show was a hit and is still running to this day.
However, although West Coast Customs might be successful, they still often come up short when it comes to a number of things. Yes, despite the high profile and the attraction of big-name celebrities and the endless amounts of money, West Coast Customs has built some great cars and some awful ones, proving they still make mistakes like the rest of us. Here are 20 times West Coast Customs missed the mark.
20 They Didn't Pay Their Employees
In 2014, West Coast Customs was accused of not paying their employees, an accusation that later ended up in court. That's right, the company were reported to have not paid their workers for large amounts of overtime, with federal investigators drafted in to clear things up.
It was later revealed that West Coast Customs had instead been paying their employees on a set salary when they should have been paid hourly with regards to overtime. Caught red-handed, Ryan Friedlinghaus finally agreed to settle for over $150,000 in back pay which was owed to low-level workers.
19 Pink G-Wagen Wasn't Roadworthy
The guys at West Coast Customs are renowned for safety issues, with the cars often highlighted as a cause for concern. However, it was their work on internet celebrity Trish Paytas's Mercedes Benz G550 that generated the most excitement—in a bad way, that is. The car, otherwise known as the G-Wagen, was handed to West Coast Customs after Paytas wanted a little more pizzaz.
That's right, Paytas had originally asked the team to paint the vehicle pink, put Swarovski crystals in the headrests, the steering wheel, and the floormats, and make it that little bit better. However, when the car was finished, the electronics no longer worked, there were no crystals in sight, and the car was basically not roadworthy.
18 They Have Been Accused Of Treating Their Employees Badly
Not only have West Coast Customs been accused of forgetting (or neglecting) to pay their employees, they have also been accused of treating their workers badly too. That's right, Ryan Friedlinghaus has been likened to a dictator by a number of ex-employees and one ex-worker, in particular, claimed that he was severely overworked.
Mauricio Hernandez claimed that he worked a strenuous regular shift of 10 to 12 hours a day, six days a week, without benefits or any social security. Workers were also encouraged to stay late and, in some cases, overnight, all while receiving no pay for their hard work.
17 Cheap-Looking Chevy "Camo" Camaro
The 2011 Chevy Camaro was gifted to West Coast Customs by General Motors with the intention of helping a cause dedicated to the psychological support of military veterans, hence the camouflage paint job. However, things didn't quite go to plan, with the finished version resembling that of a cheap knock-off.
The paint job was the worst part, with viewers likening it the work of a five-year-old rather than that of a bunch of professionals. However, although it might have looked like an eyesore, the car still managed to do well at auction and raised a total of $366,000 for charity.
16 Mad Max Car
West Coast Customs is known for being a little outrageous at times, but the Magnum Opus Mad Max replica is most definitely a step too far. That's right, the team decided to use a Ford Maverick and a Ford Ranger to build a Max Mad-themed vehicle. The idea was great but the eventual product was a disaster.
Not only did the car look incredibly cheap, but it was also extremely oversized and boxy. Furthermore, the vehicle was loaded with odd-looking pipes and shiny objects that distracted onlookers rather than impressing them. Most fans of the films and its cars thought of the cars a failure in the utmost.
15 Paris Hilton Pink Bentley
West Coast Customs sure love a celebrity job, no matter the celebrity. That's right, Ryan Friedlinghaus and company decided to go all out with regards to Paris Hilton's old Bentley Continental GT Coupe and turned the amazing vehicle into something that was not that quite amazing.
The result ended in one of the worst crimes against a car ever, with the Bentley covered head to toe in pink. Yes, even the steering wheel was pink. Hilton later stated, "I love pink so I met up with Ryan and brought him this pink clock from the Disney store and got him to make this exact color and we just designed it all together."
14 Publicity Stunts Gone Wrong
Say what you want about Ryan Friedlinghaus, but he sure knows how to work the media. That's right, Friedlinghaus has often been criticized with regards to questionable dealings and generating publicity stunts in order to attract business.
For instance, Friedlinghaus was recently accused of staging a theft, with rapper Will.I.Am told to pretend that his DeLorean had been stolen, only for the boys at West Coast Customs to swoop in and miraculously find it. Furthermore, Friedlinghaus is a huge fan of having his picture taken, especially if it's with a famous and well-liked celebrity.
13 Black Panther Lexus
The guys at West Coast Customs sure love to get creative. However, sometimes they just don't seem to pull it off, no matter how much hard work goes into a project. Recently, the company was asked by Marvel Studios to design an automobile for one of their latest blockbusters, Black Panther. The team jumped at the chance and chose a Lexus LC500 as the base for the job.
The car, which is already a beautiful machine, was decked out in Black Panther references all over its paint job, with brand new cutting-edge technology and sparkly lights to match. Sadly, the car never really took off and was forgotten within about a week.
12 Pink Mini Cooper
The pink Mini Cooper has gone down in history one of the worst things to come out of West Coast Customs and is hailed as a tacky nightmare. Interestingly, the car was customized for Ryan Friedlinghaus' wife, who wanted her car to stand out.
That's right, the guys at West Coast Customs were seemingly on another planet when they took in the Mini Cooper and somehow made the Mini Cooper even more ridiculous than it already was (no offense to Mini fans). The car ended up with around 80,000 crystals stuck to the roof, along with a heavy pink paint job and a glossy finish.
11 Some Of The Work Is Low Quality
There is no doubting the wonderful imagination of some of the employees at West Coast Customs, with their creativeness certainly on display for all to see. However, sometimes the creative juice doesn't quite spill over into the quality of the work, with the company often accused of low-quality customizations and restorations.
Over the years, a number of cars have been returned to the show having been deemed as not road worthy or, in extreme cases, unsafe. For instance, online video star Trisha Payta's Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen was returned for being basically undrivable after the West Coast Customs team had butchered it beyond repair.
10 Sometimes They Finish The Work Off After The Show
Ryan Friedlinghaus sometimes takes on a number of cars even when the shop obviously has no room, never mind the workforce, to take care of the vehicles. However, this problem has seemingly taken its toll on the work of the actual cars, with a number of vehicles said to have taken longer than they actually showed on TV.
Over the years, a number of cars have been finished off after the supposedly finished product aired on the show. Interestingly, this is never showed on screen with viewers given the impression that everything has been done and dusted during the show's weekly slot.
9 They Miss A Number Of Deadlines
The West Coast Customs team are prone to taking on more jobs that they can actually deliver.The most famous case was that of the Fireball bus for game company Red 5 Studios, who clashed with the company after a number of irritating incidents.
West Coast Customs was contracted by Red 5 Studios as part of the marketing for the game. Friedlinghaus promised to build an enormous bus with an added game room that was then going to tour around the country. Although the show made it look like the bus had been completed on the time, it actually wasn't, with the bus delivered later than the actual game itself.
8 They Are Slow
The guys at West Coast Customs are famed for being extremely slow, with cars often taken months and, in some cases, years to finish. For these guys, no job is too big, however, this concept seems to compromise them massively as a business. Over the years, there have been a number of complaints from clients with regards to late jobs and slow labor.
In fact, one particular client complained that the team continuously pushed back deadlines without giving them a clear or direct reason. In addition, the team went over budget, also a surprisingly common occurrence for a company that has achieved such fame.
7 They Can Be Aggressive
Over the years, Ryan Friedlinghaus has been accused of being a bit of a rude person, with his sole focus being that of money and being seen with celebrities. In fact, Friedlinghaus has reportedly been accused of treating his employees badly for his own gain, with suggestions of withholding payment and increasing working hours.
Furthermore, West Coast Customs as a company has also been accused of aggressive sales tactics, especially when hunting for restoration jobs. And, if that wasn't bad enough, the team is also said to be extremely unapologetic when delivering on late deadlines and shoddy car customizations.
6 Zippo Jeep
You can't fault the guys at West Coast Customs for their imagination, even if the result doesn't sometimes pan out as it is supposed to. That's right, the team recently produced the "Ultimate Outdoorsman's Ride" which saw a 2011 Jeep Wrangler kitted out with Zippo branding and the latest technology.
Yes, the jeep was fitted with a 32-inch LCD TV and West Coast Customs audio equipment, along with a number of other exciting and cutting-edge features. Sadly, the whole thing didn't quite manage to wow audiences as expected, with the overall product coming off as low quality and cheap. Maybe next time.
5 Firefall Bus
From the outside, and maybe from a substantial distance away, this bus doesn't look that bad. However, the Firefall is often reported to be one of the worst things to have ever come out of the West Coast Customs shop. That's right, the bus was originally intended to be used as a promotional tool but after a series of setbacks it was deemed a severe failure. So what was exactly wrong with it?
For starters, the monster cost an actual fortune, with West Coast Customs guilty of losing money. Furthermore, the bus was delivered late, a seemingly common occurrence for Ryan Friedlinghauss and company.
4 The Customizations Can Be Weak
West Coast Customs is one of the most famous car customizing teams on the planet and they are known for their exceptional work. However, although they might be world renowned, some of their work has been deemed weak when compared to others.
That's right, the shop and Ryan Friedlinghaus have been accused of focusing more on the fame and money rather than the actual work. For instance, over the years, Friedlinghaus has made a substantial effort to acquire the biggest and most famous celebrities in the world, using them as a way to gain notoriety in the car customization world.
3 AMC PaceDodge
The AMC Pacer is hardly a favorite among car enthusiasts, and is notorious for being a bit of a handful, at best. The car has had its fair share of issues over the years but has now become somewhat of a cult classic, even if it is for the wrong reasons.
The team at West Coast Customs knew what they were in for when the AMC Pacer was brought in for a restoration and they decided to go all out with regards to beefing the car up. However, after evicting a rat that was living in the car (seriously), the team added a yellow shag carpet to the interior of the car and a number of other strange and ridiculous additions. Yes, the car was a failure.
2 Dodge Charger
The Dodge Charger is an extremely iconic and beloved car, so when West Coast Customs got their hands on one, viewers expected them to handle it with care. However, the team somewhat missed on the mark and decided to go all out with regards to customizing the already unique vehicle.
For instance, the body of the car was shortened by eight inches with the roof also chopped off by around three inches. To make matters worse, they also lengthened the car’s doors, which in turn made the whole thing rather unattractive. By the end, the car was a shadow of its former self and most definitely one of the worst things to have come out of the garage.
1 They Have Sold Out
It is well known that Ryan Friedlinghaus started the company with a $5,000 loan that he then turned into a million dollar business. However, Friedlinghaus' example is not quite as idealistic as one would hope. Over the last few years, Freidlinghaus has been accused of selling out, with critics claiming that he's only in it for the money and not the quality of the company's work.
Freidlinghaus is now worth a whopping $20 million dollars, so it is easy to see why people might think this way. Whatever the case, there is no mistaking the wonderful job he has done with building a recognizable company.