The founder of West Coast Customs is liquidating a collection of vehicles that embody the West Coast Customs aesthetic.
Mecum Auctions
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Next month, Mecum Auctions will present a selection of builds from West Coast Customs available for bidding. These five personalized vehicles come from the collection of WCC founder Ryan Friedlinghaus, and all proceeds will be donated to charity.
WCC and Mecum have collaborated in the past, previously working together to support Operation Mend, a healthcare initiative aimed at treating severely injured veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. During the 2011 Dallas auction, a 2011 Chevrolet Camaro convertible featuring a camouflage color scheme was sold without a reserve, fetching a final price of $333,000.
This time, the beneficiary organization will be the West Coast Customs Academy (WCCA), a nonprofit academy recognized as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entity that offers tuition-free education and training in custom automotive work. The WCCA conducts two 12-week courses each year (in spring and fall) for applicants aged 18 to 23 living in the Los Angeles area.
West Coast Customs
Having graduated three classes of aspiring vehicle customizers, one of the auction vehicles—a 1997 Toyota 4Runner—was crafted by the WCCA’s class of 2024. It features a distinctive flame-and-pinstripe paint job, along with a customized air suspension and 18-inch billet wheels. Interestingly, despite its recent creation, it has a classic appearance. Check out the slides for more details:
The other vehicles include a street-legal 2022 Toyota Camry race car modified by professional driver Tyler Reddick and 23XI Racing, a 2006 Dodge Charger transformed into a two-door (which is quite interesting given it predates the Challenger's release), a Darth Vader-themed 2012 Volkswagen Passat (likely the least exciting option), and a 2018 Polaris Slingshot styled after the starship Discovery from the Star Trek series by the same name (certainly the most eccentric of the collection).
Mecum Auctions
All vehicles from the West Coast Customs Collection will be auctioned without reserve at Dan Mecum’s 38th Original Spring Classic in May. The Indianapolis auction will also include a rare Ford GT40 Roadster (chassis GT/109), which we previously covered earlier this month.
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The founder of West Coast Customs is liquidating a collection of vehicles that embody the West Coast Customs aesthetic.
The funds raised will support WCC's tuition-free academy, which emphasizes education and training for careers in automotive customization.