Del Rey Customs

I took my time and pulled 1 inch welds and worked around the sides the. Top the back to the sides. I took my time about and allowed cooling time.

After it cooked the I used a sanding pad on my Grinder to a nice finish ever we could.

Del Rey Customs

So the bottom one was a little more difficult welding upside down but I did my best to get it done. Paint drying.

Collyn

I think it looks good. But someone will say something. That's the nature of your beast of a thread that you started. Lol.

3chainz

All this talk of 'custom' has got me interested in seeing what people have done to customize the look (rather than mechanicals) of their Jeep. Is there any good threads or places that bring this all together? A google image search yielded a million similar looking jeeps with catalogue parts. A search of this forum took a while and beyond the odd thing like Shaq's jeep was again mostly the same.

And yes, before you say it, I get that many people on here are far more interested in building themselves a long arm kit than making a change to the look. But I was interested to ask in case any forum members were into it customizing the exterior and had some useful images/links they could share.

Ringer

I guess it depends on the person. In my opinion nothing looks better than the XX from a double triangulated four link, some coilovers, and a full custom cage. These are some of the most functional mods you can do, are truly custom, but also look the most bad ass. Just my $.02. Carry on with the Jerry Springer show...

Also, as far as opening our own shops, I have been asked on numerous occasions to open a custom fab shop. To me though, it is a hobby. I want to keep it that way. Once it becomes work, it is work. I think many others here that do custom work feel the same way. But I guess my point and stick welds and fab don't hold up to that of DRC.

ABENDX

Your first job? Someone was teaching you? They had you try your first beads on mild to cast? lol... this brings the FUNNY!

Oh gawd.... that's some scary shit right there!

We knew you had previously worked for Best Buy, but now we find out that you also welded for Draken?

*

People on here talk about welding... shop vs backyard, etc.. This should put that debate into perspective.

You really going to send shit like that out the door?

You found it man... the long arm debate may ring loud around here, but it isn't the goal of most members in my opinion. Most are shooting for a look. Many might mildly wheel their junk, a few really wheel their junk, but most are just pavement princesses. And there is nothing wrong with any of that.

You will find a small handful of shops do cater to the truly custom, but many are just like mr del ray, bolt on heavens. There is good money in helping those that either can't or won't help themselves... even with the most simple of tasks.

I think many of these guys forgot somewhere along the way that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So you are going to find many more getting inspiration from Shannon Campbell's car rather than M&M's. Nothing wrong with having a M&M style, but seeing it is outside of the "norm" here, most will balk.

You didn't seem to be running around beating your cheat about how well your car will work, so I have no idea why they are running around bashing the build sheet?

I do truly hope for your safety that mr del ray doesn't let any work that looks like his welds out the door on your car.

Collyn

True. But I do understand the "to each their own". I prefer a vehicle mod to be a mod for the functional better. My favorite vehicle is one a friend has. It's an old Studebaker Truck. Not a rat rod, but a totally unrestored exterior. It has a full 2x3" square boxed frame. Tube a-arms front and rear with a ford 9" independent rear out of a 93 super coupe. Motor is a magnason supercharged LS3. Every mechanical part is new and very well made. Every cosmetic part is old and full of "patina". It "speaks"'full custom without looking too radically different. The stance is obviously different as is the 20" front and 24" rear wheels with bags.

A Jeep is SUPPOSED to look like a Jeep. A BADASS Jeep still looks like a Jeep. But with the ability to survive serious off road abuse. A motor that is emission compliant and dead reliable with lots of power? That's custom. A TRUE DUAL PURPOSE suspension that is able to dominate off road and still be safe on road. <<<custom. An interior that is comfortable for long rides and functional to a specific purpose. That's cool.

Changing a Jeep to a point that it doesn't look like a Jeep? First...is it possible? It's an ICONIC shape. It is and always SHOULD look like a Jeep. Why make it different? It's bad ass in its own right. ITS A JEEP! Overcoming the shortcomings with ingenuity is custom. The Jeep is about the only vehicle that hasn't been bastardized by survey groups and vehicle designers to the point it's not worth having. Someone mentioned a Porsche Panamera? WTF was Porsche thinking. Who needs a 4 dr Porsche? Focus groups don't BUY cars. Or a 4 dr Charger? Dodge Dart anyone?

Make your Jeep how you want it. As far as making it Look different? Good luck. It is a Jeep. Impressing everyday dudes, yes, your Jeep is gonna do that. Hell. Mine does that and it is pretty tame. Impress other Jeep dudes, you gotta build a REAL PUNISHER! A true off road beast! Not a cruiser. Something with a purpose and mechanical means to endure anything. That's bad ass. Looking cool is the steak sauce. Not the steak. Gotta have meat!



Don't know who's Jeep this is. But it's bad ass. Looks subtly custom and you know where the money went building it.

Maertz

Very well said my friend!

Del Rey Customs

What has entertained me is how your trying to compare a daily driver to full manufacture builds.

I don't know to many people that have to climb over rocks and trees to go work their 9-5.

Yes promo builds are awesome the do a lot of trick out stuff that the average 97.5 percent of jeep owners would never do.

Plus there done for show and press.

I'm more concerned about the customer that may just want to have a little fun on the weekends.

The call we get most is " I got a new jeep and I'm looking for a 3-4 inch lift and some 35 inch tires. What the most affordable way we can do it." There's about 90 percent of your jeep customer.

One out of every 30 calls is for something different. That the truth of the jeep customer. I would say the extreme rock crawler guys are less than 1% of people buying jeeps

So I can cater to the 1 percent or the 90 percent.

DunnyBunny

If it's something you love and do everyday then it shouldn't be work. It's a hobby for me to and I love doing it buy if I had the means of opening up my own shop of definitely make a living doing my hobby that I love. But that's not how everyone sees it.