DCD Customs & Maria Menounos Win Jeep Wrangler Celebrity Customs
Alex Rodriguez & The Infatuation created memorable mods, but it was a nod to ‘freedom & adventure’ that won Jeep’s Golden Grille Award.
If you have been watching the new web series Jeep Wrangler Celebrity Customs, which debuted earlier this month, you know that the celebrity competitors and customizers really pushed the envelope to see who could create the most awesome and unique custom Jeep Wrangler. And so far, we’ve seen some really cool custom ideas begin to come to life, crafted from the minds of sports legend Alex Rodriguez, TV and radio personality Maria Menounos, and Andrew Steinthal and Chris Stang, co-founders of the hospitality brand The Infatuation.
Assisting the competing celebs to bring their fantasy Jeep Wrangler build to life were top talent from some of the most in-demand automotive customization and modification shops in the country. Included in the mix were Southern California’s world-famous West Coast Customs and Jeep experts DCD Customs as well as the East Coast’s Autocraft NYC. West Coast Customs’ Ryan Friedlinghaus, DCD’s David Tonapetyan, and Autocraft’s Stefano Loria did a great job in taking what seemed like half-cooked ideas and serving them up very well-done.
MOD SQUAD: Jalen Rose, Ryan Friedlinghaus, Alex Rodriguez, Maria Menounos, David Tonapetyan, Andrew Steinthal, Chris Stang, and Stefano Loria.
Even more impressive, these guys worked their magic in eight weeks or less to bring to life unique Jeep builds that came from the minds of some of the most famous trendsetters in entertainment. In the end, a panel of judges from Jeep and the world of entertainment would decide which custom Jeep Wrangler would be named top dog and take home Jeep’s first-ever Golden Grille Award. The influential panel included Kim Adams House, head of Jeep Brand Advertising at FCA; Jeep Brand Designer Mark Moushegian; and former Pimp My Ride host Xzibit.
With over 23 years in the spotlight as one of the most accomplished professional athletes on the planet, Rodriguez wanted a Jeep he could use for tailgate parties, complete with a custom stereo, high-tech LED lighting, and even a humidor for those times when a winning celebration calls for a few nice cool Cubans. A-Rod got exactly what he wanted, and more, courtesy of West Coast Customs.
Menounos has accomplished everything from wrestling for the WWE and publishing a successful series of EveryGirl Guides to hosting her own talk show, Conversations with Maria Menounos, on Sirius XM radio. And for her Jeep, all the busy Hollywood hot shot wanted was a comfortable, organized place where she could work while traveling and also check out her look before a shoot without having to leave her Wrangler. She got it courtesy of mega-talented Tonapetyan and the crew at DCD Customs. In fact, she was so confident in her custom design choices that when the stars hit the red carpet early in the evening, Menounos thoughtfully offered A-Rod a tissue in case he was going to cry when he lost to her.
Loria and Autocraft came to the rescue of The Infatuation, who have seen and experienced the best of what luxury has to offer, helping to transform the restaurateurs’ Wrangler into a high-tech mobile food service pop-up shop, complete with an ice cream machine.
Then, after approximately eight weeks of work, it was time to reveal the finished custom Jeep Wranglers to their new celebrity owners and a panel of judges that would decide which of the three unique rides is the best of the bunch.
Celebrity Contestants Show their True Colors
On Sept. 25, JK Forum eagerly headed to Optimist Studios in L.A. to attend the taping of the episode finale of Jeep Wrangler Celebrity Customs. The showcase saw the competitors reunite to see the reveal of their finished custom Jeep Wranglers and to find out which contestant will be driving away with the trophy for the best custom job.
JEEP CELEBRITY CUSTOMS CREW: Kim Adams House, Mark Moushegian, Xzibit, and Jalen Rose.
There were plenty of big stars aligned at the Jeep Wrangler Celebrity Customs taping, including show host and basketball great Jalen Rose and surprise guest Xzibit. However, when they rolled out the Jeep Wranglers for their big reveals, there was no question as to who the real stars of the evening were. These customized machines immediately stole all the attention in the room.
Sure, the trio of Jeep Wranglers customized by the industry’s top talent had no problem garnering lots of oohs and aahs right out of the gate. And that was thanks to the color choices for the Jeeps’ exteriors, which wowed the crowd even before the rest of the evening’s surprises were revealed. Each of the Jeep Wranglers has a distinctly-telling hue that expertly exemplifies the overall personality of the mod project itself as well as that of its new celebrity owner.
Each respective choice of color was strategically planned to evoke the response these famous custom Jeep owners are hoping to inspire every time they hit the road. The Infatuation’s Steinthal and Stang requested a sharp electric blue hue to match their company’s signature color. Autocraft and head honcho Loria came through with a captivating shade of blue that looks gorgeous from every angle and melds beautifully with its black accents and trim. Before moving onto revealing the unique features inside the Jeep, the restraunteers and judges needed a few additional minutes just to discuss how impressed they were with the exterior.
When it came to what was initially a white Wrangler, Menounos swayed toward bright color choices that mirrored the Jeep Wrangler’s promise of “freedom and adventure.” What DCD delivered was something so unique that Tonapetyan actually borrowed the stunning turquoise-esque hue from a friend who had created it. The overall color itself is truly magnificent when you see it in person. The soft blueish-green color blends with the white accents in a way that adds an extra layer of cool sophistication without a hint of pretension. Needless to say, Menounos was ecstatic about the spot-on color choice.
On the opposite end of the cheery color spectrum that Menounos preferred was Rodriguez, who wanted his 2018 Jeep Wrangler Sahara to “look kinda mean.” And to give his Jeep a bit of an intimidating presence, the baseball legend confidently relied on West Coast Customs, no matter how out-there some of his requests may have seemed. The result is a beautiful smoky-black matte wrap that visually gives the Wrangler a bigger, heavier, tougher, and undeniably meaner look. The decision to go for a matte finish was genius, because there is so much added awesomeness on the Jeep’s exterior–from LEDs to a grill that looks like something Darth Vader would kill for–and the understated finish makes those accents stand out even more. Plus, it just looks awesome.
A-Rod added some cool colors to his customization courtesy of changing lights fitted into his custom stereo system that was crafted to resemble the front grille of a Jeep. Of course, the massive Black Bear tires and the Forgestar wheels with badass bronze-colored spike accents also give this beastly custom job a few extra layers of awesomeness.
Although the Jeep Wrangler color choices played a big role in the customization competition, there was still so much more to consider. After all, at the start of Jeep Wrangler Celebrity Customs there were a few unusual requests made by the celebrity competitors, from adding a humidor to installing an ice cream machine, and we haven’t even gotten to that part yet.
DCD Customs & Maria Menounos Win Jeep Wrangler Celebrity Customs continued…
