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Custom Automotive Design

Frank Castaneda

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Customizing like a Pro!

- Getting Started - Knowing the Hobby

- Planning & Picking your Customizing Style - Understanding your Budget for the Car Build

- Customizing 101 - Choosing your Colors

- Choosing your Parts - Creating the Build Packages

- Creating the Build - Time Range on Build

- What to do first?!? - Finishing Touches

- Enhancing your Build

- Enjoy your ride.

Table of Contents

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Getting Started

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Know the Hobby.Customizing like a Pro!

• Hobby as been around for over 50 years.

• 60-70% of American’s have once customized a car

• Starting age for individuals is age range of 16-18

• Annual Income for an individual that customize around 20k-40k.

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• Full Show Car or Street Clean?

Customizing like a Pro! Planning your Customizing Style

Street Clean Full Show Car• We will go with Street Clean, for this tutorial

• Daily Driven Street Clean ready for everyday & ready for show

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Customizing like a Pro!

Understanding your BudgetUnderstanding your budget is your strength in building a car. Without being responsible, with your money you can never finish the project you start! A Simple project can run up to the 20,000-40,000 in parts, installs, and tools. So now your budget before anything!

• Get prices on job installs (shop around)

• Get prices on parts, search ebay, amazon, google. And join vehicle make forums.

• Get your hands dirty. The more you can do yourself, the more money you will save in the end.

• Once all the information is put together, create your build package, break it down, cheapest to most expensive, and break it down further into sections where you can handle the expensive.

• Get a good deal to install more parts for a cheaper price. Don’t waste money on changing brakes, if you have to get shocks as well. Get everything, and install once. (example)

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Customizing 101

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Customizing 101Choosing Colors

• Choosing either solid two-tone paint job or fade

• Always use colors close to eachother or close in the family of colors. Example below Blue & Black Civic

• Third Example Gold/Black Scion xB

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Customizing 101Choosing Parts

• Lip Kit Exterior Modification & Full Bumper Replacement

• Lowering Suspension Kit

• Rear Spoiler, Tail lights, Head lights, Underbody Lighting

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Customizing 101Create the Build Package(s)

• Create a complete list of all the parts you plan on getting for your car.

• Create sub lists, and begin to break down everything : Exterior, Interior, Performance & Suspension, Misc.

• From that sub list, create a main list of 3-4 parts. And begin to create your package build.

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Creating the Build!

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Customizing 101

Time Range on Build

Your almost there! Now that your parts are being lined up, its time to start installing. As a builder, you have to make time for the car. Mean’s late nights, weekends, or even friday nights instead of going out, you stay home and tinker away. Remember this is your master-piece you want to build so make time for it!

• Average Car Build : 3-6 Months. Depending on parts, errors, back orders, etc.

• After the first 3-6 Months after the build, you spend another 1-2 Months making those parts perfect. Example fitment issues with bumpers corrected, having your lowering suspension settle in. etc.

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Customizing 101What to do first?

Have too many parts? And don’t know where to even start? Simple start from the outside and work your way inside the car. Getting those big parts out of the way, for one makes space for future parts, and second you start to get a feel for the car you are building.

• Exterior Mods - Body Kit- Spoilers- Fenders- Hoods, etc.

• Performance & Suspension- Springs- Brakes- Wheels- Exhaust & Air Intake

• Interior Mods- Seats- Dash Kit- Carpet- Headliner

• Misc.- Aftermarket Radio- LCD Monitors- Neon Lighting

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Customizing 101Finishing Touches

Number one rule in this hobby. YOU ARE NEVER FINISHED with your build! Newer parts will always be coming out. And if you wish to compete in the national level, it is recommended every 8-12 months to change around the small things, for example tail lights, headlights, side mirrors, or add accessories to the build.

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Customizing 101Enhancing your Build

Remember the name of the game is to always be original. And don’t worry if your idea has been taken already. If you like it. Go with it, and see how you can make it better! Building your car is having the chance to create your own super car, your own dream car. Something to be proud of.

The doors to the aftermarket world can be open, and there is no stopping what you can do! From tv commercials, national advertisements, sponsors, etc. The possibilities are endless.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. Stay Custom!

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Custom Automotive DesignFrank Castaneda

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