West Coast Customs to Launch a School

West Coast Customs, the garage that turned an entire generation onto vehicle customization through their hit MTV show “Pimp My Ride,” recently announced plans to launch West Coast Customs Academy, a trade school dedicated to providing first-class training in everything automotive — including upholstery.

According to the shop’s press release:

The goal of West Coast Customs Academy is to motivate, train and provide students with technical skills relative to the automotive aftermarket trades. The Academy offers a comprehensive 48-week training program featuring a curriculum format comprised of six trade-level instructional segments including Auto Body, Upholstery, Fabrication, Wheels and Tires, Electronics, and Wrap and Tint. The rigorous program provides students with both in-depth classroom time taught by leaders in the customization industry and hands-on training and project work at the world-famous West Coast Customs facility in Burbank, CA.

In a video posted to Indiegogo, where WCC founder Ryan Friedlinghaus is raising money to help fund the project, he states: “It is unfortunate that many high schools are unable to offer wood shop or automotive classes any longer and I feel that high-quality hand-craftsmanship work is a dying art form. I would like to help bridge that gap, give back to my community, bring in younger generations and build new talent at the all-new West Coast Customs Academy.”

Donors who back the project are eligible to receive a slew of gifts, from t-shirts to a “pimped” Cadillac Escalade, depending on how much they give.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RW2JbLUQs3M

West Coast Customs Academy is slated to start classes in early 2017. No word yet on cost, but the Indiegogo page alludes to a $40K tuition — which is definitely pricey. In true WCC style, the academy will kick off with a two-hour special on FOX Sports.

To learn more, visit WestCoastCustoms.com. To contribute to this project, visit Indiegogo.