Old-school restoration shop rejuvenates classics, creates customs

March 29, 2017
Among the many highlights is a 1926/7 Rolls Royce 20 Horse Park Ward reportedly constructed for the owner of Rolls Royce’s first American dealership.

It used to be that Rocky and Carolyn Frost’s Custom Auto Body was a high-production collision shop complete with 20 employees, brisk cycle times and steady revenues. But Rocky longed to pursue his lifelong affection for yesteryear’s historic horseless carriages and souped-up Southern California hot rods.

At a Glance:
Custom Auto Body Shop Inc.
San Diego, Calif.
Location
Rocky and Carolyn Frost
Owners
1
No. of shops
45
Years in business
0
No. of DRPs
6,600
Square-footage of shop
7-10, based on special projects
No. of employees
12
No. of bays
6-24 months
Average cycle time
$15,000 - $60,000
Repair order range
Spies Hecker
Paint supplier
Chief EZ Liner
Frame machines used
Mitchell Ultramate
Estimating system used
www.customautobody.com

So Rocky and Carolyn went back to the basics, paring down the staff in favor of select restoration-oriented technicians and catering to customers who remain in love with their cherished vintage vehicles – including motorcycles.

Originally established in 1972 with a focus on classics, “after a very short time in business our custom painting and restorations were placed on hold as there was a huge demand for collision repair,” Rocky recounts. “Although it was paying the bills, it wasn’t fulfilling my creative needs.”

Thus in 2008 the couple shifted their business model “and returned to our very beginnings; we have been fortunate to work on many important and exciting vehicles.”

Among the many highlights is a 1926/7 Rolls Royce 20 Horse Park Ward reportedly constructed for the owner of Rolls Royce’s first American dealership. “This vehicle came to us in pieces. An aluminum-skinned wood body presented many challenges,” says Rocky, yet the extensive rebuild rolled out of the shop as a smooth-running, museum-quality success.

“It is always a pleasure to work on a Porsche, especially one that is still owned by the original owner,” he notes, referring to a 1984 Porsche 911 Cabriolet that had remained untouched for 30 years except for a poorly repaired left-rear corner that had been botched at a local high-end body shop. “By the time the owner picked it up from us the paint and wheels were better than new and he was a proud owner again.”

Then there was the 2007 Shelby Super Snake that had been trailered to the shop from up the coast in Washington. The 800-plus hp machine had yet to win a car show. “So what is a guy to do? Ship it to Custom Auto Body, of course,” Rocky remarks. “We addressed every inch of this car cosmetically,” sending the owner en route to claim some trophies.

Deft metalwork was on the shop’s menu for a 1999 Harley Davidson Fat Boy. “Guys always want a few more inches in length and in height for their bike’s rear fender. So we just stretched it for him. The key is to do it with it looking perfectly natural.”

A 2010 Chevrolet Tahoe in need of a more suitable custom finish is another accomplishment. “One of the latest projects was brought in by a previous customer who lives in Sun City, Ariz. He was so happy with the job that we did on his Chrysler that he brought his newly purchased Tahoe to us because he just was ‘not feeling the look.’ Even though he knew what to expect, he was still ecstatic with the result,” says Rocky.

“I’ve had guys come in here with a car or motorcycle straight from the dealership and they’ll say, ‘Paint it! I don’t like the color.’”

A one-stop shop

The company owns its own enclosed transport, and Rocky will travel great distances to pick up and deliver a customer’s prized ride. Texas, Colorado and Las Vegas have been recent destinations. “I drive straight through, I don’t stop – I’m crazy that way,” he says. “We get cars from different parts of Southern California and different parts of the country.”

Although sometimes it can be “slim pickins’ out there” amid an aging population of truly dedicated car and MC buffs, customers still come from near and far because the business is a one-stop shop. “We can take care of everything.” Clients don’t have to worry about taking their vehicle to one place for upholstery and then another for mechanical repairs and then another to finesse the final finish.

Involved interior and mechanical work is often sublet to respective specialists from the shop’s location on San Diego’s Raytheon Road. “Sometimes they’ll come in here (to complete the job) or we’ll pull the motor and they’ll come back when it’s done while we’ve been working on the exterior.”

An additional selling point for the shop is that Rocky and Carolyn strive to offer reasonable rates to a clientele that is about half-and-half wealthy versus budget-minded. “Compared to the other legitimate custom and restoration shops in San Diego, we are very affordable,” he says.

“My customers are older – they’re old-school guys. For some of them it’s their last shot at a car,” a model that they’ve always coveted as a cream-puff possession. “Most of the hot rods are from old-timers; they still want them and they still have them. Then there’s the guy who’s retired and he’s always wanted the hot rod that he had when he was young,” eager to again own the same type of vehicle that was long ago sold off in favor of raising a family and reluctantly resorting to a staid sedan.

“They’ll go out and find one and then bring it to us” in various stages of disrepair to make it show-worthy.

Collision repairs of exotics caught up in a crash are also provided. “Most shops won’t touch a custom car” or a collectable older rarity. Despite opting out of direct repair programs years ago, “we still have a good relationship with insurance companies because we like to be their go-to shop for repairing all of these unique vehicles.”

Aside from maintaining a steady social media presence, overseen by Rocky and Carolyn’s son Baron (a gifted catcher and outfielder who previously played professional baseball in the minor leagues), the shop has never advertised. “Just like the first day we opened up – it’s all word of mouth, and people like to talk to the owner,” according to Rocky.

Occasionally they’ll set up a booth at a car show, a strategy that attracts a considerable amount of business. With all of our work on display – between antique, classic, custom and concept vehicles – we enjoy seeing and representing these vehicles at events. Sometimes I’ll take a customer’s car to a car show, and sometimes I’ll just go to a car show” to make personal contacts among the attendees and exhibitors. “We have car shows every weekend in San Diego, and sometimes I’ll go to four car shows in one day.”

Billion-dollar question

Carolyn concentrates on bookkeeping and other administrative functions to assist with Rocky’s paperwork tasks. “I’m more of a hands-on kind of guy, but I’m pretty much chained to the office – somebody has to run the asylum,” he jokes.

Recruiting qualified staffers is an ongoing endeavor. “That’s the billion-dollar question. We have to turn over every stone and look behind every tree to find technicians.” Much of the available industry training is geared toward production collision repairers rather than restoration expertise and the required skill sets emphasizing patience, attention to detail and creativity.

“We really need people who know what they’re doing.” Promising candidates are typically given a two-week tryout. “Show me what you can do,” says Rocky. “Most of the time I’ll know within a couple of days” whether a potential hire has what it takes.

Obtaining hard-to-find components is a selective process as well. “This is where the Internet has become very important. I can go to England on the Internet to get parts, and I have a network of people who aren’t online that we’ve been using for years.”

Taking the plunge

As a child Rocky had an affinity for disassembling and reassembling toys, bikes, small machines and “anything that I could get my hands on.” “However,” he explains, “I was too creative and artistic to just assemble things the same as they were. I always wanted to make them better and nicer looking.”

Rocky’s father, the late Jack Frost, was a 30-year career U.S. Navy officer who invested in properties and sold insurance after retiring. (Rocky’s mother and much-older siblings were survivors of the harrowing attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Jack at the time was out under the sea commanding a submarine.)

During high school Rocky enrolled in all the available shop classes, soaking up the learning and crafting customs. In 1972 the building housing Jack’s insurance business was slated for demolition. “My Mom said, ‘You’re not coming home,’ so he had to find a new office. He said, ‘Let’s build a shop and I’ll put my office in there: Would you like to start a business restoring vehicles?’ Well, he didn’t have to finish his sentence and I said, ‘YES!’”

The prospective location “was just a piece of dirt,” and from the ground up came Custom Auto Body. Rocky was still a junior in high school, and Ocean Beach Auto Body’s Ed Brill was hired to manage the operation.

“My first job was sweeping the floor,” Rocky recalls. “I learned by just being here and doing the work. There were no classes left to take, but we had some very good technicians and they took me under their wing.”

Rocky went on to earn a college degree as Brill continued to build the business. “When I returned full-time I took over the operations and found that collision repair was much more lucrative than restorations,” he says.

In the years following Brill’s death and Rocky’s marriage to Carolyn, he still dreamed of ditching routine production to rejuvenate vintage vehicles and create customs – and in 2008 the couple took the plunge to make that dream a reality: “What does the future hold for an ‘old-school’ shop? Only time has told – and time will tell…”

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