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The Stars Of ‘Pimp My Ride’: Where Are They Now?

Cameron Eittreim July 14, 2021

8: Ryan Friedlinghaus – Designing a Roller Coaster

With all of the notoriety Friedlinghaus has for designing vehicles, it’s no surprise that a rollercoaster would be the next project. He designed the West Coast Racers at Six Flags Magic Mountain to much fanfare. The ride has two side-by-side tracks, 14 track crossover and near misses, and zero-g stalls.

This is the first amusement park ride Friedlinghaus has designed, but it just goes to show how impressive his skill set is. He can design just about anything that he puts his mind to, and if he can do it in the car business, then he can do it at a theme park.

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7: Ryan Friedlinghaus – Connected With The Community

After the success of the Pimp My Ride franchise just about everyone knew who Ryan Friedlinghaus was. Instead of letting the fame get to his head, he decided to build a new shop right in the heart of Burbank. This is where he grew up and he felt it would give fans a close look at what goes on behind the scenes at the shop. Friedlinghaus also wanted a shop where he can accept just about any job, no matter how big or small.

The interesting thing about his rise and success is the fact that he started from almost nothing. West Coast Customs is a true success story in every sense of the word, and it started from nothing which is even more impressive.

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6: Quinton “Q” Dodson – From Founder to Flounder

Although most of the cast members of “Pimp My Ride” were able to find some sort of success after the show, Quinton Dodson hasn’t been able to. His life in the business world hasn’t been very successful, after all of the fame that came with “Pimp My Ride.” Q founded a couple of companies including a transportation company and a rival custom car shop that was called Coast II Coast Customz.

Sadly. none of these business ventures seemed to have taken off for him, and he is still trying to build on his past fame. Starting the business with Ryan was one of the best decisions he could have ever made. Sadly the automotive business hasn’t been kind to Dodson and these days he is a shell of his former self.

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5: Quinton “Q” Dodson – Road Rage Transportation

When the custom automotive business was giving him fits of rage, Dodson decided to branch out and do something else. He figured that a transportation company would be a more viable option and he founded Road Rage Transportation. The project didn’t last very long as the transportation business can be a tricky one to get into.

After this business venture floundered he decided to try a chain of headlight restoration companies. None of them seemed to have done very well, as now Dodson is trying to get back into the good graces of the automotive industry. His career and credentials are quite strong but his business acumen may not be.

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4: Jason Ewing – Sound Wave Customs

Ewing is perhaps one of the most underrated crew members featured on “Pimp My Ride.” While he wasn’t the know-it-all fabricator Mad Mike was, he had the skills needed for the audio portion of the restorations. Ewing took this expertise to the next level and started his own custom audio company specializing in this kind of work. He has since been featured at many car shows which include SEMA and more.

Ewing is no longer part of the West Coast Customs team but he has used the notoriety to boost his careerf tremendously. Being an expert in the field of automotive audio has enabled him to create some of the most unique sets of wheels on the road.

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3: 2Shea – Branching Into Artwork

2Shea is one of the most well-recognized crew members of the original West Coast Customs. The art design has a street presence that is almost unmatched, and the graffiti style became a hit with viewers. After his time with “Pimp My Ride” ended, 2Shea decided to take his work on the road, appearing at many different art galleries.

He has also been tapped for his artistic skills around the Los Angeles area, where several murals have been designed by him. Having such a strong set of artistic abilities is great for both automotive work and artwork in general. 2Shea is one of the cast members who have been able to do quite well for themselves.

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2: Aren Fanning – Paint and Body Specialist

Fanning was known as being the paint and body specialist on “Pimp My Ride” and his work was highly featured. With a keen eye for color, Fanning is one of the most well-known auto body paint specialists in the industry. After the demise of “Pimp My Ride,” Fanning stayed on as a staff member at West Coast Customs. His keen eye for color made the way he designs cars a memorable one.

The skill that it takes to be able to paint and do bodywork on a custom car is not simple. Fanning is one of the most knowledgeable people in the world of custom vehicles. If you watch an episode of “Pimp My Ride,” you’ll know why. Surely Fanning will do well at whatever endeavors he takes on in the future.

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1: Pimp My Ride Revival?

In a recent interview, Xzibit has said that he’d be down to star in a reboot of the series. MTV hasn’t had a hit show in quite a while and having another shot at “Pimp My Ride” could be some good press for the network. Xzibit is still more popular than ever and the franchise has a lot of love with viewers who used to come home from school just to watch it.

A modern revision of “Pimp My Ride” could fix many of the flaws that the original series had during its run. There were a lot of issues that centered around the fact that many of the cars were “staged” as Xzibit admitted to in later interviews. Would you enjoy a revival of “Pimp My Ride?”

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