Today we’d like to introduce you to John and Dustin Hardin.
John and Dustin, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
John: I started airbrush painting on T-shirts and motorcycles back in the late 70’s, mainly as a hobby while working full time at a plant in Pasadena. After a couple of years, I turned my attention to working and raising a family and was out of painting for over 20 years. When my sons became interested in cars as teenagers I dug out the painting supplies and began practicing airbrushing again after seeing a couple of really cool paint jobs on some of the TV reality shows.
In 2005, the plant that I worked at for 30 years shut down so I began doing paint work at an existing collision shop, mainly on motorcycles and a few custom cars. After a couple of years I partnered up with the owner and we began doing more custom paintwork and classic car restorations. As the demand for the restoration work continued to increase, we made the move to get away from collision work and concentrated our efforts on growing the restoration business. In 2016, we became a family-owned business when my partner of 10 years sold his portion of the business to my oldest son. Today, we have a small crew of highly talented craftsman that allow us to turn out cars that range from Concourse restorations to highly modified and custom show cars. We have been extremely blessed to receive numerous awards both on a local and national level.
Dustin: You could say my passion for cars started on day one. With uncles that raced circle track and a Dad doing custom paint work in the garage, its just part of my DNA. Memories of riding in my Dads 1951 Chevy truck as a kid are so vivid in my mind it feels like yesterday, the sounds, smells and feel of that V8 engine roaring down the street will be with me all my days. At age 15 I bought my first car, a 1967 Camaro, which I still own 21 years later. At age 17 I pulled the old straight six engine out and built from scratch a very healthy 355ci V8 while my Dad and I disassembled the body in preparation for a custom paint job.
By this time I was working in a local lube/auto repair shop and remained employed there for several years working with a veteran mechanic learning basic automotive maintenance and repair. In 2001 I took a job at a local BMW dealership as a technician, eventually becoming factory certified through BMW North America. In 2005 I decided to take a vehicle maintenance position with KBR in Baghdad, Iraq working in direct support of the US Military and its allies. After an incredible experience working in a combat zone and traveling to several countries in the middle east and Europe, I came home in 2007 and went to work for my Dad and his partner here at the shop. I jumped on the opportunity to buy out my Dads partner in 2016 and could not feel more lucky about doing what I love for a living.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Self-employment has had its share of challenges and struggles along the way, from having no work to having so much work you didn’t know what to work on next. No two cars are ever the same, each seems to have its own obstacles to overcome. Keeping things organized for multiple jobs at the same time seems to be a continuous learning process.
One of the most challenging aspects of this work is taking the vision of a customer and turning it into a reality. So many times I hear people say ” It must be great being your own boss, you don’t have to listen to anyone”. In reality, every person that walks through the door becomes the boss.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Creative Classics & Customs – what should we know?
Our business is focused on taking vintage and classic cars and bringing them back to life, sometimes as they were originally built or creating a classic look with all the modern bells and whistles that technology has to offer. Sometimes we are challenged to take a newer muscle car and make it a one of kind that stands out from the hundreds of others built just like it.
We have become well known for the high standards of quality that we produce on the cars we paint as well as the ability to make old cars fit together better than they were ever designed. we are very proud of the reputation we have established in the classic car community of turning out cars that our customers can be proud of and win awards with. We work very hard to establish relationships that make our customers feel like they are a part of the process. Our customers are welcome anytime their cars are here to come and see the progress of the work being done.
One of the primary things that set us apart from so many shops is that we only specialize in customs and classics and not hampered by the collision side of the business.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I think that I speak for both Dustin and I when I say that our wives have been an incredible source of support along the way.
They have been there in both the good times and the not so good, helping us to always improve with praise and constructive criticism.
We have to thank God for giving us this opportunity and our continued success. We also have an incredible group in the shop. Bernard and Tim are extremely creative and quality oriented. These guys never give up and really make things happen day in and day out. I owe a lot to my first partner Mark who was just starting up the shop and allowed me to come in and really taught both of us a lot about auto body repair.
Last but certainly not least are the incredible customers who trust us with their cars and aren’t shy about telling others about our shop.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1625 Dickinson Ave. Ste A
Dickinson, TX 77539 - Website: www.ccccustoms.com
- Phone: 713-705-0091
- Email: ccc.customs@yahoo.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/creative_classics
- Facebook: Creative Customs & Classics
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
