In the world of custom cars, the first thing to catch your eye is almost always the paint job. A great paint job can be the difference between a nice car, and a show-stopper. Whether your prized possession is a full-time show car or a head-turning hot rod, Karl’s is your go-to Des Moines paint…
Read More
In case you haven’t heard, our famous Summer Nights events are in full swing for the 2021 season. Unlike last year’s Virtual Summer Nights, this year’s Summer Nights are in person at Karl Kustoms. If you missed the first two Summer Nights events of the season, here’s a recap of each one: April 2021 Summer…
Read More
In case you haven’t noticed, we added a new GM engine to our inventory: the GM 350/265 small block! Check it out: This new small block engine is a basic entry level engine. Yet, you can load it up with many upgrades. It’s designed to be a drop in replacement for 60s, 70s and 80s…
Read More
At Karl Kustoms, we work on some pretty cool projects. When we were offered the opportunity to help build a custom Z06 Corvette in honor of America’s fallen soldiers, we jumped all over it. We worked with Bad Boy Vettes, a group of Corvette enthusiasts all over the world, to bring a 2016 Z06 Corvette…
Read More
We have an exciting announcement: we just added a new Chevrolet engine to our line up! Let us introduce the new Chevy LS364 engine: The best part about this engine is it produces 450 horsepower. It’s an affordable high performance engine that has so much to offer. This Engine Is A Great Upgrade For Older…
Read More
The GM LS364/450 engine is a budget-friendly engine that gives your earlier LS-powered vehicle more power. It’s very versatile, which is a quality that attracts many hot rod builders and enthusiasts. You can read more about this engine here on our blog or over on the Fuel Curve website here. This engine is a long-block…
Read More
Karl Kustoms is proud to be the new title sponsor for the Bristol Dirt Nationals in Bristol, Tennessee! As a new entitlement partner of the inaugural race which took place on March 15th-20th, our status as a leading retailer of GM crate engine and Chevrolet Performance specialists will be featured in all future advertisements, promotions and…
Read More
We love it when classic cars roll into our shop. For example, this 1940 Ford Deluxe turned every head in our shop, before and after we finished working on it. Know what we love even more? Classic cars with interesting stories behind them. That’s what Marri and her husband Robert brought to our shop: a…
Read More
At Karl Kustoms, we restore all kinds of cars. Our work is so good that our paint shop stays very busy. Classic cars are among our favorite types of cars to restore. This 1967 Chevy Chevelle Super Sport, for example, was a lot of fun to work on. The car’s owner, Carl Kapfer from Grimes,…
Read More
At Karl Kustoms, we love classic Chevy pickup trucks. We also love working with truck owners who are as passionate as we are about restoring classic trucks to their former glory. When David Warner of Altoona, IA brought his 1972 K20 pickup to our shop, we were thrilled. It was a well built truck, and…
Read More