At Karl Kustoms, we know dirt track engines quite well. We’ve been building championship-proven engines and selling Chevrolet Performance dirt track engines for decades. In fact, we’ve been around the whole time these crate engines have been used for racing. We know these engines like the back of our hands. If you buy a turn-key…
Read MoreAt Karl Kustoms, we have a dyno room. The dyno is the most valuable tool you can use when it comes to tuning an engine. If you’re curious about how we dyno and tune engines in house, check out the videos we put together: How We Set Up Our Dyno Equipment If you’ve ever wondered…
Read MoreIn 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 MoreIn 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 MoreIn 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 MoreAt 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 MoreWe 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 MoreThe 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 MoreKarl 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 MoreWe 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