---------A typical day at CustomCruisers begins around 8 o’clock. Ron drives up in his van and Brett usually shows up around the same time either in his Cruiser or his Honda. Frank comes in a little later in his Corolla. Whenever I work, I come either in mine or my brothers 40, depending on which runs the best at the moment. Ron opens up the shop and the office and then he and Brett usually talk about what needs to be done that day.
---------Every cruiser being worked on has a checklist which contains a “to do” list on a little notepad usually located on the windshield or the dash. The list is checked off as things are being done just so that nothing is forgotten. Anyways, Ron splits his work up pretty much evenly between office work and fabrication. He does the very important and difficult things along with Frank. Having worked at Custom Cruisers for a while, Brett has become a pretty damn good fabricator and mechanic. You can talk to him about anything, from bumpers to 3rd members to cutting and turning axles. Brett usually does the harder stuff, such as measuring and cutting for a power steering job, welding, and cutting and turning front axles for spring over conversions. Those are the things that require experience which he now has having done several on his own already. Frank usually rolls in around 10 and hops into his mechanics outfit. We throw jokes back and forth and just have a grand ol’ time. Sometimes were even lucky enough to have his sons, Michael and Steven, join us for the day. Frank usually does a lot of the tedious machine work. Most of the time he is using the mill and lathe fabricating something which is so precise and professional, it looks like it was ordered straight from a catalog. When I work at the shop, I usually get to do things such as removing and resealing transfer cases, changing parts, fixing or adjusting brakes and sometimes a little welding and fabrication. I’ve learned a whole lot working at the shop. One of the most important things I’ve learned is just how close the cruiser community is. The best description I can give it is that it is like a fraternity without the hazing. Just by owning a cruiser, you have instant friends and an unlimited fund of knowledge available. Where else can you get that? It just makes me feel good thinking about it.
---------Lunch is usually around 12:30 or 1PM and usually lasts a half an hour to an hour during which time videos of previous 4 wheeling trips are played on the TV. We also trade stories and discuss plans for our own cruisers. We laugh a lot and have a great time…the way it’s supposed to be.
After lunch we go back to what we were doing before. Ron usually takes phone calls and Brett and I talk about his next wheeling trip. Frank will occasionally throw in a one-liner that will make us all laugh. It’s an appealing atmosphere, good friends and cruisers all around you. What more do you need?
Franks day at the shop winds down at around 3 o’clock. He works two jobs and his second one begins at 4. The rest of us work until at least 5 and sometimes later depending on the workload that is put on us. It’s very tiring work but also very rewarding.
---------When the day is done, I’m tired, greasy, and scraped up but I’ve had a good day. Working in the environment that CustomCruisersFJ40 provides is always enjoyable. That is what makes it a pleasure for me to come back. It is almost like a second home.
---------Thanks for reading this! I hope you guys stop by some time and check out what CustomCruisersFJ40 is all about!

-Andrei Bogatsky