Karl Kustoms at 5927 NE Industry Dr, Des Moines, IA 50313

Had to get my daughter's car seat reupholstered fast, and Zack squeezed us in. He even had patience with her teenage angst, which I appreciated. The work turned out great and it didn't break the bank.

I can't say enough good things about the crew at Karl's Kustom. Patty, Mike, Randy and the rest were so kind to our project — they treat it like it was their own.

Found a hidden gem in Karl's Kustom. They gave our whole group a quick tour and let us wander around looking at everything. Pretty cool experience.

My Trailblazer SS had water in the transmission and was stuck in limp mode, locked in 4th gear. I brought it in, they took a fluid sample, then just said I’d need a full replacement—around $7,000. As someone who pays pros for good advice, I asked if I could reuse the $1,200 converter since I wasn’t sure. Their answer? *"You’ll probably be alright."* But when I checked with the transmission builder I got my replacement from—a guy with 40 years of experience—he said no way, they’d have no idea unless they cut it open. If I’d listened to them, I’d have rolled the dice on a $7K+ job and ended up $15K deep if it failed. They didn’t even guarantee the new parts if I reused the old converter. That’s not how I do business. ---

Byron made the whole process smooth. Knew his stuff, was easy to talk to, and got my crate motor ordered fast. It showed up in a week, box untouched, ready to drop in. No hassle, no excuses—just good service. ---

Bought an LS3 crate engine from them, and a year later the harmonic balancer gave out. Called customer service, and Blake didn’t just fix it—he called my local dealer, got the manager to cover the balancer under warranty, and saved me from waiting on shipping. That’s the kind of service that makes you a repeat customer, even after the sale. ---

Needed my Corvette’s V8-to-V4 mode disabled, and Robby had it done in 15 minutes. Price was fair, and now the car runs like it should. No fluff, no waiting—just a quick, solid fix. ---

My custom truck started having transmission issues after I took it to Karl Kustoms in Ankeny for a simple tune-up. Turns out they messed with more than I asked for, and now the torque converter's shot. When I went back to talk to them about it, not only did they not take responsibility, they wouldn't even try to fix it. Worst experience I've had — would never go back.

First time at the car show, and honestly, it was way better than I expected. The people running it were super nice—no pretentiousness, just real talk. The whole setup had a cool, laid-back energy. I’ll be back next year for sure.

The place has everything—clean bathrooms, wheelchair access, plenty of parking, and you can even order parts online. They also throw a car show in the summer with some wild custom builds. Here’s a few pics from last year’s turnout—some of those cars don’t come around often.