Brian Davis living his automotive dream
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April 15, 2014 |
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After years of study and work, a dream comes
true on Saturday for a former Bonners Ferry
couple, as Brian Davis and his wife, Jenna
Richardson-Davis, open Hellbilly Customs, a
complete automotive customization shop in Coeur
d'Alene.
 Brian,
son of the late Terry Davis and Donna Davis-Strangio
and a 2003 graduate of Bonners Ferry High
School, has had a passion for all things
automotive since he started devouring automotive
magazines at age 13.
He owned his first car before he even had a
license to drive. He ordered a massive audio
system and installed it himself, getting good
results, but he wanted more. He took it to a
shop in Coeur d'Alene, and had a huge sound
system installed, and he was hooked ... and
started down the path that would lead to the
grand opening of his own shop.
While in high school, he met some people who
were into building custom cars, and he began
hanging out with them, and eventually convinced
the men to help him build his own vehicle.
To help pay, he swept the shop floor, cleaned
parts and did other entry-level chores, learning
more every day. By his senior year, he was
selling and installing custom audio gear for
schoolmates and adults alike.
After graduating, Brian went to Phoenix,
Arizona, and attended Mobile Dynamics, an
automotive audio trade school. After graduating
at the top of his class, he went to work at
Steinley's, the very shop that had installed his
first custom audio system. He worked there for
two years, then took a job with Aspen Sound.
In 2008, he moved to Portland, Oregon, where he
worked at Kingpin Car & Marine, doing high-end
custom interior fabrication. While there, he
began hanging out with friends in the Oregon
chapter of Relaxed Atmosphere, a national car
club known for high quality custom automotive
work.
Brian began doing serious suspension and chassis
customization work for three years until moving
to Seattle to work for Benchmark Motoring, where
he worked on exotic cars owned by celebrities
and the wealthy. He learned computer aided
drafting and the use of automated cutting
machinery, and worked on some of the most
spectacular custom cars in the world.
He left his dream job at Benchmark due to a
family emergency last year, moving back to North
Idaho last year and to his previous job at Aspen
Sound. After eight months, he decided that the
time had come to set out on his own, and
Hellbilly Customs is the culmination of all he's
worked toward and dreamed of.
"I have worked at some of the most successful
shops in the country, helped build several
vehicles that have landed on the cover of
magazines,." Brian said. "Taking all that I have
learned in my travels I have combined all the
skills into one unique destination to bring your
vehicle. At Hellbilly Customs we specialize in
custom. We can build anything and everything you
can dream. Our commitment to quality is
unparalleled. It doesn't matter if you need your
radio replaced in your farm truck, looking for a
complete custom interior or want to build the
car of your dreams, we can do it!"
The grand opening of Hellbilly Customs, N6640
Government Way, Suite D, Coeur d'Alenetakes
place from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 19,
and Brian and Jenna would be delighted to see
some of their Bonners Ferry friends to stop in
and say "hi!"
Hellbilly Customs will be open from 9 a.m. to 5
p.m. Monday through Friday and by appointment on
Saturdays. To find out more, call (701)
621-1827. |
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