Todd Frank opens customs shop

Todd Frank opens customs shop - A white and black truck parked in front of a car - Car
Customs by Frank owner Todd Frank peels off the lining tape from a 1950s Ford he is restoring for local Ben Roberts.

One stop shop for boat and car needs

Surrounded by traps and a lone emu named Moe on Coco Plum, Todd Frank puts final touches on a 1950s Ford. The project was tricky, given basketball sized pieces of the car had rusted out over the years in Florida Keys salty air.

“You wouldn’t believe how bad this looked a month ago,” said Customs by Frank Owner Todd Frank after restoring the whole body, giving the engine a tune up, stripping and matching panels and repairing some “serious” rust holes. “A month ago this wasn’t running at all.”

Customs by Frank opened in July, but Frank has been working on cars and boats in the Keys for the past 12 years. “I can do just about anything — paint, body restoration, boats, cars, engines, suspensions, lift kits, stereos, accessories, everything but tires,” he said.

He recently finished repainting Tropical Limo’s main vehicle. “Todd did amazing work,” said owner Amanda Lee, en route to Tampa to pick up guests. “He was quick, reliable, and reasonably priced.”

He’s worked on two Porches and a Lamborghini, as well as racing cars, trucks, and boats and, when he isn’t at the Coco Plum workshop, he’s coaching his six-year-old son T.J.’s t-ball team or fishing off the dock with his kids. “I am hoping to host a kid’s car show in the near future, where all the kids can bring out their Hot Wheels and drive around,” he said.

Frank said it takes about two weeks for a total overhaul paint job on a car, but he can touch up spots overnight. Pricing ranges depending on the condition and rust, but full paint jobs start at $1,500 and restoration jobs start at $5,000.

“It’s the end result that makes me truly enjoy what I am doing,” said Frank. “People really appreciate when something looks new again.”

 

Kristen Livengood is a Marathon High School and University of South Florida grad, mom of two beautiful little girls, and wife to some cute guy she met in a bar. She enjoys red wine, Tito's, Jameson, running (very, very slowly), and spearfishing.