Drive Kulture recently teamed up with Grinder TV, and shot and published a feature interview of Max Fish, owner of Bio Kustumz located in Winchester, Calfornia. Drive Kulture was founded by Jerry Horton as “a collective of car enthusiasts who don’t subscribe to one automotive niche.” They go by the slogan, “We love these machines for their design, performance, and potential for badass-ness and if it’s beautiful, low, and/or fast, we love it.” Which, as you can tell, the crew at Rod Authority can definitely stand behind something as cool as that!

You might recognize the name Jerry Horton from band Papa Roach and the name Max Fish, owner of Bio Kustumz, and the ’51 Mercury that he built for Jerry Horton, pictured here. Recently, they teamed up to take a behind-the-scenes look with Max Fish. Horton’s Merc, which was featured at last year’s SEMA Show, is just one example of the amazing skill that Fish and his crew possess.

The ’51 is great example of a true kustom car, taking period parts like ’54 taillights, a Chevy front bumper, and a single bar grille creating a totally one-off ride genuine to the era that it came off the line (with a few custom touches, of course).

The body was practically built from the bottom up by Bio Kustumz, from a custom-built roof to the wheels that they machined themselves, the ’51 Merc is definitely a show stopper and a testament to creative and innovative minds.

Max Fish is a man whose laid back personality is harmoniously contrasted by his passion to build some amazing works of automotive art. In the interview, he touches on the shop’s slogan, “We Suck Less.”

He says, “My dad hated the name, being a business major, he said it was the worst slogan ever until he went to a car show with me and realized it draws a lot of attention. We all cut corners and we all do what we need to make stuff work. Some of us suck less than others, and I stand behind that. If you can’t sit back and laugh at yourself every once in awhile what are we doing really? You can’t take life too seriously.”

One of Max’s biggest influences growing up was the time he went to a monster truck rally and saw ZZ Top’s Cadzilla on display. “It still is the most influential vehicle I’ve ever seen. I hope to someday offer the kind of excitement to someone that that car did for me.”

Max was exposed to cars at a very early age, his dad was a mechanic and he recalls some fond memories of his old man and cars, “He built motors on the living room coffee table and cleaned parts in the dishwasher.”

In a world where technology has practically dominated and replaced old hand-building methods, Max Fish humbly keeps the tradition alive. His shop includes a band saw from 1952 and a Bridgeport Mill from the 1960s. Instead of CNC machines or plasma cutters, he still utilizes an old school oxyacetylene torch, belt sander, and cardboard templates for mockups. “I think that’s something that’s really missing in a lot of these shops is the fundamental knowledge of using tools the way that they were done back in those days.”

Max Fish is a builder who exemplifies the art of tradition and fundamental skill. If you’re ever in Southern California drop by the shop located in Winchester, CA. Check out the link to visit the Bio Kustumz Shop and take a closer look at what Max and his crew are up to.