By Jason Chandler, ARMO Select Committee
Preserving the future of the restoration industry means more than preserving the cars—it also means preserving the skills, craftsmanship and knowledge required to build them.
That mission is at the heart of Kustom Built Cars Educational Workshop, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit program dedicated to teaching the next generation the fundamentals of classic-car restoration, fabrication and custom-car building. Founded by longtime custom car builder and Acme Chop Shop owner Jack Weaver, Kustom Built Cars grew out of a workforce challenge Weaver experienced firsthand: finding young, well-rounded technicians prepared to work in the restoration industry.
Today, Jack Weaver and Shelby Robison are helping students develop those skills through immersive, hands-on training in an actual hot rod shop. Students participate in a complete custom build from start to finish, gaining experience across multiple areas of restoration while discovering where their individual interests and talents may lead them.
For this ARMO Youth Engagement Spotlight, Weaver and Robison share how the program began, why hands-on education matters and what the restoration industry can do to help develop its next generation.
Q&A with Jack Weaver & Shelby Robison
ARMO: Jack, Kustom Built Cars grew out of a challenge you experienced firsthand at Acme Chop Shop. What were you seeing in the workforce that made you realize the restoration industry needed a different approach to training the next generation?
Jack Weaver: The fact that maybe one out of every 20 applicants is under age 30. The reality is that we need more of the younger generation to apply for these jobs.
ARMO: What was the original vision for Kustom Built Cars, and how has the program evolved from those early evening and weekend workshops into the educational program it is today?
JW: It went from teaching basic individual skills, like welding or bodywork, to teaching all aspects of the build from start to finish. It happened fast.
ARMO: What makes your approach different from a traditional automotive or collision-repair training program, particularly when it comes to teaching restoration, fabrication and custom-car building?
JW: It’s all hands-on learning, and it’s in an actual hot rod shop. The students are here Monday through Friday and build a full custom build in five months. The students get all the basic classic-car restoration skills from start to finish.
ARMO: Students aren’t simply practicing individual skills—they participate in building an entire vehicle. Why is taking a project from disassembly through fabrication, bodywork, paint, mechanical work and final assembly so important to their education?
JW: It gives them an idea of what they might want to specialize in and what teamwork is about. When they go out into the workplace, they have the basic skills to get right to work and learn more as they go.
ARMO: Shelby, what type of students typically come into the Kustom Built Cars program? Are they already interested in classic cars and restoration, or are you finding that the hands-on experience itself creates that passion?
Shelby Robison: Most of the students are interested in the automotive industry in general. The skills taught here can be used on most automobiles, so there is a variety of students who like all kinds of different cars. We just love hot rods!
ARMO: One of ARMO’s biggest concerns is preserving restoration knowledge as experienced builders leave the industry. What skills or knowledge do you believe are most at risk of being lost if programs like Kustom Built Cars don’t exist?
SR: All of the industry is at risk. If we don’t get the younger generation involved, we will not have these awesome hot rods in 20 years. I think the importance of skilled trades is becoming more noticed and more programs are arising.
ARMO: What happens after students complete the program? Can you share examples of graduates who have gone into restoration shops, fabrication, collision repair, mechanical work or other careers within the automotive industry?
SR: We help with job placement after the students are done. We have students in high-end restoration shops around the U.S., working in aviation, building rock crawlers, painting and collision. The great thing about this program is they get to do everything on the build, so they find the skills they are interested in and get jobs doing that.
ARMO: Kustom Built Cars has received support and attention from companies and organizations throughout the automotive aftermarket. How important are partnerships with manufacturers, suppliers, shops and industry organizations to making a program like this successful?
SR: We love our sponsors! They are really making dreams come true for us and the students. Most of the time, the sponsors see the passion that we have for the youth and industry and want to help. The automotive industry is like a family and is always willing to help.
ARMO: For restoration-shop owners who say, “I’d love to train young people, but I don’t have the time or resources,” what have you learned through Kustom Built Cars that could help a smaller shop begin mentoring or developing young talent?
SR: It does take out of your time, but it’s worth it. You have to invest in the future if you want your shop to succeed in the future. Once you see a spark in a student’s eye, you know that it’s all worth it.
ARMO: If you could ask the ARMO and SEMA communities to do one thing to help develop the next generation of restoration professionals, what would have the greatest impact?
SR: You have to make things interesting and somewhat fun for the younger generation to keep them involved.
ARMO: When you look at one of your students working on a car today, what gives you confidence that the passion and craftsmanship behind the restoration industry will continue into the next generation?
SR: When the students want to keep redoing their work until they are happy with it. The passion to do quality work!
Meet Kustom Built Cars at the 2026 SEMA Show
Attending the 2026 SEMA Show? Be sure to meet Weaver and Robison and learn more about the Kustom Built Cars Educational Workshop.
They will be featured with Wizards Products in the Silver Lot, Booth #80008.
Stop by to learn more about the program, meet the people behind it and see how the automotive aftermarket can help encourage, mentor and support the next generation of restoration professionals.
