No More Pimp My Ride, Finally, the gimmicks end Options

[fameONE]

The highly successful car customizing show "Pimp My Ride" is finally moving on. After a long run as one of the most successful television shows for MTV, West Coast Customs is moving its show to another channel and changing the format.

According to The Press-Enterprise, WCC will be developing a new show on the Discovery Channel with the producers of "American Chopper" and "American Hot Rod." And instead of creating over-the-top designs like "Pimp MY Ride," the show will be based around the work they do on a daily basis and will include customization of private jets, helicopters, tour buses and other high-end vehicles.

Although MTV will be losing one of their most popular shows, the split was amicably, according to both parties, due to owner Ryan Friedlinghause's concern with his company's image.

"We've had a great experience with Ryan," said MTV spokesman David French. "Everyone in that garage is very talented and we wish them all the best."

Friedlinghause has also made another big decision, which is moving the shop for the fourth time since opening its doors in 1993. The shop's new location will be Corona, California. WCC moved from Laguna Niguel (their original location) to Compton in 1998, then to Inglewood in 2000.

According to Ryan, the reason for moving is not business-related -- due to the shop's reputation, they could move anywhere and still be in business -- but simply to be closer to his family, who he rarely sees, due to his back and forth commute from Corona to Los Angeles.

"I've done my time in L.A.," Friedlinghause stated. "Everybody knows who I am. It's time to move."

WCC's new location will be a 21,000-square-foot shop is in a corporate-style building in an industrial part of Corona, which according to Ryan has a huge custom car market.

"My customers aren't really LA-based customers anymore," said Friedlinghaus. "The interest in custom cars and the money to spend on customization is evident in the Inland Empire. It's like the new Orange County."

"Pimp My Ride" averaged 1.1 million viewers per episode, Nielsen Media Research said.