SUN STATE CUSTOMS MISSION STATEMENT
"Committed to excellence on and off the streets."
Our mission at Sun State Customs is to deliver a product that exceeds all expectations. When you bring your vehicle to Sun State Customs, we promise to deliver a flawless end product. Our commitment to excellence is why you can always expect us to put our passion and care into every vehicle in a professional environment. We are confident that when you drive away you will feel like the king of the road.
Our diligence doesn't stop inside the shop. Sun State Customs is devoted to cleaning up the city of Orlando. Community outreach plays a huge role in the company. As a father, Chris truly believes in creating opportunity and growth for his city. He understands the importance of giving back which is why Sun State Customs has found success in Central Florida.
CHRIS ASH
OWNER
In 1991 after watching the movie Boyz N The Hood, Chris became fascinated with the gold car that was in the movie. A few days later, Chris went to his father and expressed that he wanted to go to his local Chesrown car dealership and get that car when he turned 16 years old. Chris Sr. laughed and said, "Son, that is an old Impala. That car is over 20 years old. They don't sell those kinds of cars any longer. They are classic cars that are built." From that point on Chris began going to the library and getting books and information on Impalas. In addition, he would research videos and study the different models.
While Chris loved cars, his first love was sports. He was a three sport athlete from Central Ohio who stayed busy with baseball, basketball, and football. Because of his schedule, Chris was left with little time to work on cars. On his days off, along with his friends Shawn Jefferson and Garrett Wolford, Chris would drive around to local junk yards, shops, and locations he found from his local advertiser. Even though he didn't have a penny in his pocket, Chris wanted the ability to see them, touch them, and smell them. That old car smell was a thrill for him that kept his dream alive.
One fall day in 1995 Chris' parents took him for a drive. They had come across a 1968 Impala custom coupe 307 on Mt Vernon Rd in Newark Ohio. It was turquoise with black interior, and a black vinyl top. They purchased the car for right around $2000, and that is when his dream became a reality. Throughout the next years the car went from turquoise, to green, to burgundy, and then to blue. This car was also the first car Chris installed hydraulics on. His first setup would be a 2 pump, 8 battery CCE street kit .
After high school Chris went on to college. Unfortunately, his Impala got put away and parked while he was at school. When he returned home and reunited with his 68 he realized his dream had grown even stronger. In 2001, Chris opened his own shop and was excited to be doing what he loved. Being a young kid, he did not have the experience with the business side of things. His shop was broken into and he had no insurance. Everything was stolen, and the loss was simply too much to recover from. Chris had no choice, but to close his shop's doors. His dreams of owning his shop were short lived.
Shortly after, Chris joined the United States Marine Corps. From there he worked at State Farm insurance for 6 years, and then transitioned into real estate in Florida. During this time Chris created a high school football program. It was designed to help high school football players develop into young men in pursuit of a college education. He would go on to send more than 50 boys to college on full scholarship to 33 different division I football programs. In addition, 8 went on to play in the NFL. 3 of those young men were 1st round draft pics.
Although Chris was very successful in his real estate career, he couldn't escape his childhood dream. He knew he had to pursue his life long passion of owning his own classic and custom car restoration business. Sun State Customs is exactly what he ever dreamed of. Being surrounded by Impala parts, cars, and other enthusiasts is a dream come true. The ultimate goal for Chris is to bring his dreams to reality by building only the best quality cars behind the doors of Sun State Customs leaving a long lasting mark on the Central Florida car scene .