Proud members of

Kandi Blaze McCrea 

owner/manager 

If the start of my tattoo sleeve doesn't automatically give away my diehard appreciation for cars & horsepower, wait a few seconds as auto body or car lingo will quickly commence in our conversation.  My appreciation and love runs incredibly deep. 

To work on, restore, customize, and drive some of these incredible vehicles, has been a longtime dream come true. An intimate relationship is formed with each vehicle when you familiarize yourself with all of her imperfections, each body line, every curve, crevice, and body roll she has. It's my job to work with my team and bring these machines back to life, but even better than before. I see their skeletons and often have to rebuild their bones before their bodies are repaired and put back together. Every step of the way brings them closer back to life so they can once again live on. 

My stories about how I became a gearhead and hot rod enthusiast likely go back to the date of my conception in the summer of 79 at Dragway 42. From there it started with my wood block, building hot rod shops and drag strips. When I was eight my parents gave me a secondhand yellow banana seat bike. I bugged my dad to paint it hot pink with black pinstripes. I don't know if it's because he simply got tired of hearing me hound him repeatedly to paint my bike, or if he loved the fact that I was so adamant about customizing it. Either way, he caved, but made me a deal. He told me if he showed me how to sand and prep it for paint, and I did all the work, he would paint it my hot pink and put black pinstripes down it. I started early the next morning and about eight to twelve hours later, it was ready for him to mask and paint. By the next day my hot pink bike was done and I was the happiest girl riding it up and down the country dirt road. I always knew this was my passion. Now I want to teach others an encourage our youth, especially girls, to perhaps push the boundaries until we break them down. Only 3% of women make up the auto body industry in the United States.

- Kandi ‘Blaze’ McCrea

Instagram @KandiBlazeCraze  

Chevy Cheyenne 

assistant shop foreman

I went to Loudonville high school for two years and had a choice to go to the Ashland County West-Holmes Career Center. I went for two years and specialized in automotive technology. When I graduated in 2015 I received my certification to work in the automotive industry. 

In 2016 I started working at Kandi’s Kustoms. I was 19, and an intern for about two months before I was hired on full-time. Currently I’m 23 years old and February of 2020 will mark my fourth anniversary with the shop. I've learned things from basic detailing, to mud work, to fabricating, and spraying. 

I grew up learning about cars from my dad and mom. My mom also went to the same career center for auto body and grew up learning from her dad, my grandpa, whom had his own autobody shop. My dad has been working on cars his whole life, so growing up going to car shows, drag races, car meets, Park Avenue in Mansfield, driving and working on my parents cars, it comes from back in the day. 

It was my dads 72 dirtbike Enduro that I first started restoring. From putting it together out of a bucket of parts, to sanding it down and using my grandpas paint from his store. I also redid my snowboard from repainting it to black and purple with flames and doing the whole painting and wet sanding process. 

I wanted to be where the classic cars were, not working on every day cars or imports. There’s something about the classic car that’s different from the rest. It can be the personal attachment, whether it be from a family member or friend. These cars are like family they hold the memories and sentimental value. Nowadays cars don't give you that rush of excitement or adrenaline! A classic car can look sexy, make you look twice, stop you in your tracks...The rattle in my chest from a drag car, that is one of the best feelings ever. 

- Chevy Cheyenne 

Rob McCrea 

Firefighter, owner/electrician 

Bio coming soon 

Thomas Thompson

teacher/painter

Bio coming soon.

Alan Bosley 

Auto Body Technician 

Bio coming soon.