<P> The company moved many times in its early years, but it is at its Inglewood location that WCC began to gain a reputation for quality, which caused celebrities to have their cars modified there . According to Friedlinghaus, one of his first customers was Shaquille O'Neal, who wanted a customized Chevrolet Suburban, and this relationship helped him get contacts with other celebrities who were looking for custom automobiles . Owing to this, Music Television (MTV) offered Friedlinghaus the opportunity to have a reality television show filmed at his business with co-founder Quinton "Q" Dodson as the star and rapper Xzibit as the host; his acceptance of this deal led to the 2004 TV show Pimp My Ride . </P> <P> Pimp My Ride was extremely successful, spawning international spin - offs, and its success increased the profile of West Coast Customs substantially . The show's format was that the producers at MTV would find typical Americans with junk cars, they would be given a short interview with Xzibit, Friedlinghaus and the WCC crew to determine their interests and hobbies, and then WCC staff would fix their junk car and also transform it into a custom car embodying the interests and personality of its owner . In 2004, CBS News reported that the show consistently ranked first place in the 12 to 34 year old demographic for its 9: 30PM time slot . </P> <P> According to a former employee of the company at the time Pimp My Ride was filmed, most of the work actually done on the vehicles was done behind the scenes . Cars and expectations for the final product would arrive on Monday, and employees had until the following Friday to complete a project, sometimes necessitating twelve hour work days . According to this employee, much of the off - screen labor was done by illegal immigrants from Mexico, around eleven in total . As the employees were of WCC and not MTV, MTV was apparently unconcerned about possible ramifications of this for them . </P> <P> Owing to the popularity of Pimp My Ride, West Coast Customs was prominently featured in the 2005 street racing video game L.A. Rush as the car upgrade mechanism . According to the Chicago Tribune, Midway, the developer of the game, paid "handsomely" to be able to use the brand . </P>

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