Bridges Customs - Where Creativity Meets Horsepower in the Historic West End

Listen to Podcast Here: Bridges Customs

Tucked inside Cloquet’s Historic West End Business District, just off Vine Street, sits a shop unlike anything else in the region, Bridges Customs, a non-traditional automotive customization studio owned and operated by local craftsman and motorsports enthusiast Ryan Bridges.

While many shops focus on repairs, detailing, or aftermarket accessories, Bridges Customs serves a very specific and passionate niche: drifters and performance builders who create cars from the ground up, often starting from spec and transforming raw frames and parts into competition-ready machines. It’s where engineering meets art, and where every build carries its own personality, story, and adrenaline.

A Life Fueled by Movement

Ryan’s love for vehicles began long before the shop opened. A former bike racer with an eye for speed and mechanics, he built his business the same way he builds a drift car—piece by piece, with intention, authenticity, and heart.

“I have a passion for stuff that moves,” Ryan shared with a laugh during the interview. “I build hot rods, I have fun, I like what I do, and I keep the vibe.”

This simple statement sums up his approach perfectly. Bridges Customs isn’t just a workplace; it’s a creative garage, a community hub for builders, and a place where innovation never sits still.

From California to Cloquet: A Personal Journey

Though known today as a Cloquet craftsman, Ryan’s story begins in California in a neighborhood that wasn’t always safe. He recalls a pivotal childhood moment, witnessing a homicide on his way to school, one that shaped his desire for a different life.

“When I had kids of my own, I wanted a safe place to raise them,” he shared. “I moved back to Cloquet where my mom was from.”

That decision brought him full circle, grounding him in a community that values authenticity, work ethic, and craftsmanship, qualities reflected in every build that leaves his shop.

A Business Built on Trust

Bridges Customs has never relied on flashy advertising or big marketing campaigns. Instead, its growth has been organic and grassroots. Word-of-mouth referrals, from one builder, drifter, or gearhead to another, have established Ryan as a go-to resource for complex, creative, and performance-driven custom projects.

His clients trust him because he knows the culture, understands the mechanics, and refuses to cut corners. Every job, whether small or large, gets the same level of attention and pride.

Visit Bridges Customs

Whether you’re dreaming up a drift build, need custom fabrication, or simply want to meet the man behind the magic, Ryan welcomes gear lovers, curious locals, and fellow creatives to stop by.

Bridges Customs

202 Vine Street

Cloquet, MN 55720

📞 (218) 393-1007