A Leader in Restoration and Customization Since 1997
Burl’s Hypnotic Customs in Henderson is a family owned, hometown shop based in East Texas that has specialized in custom cars and trucks since 1997. Its owner, Burl Richards, is an Air Force veteran who learned the business by working at his family’s body shop painting cars with his late father.
Burl is heavily involved in improving the collision industry by serving as the current President of the Auto Body Association of Texas (ABAT).
Born to Be a Painter
Burl can look back at his career fondly while focusing on the future. “My dad was a painter,” he said. “He painted cars and I grew up in body shops and that’s how I learned a trade that I could use my whole life. I started painting cars at 12 years old. First by buffing them; then sanding them, and eventually painting them. It’s been a great run and I’ll do it as long as I can.”
In 1989, when Burl got out of the Air Force, he began pursuing his passion for hot rods. “The hot rods are something I started building as soon as I got out of the military. I have always loved hot rods, especially old Chevelles and Camaros.
What's Behind the Name?
“Today people want to bring their vehicles to us so that we can use our own unique artistic style and our own concepts into these cars and I think that’s what pleases me the most about this business,” Burl said. “The name “Hypnotic” makes people think ‘Hey, that’s kind of mystic. That’s different,’ and that’s what we’re always striving for here at Burl’s Hypnotic Customs.”
“What we want to do every time is take a vehicle, whether it’s a car, a truck or an 18-wheeler and turn it into an attention-getter where people will say ‘Damn!’ We want someone to be able to look at that vehicle 10 times and notice something unique and different every time. We really want it to be so eye-appealing that you just can’t stop looking at it. If we’re in a parking lot full of cars, we definitely want your vehicle to stand out. Whether it be the stance of the car; its body lines; the paint scheme, and/or depth of the paint.”
After we meet with the customer and discuss their dreams for just a short time, we’re able to build them a really badass car. That’s why classic vehicle owners love working with all of us at Burl’s Hypnotic Customs.