**Sometimes you end up in business for yourself purely by luck.** That’s how it happened to Justin Mohney. And it all started with a Christmas present back in 2009.

Tired of crusty brackets and whatnot under the hood of his first gen DSM, Justin asked his parents for Eastwood powder coating kit for Christmas. They put in a good word to Santa, who delivered, and Justin was powder coating stuff almost immediately.

He loved how the durable, uniform finish—even from an inexpensive starter kit—improved the overall look of his engine bay. So did his friends, who started generously offering to let Justin powder coat things for their vehicles so he could get practice.

Less than 10 years later, Justin’s unplanned business, Detective Coating, is practically a household name in the DSM and Evo communities, turning some of the crustiest used parts into the hottest bling.

I caught up with Justin to learn more about how he went from Christmas present to job creator.

It’s a pretty interesting story. Welcome to The Gearhead Project.