The Gulf Custom Motors

The Gulf Custom Motors is a small showroom and service shop on Racetrack Road NE in Fort Walton Beach, on the Florida Panhandle. It sells custom and classic vehicles and motorcycles, takes cars on consignment, buys some vehicles outright, and runs its own maintenance, modification and storage operation under the same roof. The company behind it, The Gulf Custom Motors, LLC, was registered in Florida in August 2018 and is listed as active, with Fred Tanner named as its manager in state records.

How the business works

The Gulf Custom Motors mixes three ways of getting cars onto its floor. Some vehicles are consigned by private owners, some are bought outright by the shop, and the rest of the business is service work on customer cars. The company describes itself as a place that will "buy, sell, service, consign and modify" custom and classic machines, and its site says it picks the vehicles it takes on rather than accepting everything that comes through the door.

For buyers, that means a given car may belong to the shop or to a consignor. It is worth asking which, because it affects who you negotiate with and how quickly a decision on price can be made.

What it sells

The inventory leans toward American muscle, hot rods and older pickups, with a few European sports cars and motorcycles mixed in. In early October 2026 the for-sale page listed eight vehicles: a 1928 Ford T-Bucket roadster with a flathead engine, a 1956 Cadillac Series 62 convertible, a supercharged 1967 Ford Mustang, a 1969 Plymouth Road Runner, a 1971 Dodge Charger R/T 440 Six Pack, a 1973 Plymouth Satellite Sebring, a 1977 Porsche 911 Targa and a 2003 Porsche 911.

The sold list gives a wider picture. It includes Ford Model As from 1928 and 1930, a 1934 Ford street rod, 1940s and 1950s Chevrolet and Ford pickups, an LS1-powered 1957 Bel Air, a 1964 Corvette convertible, a 1966 Bronco half-cab, a 1967 Chevelle SS396 and several 1968 Camaros. Newer performance cars and Harley-Davidson motorcycles also pass through, including late-model Shelby Mustangs and a 2023 Corvette.

Prices are not published. Every listing reads "Contact for price," so expect to call or email before you know whether a car fits your budget.

Buying from The Gulf Custom Motors

The company says every vehicle it lists is inspected, detailed and photographed in-house. Listing detail varies: some cars have a full written description, while others show only the year, engine and color. Its site does not mention financing, shipping, trade-ins or warranties, so buyers should ask about each of these directly and plan their own transport if they live out of the area.

As with any classic, ask for the VIN, title status and service records, and consider an independent inspection, especially on modified cars where the original drivetrain has been replaced. One current listing, for example, describes a 1956 Cadillac with a replacement 365ci V8. Because many cars are local consignments, it is also fair to ask how long a car has been on the floor and whether the owner has any flexibility on price.

Selling or consigning a vehicle

Owners can apply to consign through a form on the company's site. The application asks for the car's location, a reserve price, the year, make and model, and a description of what makes the vehicle special. The company says it may look at a car in person "on our next road trip" and that it chooses which vehicles it accepts.

Once a car is accepted, the shop says it handles detailing, mechanical checks and pre-sale prep with its own mechanics, then has an in-house photographer shoot the car for the showroom and its social media channels. Commission and fees are not published, so ask for the terms in writing before signing. For background on how these deals are usually structured, see our article on selling a classic on consignment.

Owners who would rather sell outright can also ask for an offer. The company says it does not buy every vehicle, but when it does it promises quick payment with no listing fees.

Service, storage and modifications

Beyond sales, The Gulf Custom Motors offers routine maintenance and repairs on custom and classic vehicles and motorcycles, climate-controlled storage, and modification work that ranges from small changes to full custom builds. It also sells branded merchandise and hosts local car events. In May 2025 it was the first stop of the Burning Up the Beaches cruise, with coffee, music and prizes at the shop.

Reputation

The Gulf Custom Motors is a relatively small operation, and we did not find a Better Business Bureau profile or an independent review rating we could verify. State records show the LLC has been registered since 2018 and has kept its annual filings current through 2025. As with any seller, judge the specific car on its paperwork and an inspection rather than on the listing alone.

Visiting

The showroom is at 328 Racetrack Road NE, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547, about 10 minutes from Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport and roughly 40 minutes from Pensacola, according to the company. Its site lists hours of Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with Saturday visits by appointment. The phone number is (850) 737-1693 and the sales email is [email protected]. You can also browse more classic cars for sale in Florida.