JDK Customs’ diecasts are gaining plenty of attention and sales, to the point that even Dale Earnhardt Jr. reportedly lost an auction for one of the company’s creations. JDK’s custom 1/24-scale NASCAR diecasts regularly command hundreds on eBay, with at least one recent Dale Earnhardt late model garnering over $1,000. JDK also has a budding Facebook following over 2,000, showcasing its creations and serving as a way for potential customers to submit commission requests for customs.

It’s quite the burgeoning business for what began as a way for the company’s founder and namesake to build his own collection of NASCAR diecasts.

From hobby to business

JDK Customs is Jim Kennedy, based in Rocky River, Ohio, near Cleveland along Lake Eerie. Kennedy’s interest in diecasts was stoked by his father, who made his own custom slot cars. This inspired Kennedy to begin building model cars, eventually setting the stage for his custom 1/24 diecasts.

“Within the last 10 years, it was me building up my collection, trying to get the cars that I wanted that I know weren’t produced,” Kennedy said. “I’m a huge Tim Richmond fan, and I really wanted to Folgers Monte Carlo Aerocoupe. So that was one of the first ones I did.”

That Aerocoupe inadvertently led to JDK Customs.

“I saw another Tim Richmond custom on eBay, and I’m like, I could probably do that,” he said. “I started putting them on [eBay], and it started going really well. People really liked them. I stayed on eBay for a little bit and then decided I’m going to just open it up, create a Facebook page, and throw it out there if people want me to do other [customs]. It was basically just doing the cars that I’ve always wanted, or the cars I liked growing up. There seems to be a pretty big demand for the older cars that weren’t produced, so I just kind of took it from there.”

Kennedy’s reputation grew as his Facebook and eBay following continued to flourish. It was a particularly memorable summer. In June, Kennedy sold a Dale Earnhardt No. 2 Miller Genuine Draft late model that raced at Tri-State Speedway in 1993 for $643 through eBay. A custom of Earnhardt’s 1988 gold IROC car sold for the same amount. Kennedy’s 1987 Richard Petty Pontiac Grand Prix Aerocoupe, a one-of-a-kind custom, sold for $650. Those significant sales still pale in comparison to Kennedy’s Dale Earnhardt 1982 late model custom. The No. 15 dirt late model commanded a whopping $1,025. One of the bidders, Kennedy said, was Dale Earnhardt Jr., who had previously bought one of Kennedy’s customs.

“He got outbid on that, and I was like, damn, I wanted him to get it,” Kennedy laughed.

The quality of Kennedy’s work has helped his reputation to grow, but when his creations are selling close to four figures, it can be a bit nerve-wracking.

“It almost kind of scares me, I start second-guessing myself,” he said. “When someone is spending that kind of money, I want it to be absolutely perfect.”

Quality is a point of pride for Kennedy, who says his creations go far beyond “paint and stickers.” Earnhardt’s No. 15 late model is a prime example as it includes interior detailing, window bracing, a wrap-around spoiler and wheel hubs that matched the Intimidator’s original ride. Another example is his 1983 Darrell Waltrip Grand Am late model Sportsman, which Kennedy said required significant custom bodywork.

These customs also point to Kennedy’s de-facto specialty, NASCAR rides of the 1970s and 1980s.

‘Those are the cars I like to do’

Kennedy’s customs underscore much of NASCAR’s history. He’s made customs beginning with cars from the 1960s to the late 2010s. One of his favorites is Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s special neon-yellow-number ride from Jeff Gordon’s last race in 2015.

But he has a particular penchant for the racing machines reminding him of his youth. He says some of his favorite customs is Darell Waltrip’s Tide Lumina, Mario Andretti’s IROC Camaro he had signed in-person by the renowned driver, and his Tim Richmond collection.

“Growing up in the ‘80s, I would see these cars in my parent’s garage, my dad had all these posters,” Kennedy said. “And we could go down to Daytona for the races, and he would buy me the little diecast cars. I started going to races in the mid to late ‘80s and early ‘90s, so those are the cars I like to do.”

Often, these customs from decades ago carry more significance.

“I have one customer who wants cars done that raced when he went to a race with his dad and his brother, who passed away,” Kennedy said. “He says this is my way of kind of relieving those memories. It’s so cool learning the history of the cars and learning what it means to other people seeing these cars.”

The former history teacher also appreciates the backgrounds of many of the commissions he’s produced.

“Another cool aspect is that you get some of these obscure orders, there’s these cars they want me to make I’d never actually seen before,” he said. “Something I’m really interested in is the history of the sport and the different cars, so it’s really cool when somebody comes up with something that I’ve never even seen or heard of.”

Whether it’s a personal or on-track memory, one of Kennedy’s favorite aspects of creating customs is hearing what his cars mean to his buyers.

“There’s one guy, he’ll put in an order for a car and explain why he wants it, and then we get into this back and forth about the different cars, the different memories, who you were there at a race with,” he said. “If there’s a connection to a memory, those are cool.”

Kennedy is hoping his customs will help him make memories with his family in an indirect way.

Funding the 1/1-scale Monte Carlo

Kennedy said he tries to make one or two custom diecasts per week, but time is a constraint. He works a full-time job and spends his evenings with his wife and two young children.

“Then I come down in the basement to my little work area and stay up late making what I can,” he said.

It’s certainly work, Kennedy says, but he’s still having fun, so long as he’s not making the same diecast “over and over again.” He prefers the challenge of making a car he’s never done before, or one with a meaningful background for the buyer.

And the orders rolling in will help fund a far bigger project.

“I enjoy doing it, and it gives me the opportunity to do some of the other things I want to do,” Kennedy said. “So I just recently bought a 1987 Monte Carlo SS, and my plan would be to use this money to build (the car) up with my dad and my son. My son’s only four years old, but eventually, he could have this car. So I’m kind of pushing myself a little bit with that.”