In a world where outrageous builds are the norm, and builders creep closer to casting and printing any component they can imagine, it’s nice to see the tradition of creating Mild Kustoms is still alive and well. At SEMA 2026, outrageous builds were in almost every major booth, and new processes were breaking news right and left.
That’s why the Kindig-It Design debut in the Dynamat booth was such a refreshing sight. In our eyes, this 1968 Bonneville proudly carries the tradition of Mild Kustoms, meaning its build relies on subtle, clean, and tasteful changes that innovate while preserving the car’s factory lines and core identity. In fact, the project was even billed on Kindig-It’s own YouTube channel as the way Pontiac should have built the 1968 Bonneville.
A Masterclass In Metalwork
Now, the term Mild Kustom isn’t meant to imply ease. Quite the opposite, actually, as one of the most impressive things about the car is how effortlessly its bodywork flows from front to rear. Let’s face it: 1960s Pontiacs have a huge following partly because of their sculpted styling. That meant, in order to do this beast justice, the entire car had to be considered as one cohesive design.
Take a look at the photos. There’s a level of continuity here that makes you wonder just how much time went into getting every panel, gap, and contour to work together. It certainly isn’t the kind of result you get by treating each panel as a separate project.
The details are subtle but meaningful, starting at the front where a custom ‘phantom grille’ conceals the car’s headlights behind a laser-cut centerpiece and CNC’d headlight doors. That beak is balanced by a custom roll pan that was crafted to make the car appear lower. The wipers have been tucked, and all of the side trim has been shaved, except Kindig-designed door handles. Out back, a tucked bumper frames a custom, one-piece taillight panel that features a trick, three-dimensional Bonneville emblem. And dynamic reflections are supplied by Modern Classikk Deep Iridium Metallic two-stage that kicks from blue to teal and violet.
World-Class Power
While the car’s profile might look retro, its mechanicals certainly are not. Under the massive hood, a familiar LT4, complete with fully smoothed castings, throws a stout 780 horsepower to the crank. Torque twists pavement through a GM 10-speed automatic, which rides a fully independent Roadster Shop chassis. At the corners of that chassis, custom wheels, complete with sweet PMD centers, recall the covers of classic GM cruisers.
Classic Style Meets Modern Comfort
Naturally, the car’s cockpit is a fully custom affair that, in Dave Kindig’s words, plays on the style of lead sleds and sports cars. Refashioned 2006 Pontiac GTO buckets are a cool nod to modern Pontiac history. A custom waterfall dash cascades fabricated chrome and piano black trim past Dakota Digital telemetry. Everything rides on custom floors that have been carefully assembled around the new chassis all the way from the car’s massaged firewall to its tubbed rearend.
Between the extensive metalwork, color-shifting Deep Iridium paint, and supercharged LT4 power, Kindig-It Design has created a Bonneville that’s as impressive underneath as it is on the surface. And while 780 horsepower is certainly enough to get our attention, it’s the countless hours of fabrication and attention to detail that really make this car special. It’s no easy feat to modify nearly everything on a car without sacrificing its original personality. But then again, making the difficult look effortless is what separates a good custom from a truly exceptional one.
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