Vegas Rat Rods premiered on Discovery channel in 2014, it shows Steve Darnell and his WelderUp garage crew as they rip apart cars and build rat rods worthy of being called art.
The garage is on the outskirts of the Las Vegas Strip and the creations that come out of it could put Mad Max vehicles, as cool as they were, to shame. Every build shown in the series isn't just a monetary investment but takes vision and plenty of man-hours.
Here’s a look into how Vegas Rat Rods got started and their WelderUp garage crew.
The Start Of A Dream
WelderUp is an automotive garage that specializes in making hot rods. It's run by Steve Darnell, his two sons (Kash and Chase), and with a colorful crew that keeps changing. Currently, the team consists of Travis Deeter, Barber Dave, Justin Kramer, and Merlon Johnson. A production company in Canada approached Darnell with the idea of a reality TV series around the work they did at WelderUp and the rest is history.
Initially, Vegas Rat Rods only aired in Canada, but as its popularity grew, the series became popular on American TV. A fifth season was supposed to start in summer 2020, but things have been delayed due to the pandemic. Although the garage is up and running with business as usual, the show is currently in limbo.
Over the years, the series has received massive sponsorships and the WelderUp garage has become part of many Vegas tours, and Darnell now wants to make more reality shows.
WelderUp Garage Crew
The WelderUp garage crew are all bonafide members. Steve Darnell has been passionate about rat rods long before the show began, and he is the team leader and creative mind behind both the garage and the show.
The bonding they show between him and his sons is very real. Coming from a family of hard-workers, Darnell wants to inculcate the same values in his children. His grandfather was a WWII veteran who became a truck driver, while his father ran a steel factory in the ‘70s. Darnell believes WelderUp is not just a family business, it's family bonding as well.
The rat rods are made with the same painstaking care that's highlighted the show and the end product onscreen is the real deal. If you're lucky, you may even come across one of them for auction, like this 1954 Chevy Tin Woody.
Sources: DiscoveryGO, IMDb, TheStar, HollywoodSoapbox