We’ve been having great fun watching Vegas Rat Rods on Discovery, so we thought it was time to take a look at the guys behind the builds and some of the cool projects they’ve worked on at the Welder Up garage.
Steve Darnell is the man behind Welder Up, a custom car business based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He’s known for his imagination and use of creative materials to bring his customers’ dream rat rods to life.
Steve’s cars have featured in some of the leading auto magazines including Hot Rod Magazine, Mopar Magazine, and Diesel Magazine among others, and he has cultivated a huge fanbase.
So what about some of the other members of the Welder Up team? There’s no shortage of talent among these guys!
Justin is the star welder, and will design and build the suspension and chassis for any vehicle you care to name.
Merlin is the resident diesel expert; Travis is a welder fabricator and artist, working with Steve on the detail and creative aspects of the cars; Dave is an artisan (and barber!); and Chase and Cash Darnell are the next generation — the future of the shop.
Welder Up has taken on some mighty projects, and here are a couple of our favorites.
First, there’s the Destroyer, dedicated to Steve’s grandfather, who served on a Destroyer during WWII.
The car honors all WWII veterans. It’s quite a beast, with a 1200 horsepower Cummins diesel with 130-lb of boost and four bottles of nitrous (you know, in case you need a little extra pep).
Meanwhile, if you wanted to scare the crap out of someone, you’d want something just like Welder Up’s crazy Ford Model A — aptly named Quit Your Bitchin’.
With its gigantic motor exposed, this thing looks like it could eat you…
The stark interior seems like something out of a graphic novel by Frank Miller. We heartily approve!
Check out Welder Up’s website to see more of their creations, and there’s also some great pics on Steve’s Instagram.
Meanwhile, here’s a sneak peak at tonight’s episode on Discovery:
Vegas Rat Rods airs Mondays at 10/9c on Discovery.