Vegas Rat Rods

Started out as a really interesting show about the artistic automotive design philosophy at Steve Darnell's Welderup yard down in Las Vegas. However, as is always the case with these type of shows you need some 'fluffing' to give it a wider appeal or it just ends up as a boring documentary about welders. Therefore, Series 1 was 70% focused on the actual builds with the remaining 30% of airtime dedicated to the personalities at Welderup, which was a reasonable mix in my view. Sadly, Series 2 has flipped that ratio around, so we now have the show based around the personalities and the actual build is lost. This is a classic mistake that we've seen so many times and will be the show's downfall in the long run. People started watching it because it was real-life and inspiring. Now it's just a soap opera. Vegas Rat Rods should be about the cars. Once a production team lose sight of a show's core values they're in trouble. Pity... *** UPDATED 26th May 2017 *** OK, so it looks as though someone down at the production team agreed with the above comments. With Series 3 they've put the actual vehicle build back into the spotlight as it should be. Much improved and a vast improvement.

Seems the case with most of these shows start ok reel you in but then you notice how many times things are repeated,the same story & issues with every build & the silly interpersonal rubbish.Really liked some of the ideas behind the builds but the fake tensions & same ol same ol stories wear thin.Then as mentioned by others the seemingly lack of regard for safety is shocking there's no way it would stay operational if properly audited.T shirts & shorts,no screens or cubicles for welding & grinding is some sort of joke surprised no one has been blinded.Some things are done by guesstimation especially vital things like bolt sizes & threads & vehicles barely sitting on jacks & stands.Become very repetitive & tedious

From the horrible shop practices to the ridiculously bad constant face close ups, and the obvious blue filters (weird?) and lame drama this show is about every thing except cars. Sadly not worth watching any more.

I hope Steve's insurance is up to scratch because the show portrays a custom rat rod shop that is a complete Occupational Heath & Safety nightmare. How someone has not lost a finger, toe or eye, I've no idea.

But perhaps that part of the idea, the notion of customizing the cars to give them the Mad Max / steampunk / post-apocalyptic feel of a rat rod also requires a certain level of commensurate potential disaster in the shop as well.

The show itself is entertaining, focusing on just one car per episode and also being about 40+ minutes per episode allows a lot of interaction with the staff & shows what happens on the build & how they get their parts etc. However, OH&S issues aside, the crew at Welderup seem to take great pride in building a safe to drive rat rod.

You watch a show like this, not to be inspired to build a rat rod in your kitchen, but to be entertained with people that are not boring & cars that are not being (although if you're a hot rod purist, you may be horrified). And on this level, Vegas Rat Rods succeeds.

Are rat rods just a phase or here to stay? No idea, but Steve Darnell does rightly call himself the Picasso of the car world, so if you want a Picasso for your car, Steve Darnell's your man, if you want a pre-Raphelite, go see Danny Koker at Counts Customs ("Counting Cars", an interesting show in its own right).

Though I'm waiting for the day when they customize a Telsa Model S, now that would be a challenge....

Great show. Great cars. Steve is no BS . Glad the chicks are gone.. I hate to say it.. but the show got better with them gone. Keep making kick ass cars guys.