It’s been twenty full years since “American Chopper” first burst onto the scene, and changed the way we looked at motorcycles forever. We were captivated by the drama between Paul Sr. and Paul Jr. Teutul, the main stars of the show, as they bickered their way through every episode. So, what happened after the show ended? Where did everyone go?
The cast of “American Chopper” has spread out over the last two decades, but that doesn’t mean they’ve stopped working on motorcycles. From custom-built machines to charitable works, the cast continue to churn out projects worthy of admiration. With that in mind, let’s take a look at what everyone’s up to now. In this article, we’ll dive into the world post- “American Chopper”—what each member of its original cast is up to now, and how it reflects back on their time on the show.
What is “American Chopper”?
If you’re a fan of the hit American reality TV show “American Chopper”, you’re no stranger to the drama between the Teutul family. The show has been capturing audiences around the world for over 20 years now, and with it, fans have come to love and sometimes hate the entire crew. The show premiered on Discovery Channel in 2003, introducing us to Paul Teutul Sr. and his sons Paul Jr. and Michael. The show follows their lives at Orange County Choppers, their custom bike shop in Rock Tavern, New York State, and documents the conflicts between father and his sons as they work together on over-the-top motorbike builds for celebrity customers, and create jaw-dropping bikes for various clients and contests.
Through it all, fans watched in awe as these skilled craftsmen crafted motorcycles from scratch and worked through their very real family issues—allthe while making us laugh along with them! The series was shifted to TLC In December of 2007, with its first season premiering in January of 2008. In February of 2010, the channel cancelled the show, only for it to return as a spinoff “American Chopper: Senior vs. Junior” that same year; it lasted two years before being cancelled as well. The original series was revived between 2018 and 2019, with a special entitled “American Chopper: The Last Ride” airing in August 2020. Now that it’s been 20 years since this show’s premiere, let’s take a look at what each member of the cast is up to today…
Paul Teutul Sr.
Paul Teutul Sr. may have been the star of “American Chopper”, but it looks like the man still has plenty of skills to show off. After the show ended in 2010, he founded Paul Sr. Designs, and continued to work in custom auto fabrication. In recent years, he’s even brought his sons onto the team – now, Paul Jr. Designs and Paul Sr. Designs exist under one roof. Paul Sr., known for his laid-back, affectionate leadership style, remains an iconic figure in the motorcycle industry, a motorcycle designer and fabricator, and co-owner of both Orange County Choppers and Paul Sr. Designs, the former based outside of New York City and the latter in Rock Tavern. As part of his work in the business, he still produces custom motorcycles for clients who come looking for his unique designs. In addition to his auto business, Paul Sr. also takes on special projects from time to time—such as being asked to transform a Boeing 737 fuselage into a fully functioning RV for tech-billionaire Elon Musk!
Unfortunately, Paul Sr. is no stranger to lawsuits, and has been involved in quite a few over the years. From suing his son, Paul Jr., to being sued by professional photographer Scott Gunnells, as well as business partner Thomas Derbyshire, to filing for bankruptcy, the family patriarch sure made headlines, albeit for the wrong reasons.
While he may be popular for his impressive bike customization, he’s almost as popular for his wide range of tattoos across his body. In 2019, he launched a product named ‘Tattseal’, a topical medicine derived from bioceuticals, which he claims to reduce pain and inflammation from tattoos. All in all, it looks like Paul’s life post the show has been full of interesting projects, that make the most of his talents and passion for automotive design.
Paul Teutul Jr.
Since his time on “American Chopper”, Paul Jr. has made a string of television appearances, including a stint on “Celebrity Apprentice” in 2009. He’s also starred in numerous other shows, such as “American Dad”, “RuPaul’s Drag Race”, and “The Grand Tour”; in addition, he’s made several cameos in TV shows such as “The Big Bang Theory” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm”.
Paul Jr. also remains a successful entrepreneur in the motorcycle industry, although he no longer works with OCC or on his father’s business ventures. His current enterprise is his own custom fabrication shop called Paul Jr. Designs, which offers custom design services as well as produces a wide variety of accessories such as T-shirts and coffee cups for motorcyclists worldwide. He’s won many awards for his designs, and even created custom bikes for clients such as Jon Bon Jovi and Kid Rock. Moreover, he occasionally makes cameo appearances in other TV shows such as “Counting Cars” and “Fast N’ Loud”, to showcase some of his pieces of work.
Paul is also an entrepreneur and launched a clothing line called Paul Jr Designs. He sells hats, T-shirts, hoodies, and accessories such as mugs with his branding. His website also includes detailed pictures of the custom motorcycles that we have seen him building in the show. In 2019, he partnered with Wayne Carini for Discovery Channel’s MotorTrend Network’s launch of “Chasing Classic Cars”– a weekly series showcasing cars and automotive industry experts.
At the end of 2019, Paul announced that he was taking some much-needed rest from public life to spend more time enjoying privacy with his family and friends. While it remains unclear how much more we will see from him in public, one thing is clear – Paul Teutul Jr. will always be remembered for his role in creating the iconic show “American Chopper”!
Mikey Teutul
When it comes to Mikey Teutul, the youngest son of Paul Teutul Sr., you might be wondering what’s he been up to since the show ended. After appearing on the show for several years, Mikey left in 2011, and a lot has changed in his life since then. Mikey is now a professional driver, and has appeared in several racing shows like MotorTrend’s “Fastest Car”, but his true passion lies with off-roadingThroughout this journey, he’s also found success as an Off-Road Champion and a professional race car driver. . He’s also expanded into creating custom off-road parts which are manufactured by his own company, MOX Offroad Gear.
Paul Jr. Designs, Mikey Teutul and Paul Teutul Sr are doing some press for American Chopper in NYC today.
Posted by American Chopper on Wednesday, May 23, 2018
It’s no secret that Mikey has always had a passion for customization, something that was evident during his time on “American Chopper”. Even before leaving the show, he was already working on his own projects, such as building mini-bikes and customizing cars. In 2016, he even launched two luxury electric bikes under the brand Epic Bikes, and attempted to raise funds for them through crowd-funding websites Kickstarter and Indiegogo. Mikey has certainly gone through many changes in the past few years ever since the show ended its glorious run—but it’s clear that his love of customization still remains strong!
Mikey is focusing on family these days, after his departure from Orange County Choppers in 2008. The younger son of Paul Sr, and big brother to Daniel seems to be living a quiet life away from any major business operations, with wife Veronica Sizemore-Teutul since 2013 according to public records. He continues to be an advocate for animal rescue organizations, and enjoys painting when he’s not working on cars and motorcycles
Christian Welter
Christian Welter played a supporting role as OCC’s foreman, fabricator and head mechanic in the series “American Chopper”, and 20 years later he’s now a successful entrepreneur. After his time on the show, Welter started his own metal fabrication shop – CW Fabrications—located near OCC. He works on custom motorcycles, sculpts and designs parts for them as well. He also runs a bike-building business called ‘CW Garage’, that builds show pieces from scratch, along with some uniquely designed limited edition collections. In the past decade or so, Welter has been an active member of the motorcycle community.
On top of that, Welter also owns C3 Powersports, a full-service powersports dealership offering rentals, sales, accessories and service for ATV’s, UTV’s and more. He’s also an accomplished steel sculptor, whose work has been featured in various cities across the country. Besides that, he chairs a motorcycle charity event every year, which benefits disabled veterans throughout the US and Canada, by providing them with appropriate transportation.
Who’s ready for the weekend! Life is good at OCC and the OCC Cafe located in Newburgh NY! pic.twitter.com/flb79EFu3D
— OrangeCountyChoppers (@OCChoppers) September 19, 2014
Vinnie DiMartino
While fans of the show were kept entertained by the almost-daily conflicts and bickering between father and his sons, one person truly stood out: Vinnie DiMartino. As the store’s mechanic and fabricator, Vinnie was usually seen keeping his head down and staying out of the conflicts. Fans knew him for his dedication to his craft, and his especially calm nature in the hectic workplace. In 2007, he ended his journey with both OCC and the show, deciding to move on with his own ventures.
He founded his own garage, VForceCustoms, citing, ‘…I really didn’t have any chance for advancement, and I had always wanted to have my own shop, so the natural progression was to leave and start my own place.’. He went on to run his store for five years, while working as a contractor for former castmate, Paul Jr. By 2013, DiMartino had sold all his bikes, replacing them with cars. He bought car-related inventory, before opening DiMartino Motorsports, primarily a truck and car repair company based in Walden, New York.
Where can you find the cast?
Despite the cast going their separate ways, quite fortunately fans can still catch a glimpse of their lives thanks to the wonders of modern technology. From social media to websites, there are a lot of ways for dedicated fans and curious newcomers alike to see what the cast members of “American Chopper” have been up to. Paul Sr., Paul Jr., Mikey, Christian and Vinnie each have active social media accounts, with many on both Twitter and Instagram, a great way to stay up-to-date with their interests and activities. Plus, many post photos and videos from their time on the show—as well as more recent projects.
How much are they each worth?
The show’s cast has gone on to become some of the most recognizable names in the motorbike building industry. But have you ever wondered how much their celebrity status is worth?
- Paul Teutul Sr, who founded Orange County Choppers in 1999, is worth an estimated $500,000 as of 2023. Despite his lengthy career and business ventures, recent bankruptcy and multiple lawsuits have seen his net worth dwindle considerably. He continues to work as a custom motorcycle designer and fabricator, often making appearances on television shows and commercials. He’s also branching out into other businesses related to custom motorcycling. and owns a line of merchandise.
- Paul Teutul Jr., who co-founded Orange County Choppers, is estimated to be worth $10 million as of 2023. He went his own way after the family drama, created Paul Jr. Designs (now Paul Jr. Technologies), specializing in custom bike builds, as well as designing products for other companies such as Scion and Ford Motor Co.
- Mikey Teutul has an estimated net worth of $2 million as of 2023. After leaving the family business in 2009, he started his own production company, Gas Monkey Garage. Mikey was also able to leverage his celebrity status by launching Gas Monkeys Clothing in 2017 which has become a popular brand throughout the US and Europe.
Summary
It is no surprise that the cast members of “American Chopper” have gone on to do great things, 20 years since the show premiered. While most have continued their passion for motorcycle design and fabrication, even launching their own custom bikes and apparel lines, others have opted for different ventures including cars, tattoos, lines of merchandise and clothing. Overall, this pioneering show helped create a brand-new industry that many people can enjoy today. Cast members have certainly made their mark in the world of custom motorcycles, inspiring new generations of bike builders with their unique vision and expertise.
Conclusion
All in all, the cast of “American Chopper” still remain some of the most popular faces in TV history. The show’s success has stood the test of time, and the cast’s ongoing commitment to their craft and passion continues to captivate viewers today. From their early days of building bikes together to their current projects, the cast sure have come a long way in the past two decades. They continue to inspire and entertain fans all over the world with their unique style and dedication to the show. Whether you’re a fan of the show or simply curious about the cast, there’s no denying that the show has provided top-tier entertainment for many years.
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