ToyMakerz

ToyMakerz Season 3 finale, bigger badder plans (video)

The season finale of Season 3 of ToyMakerz, the increasingly popular automotive reality television show hosted by David Ankin, will be broadcast on April 28. It will feature a guest appearance by Dean Cain, the actor who portrayed Superman ad Clark Kent on the television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Ankin is a repeat guest on The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia, talk in Episode #84 with Ankin about his three years on the show and plans for future seasons. We also discuss his friendship with Cain, the veteran movie actor. The final episode’s challenge is building a “completely out-of-the box, over-the-top” exhibition car based on a a 1941 Willys Coupe. The

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#84, David Ankin, ToyMakerz hit season 3 finale

The  finale of Season 3 of ToyMakerz, the increasingly popular automotive reality television program  hosted by David Ankin, will be broadcast on April 28. It will feature a guest appearance by Dean Cain, the actor who portrayed Superman/Clark Kent on the television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Ankin is a repeat guest on The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia, talk in Episode #84 with Ankin about his three years on the show and his plans for future seasons. We also discuss his friendship with Cain, the veteran movie actor. The final episode’s challenge is building a “completely out-of-the-box, over-the-top” exhibition car based on a 1941 Willys Coupe. The customized vehicle is described

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Dave Ankin, guru of ToyMakerz, shares his passion for cars

By David Ankin I first felt “the itch” when I was a kid, growing up in the heart of motor country in Indiana and Michigan. Watching my dad, a skilled car fabricator nicknamed “The Iron Man” for his impressive metalworking skills, I yearned to build my own custom rides. And so I learned to tinker and create my first custom Toyz! I’d modify my bike — once I extended the front fork by hammering together two regular bike forks — my first Chopper! The funny thing is, even though my father is a welder, it didn’t occur to me to ask him to weld the forks together. Trust me, that did not end well. Next up was a motorized dirt bike

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#3, The Weekly Driver Podcast Video: ToyMakerz Season 3

Nearly every network now has an automotive reality show. At least one program, ToyMakerz, has a star who had no desire to be on television. Which is why, in part, the show is increasingly popular. The host is David Ankin, a former stuntman, motorcycle racer, fabricator and customizer, and former restaurant owner. He’s catapulted the small city of Reidsville, N.C., where his ToyMakers, Inc. company shop is located, into the national spotlight. The show follows Ankin and his team, including teenage son, as it builds a one-off custom vehicle or enhances an original car. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia interview Ankin on this episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. “In the big scheme of things, I never wanted to

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#72 The Weekly Driver Podcast: David Ankin/ToyMakerz

More than 40 years ago, Top Gear debuted as a monthly, 30-minute magazine-style, automotive-related program on the British Broadcasting Corporation. It was based in Birmingham, England, and the initial episode’s topics included speed traps, fuel economy and strange road signs. A year later, the program expanded to a weekly format and it was broadcast for nearly a quarter century. Simultaneously, much has changed and not much has changed in automotive programming. Enthusiasts are still as passionate about cars and truck and driving. Speed, fuel usage and bizarre things on the road are all still topics for automotive reality television programs. Shows like the rekindled version of Top Gear, American Chopper and Monster Garage brought the concept to greater prominence in

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