Dave Kindig is a celebrated American custom car builder, designer, and television personality best known as the founder and owner of Kindig-It Design and the star of the MotorTrend hit series Bitchin' Rides. Operating out of Salt Lake City, Utah, he has transformed high-end automotive restoration and modification into a globally recognized art form, renowned for sleek, hand-formed body modifications, bespoke interiors, and obsessive attention to detail.
The Origins of Kindig-It Design: Humble Beginnings to Custom Empire
Long before commanding the television spotlight, Dave Kindig possessed an innate passion for drawing cars, sketching hot rods in the margins of his school notebooks, and collecting die-cast model cars. Raised in a family that appreciated classic aesthetics and mechanical work, Kindig transitioned from working in high-performance coatings and graphic design to pursuing his lifelong dream of building custom vehicles from the ground up.
In 1999, Dave and his wife, Charissa Kindig, established Kindig-It Design in a modest shop in Salt Lake City, Utah. The foundational philosophy of the company was simple yet uncompromising: to design and build one-off, custom vehicles that blend classic hot-rod styling with modern engineering, comfort, and reliability.
Initially operating as a small shop catering to regional enthusiasts, Kindig-It Design quickly earned a formidable reputation among national car collectors. Word of mouth spread through prestigious custom car shows like the SEMA Show (Specialty Equipment Market Association) in Las Vegas, where Kindig's builds routinely captured top industry honors, including the prestigious GM Design Award and numerous Ford Design Achievement Awards.
Architectural Mastery: The Anatomy of a Kindig Build
What separates a Kindig-It Design vehicle from standard restoration projects is the comprehensive, in-house approach to custom fabrication. Every car that enters the shop undergoes a meticulous, multi-phase transformation that can take thousands of man-hours to complete.
1. Conceptual Design and Rendering
Every project begins with Dave Kindig’s signature hand-drawn sketches and digital renderings. Unlike builders who improvise during construction, Kindig maps out the vehicle's proportions, stance, color palettes, and subtle body modifications on paper first. This ensures that the final product maintains a cohesive design language, where modern upgrades look like they could have been factory-installed if the manufacturer had unlimited vision.
2. Metal Shaping and Body Modifications
The metal fabrication team at Kindig-It Design is widely regarded as one of the best in the industry. Common modifications on a Kindig build include:
- Chop tops: Lowering the roofline by fractions of an inch to alter the car's aggressive stance.
- Flush-mounted glass: Eliminating traditional rubber weatherstripping in favor of custom-cut, flush glass for a aerodynamic, seamless look.
- Hidden door handles and shaved trim: Removing exterior clutter to accentuate the clean lines of vintage sheet metal.
- Custom chassis and suspension: Integrating modern Roadster Shop or Art Morrison chassis to ensure vintage bodies handle like contemporary sports cars.
3. Modern Powerplants
Underneath the classic sheet metal, Kindig builds almost exclusively rely on modern, high-horsepower engines. Powerplants of choice often include supercharged modern Ford Coyote V8s, Chevrolet LS and LT series engines, or bespoke WyoTech-built powerplants, paired with modern automatic or manual transmissions.
Transition to Television: The Phenomenon of Bitchin' Rides
In 2014, Dave Kindig expanded his brand globally when he partnered with MotorTrend to launch the reality television series Bitchin' Rides. The show offered viewers an unfiltered look behind the scenes at Kindig-It Design, documenting the high-stakes, pressure-filled environment of building world-class custom cars for demanding clients.
Unlike many automotive reality shows manufactured around artificial interpersonal drama, Bitchin' Rides found its core appeal in genuine craftsmanship, engineering challenges, and the camaraderie among the shop's skilled fabricators, painters, and interior specialists—including long-time shop foreman Kevin Schiele.
The show quickly became one of MotorTrend's flagship programs, introducing millions of viewers to the specialized vocabulary of custom car building and cementing Dave Kindig as a household name in the automotive community.
Key Milestones of Kindig-It Design
| Milestone / Project | Description | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Shop Founding (1999) | Established by Dave and Charissa Kindig in Salt Lake City, Utah. | Laid the foundation for an independent, full-service custom build empire. |
| SEMA Debut & Awards | Consistent presence at the SEMA Show, winning multiple Design Awards. | Validated the shop's engineering and design credibility on the national stage. |
| Bitchin' Rides Premiere (2014) | Launched the hit MotorTrend TV series documenting daily operations. | Expanded brand awareness globally and popularized custom hot-rodding culture. |
| Kindig CF Roadster | Released the carbon-fiber replica body of a 1933 Ford Roadster. | Demonstrated the shop's capacity for manufacturing original, turnkey custom components. |
| Modern Collaborations | Ongoing partnerships with AkzoNobel, BASF, and various aftermarket manufacturers. | Secured high-grade paint systems and specialized engineering components for builds. |
Product Lines and Diversification
Beyond building custom cars for private collectors—where budgets often scale well into six figures—Dave Kindig and his team have successfully diversified the Kindig-It Design brand into distinct commercial products and merchandise lines.
- Kindig It Paint Line (Modern Classikk): In partnership with AkzoNobel, Kindig helped develop a custom line of automotive paints featuring vibrant, proprietary colors that have become staples in the modern hot-rod community.
- Aftermarket Accessories: The shop designs and manufactures specialized hardware, including custom door handles, hinges, and steering wheels that other builders can purchase for their own projects.
- Apparel and Collectibles: Driven by the massive popularity of Bitchin' Rides, the brand maintains a robust merchandise operation offering apparel, die-cast model cars, and enthusiast gear.
Design Philosophy and Aesthetic Signature
Dave Kindig’s design philosophy rejects the notion that classic cars must remain untouched or that modern cars lack soul. Instead, he champions a "less is more" approach when it comes to visual clutter, combined with an "everything is custom" approach beneath the surface.
A quintessential Kindig build is instantly recognizable by its impossibly straight body panels, flawless mirror-finish paint, custom leather interior that rivals a luxury European grand tourer, and a stance that tucks the wheels precisely into the fenders. This aesthetic has influenced a generation of custom builders who emulate his balance between retro styling and modern drivability.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dave Kindig
How much does a custom car build from Kindig-It Design cost?
While Kindig-It Design does not publish fixed public pricing due to the bespoke nature of their work, complete turnkey custom builds featured on Bitchin' Rides typically range from $150,000 to upwards of $500,000+. The final cost depends heavily on the rarity of the donor car, the complexity of the body modifications, engineering requirements, and custom interior fabrication.
Where is Kindig-It Design located?
Kindig-It Design is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. The facility houses a complete fabrication shop, paint booth, assembly floor, and design studio where all aspects of the vehicle builds are executed in-house.
Is Dave Kindig still actively building cars?
Yes. Dave Kindig remains deeply involved in the daily operations of Kindig-It Design, handling initial conceptual sketches, client consultations, and final quality control on every vehicle leaving the shop, alongside his television and promotional commitments.
What was Dave Kindig doing before he opened his shop?
Before launching Kindig-It Design in 1999, Kindig worked in high-performance graphic design, vinyl application, and specialized coatings. His early career in visual arts heavily influenced his acute eye for automotive lines, symmetry, and color theory.
Can anyone commission a build from Kindig-It Design?
Prospective clients can contact the shop through their official website to discuss project inquiries. However, due to high demand and the extensive hours required for each custom build, the shop typically maintains a multi-year waiting list for new vehicle commissions.
Conclusion and Next Actions
Dave Kindig’s enduring impact on the automotive landscape stems from an uncompromising dedication to original design, structural integrity, and artistic craftsmanship. Whether you are an aspiring builder looking to study his metal-shaping techniques, a fan of Bitchin' Rides tracking the latest shop projects, or an enthusiast seeking high-end custom components, exploring official resources provides the best path forward. To view current vehicle showcases, inquire about custom parts, or learn more about the Kindig-It Design inventory, visit the official Kindig-It Design website or catch full episodes of his builds via the MotorTrend streaming network.
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