• Kevin Schiele is a car enthusiast, mechanic, shop foreman and TV personality at Kindig-It Design in Utah.
• He is renowned for his expertise in car restoration and has been with Kindig-It Design since 2004.
• He has been featured in two popular shows on Velocity TV • "Bitchin' Rides" and "Beyond Bitchin' Rides".
• His net worth is estimated to be around $2 million.
• He is active on Instagram and Twitter and has 45,000 followers and 15,000 followers respectively.

 

Who is Kevin Schiele?

Kevin Schiele, born on an unspecified date in Salt Lake City, Utah, is a car enthusiast, mechanic, shop foreman and TV personality. His calling card is car restoration, which earned him a spot at Kindig-It Design, a popular Utah-based car shop which has been the center of two prominent reality TV shows – “Bitchin’ Rides” and “Beyond Bitchin’ Rides”. He’s been working at Kindig-It Design since 2004, and has used his expertise on vintage vehicles and rides to amaze and educate viewers around the world.

Early Life and Education: Growing Up in Utah

Very little information is available about Kevin’s early life. He hasn’t specified anything about his childhood, his parents, education nor his first contact with the automotive world. None of the authoritative sources available can specify whether he learned about cars through formal education or if he is a self-taught aficionado. At some point in life, he developed a love for cars and decided to work on his craft. It also seems that he is a long-time friend of Kindig-It Design CEO and founder, Dave Kindig – during an episode of “Bitchin’ Rides”, Dave told another team member: ‘Do you think I would trust Kev for this if we didn’t go way back?’ With his knack for restoration and connections, Kevin was clearly destined for a career in the car repair business.

Career Beginnings: Kindig-It Design

In 2004, Kevin was hired as shop foreman at Kindig-It Design, a 27,000 square-foot facility dedicated to car restoration, repairs and many different facets of body work. From the get-go, Kevin displayed an unignorable passion for automotive work, and became known as the first person to get to work and the last person to go home. A suspension wiz, Kevin became the go-to guy for everything chassis-related, which became his catchphrase later on. Both fans of “Bitchin’ Rides” and co-workers have teased him about the way he always emphasizes ‘chassis’ when he’s talking. Instead of fighting against it, Kevin went with the joke and started repeating it more than ever.

Kevin Schiele

Breakthrough: Bitchin’ Rides

Kindig-It Design quickly became a prominent force on Utah’s automotive scene. Dave Kindig and his team took on numerous projects, ranging from Volkswagen busses from the ‘60s, all the way to modern staples like the Audi R8. They’ve even done substantial charity work, customizing the cars of Army veterans and other people in the Salt Lake community. Their efforts were noticed by Velocity TV, a station known for extensive coverage of the automotive scene in the US. Thus, “Bitchin’ Rides” was born, much to the delight of car junkies around the world. The show originally aired in 2014, and quickly became one of the highest-viewed series on the entire Velocity TV network. You can still watch the show on Motor Trend on Demand, via Velocity TV.

Kevin’s Role on “Bitchin’ Rides”

Kevin, the foreman of Kindig-It Design, has provided the show with some (sporadically explicit) humor and excellent chemistry with both colleagues and clients. Each episode features Dave and Kevin meeting with clients and inspecting their rides – after a quick assessment, they discuss the wishes of the client and what work needs to be done. On most occasions, the focus of the episode is on Kevin, as he takes viewers through the process of car disassembly and rebuilding. Each car is a unique project that hasn’t been done before – some of Kevin’s best works in the series include a ‘57 Chevy Corvette, an ancient ‘33 Ford Tudor, and a beastly Audi R8 Spyder. His colleagues call him “Mother Trucker”, because of his willingness to take the company’s rig around the country and meet with high-profile and celebrity clients.

Back At It Again: Beyond Bitchin’ Rides

Because the first season of “Bitchin’ Rides” was so successful, Velocity TV offered Dave Kindig and his team another run, thus giving birth to “Beyond Bitchin’ Rides”. In this sequel of sorts, Kevin once again took a leading role in orchestrating projects and making sure every client gets the best possible suspension system. Even though he’s usually a calm and outgoing person, Kevin has a habit of going berserk when he sees a crew member not following his orders or messing up. Those types of situations, along with his expert knowledge on car restoration, made both “Bitchin’ Rides” and “Beyond Bitchin’ Rides” staples of modern automotive television.

Personal Life: Is He Married? Does He Have a Girlfriend?

There have been speculations that Kevin is married, with some fans seeing Instagram pictures of him with a woman and three infants – funnily, this turned out to be another Kevin Schiele, much to the surprise of his fans. He does, however, have a girlfriend by the name of Melanie Kay Neff. Not much is known about their relationship, as Kevin prefers to keep his private life under wraps. Judging by both of their Instagram profiles, they seem to have been together for at least a year and a half. It’s unclear whether they have aspirations of getting married and starting a family, but it looks like they’re having a wonderful time.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx5f6n4h1cN/

What Are Some of Kevin’s Other Interests?

In addition to his work with Kindig-It Design, Kevin does some building of his own. According to his bio page on the company’s website, he has built three custom sports trucks all by himself. He’s also a proud member of the Salt Lake Chapter of the Severed Ties Truck Club, a trucking community, and fans regularly see him at local automotive gatherings in one of his custom rides. He loves walks on the beach, sunbathing, boating and sea turtles.

What is Kevin Schiele’s Net Worth?

According to several authoritative sources, Kevin Schiele boasts a net worth of close to $2 million, as of mid-2019, accumulated through his 15 years with Kindig-It Design, as well as collaborating with some high profile clients. His time on “Bitchin’ Rides” and “Beyond Bitchin’ Rides” have contributed too, as he’s still receiving royalties from the shows’ re-runs and streaming numbers.

Social Media Presence

Like many distinguished TV personalities, Kevin uses social media to interact with fans and give updates about his work. He is active on Instagram, where he has 45,000 followers – on his profile, you can find cute pictures with his girlfriend, as well as announcements for shows and public appearances. There’s no shortage of boating photos and videos, either. On Twitter, 15,000 people follow him, and on which he regularly engages in Q&A sessions, and gladly re-tweets praise and shoutouts from fans.

Movies

Self

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Beyond Bitchin' Rides2015TV SeriesHimself - Shop Foreman / Himself - Shop Forman
Bitchin' Rides2014TV SeriesHimself - Shop Foreman

Source: IMDb, Wikipedia

4 Comments

  1. Ken Fairbanks Reply

    What is Kevins purpose in acting like a buffoon on the show if he is so important?

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