Aaron Kaufman is a business owner, television personality, and automotive mechanic from the United States. He is best known for his 11-season run on the Discovery Channel reality show ‘Fast N’ Loud.’ Kaufman discovered as a child that he had a talent for taking things apart and then putting them back together. As he grew older, he developed an interest in automobiles, which led him to the world of hot rods. He gained notoriety as a self-taught fabricator, mechanic, and hot-rodder.
Aaron Kaufman made a name for himself with the Gas Monkey Garage and was even referred to as a mechanic’s magician due to his skill. Kaufman discovered his passion for disassembling and reassembling things early in life, and he spent the majority of his adult life honing that skill.
He met the infamous mechanical genius Richard Rawlings at a local garage as a self-taught fabricator, mechanic, and hot-rodder and ended up working for Rawlings soon after. He quickly rose to the position of a head mechanic at Gas Monkey Garage and became a household name when Fast N’ Loud premiered in 2012.
Aaron Life After Gas Monkey Garage
Unfortunately, the show gradually drifted away from Kaufman’s vision, and he left the reality show in 2017 to forge his own path. The reality star spoke with Arts Of Gears about what prompted him to leave the show and the world-famous garage.
He primarily desired to build cars that were “big or bigger,” but the show’s dynamics limited his ability to work on larger vehicles. But it wasn’t just that, he went on to say.
“On top of that, there were some growing personal issues and professional disagreements, so I decided the time had come and I could see the fork in the road ahead of me”
Making His Own Way
Where is Aaron Kaufman now? Kaufman, remaining true to himself and his craft, went on to open his own shop, one that would allow him to pursue his true passion, and thus Arclight Fabrication was born.
Soon after, he signed with the Discovery Channel and returned to television with his own show, Aaron Needs a Job. The show revolved around his proclivity for learning new things and succeeding at jobs in which he had little to no prior experience.
As for his shop, Arclight Fabrication, he made it clear that he wanted to play with bigger toys, so his shop is primarily geared to focus on projects that were larger, took more time to build, but was one-of-a-kind in the end.
It should come as no surprise that the gearhead preferred the classics, specifically the vintage Ford F-Series. He’s been working on those mean machines from his Texas shop.
Aaron Passion for Racing
Back in April 2020, the motor enthusiast sat down with FASTR to discuss his newfound passion for fast cars and racing. He appeared to have discovered a new appreciation for the unique world of racing, and he revealed that he identified as a hot-rodder, built cars for the F-100, and aspired to a racing career.
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When he and the team weren’t working on racecars or maintenance, they were building hot rods, which they wouldn’t trade for anything.
Are Aaron Kaufman and Richard Rawlings still friends?
On-screen, Aaron and Richard had a brotherhood that we all wished we had in some way. The question is, are these two still friends now that Aaron has left the Fast N’ Loud set and the Gas Monkey garage?
Even though Aaron and Richard had creative differences near the end of their collaboration, Kaufman made it clear that he had no personal issues with Richard. They are reportedly still friends to this day.
Aaron Kaufman’s Net worth 2024
Aaron Kaufman’s net worth is about $8 million as of March 2024.
