7 questions with David Ankin, CEO of ToyMakerz

David Ankin, CEO of ToyMakerz, a custom vehicle fabrication business and focus of a television show, is slated to be one of the keynote speakers at FABTECH in September.

David Ankin was raised on the belief that if you want something, you’ve got to be able to build it yourself. Watching his grandfather and father build and fix anything with a motor, Ankin learned the art of fabrication mostly as a necessity to enjoy. That necessity quickly developed into a passion that he still carries with him today.

In addition to being a fabricator, Ankin is an entrepreneur, a former stunt driver, CEO of ToyMakerz Inc., and the focus of a television show with the same name. While many may bristle at the television aspect of his resume, Ankin’s show is all about custom vehicle fabrication, not manufactured drama or fake plot lines. He’s just a dude who loves building anything that can be driven, working with his hands, giving back to the industry that has given him so much, and sharing his experience –good and bad—with others.

Ankin’s got a new gig coming up later this year – he is schedule to be the keynote speaker at FABTECH in Chicago on Wednesday, Sept. 15. He recently spoke with The WELDER and discussed his background in motor vehicles, his business, and what he’s most looking forward to seeing at FABTECH this fall.

Tell us your back story and how you first became interested in metal fabrication.

My grandfather worked for Packard and Studebaker, and my dad built hot-rods, race bikes, and cars, so I fell into it naturally. When I was growing up, I had posters of Lamborghinis and Farrah Fawcett on my wall, but no matter how much snow I shoveled or yards I mowed, there was no hope of owning that car or landing that girl. If I would never be able to afford the Lamborghini, I knew I had to learn to build that car.

Every summer I worked at my dad's shop and I got more and more proficient at doing things with my hands. I just learned how to build what I needed instead of buying it. I remember when I was really young and the transmission in my car went out. I didn't have the money to buy a new or even used transmission, so I went and got a job at AAMCO Transmission to learn how to build one myself. I’ve always been a guy who believes that if somebody else can do it, I can do it too.

What was your first job in the fabrication world?

The first job in fabrication wasn't a job. My fabrication skills developed as a necessity. If I wanted something, I had to figure out how to build it. Many times my dad would teach me how to do something and then lend a hand if I struggled with it.

If I needed to put a motor in a car that didn’t fit, then I had to fabricate everything to make that happen. It developed out of necessity and I found over time that I really enjoyed it.

How did you make the transition to stunt motorcycle rider?

Well, we couldn’t make money by fabricating things when we were kids —we treated it as a necessity to go out on the weekends and go cruising. But, ultimately, I got very, very proficient at driving just about anything. I raced cars, go-karts, and motorcycles and played with just about everything on the planet. But then I realized you can't make money racing a car or a bike, either, unless you win.

Ankin learned how to fabricate with the help of his father, who was a hot-rod builder in his own right.

So I got creative and went to the theme parks like Six Flags, Universal, and MGM and got into their stunt shows as a driver. Since I could rebuild anything that we wrecked, I got to work double duty. I could drive it in the daytime and play Batman, and then at night I could be building or rebuilding what Batman was driving. It just snowballed into a really neat life and a very blessed life.

Tell us about your business, ToyMakerz, and how it became the subject of a television show.

We build custom cars, trucks, and bikes. If it's a toy, I like to build it and I like to play on it.

I build a one-off vehicle each year where we fabricate every inch of the car by hand, from the chassis to the fuel tanks.

We’re not the typical show that buys a car, fixes the car, and sells it. We actually drive it around and I beat the living snot out of it forever. And then eventually we'll put a little museum up because we get so many fans come by and they want to see what we’ve done.

I never wanted to do television. I did a bunch of stuff for different people, and then they kept saying, “Look, you need to be on TV.” I know a bunch of people on TV and they're either all miserable or they all think they're God's gift to life.

One thing led to another and I was finally talked into doing it, and I’m very grateful I did. I've done a lot of things in my life, but this is probably the hardest thing I've ever done. It’s also been the most rewarding. Now I get to interact with kids who are less fortunate or terminally ill, and I really enjoy trying to give back to the industry that's been so good to me.

I agreed to do it as long as we could own the intellectual property. Most TV shows are owned by the network. I wanted to be able to do what I wanted without a bunch of artificial drama. I didn’t want to argue and yell at people, and if something breaks on the show, it’s because we really broke it.

You are scheduled to deliver the keynote address on Sept. 15 at FABTECH. Can you give us a hint as to what you’ll be talking about?

When I do these types of things, I like to speak from the heart about industry and what makes it great, what gives it longevity, and the exciting things that are happening now.

Right now they're pushing hard on electric vehicles and self-driving vehicles. I remember the days when I used to fight all that stuff, because I thought that a car can’t be considered a hot-rod if it’s electric. But now these vehicles are so bad and fast thanks to advances in technology. It just goes to show that change can be good, and you’ve got to learn to appreciate everything about the industry.

What started as a necessity to go cruising on the weekends turned into a skill that has led him down an incredibly challenging yet rewarding career path.

I really like to talk about the reality of our industry. Older guys like myself especially like to live in the past, but I really believe in the future of what we're doing; you know, it's going to change a lot of things.

Is there anything in particular that you're looking forward to seeing at FABTECH? Any specific technology that you're hoping to see up close?

There's nothing in particular I’m looking for because my shop is so well-equipped. So, for me, I really like the surprise of going and learning about something new that I didn’t know existed or running into somebody who came up with a really cool idea. There’s just so much talent out there, and an event like FABTECH brings so many talented individuals together. I feel like a kid in a candy store when I’m there. Everyone is somebody I can relate with because we all speak the same language.

Getting into this business has been a lifelong passion of mine. Some people are proficient at golf or tennis, but I just happened to be proficient in building motorized toys. And it's done me very well. FABTECH is my vacation and I get to go enjoy myself, look at all the stuff that's coming out, and find out where the industry is going. It’s a home run for me.

What do you want people to know about you?

I love to learn. I love to see what people do or attempt to do. I also love to give advice and say to someone, “You know, I wouldn’t do that if I were you because I tried it and it didn’t work for me.” I’ve been around this a long time and I don’t know everything, not even close. But I have learned some things along the way, so being able to share that with someone else is great.