Vinnie from American Chopper

[Sandmannd]

I love this show, I would assume I'm not alone on this. Caught the episode a while ago where Vinnie left. Anyone else feel bad for this? I loved watching Vin. I was looking through some web logs and some say he was a little [PoorWordUsage]y that the Tuttles were getting so rich and giving no royalties to him. It would suck to be him and help bring that company up from nothing only to see Mikey getting paid way more than him for doing nothing. I hear he's opening his own shop. Hope he does well.

[LMITOUT]

Wow. Never saw that episode. They have been showing re-runs for quite a while now, but I'm not sure what the latest episode/season finale was.

[Shack]

Vinnie is gone!

This is the first season I have not been watching. I started watching it for the bike building and custom stuff they did. I feel the show is starting to go down hill. Its becomes more of soap opera then a bike building show. Plus add in the Tuttles lack of passion for the building part, but yet the film time they get, I just gave up last season.

Ya, Vinnie was a huge part of the show for me. I wish and figure he will do well. Kind of a shocker to here of this. I figured something would happen. How long could you put up with Paul SR. crud, Paul Jr. premadona attitude and Mikeys

lack of everything, all for probably about 60,000 grand a year. I would say 5 years tops for me.

[Eric Wettschreck]

So, a couple of good dudes do most of the work while a couple of others make all the cash. Isn't that how most companies operate?

Having said that, I loved Vin. His work was awsome. My brother in law met him out in Sturgis and said the dude was real down to earth and cool. I remember the episode where Sr made him leave without pay cuz he didn't sweep the shop?!!!? I was thinking his phone would be ringing with job offers from around the world in about 3 minutes after that.

I hope him well in his new adventures.

[DTro]

I don't buy it for one second. I would say 50% of that show, along with all the reality shows are either made up, scripted, or edited however the producers/writers want it to be.

Do you really think they would be doing most of that stuff they do without a camera in the shop?

I can pretty much guarantee that you will be seeing a "Vinnie's Customs" or something like that in the future. They'll play up this battle till no end.

Whoever said soap opera is right on the money.

It's entertaining, but I don't believe anything on TV anymore.

[Shack]

Boiler,

I was going to put something to that affect in my first post, about the people’s bosses. To true.

Dtro,

I am with you. Reality is not reality if one is being filmed in his nature life environment. Unless you’re born with a film crew next to you and from day one have been filmed, ones reality has nothing to do with a film crew following you around. I think this would put a person far from reality and make them go crazy after a period of time.

I have not gotten into these reality shows for the above reason and the fact it not what I like to watch (I have enough reality in my life as it is). This is why I gave up on American Chopper. I know shows have to travel new avenues to stay fresh and as they loose a type pf view like me, they could gain another type of viewer that’s looking for the soap opera mentality.

[Sandmannd]

He and Cody both quit. They are opening a custom shop called V-Force Cutoms. I hope all goes well for them. You can look it up on the web, looks pretty cool.

[DTro]

Quote:

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They are opening a custom shop called V-Force Cutoms.

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Imagine that

Ya think they will have a film crew there?

How about a chopper build off between the two.......

so predictable

[IFallsRon]

If it's true, good for Vin and Cody. It appeared that both were underappreciated.

[Central Bassman]

Good for them two. Vinnie is the man that did all the work!!! I hope nothing but the best for them two

[Shack]

Quote:

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How about a chopper build off between the two.......

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DTRO, I should have you e-mail some good picks on next weeks lotto numbers.

Good pick on that one. I could see this happening.

I just learned about this from Sand's post. I do not know what could become of this, but Vinnie would have to be a fool not to dip in the reality film/TV money. He has been a great builder and I hope he does make some ching off of this. As far as it being planned out this way and everyone is still friends behind the curtains, I do not know. Now a days, anything is possible.

[zamboni]

I bet it was tough for Cody to leave, I mean, they did have him build a bike, then they GAVE it to him, by far my favorite episode that I have seen

[muc33]

Makes perfect sense, like DTRO said, they want another show. Look what happened on Miami Ink, they bring in Kat VonD and she became the fan favorite, then they show the fights and she leaves and everyone thinks it's going to be the boring guys agian......WRONG, funny how LA Ink is now on the air!!! Kat has her own new shop and new show!!!!!!

Keep buying what they are selling!

Peace sells, but who's buyin?

[LMITOUT]

I wonder if they could find enough material with Cody and Vinny? I mean come on, Cody is a mute and Vinny is a primate that grunts once in a while. Not exactly something to keep a viewer tuned in.....

[Sandmannd]

I don't know what kind of show it would be, they aren't the most TV friendly guys, plus it was Jr. and Sr. that made the other show. I won't bash the Tutles too much, have you seen all they do for the armed forces, needy children, etc.? They do a fair share of giving back to the community. Did they money go to their heads? Yep, but give me several mil and I'd be floating pretty high. I think Vin deserved to be a partner in some form as he was there from the start. If it was my company and I had a friend like that, he would have more say than Mikey. Here's hoping Vin makes his mil in the next couple of years.

[IFallsRon]

Vinnie DiMartino and Cody Connelly, founders of V-Force Customs, will introduce their first custom bike since leaving the popular television series, American Chopper, when they appear at Daytona bike week February 29, 2008.

DiMartino and Connelly will begin a year-long 12-rally tour when they join Rob Hassay’s ProTour on February 2 in Cincinnati, Ohio at the V-Twin Expo. “This gives Vinnie and me our first chance to get away from the shop but more importantly it allows us to visit with everyone and personally thank and shake their hands, ” Connelly said. “Then we’ve got to rush back to the shop to get the bike finished for Daytona,” DiMartino added. At each event people can register to win this inaugural bike, which will then be awarded to one lucky winner at Daytona bike week, 2009.

[Central Bassman]

I cant wait to see this bike

[polarsusd81]

I was thinking the same thing Zamboni. That was a pretty awesome episode when they gave Cody the bike. He was working his butt off for them though. It will be a different show without Vinny though.

[Kodiak]

choppers and chopper shows are dead

[edgeucator]

there is too much reality [PoorWordUsage] on tv now. everything is reality tv, granted some is good but most is not

[Kyle Sandberg]

I liked it when the show was young and still on Discovery. I think things changed when it got moved to TLC. I loved watching Vin. He seemed like the guy that held it all together. Cody was awesome worker. They should be rolling out some pretty nice bikes. Be kinda interesting, if he really "quit" to see them meet at daytona or some place simialar.

[Farley]

I still watch it. The National Guard bike last night was pretty sweet.

[Sandmannd]

Yea, I watch it too. They do some cool stuff. I agree that the Ntnl Guard bike was real nice. I think they are getting too much into machining things though and less hands on like they used to be.

[jwhjr]

I used to watch it quite a bit, but since it moved over to TLC I just catch bits and pieces here and there.

[edgeucator]

almost the whole bike is ordered in pieces sure they make a few pieces like- gas tank, some wheels, fenders, and some specialty parts but alot of it is pieces ordered out of a book. there bike look awesome, dont get me wrong, but it is not very hard to make your own custom, myself, father inlaw, and uncl inlaw have made 3 now, sure it takes longer cause we cant work on them as much as they do, but they look just as good.