Any keen fan of car-centered TV shows can attest to how great Chad Hiltz is at building custom- cars. Through his show “Bad Chad Customs”, Chad has let the world see his unrivaled skills at steel-working and automotive making, as his creations are unique and unmatched in creativity and usage.
While “Bad Chad Customs” is a gearhead TV show through and through, there’s no denying that certain aspects of Chad’s personal life took the interest of the audience too, leading people to theorize details about his past, relationship with his girlfriend Jolene, and even about his family.
So what’s up with Chad Hiltz? Does he have a daughter, and what else is there to be known about his past? Keep watching to find out!
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Does Chad Have Any Kids?
Despite the huge popularity Chad Hiltz gained through “Bad Chad Customs”, the truth is that he keeps most details about his personal life and family in secrecy. As seen in the show and Chad’s YouTube channel, he and his girlfriend Jolene MacIntyre are somewhat open about their relationship in the way they manage the business, and even about their plans for the future, but leave details about his past out of the conversation.
Because of the lack of information about Chad’s past, some videos have surfaced online claiming that he has a daughter and two other children. There’s also a TikTok video stating that he adopted Jolene’s daughter, though neither Jolene nor Chad have ever mentioned her having a daughter, on social media and interviews.
With that being said, it’s known that Chad has a son named Colton, who appeared in “Bad Chad Customs” and also works in Hiltz Auto Co. He also has a daughter named Harlee, who despite not appearing in the show, is known because Colton has featured her on social media. In 2022, Colton introduced his niece on Instagram, but it’s unclear whether Harlee is the mother or if he has other siblings on his father’s side.
What Happened To The Show?
Right from the time “Bad Chad Customs” premiered on Discovery, the show became a hit for its content and the creative ways in which Chad put his skill to work when it came to cars.
Nevertheless, the success of the show’s two seasons was followed by the disappointment of no third season announced. While there was never any confirmation of “Bad Chad Customs”’s cancellation, it became obvious that the show was unlikely to return on air following the second season’s finale in October 2020.
Though neither Chad nor Jolene directly addressed the questions about their TV show’s future, they eventually put their focus on building the audience of their YouTube channel “Bad Chad”, which features the activities inside Hiltz Auto’s garage, and also shows the couple’s trips around the world.
Later in 2023, Jolene took to Facebook Live to answer some questions about their business, revealing that some parts of “Bad Chad Customs” were staged for the sake of TV, on top of affirming that reality shows were very calculated and didn’t allow them much freedom, especially compared to how different it was to create for YouTube.
Were The Builds Real?
Even though Jolene affirmed that many of the things seen in “Bad Chad Customs” were planned, that doesn’t mean that the actual builds shown on TV were less real. As seen on the TV screens, Chad has a budget, and worked on the cars by himself with the help of his team, and also had to deal with lots of pressure and stress to deliver the work on time.
All of those things were as real as they come, according to Jolene. Nonetheless, the financial aspects of the show were slightly different from how the audience perceived it, given that the projects were funded entirely by Discovery, not by Chad or the clients.
Another surprising aspect of the show is that Chad had to buy back all the cars he built in the show. Though the initial deal was for them to build the cars for the clients with Discovery’s money, Chad wasn’t very convinced about letting his creations go just like that. That’s how he and Jolene decided to offer clients the option of being paid for each car with cash. All except one of them accepted the offer, meaning that almost all the cars featured in the show are still in Chad’s garage these days.
How Did Chad Start Making Cars?
Chad’s story with cars comes from the time his father had an automotive garage, allowing his young self to explore and become familiar with the trade from a young age. Nevertheless, Chad’s fascination with making cars started when he learned about the work of Gene Winfield, a famous American automotive builder.
It wasn’t easy for Chad to pass from having a dream to making it a reality. He left school at 16 years old shortly before welcoming his oldest child, assuming the responsibilities of an adult without having much time to dwell on what he wanted. Lack of money was a big issue for Chad back then, but instead of drawing in self-doubt and helplessness, Chad used that scarcity to move forward, learning to create things out of nothing.
Just as Chad affirmed in an interview with Autowise, he considers that buying can’t be compared to building, as the latter is an adventure while the former is artificial, in his words. That’s why Chad not only pushes himself to make the best of the best when he’s in the garage, but also insists on treasuring his creations, similar to pieces of fine art.
There’s no doubt that it’s extremely difficult to find someone as passionate about his job as Chad Hiltz is.
