Back in 2005, I was running a company called Blue Torch FabWorks, cranking out some seriously hardcore off-road parts and custom fabrications. We were making waves in the off-road industry, especially in the DIY crowd, thanks to shows like Monster Garage and more. People were obsessed with building their own rigs, and we were right there, feeding the frenzy with parts they couldn’t find anywhere else.
But business was booming, and I couldn’t handle all the custom builds by myself anymore. We were putting together tube chassis buggies left and right, and it was clear I needed help. So, where else do you look for a top-tier fabricator in 2005? Pirate4x4, of course! I threw up a post that probably said something like, “If you don’t know your way around a welder, don’t waste my time.” Classic me.
Enter Rob “Bender” Park.
Now, Bender and I knew of each other back then, but we weren’t exactly best buds. So, when he shot me a message that read, “I might be your guy,” I was intrigued. We hopped on the phone, and something just clicked. Next thing I knew, we had a plane ticket booked from California to Alabama, and I couldn’t wait to show him what we were all about at Blue Torch.
Before his flight, I gave him the typical Southern warning: “It gets super hot here, man.” Bender laughed.
“I live in the desert,” he said. “How bad could it be?”
Fast forward to Alabama summer humidity... let’s just say Bender found out that living in the desert and sweating through your clothes just walking outside are two very different kinds of heat.
So, Bender lands, and we spend the week knee-deep in custom builds, tube chassis, and more shop talk than you could shake a welding torch at. One of the projects that got Bender’s gears turning was this Blue Torch Fusion Chassis we were working on for Cole Deason—a beast on Rockwells that was still in its early stages. You could see the excitement light up in Bender’s eyes as we talked suspension, chassis designs, and builds. By the end of the week, we were thick as thieves.
And that brings us to Saturday—*the* day that really sealed the deal. There was this local mud park holding a tough truck contest, and naturally, we all thought, “Why not enter a rig?” Enter our victim: an OJ Bronco. We decided to slap together something real quick, and by slap together, I mean *seriously* redneck it. We welded in an old TJ cage we found in the junk pile, threw on some side exhaust, gave it a quick rattle-can paint job, and called it good.
James Schofield—one of our guys at Blue Torch—was our fearless driver. Let me tell you, the first jump came up, and while most people slowed down, James? Not a chance. He sent that Bronco flying like it was trying to escape the Earth's atmosphere. It was in the air long enough for Bender and me to lock eyes and start running toward the spot where we knew it would land. When the Bronco finally came down, James paused for a solid half-second, probably wondering how he was still alive, then hit the gas and kept going! The whole thing got caught on video, and it ended up on Break.com with thousands of views. Yep, that was the moment Bender and I knew we were going to be doing some pretty wild stuff together.
After that week, we made it official: Bender was moving to Alabama. A few weeks later, I drove out to California with our Blue Torch FabWorks 48’ race trailer, hung out with the Tin Benders, and left him the trailer to haul all his things back to the land of humidity and mosquitoes. And just like that, Bender found out what *real* heat was all about.
We worked together at Blue Torch until 2008 when I sold part of the company, and Bender headed back to California to raise his boys and get them through high school. We stayed in touch, but it wasn’t until I started Motobilt in 2012 that I made the call again. This time, Bender told me he wasn’t ready to leave California until his sons were done with school. Fair enough—I’m patient.
Fast forward to 2017, when Garrett Johnson and I flew out to California for training on a new laser I’d bought. We met up with Bender, and, well, let’s just say he looked a little older. We laughed, caught up, and I headed back to Alabama to grind away.
Then, in 2018, the stars aligned. Bender’s boys finished school, and he made the move back to Alabama, where I think he might actually call it home now. Since then, we’ve done some amazing things together, along with some “what the hell were we thinking” moments. Seriously, some of the stunts we’ve pulled... I’m surprised we didn’t end up in a hospital—or worse. But through it all, we’ve built more than just off-road rigs. We’ve built a friendship that runs deeper than any work relationship ever could.
And while I’d do just about anything for Bender, there’s one thing I won’t do: participate in a milk-drinking contest. That story is for another day. But trust me, it’s a good one.
The pic here was not the jump mentioned. It was just goofing around trying to kill the truck. I believe James sold the truck to someone there later that evening.
