TV Star Josh Freeman Goes Full Speed In Support Of Kids With Autism

If the name Josh Freeman sounds familiar, there’s a good reason. His talents have shone brightly on covers of numerous magazines and you’ve likely seen his greyish, 1964 C10 Chevy truck he built, which was a featured ride at the 2015 SEMA show in Las Vegas. You may have even seen Josh Freeman gracing the small-screen on Gas Monkey Garage or the Fast n’ Loud Show, but presently, he is going back to his roots, on a project that is much more near and dear to his heart.

The famous fabricator is also a father of three, two daughters and a son. As such, Josh is touched by many of the same things a typical family may go through. Josh and his wife Kathryn’s son has Autism, which brings another element into balancing work and family life. The Chevy truck, named Hammerhead, was built as a tribute to his son, Gage, who LOVES sharks. At this point, the truck’s choice of color should be in full focus.

The truck’s color was dictated by Josh’s son’s love for all types of sharks. Body modifications to the truck were extensive, but very subtle, lending to the truck’s edgy-but-smooth lines – much like a shark.

Josh picked the pickup off of Craigslist and began with a modest build budget. The truck had already been subjected to an LS swap, and with the C10’s recent surge in popularity, he felt it would be the best attention-getter for the cause. Of course, that Vortech supercharged 6.0L V-8 will garner a few extra views each time the hood gets raised.

As is the case so many times, the modest plans for Josh’s hauler morphed into schedules which involved the truck gracing the SEMA show in 2015. With such lofty intentions, the build began to take on a life of its own, featuring a custom chassis, massive, but subtle bodywork, and air ride suspension for both show and go dual-modes. The truck exceeded its purpose at SEMA and found itself on the pages of several magazines.

The Chevy truck’s goal was to create awareness for the Autism cause and establish Freeman Fabrication as a family business that gives back to the community. Of course, Josh also needs to support the family, which he does by operating Freeman Fabrication. Josh is dedicating his time to the business, which gives him the opportunity to create both automotive masterpieces and awareness for the autism cause simultaneously.  He is also working on a new building, a brand-new workshop in Denton, Texas, with a Grand-Opening celebration this month. Yeah, Josh is a busy guy!

Josh’s wife, Kathryn, and their three children have been hanging out with Josh at the family business- Freeman Fabrication. Josh hopes to teach the kids some skills and instill a love of creating things with their hands.

Josh’s small-screen opportunity came when Hammerhead and Freeman Fabrication got the attention of Gas Monkey Garage’s Aaron Kaufman, who invited Josh to work in Texas along with his team. “Gas Monkey Garage was a groundbreaking experience,” Josh explains. “It showed how efficiently a talented builder can build high-end hot rods in such a short time-frame when all the right pieces are in place and the right tools are available.”

From the time on Discovery Channel’s Fast n’ Loud and Shifting Gears shows, Josh misses the team dynamic and camaraderie of the filming crew, and still considers going back to TV on a new show. But, right now, his focus is entirely on the grand opening of Freeman Fabrication while simultaneously navigating family life with his kids quarantined at home. He plans to teach them a few skills at the shop during the down-time and hopefully, pass on his love for the art of creating things.

The truck’s supercharged 6.0L engine turns those huge tires into asphalt crayons instantly. As fun as the Hammerhead truck is to drive, the understated hue and detailed build come together to capture the eyes of viewers to help share awareness about autism, a topic that has become dear to the Freedman family.

In the midst of everything going on in the Freeman family’s life right now, they hold tight to supporting others who are touched by this same issue. The Freeman family supports a non-profit organization called Surfers Healing, which promotes free surf-camp experiences for children with autism across the country to enrich the lives of the families with special needs. In the end, it’s not the size of the screen where your image appears, it’s the impact your presence has on the world around you that makes the most difference. A fact that Josh realizes whole-heartedly and one that he focuses on as passionately as he does any work done with a welder, torches, or a grinder.

You can check out Josh’s current work on his Instagram account or stay tuned to his YouTube channel for updates and new videos going forward.

About the author

Andy Bolig

Andy has been intrigued by mechanical things all of his life and enjoys tinkering with cars of all makes and ages. Finding value in style points, he can appreciate cars of all power and performance levels. Andy is an avid railfan and gets his “high” by flying radio-controlled model airplanes when time permits. He keeps his feet firmly grounded by working on his two street rods and his supercharged C4 Corvette. Whether planes, trains, motorcycles, or automobiles, Andy has immersed himself in a world driven by internal combustion.
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