Hello.
Welcome to Vice Grip Garage.
That’s my 1989 K2500.
On this episode, we’re back on the old C10 here.
Anyway, I’d like to fix on the old 69 GMC a little bit more.
more than 2 million followers, nearly 800 million views, a dedicated TV show, and a fleet of vintage cars brought back to life from piles of scrap.
Then Derek Berry began to appear less frequently.
Videos were uploaded more sporadically.
Meet and greet events were cancelled at the last minute, and the cars now showed up only occasionally.
What is happening to the man behind ViceGrip garage? If you’ve been a longtime follower of his, you shouldn’t miss what we’re about to reveal next.
Perfect.
More junk.
Derek Berry was born on May 16th, 1984 in Minet, North Dakota.
He grew up on a rural farm where harsh winters forced people to repair every broken piece of equipment themselves instead of waiting for professional help.
Derek’s mechanical skills didn’t come from formal education, but were passed down from his father and grandfather, two men who spent most of their lives under the hoods of old trucks.
That was where he learned to listen to the sound of engines to distinguish the smell of burnt oil and to feel the vibration of the steering wheel as a kind of language.
Okay, that was a success.
No, I find it kind of funny sometimes how when you buy the wrong parts, they just don’t fit.
It’s alive.
It’s running.
Before becoming known on YouTube, Derek worked as an automotive technician and later moved into executive positions in the business world.
He held senior roles in the distribution of parts and equipment and also ran several retail operations.
Although financially successful, he admitted that office work left him feeling lost.
I looked around and realized I was living a life I didn’t even remember starting.
Derek shared in an interview with Sick the Magazine in 2023.
The year 2017 marked a turning point using an old iPhone taped to the garage door.
Derek recorded the first video for ViceGrip Garage.
No background music, no scripted content, just footage of him trying to start an abandoned car using a battery and a few hand tools.
The initial video attracted only a few thousand views, but the raw, humorous style quickly caught the audience’s attention.
Within months, the channel began growing steadily by focusing on exactly what the car loving community lacked, restoration tutorials that were affordable, relatable, and practical.
From 2018 to 2020, Derek consistently uploaded weekly videos.
Most featured old cars, Chevel, Caprice, Monte Carlo, F100 restored using temporary but effective methods.
He wasn’t afraid to use zip tied wiring, plastic fuel lines, manual fuel pumps, or old oil filters to get a car running again before carrying out a more complete restoration.
This approach, technically sound enough and reasonably safe, helped viewers feel they could do the same in their own small garage.
By mid 2022, ViceGrip Garage had reached 1.
39 million subscribers.
Since then, the growth hasn’t slowed.
According to the analytics platform thought leaders, as of mid 2025, the channel has around two 2 million subscribers and over 756.
7 million total views.
On average, each video is about 1 hour and 35 minutes long, far beyond the length of a standard YouTube video, reflecting the level of investment and technical depth the channel delivers.
At an event in 2024 after being allowed by Motion Raceworks to drive the El Toro Mustang at Rocky Mountain Race Week, Derek stated, “I’m not the type who gets excited easily, but the El Toro changed my mind about the drag and drive community.
They’re willing to reach out without hesitation.
That’s rare.
” From a quiet technician in North Dakota, Derek Berry gradually became a name mentioned at every major Dragon Drive event across the United States.
But it was during this rapid rise that subtle changes began to emerge, not in the content, but in how he built his brand and decided what values to keep.
A turning point of destiny.
When Derek Berry began uploading videos of vintage car restorations on YouTube, he had no production crew, no pre-written scripts, and no reliance on visual effects.
What he had was mechanical experience, an old phone, and a clear belief the audience needed something authentic.
That mindset helped ViceGrip Garage quickly carve out a unique identity in a saturated automotive content market filled with short clips, dense effects, and entertainmentheavy formats over technical focus.
The core of the channel’s content lies in junkyard car restoration projects, mostly American models from the 1960s to early 1990s, abandoned in barns, backyards, or scrapyards.
Derek approached them with a low-budget method, maximizing the use of old parts, hand tools, and the skills he accumulated in childhood.
There were no automatic lifts, no modern diagnostics, only basic tools and a logical process that viewers could follow if they genuinely wanted to try.
Videos typically run over 1 hour and 30 minutes, much longer than the platform’s average, but still maintain solid viewership thanks to a clear structure, initial inspection, problem solving, startup test, and real road test.
The standout feature is how Derek explains each step with a familiar tone peppered with short jokes, creating the feeling of chatting with a longtime friend in the garage.
At the start of every video, the familiar warning line appears isn’t necessarily educational.
A self-deprecating disclaimer to keep expectations grounded, even though many techniques shown are highly practical.
One of the vehicles most associated with Vice Grip Garage is the 1972 Chevrolet Chevel, nicknamed Independence.
This was the car he used in Sik Week 2022, a multi-day dragon drive event in Florida.
After covering more than 1,000 m, the car still clocked a 9.
73 second/4 mile at over 140 Musum.
Derek called it a symbol of resilience and shared independence is torn up, scratched.
But like this country, it never gives up.
Maybe that’s why viewers feel a connection.
In addition to Independence, other notable videos on the channel include the restoration of a Caprice Classic after 15 years in storage, a 1991 Chevrolet truck with a 632ci big block engine featured at 6 week 2024, and most recently, the Panta Project, an Italian sports car forgotten for over three decades.
These videos not only display Derek’s technical skills, but also demonstrate patience and strategic thinking in choosing cars with enough personality to leave a mark on YouTube and among collectors.
Alongside his YouTube content, Derek expanded into television with the show Roadworthy Rescues aired on Motor Trend since September 2022.
The show quickly gained popularity and by 2025 had entered its third season, even as Discovery Network slashed numerous automotive shows in late 2024.
Each episode runs over 40 minutes, documenting Derek’s journey, reviving old cars found in rural areas from 1960s Ford pickups to Plymouth sedans abandoned in gardens for decades.
By combining YouTube and television, Derek maintains an average production rate of one video per week, each nearly 100 minutes long.
Although this increases his workload, he says he still prioritizes quality over chasing the algorithm.
On the thought leaders platform, as of mid 2025, the Vice Grip Garage channel reached 2.
2 2 million subscribers and over 756.
7 million views, a significant figure within the selective DIY mechanical community.
Beyond restoration, Derek also holds auctions for refurbished cars, joins fan events, sells merchandise, and collaborates with major brands like Motion Raceworks, Holly, and Bear Brakes.
All of this is naturally integrated into his videos, never feeling like forced advertising thanks to the credibility and honesty he has upheld from the beginning.
ViceGrip Garage was not built on effects or large budgets, but on real skills and the belief that audiences can sense sincerity, but to sustain that rhythm for years, Derek needed a strong foundation.
and that came from right within his own home.
Behind ViceGrip Garage, behind the success of ViceGrip Garage is an organizational model unlike any professional garage, a threeeneration family bound by engines, machinery, and the belief that real value doesn’t require a large crew to operate.
Derek Barry didn’t build the channel alone.
His wife, Jessica Barry, and their three children are the foundation behind the scenes that has kept everything running for nearly a decade.
Jessica doesn’t appear frequently in the videos, but her role at events is irreplaceable.
At Sik Week, one of the biggest dragon events in the US, Jessica handles all logistics, preparing equipment, managing travel schedules, and providing technical support on site.
Derek once shared, “Without Jessica, I couldn’t complete half the journeys viewers see in the videos, that wasn’t just a personal thank you, but an acknowledgement of her central role in the operation of ViceGrip Garage.
” The couple has three sons, all raised under a shared principle, do it yourself, learn by doing, and don’t rely on machines to solve everything.
The youngest, Bentley, is a familiar face to longtime viewers.
He runs his own channel called Little Grip Garage focused on fixing go-karts, minibikes, and old off-road machines.
Each video includes guidance from Derek, but without overstepping, showing how he passes on his mindset for repair, not just physical skills.
Bentley not only attracts younger viewers, but also bridges the new generation with the traditional values Derek is preserving.
In a live stream from February 2025, Derek said, “I don’t expect my kids to become mechanics, but I want them to know how to solve problems.
If they can fix a car, they can fix life.
” This quote spread widely across car enthusiast forums, becoming one of the most defining statements of Derek Barry’s life philosophy.
The Berry family doesn’t share much about their private life, but the way they appear in videos reflects a connected structure from preparing cars together before events to cooking roadside meals during long halls.
During sick week 2022, Derek asked his high school friend Chad Ashheim to drive the 1974 Monte Carlo he restored, allowing Derek to ride in the main car with his son.
Chad and his wife Haley Asshim also supported Derek in many later projects, including transporting cars to Mikum auctions and helping behind the scenes in multi-day filming.
It’s precisely this family-based operation functioning like a small technical crew that enables Derek to maintain a dense production schedule without outsourcing.
As of early 2025, ViceGrip Garage still keeps up the pace of one video per week, averaging over 90 minutes without an official film crew beyond mounted cameras and remote controls.
Post-p production is handled in the garage or at home, sometimes by Jessica herself when quick edits are needed for online premieres.
Derek’s way of integrating family into his content is not a gimmick.
There are no staged emotional moments, no moralizing messages.
Everything unfolds like a real family garage with kids voices, with clutter, with moments when the car won’t start and the whole team has to stop.
But that’s exactly what creates the sense of authenticity that viewers say feels more real than reality TV.
Keeping family at the center also helps Derek avoid many conflicts during growth.
While many technical YouTube channels hire videographers and editors and later face branding disputes, ViceGrip Garage maintains centralized ownership.
All decisions regarding content, brand deals, and release plans are made internally with Jessica, overseeing most of the sponsorship contracts.
The Berry family’s influence extends beyond the channel.
At the 2025 C10s in the City event in Atlanta, fans came not just to meet Derek, but also to get Bentley’s autograph and take photos with Jessica, showing they’re not just supporting characters, but part of the Vice Grip garage identity.
From parenting methods to role distribution and operational structure, Derek has built a true family foundation, not only solid, but also capable of succession.
But this also means that every change to the channel, no matter how small, directly impacts his family.
And when changes started happening after 2023, it wasn’t just the audience that had to adjust.
The entire family had to recalibrate a rhythm they had followed for years.
A shift in direction and a new plan.
Since 2023, followers of ViceGrip Garage began to notice a distinct change.
The frequency of video uploads gradually decreased.
Some events that Derek Berry once prioritized no longer featured his name on the attendee list.
live streams became sparse and viewers received only indirect updates via Instagram or announcements posted on the website.
The reason didn’t stem from a sudden incident, but rather from a growth trajectory that exceeded expectations.
Since 2022, Derek was no longer just a YouTuber restoring cars.
He entered the world of television with the show Roadworthy Rescues on Motor Trend, which officially premiered that September.
After its first season, the show was renewed for two more.
As of May 2025, Roadworthy Rescues had released over 24 episodes filmed across various states, requiring an intense travel schedule.
Professional television filming with high production demands took up most of the time he used to dedicate to YouTube, the platform where it all began.
In parallel, Derek continued expanding his presence at major events.
In early 2024, he participated in Sik Week with two vehicles, a 1971 Chevel named Liberty and a 1991 Chevrolet pickup.
In May 2025, Derek appeared at Mikum Indie, one of the largest vintage car auctions in the US with five fully restored vehicles.
With such a packed schedule, producing a 90-minute video every week became a significant burden.
Derek once shared during a live stream, “I don’t want to turn the channel into a content factory.
If I’m doing it just to have something to post every week, I’ll lose myself.
” Starting in late 2023, he intentionally reduced the frequency to two to three videos per month, focusing on higher quality projects with deeper technical content and stronger storytelling.
Off camera, Derek continued pushing long-term projects.
One of them was the plan to build his first purpose-built dragon drive car.
Unlike the usual revival from junkyards, the main reason was to ensure safety when his wife and children accompanied him to events spanning hundreds of miles.
I’m committed enough to drag and drive to know I need a car designed right from the beginning, he said at sick week 2024 when asked about the future of vicegrip garage branded vehicles.
At the same time, Derek devoted attention to special projects restoring the Panta abandoned for 33 years, delivering an LS swapped Nova across states in freezing weather and appearing in collaborative videos with Finnegan, Tony Angelo, and John Matson during high-performance car trials.
These videos weren’t aimed at mass viewership, but retained his core audience, the ones who came for the mechanics, not the visuals.
Still, Stepping Back also made Derek’s image more mythologized in the eyes of viewers, partly because he no longer appeared daily and partly because what he left behind continued to inspire.
In that context, his role was no longer just as a car fixer.
Derek is gradually moving into the next phase, becoming a DIY culture icon with an influence that extends far beyond the limits of a YouTube channel.
A trusted figure.
While many prominent faces on YouTube and reality TV rely on controversy, drama or gimmicks to retain viewers, Derek Berry chose to go against the tide.
By 2025, Derek has maintained an absolutely clean image.
One of the rare moments that sparked public attention was when fans spotted him at Walt Disney World in October 2024.
A photo of him standing in line with his family was shared on Reddit with the caption, “Very friendly.
” Didn’t refuse anyone asking for a photo.
That candid moment further reinforced his image as an authentic mechanic unpolished even after becoming nationally recognized.
Derek’s income doesn’t come from YouTube alone.
The ViceGrip garage brand ecosystem now includes a merchandise website, a line of OEM parts and tools bearing his name, personalized shoutout videos via Cameo, and restored vehicle sales.
In 2025, several cars like the Monte Carlo and Nova that appeared on his channel were auctioned at Mikum, not to maximize profit, but to ensure they continue to be used properly instead of ending up back in storage.
On Cameo, Derek records birthday greetings, thank you messages, or words of encouragement for fans facing tough times.
Most of these clips are shot right in the garage mid project with a familiar tone as if speaking face tof face.
This consistent transparency and warmth have made Derek a trusted figure among technical brands at events like Sik Week and Rocky Mountain Race Week.
He regularly collaborates with Motion Raceworks, Holly Performance, and Bear Brakes, not just as a sponsored figure, but as someone who provides direct technical input.
In fact, the Mustang El Toro from Motion Raceworks was handed over to Derek for the full 2023 event, a rare honor in the Dragon Drive community.
Derek is also invited as a judge and honorary guest at gatherings like C10s in the city in 2025 where he not only signs autographs but also leads technical sessions with attendees.
Many people there were introduced for the first time to the concept of budgetconscious restoration without sacrificing quality.
The very principle that made ViceGrip Garage a phenomenon.
If you believe passion can start in a small garage.
If you’ve ever learned to fix a car thanks to ViceGrip Garage or simply found inspiration in the way Derek Berry lives and works, now is the time to act.
Share this video with anyone who needs a reason to start.
Leave a comment about your first car project or the moment that made you connect with the channel.
And most importantly, don’t forget to subscribe to follow the next chapter in the journey of one of the most enduring voices in America’s classic car community.
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