Shorty left Iron Resurrection after the 3rd season in 2018 because he wanted to spend more time with his family as well as dedicate more time to setting up his custom car-building shop.
Shorty’s departure from Iron Resurrection, the popular car restoration reality TV show, left many fans brokenhearted, but that pain has not lasted for long. Those that love Shorty can get in touch with him via social media and or even take a trip to his shop in Dallas to see him. Shorty is also starring in his own reality TV show on MotorTrend TV titled Shorty’s Dream Shop. The show premiered in November 2022.
Shorty is a Custom Car Builder, Restorer, and Painter
Shorty (real name Javier Ponce) is an American custom car builder, restorer, and painter. He was born in Mexico but migrated to the United States as a child. From a young age, he loved tinkering with cars, and this passion eventually became his profession. It is not known if he obtained any formal college training, but he must have surely undergone some training at some automotive repairing establishments.
Shorty is based in Dallas, Texas, where he runs his own business known as Elite Autoworks. The company specializes in customizing cars for customers. They also perform magic on rundown vehicles and restore them to their old glory to the delight of their customers. Of course, all these restorative works do not come free, and as such, Shorty makes a good living from what he charges his clients.
Shorty Was One of the Stars of Iron Resurrection, the Discovery Reality TV Show
Shorty rose to fame in 2016 following his appearance as one of the cast members of the Discovery reality TV show, Iron Resurrection. Iron Resurrection follows a group of talented auto mechanics and car body builders as they scour Texas looking for vehicles or bikes that are in a state of disrepair, some of which have been abandoned.
When they find such vehicles, the cast of Iron Resurrection hauls it back to their garage, where they repair it and get it into working condition. They also repaint and restore the body as well. The cast and crew of Iron Resurrection essentially bring back dead vehicles to life, and once they have done that, they go ahead to sell the restored vehicles for a pretty penny.
Iron Resurrection debuted in 2016 and was headlined by Joe Martin, an experienced mechanical master who co-owns Martin Bros Customs. Other cast members include Amanda Martin, Jayson Arrington, Steve Reyes, Rocky Hansen, Jason Martin, Mike Zabonik, Shedarowich Mat, and Bama Brown.
Shorty was also a major cast member and appeared in a total of 23 episodes out of a possible 24 episodes of the show from 2016 to 2018. This comprised the first to third seasons of the show.
Shorty and his co-stars brought back vehicles of all kinds, shapes, and sizes to life, and their show was quite popular with the viewing public. There was nothing staged or fake about it, and fans appreciated this. They also appreciated their expertise as well as genuine camaraderie with one another.
Shorty Left Iron Resurrection after the 3rd Season in 2018
Iron Resurrection went on a hiatus in 2019 but returned with full force the next year. Fans were excited to see their beloved stars once again, but there was one conspicuous absence, and that was Shorty.
He did not appear in any episodes of season 4 of the show, and many started querying about his whereabouts. They sent him emails as well as contacted him via social media. There was such an outpouring of love that the man in question had no choice but to clarify his absence.
Why Did Shorty Leave The Iron Insurrection Show?
In a Facebook video posted in February 2020, Shorty revealed that he left Iron Resurrection because he wanted to spend more time with family. He also revealed that he wanted to dedicate more time to setting up his own shop. He thanked fans for their love and left open the door of possibly returning to Iron Resurrection in the future.
Reports show that Shorty became a grandfather around the time he left Iron Resurrection, which explains why he wants to spend more time with family. There is also the fact that he is based in Dallas while the show was filmed in Austin. He was often on the road and wanted to cut down on the time wasted.
Shorty Now Has His Own Reality TV Series on MotorTrend TV
Shorty may have left Iron Resurrection, but he has not left TV entirely. He currently hosts his own reality TV show titled Shorty’s Dream Shop on MotorTrend TV. The show debuted in November 2022 and follows Shorty and his crew members as they work on restoring classic cars. From body work to engine modification, custom paint, and modern suspension, Shorty and his crew do it all. They not only design, but carry out from-the-groud-up classic car restorations.
Each episode of Shorty’s Dream Shop is one hour long. This allows enough time to fully capture the restoration of a vehicle. It also offers an opportunity for the background story behind each vehicle to be shown. Of course, the crowning moment comes when the owner of the vehicle is reunited with their finished cars, which are often eye-popping.
Shorty’s Dream Shop celebrates Latino’s vibrant automotive culture as well as the Latino community’s influence on car customization in the United States. The show has so far been a hit among fans and has an 8.2 / 10 rating on IMDB.
He has Also Opened a Shop in Dallas Texas
Shorty has also opened his own shop in Dallas, Texas. The shop is known as Elite Autoworks, and he co-owns it with his wife. He has several crew members working for him, and they customize vehicles to the taste of their owners.
They also help the owners of run-down vehicles get them back into working condition as well as rebuild or restore the body works of the said vehicles. Elite Autoworks also has an online store where Shorty’s fans can get their hands on merchandise such as hats, T-shirts, beanies, stickers, etc. Javier Ponce, aka Shorty, may have once been a young kid from Mexico, but he is now living the American dream.
