Dave Kiley, also known as “Diesel Dave,” is one half of the Diesel Brothers reality television series. He found fame when the car-themed show began airing in January 2016. He and his partner David Sparks co-founded their custom diesel building shop together and their business has achieved a high level of success.
First, it was an appearance on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, who is also a gearhead. Then getting their own show on Discovery Channel. Dave and Heavy D‘s show has now run for six seasons and over 49 episodes have been released. Still, not many people can say they know much about the reality TV star. Let’s change that.
1. “Diesel Dave” Kiley had humble beginnings
Kiley is a reality television star who is best known for his knowledge of custom diesel vehicle building. He’s had a passion for working on diesel engines since he was young. His journey with cars started with getting his hands dirty at a variety of different local garages to gain the skills and knowledge that he needed to become good at what he does. Over time he learned how everything worked and now he is considered to be a master builder.
2. He is a family man
Diesel Dave is married to Susan Kelly, a realtor, and consultant at Arbonne. The two had met in their young days and have been together ever since. They got married on the most American day, July 4, 2016. The marriage has produced three children. Their first daughter, Saylor Fe was born on January 12, 2017. Their second child, another daughter, was born on September 9, 2018. In February 2023, the couple welcomed Jackson Kiley, a boy. Asides from a life, Dave and Susan also share a love for diesel vehicles.
3. He climbed the ladder of success
It’s easy to look at Dave now and see a millionaire cruising through life but he’s had to sweat for it. When he met David Sparks, aka Heavy D, this was the beginning of a strong friendship and a very successful partnership. The two established their own business together and became successful in their trade. It took years, but he eventually climbed the ladder of success and his estimated net worth is around $2 million.
4. He and Sparks started out on YouTube
After the friends got together and realized that they were good at custom vehicle building, they decided that they should share it with others who might benefit from their work. They made videos of their work and uploaded them to YouTube. The videos were a great idea because they caught the attention of executives at the Discovery Channel and the rest, as they say, is history.
5. He does more than build custom vehicles
In addition to doing custom builds, Dave Kiley and Sparks also do repairs. They fix up old, broken diesel vehicles that are broken and make them new. He is an expert when it comes to diesel mechanics and there isn’t much that he doesn’t know about these types of vehicles.
6. Diesel Dave and Heavy D met at church
The Davids met at a young singles event that was held at a local church. They started talking and hit it off because they had so many similar interests. The guys really bonded when Dave Kiley helped Heavy D out of a jam. He was showing off for a girl and accidentally put regular gasoline into his diesel truck. Diesel Dave helped him to drain the fuel out of his tank so it wouldn’t ruin the engine. This is when their friendship really took off. Heavy D hired Dave to work at his company and the two became best friends.
7. Diesel Dave is proud of his wife Susan
Although he looks like a tough guy, Diesel Dave has a big soft spot in his heart. He is also very proud of his wife and he brags about what a great mother she is. When they made the announcement that baby number two is on the way, he jokingly said she’s such a great mother they’re doubling her responsibilities as a mom.
8. David Kiley is Mormon
Both Kiley and Sparks are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These guys are both men of faith who completed missionaries. This is a requirement before marrying and having a family in the faith.
9. Kiley has two nicknames
David Kiley has gained two nicknames which both speak of the reputation that he has earned throughout his life. His love of diesel cars and trucks has earned him the title “Diesel Dave” and this is the nickname that he is most commonly referred to by. He has another. He has also been called “The Charm.” We’re assuming that it’s because he has had such good luck in his career because he figures out complicated mechanical problems with such ease.
10. They really do give diesel trucks away
There was a bit of controversy about the two Daves which centered around air pollution because of the diesel engines they work on, rumors of disabling emissions controls, and even lawsuits. Some even alleged that their truck giveaways were a sham, but when it all washed out, it was proven that The Diesel Brothers in fact do give trucks away on their show. They purchase junk rigs for a low price and do all of the refurbishing themselves so it doesn’t cost as much as buying one that is already restored.
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