Ian Johnson built his first off-road vehicle when he was 17 years old – a 1985 Jeep CJ7 that quickly became a serious off-road rig with a V8 swap, custom-built transmission, and one-ton axles. 

He then pursued his career as an automotive technician, obtaining his certification in both Automotive and Heavy Truck and Coach, specializing in driveline repair.

While working at a large GM dealership, Ian had multiple apprentices and co-op students pass through his bay. This sparked his interest in becoming a high school shop teacher. After leaving the trade to complete his diploma in Education, Ian started teaching high school automotive mechanics and welding, creating a successful program that integrated custom fabrication – including building off road tube buggies with his students.

Ian left his teaching job to launch Xtreme 4×4 on Spike TV, the first serious off-road how-to show on the air, and it quickly became the highest-rated show on the Powerblock. For 14 years, Ian was the host, technical producer, and sole on-site builder in over 300 half-hour episodes.