‘AMERICAN Chopper” patriarch Paul Teutul, Sr. opens tomorrow’s season premiere with a roar — by firing son Paulie in a fit of rage.
The scene will shock the show’s fans, who’ve seen father and son squabble endlessly over the years before making their peace. But not this time.
“It’s like anything else. It goes on and on and there becomes a point where it’s like, OK, what do I do here?” Paul Sr. told The Post. “Honestly, this was affecting my health. I just couldn’t take it anymore.”
You can almost see it coming in tomorrow’s episode (9 p.m./TLC), with Paul Sr. complaining about Paulie “really getting under my skin” while building a custom chopper for ex-Rangers great Rod Gilbert.
When Paulie arrives late for work — again — Paul reads him the riot act and cans him after some high-decibel shouting and tossed furniture. Paulie storms out, vowing never to return.
“Don’t forget, it’s been seven years together, doing 26 shows a year,” says Paul Sr. “After a period of time, if things don’t change they just accumulate and that’s basically what happened. But I think people recognize what’s going on — and the fact that Paulie’s lazy.”
Whether father and son reconcile remains to be seen. Paul Sr. hasn’t mentioned the incident while publicizing his new book, “The Ride of a Lifetime,” which includes an introduction by avid “American Chopper” fan David Letterman.