You probably recognize the beard. Or maybe the precision paintwork. If you’ve spent any time watching automotive reality TV over the last decade, Mike Coy is a face you know, even if you couldn't quite place where he went after the cameras stopped rolling at Gas Monkey Garage. When Tex Mex Motors hit Netflix, it wasn't just another car show. It was a career pivot for one of the industry's most respected painters and lead builders.
Mike Coy is the glue. Honestly, every shop needs a guy like him—the one who actually knows how to meet a deadline while the "talent" is busy doing burnouts in the parking lot. His move to the border town of El Paso for Tex Mex Motors wasn't just about a new paycheck. It was about a different kind of hustle.
Why Mike Coy is the Secret Weapon of Tex Mex Motors
Most people think reality TV car builds are fake. Often, they are. But Mike Coy’s reputation in the Dallas-Fort Worth car scene was built on actual sweat and high-end spray guns long before Fast N' Loud became a household name. He spent years as the lead builder and paint specialist for Richard Rawlings.
Transitioning to Tex Mex Motors, Mike took on a role that felt a bit more authentic to the "scout and flip" culture of the Southwest. The premise of the show is simple but brutal: find "borderland" classics in Mexico, bring them across to El Paso, and restore them for a massive profit. Mike isn’t just there to look good on camera. He’s the guy making sure the body lines are straight and the clear coat doesn't orange-peel in the desert heat.
He’s a technician. You see it in the way he handles a sander. While some cast members focus on the drama of the "find," Mike focuses on the reality of the metal. In El Paso, the environment is a nightmare for builders. Dust. Wind. Heat that cures paint before it even hits the surface. Mike’s expertise is what keeps the Tex Mex shop from spiraling into a series of expensive mistakes.
The Gas Monkey Fallout: What Really Happened?
Everyone asks the same thing: why did he leave?
For years, Mike was the right-hand man at Gas Monkey Garage. He stayed through the departures of Aaron Kaufman and dozens of other mechanics. He was the survivor. But as Fast N' Loud wound down and Richard Rawlings shifted his business model toward private collections and digital content, the "big shop" energy changed.
Mike didn’t leave in a blaze of glory or a scripted HR nightmare. It was a natural evolution. He’s a builder. Builders need to build. When Netflix and the producers of Tex Mex Motors approached him with a concept that focused on the "Borderland" car culture, it fit his aesthetic perfectly. It was less about the "Gas Monkey" brand and more about the grit of the Texas-Mexico border.
He’s still Mike. He still has that dry, somewhat cynical sense of humor that makes him the perfect foil for the more high-energy personalities on the show like Scout and Rob "Rabbit" Pitts.
The Reality of Restoring Cars in El Paso
El Paso isn't Dallas. It’s a different beast entirely. Tex Mex Motors Mike Coy had to adapt to a world where parts aren't just a 20-minute courier ride away.
In the show, the team hunts for "buried treasure"—cars that have been sitting in the arid Mexican climate. The upside? No rust. The dry air preserves sheet metal like a time capsule. The downside? The interiors are usually toasted by decades of UV exposure, and the rubber components crumble like crackers.
Mike's role in the shop is often the "voice of reason." When Rabbit wants to spend $50,000 on a build that might only sell for $60,000, Mike is the one doing the math on the labor hours. He understands that a "cheap" find in Juarez can quickly become a money pit once you factor in the cost of high-quality paint and engine work.
- The Paint Factor: Mike is known for "slick" paint. In the El Paso shop, he has to deal with constant dust management.
- The Deadline: Netflix shows operate on tight filming blocks. Mike is often shown working late nights to hit the "reveal" dates.
- The Team Dynamic: Unlike the massive crew at Gas Monkey, the Tex Mex Motors team is leaner. Mike has more skin in the game here.
Is Tex Mex Motors Scripted?
Let's be real. It’s TV. There are "produced" moments. The "finds" are often scouted weeks in advance by production teams to ensure they have a show to film. However, the mechanical hurdles Mike faces are very real. You can’t fake a bad weld or a botched paint job.
Mike Coy brings a level of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) to the screen that most "actors" in the space lack. When he talks about the chemistry of a specific primer or the difficulty of sourcing a specific trim piece for a 1960s Chevy, he isn't reading a teleprompter. He’s drawing from twenty-plus years in the booth.
What Mike Coy Fans Should Know About the Future
Since the first season of Tex Mex Motors dropped, Mike has seen a massive surge in his personal brand. He isn't just "the guy from Gas Monkey" anymore. He’s a standalone figure in the custom car world.
He spends a lot of time at car shows and trade events like SEMA. He’s also active on social media, where he shares behind-the-scenes looks at his actual work—not just the highly edited versions we see on Netflix. He’s a gearhead's gearhead.
If you’re looking to follow his path or just appreciate the craft, keep an eye on his "Coy’s Customs" projects. He continues to push the envelope on what a modern restoration looks like, blending classic lines with modern performance.
How to Apply Mike Coy’s "Tex Mex" Philosophy to Your Own Project
If you're inspired by Tex Mex Motors Mike Coy and want to start your own borderland-style flip, or just restore your weekend cruiser, here is the reality check you need.
Don't ignore the prep. Mike spends 90% of his time on bodywork and 10% on the actual painting. Most amateurs flip those numbers and wonder why their car looks like a "ten-footer" (looks good from ten feet away, but terrible up close).
Watch the climate. If you’re working in a high-heat environment like West Texas or Arizona, your chemicals react differently. Mike often talks about using different reducers to slow down the drying time of paint so it has time to level out.
Calculate the "Juarez Factor." Just because a car is cheap across the border doesn't mean it's a bargain. You have to account for import duties, transport, and the "unknown" factors of a car that may have been repaired with literal scrap metal in a backyard shop.
The pivot is okay. Mike Coy’s move from a massive, world-famous shop to a smaller, more focused project is a lesson in career longevity. Sometimes, being the big fish in a smaller, more interesting pond is better than being one of many in a corporate garage.
Your Next Steps
- Audit your project: Before you buy a "cheap" classic, do a Mike Coy-style inspection. Bring a magnet to check for Bondo and look at the frame rails for "hidden" desert damage.
- Focus on one skill: Mike is a master painter. Don't try to be a master engine builder, interior specialist, and painter all at once. Pick one, get good at it, and outsource the rest.
- Watch the details: If you're following the Tex Mex Motors builds, pay attention to the "reveal" shots. Look at the gaps between the doors and the fenders. That’s where the pros like Mike separate themselves from the amateurs.