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The name Gas Monkey Garage surely is well known by any good fan of car-flipping shows of the past decade. By being featured in the internationally famous “Fast N’ Loud” reality TV series, the business headed by Richard Rawlings achieved peak success for almost a decade.
However, following the end of “Fast N’ Loud” in 2020, many people wonder what happened to Gas Monkey Garage and some of its star workers, such as the memorable custom car painter Mike Coy, whose current whereabouts and rumors about his health have been widely commented about online for a while.
So where is he now – is he still working for Rawlings? Was he sick? Keep with us to know all about Mike Coy nowadays!
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Where’s Mike Coy Now?
It’s been a while since “Fast N’ Loud” wrapped up its 16th season in 2020, but life doesn’t seem to have changed that much for Mike Coy.
While some cast members left Gas Monkey Garage for good, Mike split his time between working for Richard Rawlings and for himself. Although it’s not clear what the name of his business is, his Instagram page lets us see he’s apparently settled in El Paso, Texas, often sharing pics of his work garage and his recent projects.
Although he doesn’t share posts related to Gas Monkey Garage, Mike is often tagged on work-related posts by some current workers of Rawlings, such as Chase Fillion. That being said, there’s no sight of Mike in Gas Monkey Garage’s online YouTube series, though in July 2022 he awakened his fans’ hopes of seeing him again on-screen, by sharing an Instagram post which featured some TV cameras with the caption ‘new beginnings’.
Even if there’s no confirmation of him returning to TV any time soon, it’s good to know Mike is currently actively working at what he does best, and even unknowingly rejects rumors about a supposed illness, which were floating online following the show’s cancellation.
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Where Did He Work Before?
Unknown to many, Mike Coy was quite accomplished career-wise long before “Fast N’ Loud” brought him international fame for his paint and fabrication jobs.
As he affirmed in a video shared in a 2014’s Gas Monkey Garage’s YouTube channel, at the time he had been working in the automotive field for over 20 years. According to Mike, he started working on cars while still in high school, developing enough skills to be featured in magazine and shows in SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association): ‘I’ve done quite a bit in this industry, I’m not just some new guy who’s been wrenching at a mom-and-pop shop. I know what I’m doing’, he affirmed.
Mike established his first business – TX Street Rods – in 2011, and while nowadays the business’ status and whereabouts are unknown, knowing his work on those magazines and events was great enough to land him his own business is enough of an accomplishment.
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What Happened To Gas Monkey Garage?
The fame and success Gas Monkey Garage obtained through TV was enough to gain it an internationally renowned business following. However, TV fame can go as fast as it came, so when “Fast N’ Loud” came to an end in 2020, many fans feared Richard Rawlings’ main business was also near its end.
This turned out to be false, but keeping the company afloat wasn’t an easy task either, especially due to the complications of dealing with a pandemic, and losing workers in the process.
The year 2021 saw that Rawlings and Gas Monkey Garage were surely left off the map for several months, barely producing YouTube content fully focused on car building, and no longer having Discovery channel’s cameras around them to ease their connection with their former audience. Nonetheless, as COVID-19 restrictions loosened, Richard made his way back on the road to make Gas Monkey Garage an active business again, collaborating with several motorsports brands, on top of opening the doors for Rawlings to enter the race world as a sponsor. Just as he affirmed in an interview with Forbes in 2022, he doesn’t do anything on a small scale: ‘we just walk into the top, kick the doors in and go ‘here we are’,’ so it wouldn’t be surprising if the business keeps extending to many areas in the near future.
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Why Was “Fast N’ Loud” Canceled?
It’s not usual for reality shows to stay on air for several seasons with a loyal fanbase. One of those rare cases was “Fast N’ Loud”, as it maintained a stable spot on TV from its premiere in 2012, but also did it without changing its concept, and producing two seasons per year from the beginning.
So when Richard Rawlings revealed that the show ‘was no more’ in an interview with the Joe Rogan Experience, it was disheartening to say the least. As he explained in the podcast episode from December 2020, he had resigned from Discovery to become a free agent again, to produce his upcoming projects by himself: ‘It was just the perfect storm so to speak. It was time for me to expand and grow a little bit’.
Explaining that he had already hit the peak from being on Discovery, he found himself with nothing to do with the network, using the time off after the 16th season finale to sort out what he wanted to do with his life and business. It obviously took him and Gas Monkey Garage some time to put things in order, and make some long-awaited dreams come true, such as sponsoring motorsports teams or creating compelling content for YouTube.
Where Are The Rest Of The Cast Now?
Let’s take a look at the whereabouts of some of the “Fast N’ Loud” cast members after the show’s end.
Jason Aker
Known for being Gas Monkey Garage’s foreman for many years, Jason Aker made a name for himself by supervising some of the most successful and mind-blowing restorations made in the business. With a career in the car industry going back to the 1990s, Jason was simply the best option to join Richard’s team, back when he needed a lot of help turning the beaten down twin Firebirds from season four, into pieces worthy of display in a museum.
https://www.facebook.com/JasonAkerGasMonkey/photos/a.161375634348517/161432527676161
However, the end of “Fast N’ Loud” also marked the beginning of a new chapter in Jason’s life, as he was contracted right away by the giant car auction company Barrett-Jackson. In an interview with JC Fernandez from “”, Jason revealed that he was initially doubtful of accepting the company president Craig Jackson’s offer, but upon thinking about it further, he realized it was a once in a lifetime opportunity: ‘Craig is a huge car enthusiast. He’s got a ton of cars, really cool, unique stuff, and so I get to work on his personal collection, that’s a real thrill’, he excitedly admitted.
While this new chapter is a huge step for him, Jason fondly remembers his time in “Fast N’ Loud”, saying: ‘I don’t regret ever taking that. It was the best thing I could ever have done for my career’.
Charles “Sleeves” Cimino
Charles Cimino, also known as “Sleeves”, used to be one of Gas Monkey Garage’s main mechanics. However, not long after “Fast N’ Loud’s” cancellation in 2020, Charles moved to Arizona, where he established an auto body shop.
#SAAS17 is adding some star power to our celeb lineup! Mike Coy, Jason Aker & Charles Cimino of @GasMonkeyGarage will be in SA on Sunday! pic.twitter.com/y0btTtvNfF
— SA Auto Show (@SAAutoShow) November 8, 2017
Even though Charles isn’t shy when it comes to showing his projects on Instagram, the name of his new business is unfortunately unknown. Nonetheless, his shop seems to be thriving, even putting projects together to be auctioned at Barrett-Jackson. Other than that, Charles seems to enjoy his time between working in his garage and attending race events as a guest mechanic.
Jeremy Cheatham
As one of Gas Monkey Garage’s main car builders, Jeremy Cheatham was a fan favorite for sure, during the several years he appeared in “Fast N’ Loud”. Jeremy was more than just a cool guy, as his building skills, which he had been developing since the late 1990s, were outstanding as well.
Looking back at a video shared by Gas Monkey Garage’s YouTube channel in 2016, Jeremy clearly liked working in the shop and learned quite a lot from Aaron Kaufman. While his only complaint was working extra hours, the job was definitely good for Jeremy, as he stayed until the show’s end in 2020. Afterwards, he moved his family to Arizona, where he worked for several car shops such as All-American Chassis and Ceballos Customs, and for the giant chassis manufacturer Fat Fender Garage.
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Nonetheless, in late 2021, Jeremy and his family moved back to Texas, where he took yet another job at Riggs Fabrication $ Restoration. While the reasons for returning home are unknown, Jeremy seems to enjoy his new job, and nowadays spending more quality time with his family.
Tony Cano
Having started his career in his teens, it’s no wonder that Tony Cano was so good at his job in Gas Monkey Garage. Both a car body builder and painter, Tony made a good team with Mike Coy and Keenan Hons, despite the latter’s prolonged absence from the show.
While admittedly a charismatic guy and a fan favorite, Tony definitely didn’t have a chance to show all his talents on screen during his time with “Fast N’ Loud”. That’s why when the show ended, he had no hesitation in put his entire focus on Evo Time Customs, the company which he formed in 2009.
As seen on his social media, Tony’s business is doing well, and even though the content on its YouTube channel is limited, it’s evident he’s trying to make a name for himself in the industry as an independent builder and fabricator. Other than his business, Tony’s social media tells us that he also enjoys racing, and spending time with his family, so a return to Gas Monkey Garage in the near future seems unlikely.
Josh Freeman
His name is one that automotive enthusiasts know well. Not only has his work been featured in several magazines, but also his 1964 C10 Chevy attracted attention at the SEMA show in 2015. His vast talent was readily appreciated through “Fast N’ Loud”, which he considers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in his career, for showing ‘how efficiently a talented builder can build high-end hot rods in such a short time-frame, when all the right pieces are in place and the right tools are available’, as he told StreetMuscleMag in 2020.
https://www.facebook.com/joshfreemanlolometalsmith/photos/a.829272527451282/829273400784528
Besides being an excellent metal builder, Josh is also a family guy through and through, which had been made very evident before the end of “Fast N’ Loud”. His business, Freeman Fabrication, is not only his best platform to channel all his talent and love for cars, but also his personal way to help other people through his non-profit Freeman Foundation, which has the goal of giving back to his community, and ‘raise awareness about the Autism cause’. Josh and his wife Kathryn are especially touched by the latter’s cause, as their son Gage was diagnosed with the disability.
All in all, despite still living in Texas, his return to Gas Monkey Garage is unlikely, considering how busy Josh appears to be with his business, foundation and family.
Chad Isbell
It’s really hard to tell what Chad Isbell is doing nowadays. The now-former Gas Monkey Garage’s parts guy appears to be living in Arizona, but his current professional endeavors are unknown, except for the very rare pics of car parts that he shares. The couple of things his Instagram account lets us see is that he’s apparently taken the nickname Big Hips, and bought a house in July 2022, but other than that his whereabouts are unclear.
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Keenan Hons
While Keenan Hons’ appearances in “Fast N’ Loud” during the show’s later seasons were very rare, he’s warmly remembered by a huge part of the audience, for his outstanding builds. Nowadays Keenan is as talented as ever, and works for KC’s Paint Shop in Texas.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BxAiG02hywu/
Jon “Jrod” Rodriguez
Last but not least, Gas Monkey Garage’s wiring man, Jon Rodriguez is still pretty much doing what he does best. Still living in Texas, Jrod now works for a company named P.M. Standley Customs. Other than that he keeps his family endeavors and personal life mostly in the dark, but it’s great to see that he’s still in the car field, despite “Fast N’ Loud” ending.
New Show
Back when he announced “Fast N’ Loud” had come to an end, Richard Rawlings admitted to having several projects in mind for the following years. Although those plans were held back in early 2021 due to the pandemic, when restrictions were relaxed, and once everything was ready, Richard took the big step and now creates lots of content for his business YouTube channel, starting with online series’ such as “Gas Monkey Builds” and “Beer Walk W/ Richard Rawlings”, on top of many collaborations with brands and companies.
While this new format is evidently not the same as “Fast N’ Loud”, the new crew faces and renewed vibe is something which will surely attract new audiences, while keeping the old viewers entertained as well.
