Richard Rawlings and his team over at Gas Monkey Garage have become world icons for their incredible builds and entertaining performances on Fast N’ Loud. The Gas Monkey name can now be found in pubs, restaurants, and even a Monster Jam monster truck, emphasizing just how great their reach is around the globe. It’s safe to say that nearly every car to leave the Garage has been a work of art, but here’s our top 10 picks on the coolest classic cars built by Gas Monkey Garage.
10 1962 Ford Galaxie 500
Bought ready to run and in relatively decent condition, this Ford Galaxie didn’t seem to need much work, it even included an aftermarket big block. After rebuilding the engine and repainting the exterior, the Gas Monkey Garage used mostly stock parts to get her on the roads again.
What makes this car stand out is its clean OEM look, perfectly complimented by a dark exterior and interior combination. Paired with that V8 goodness and low-rider stance, there’s certainly enough reason to love this build.
9 1967 Cadillac DeVille
Built for Todd Graves of Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, the car got a full interior overhaul, a brand-new engine and fresh suspension. Sprayed in a stunning glossy red paint sitting on new large red wheels to match, and the “Big Red Caddy” made for the perfect hauler for the Raising Cane’s mascot, a dog named Cane.
This build particularly stands out thanks to its bright paint, large wheels and white tire walls, making it an all-round perfect head-turner.
8 1968 Dodge Coronet 500
Taking Richard back to his high school days, this classic muscle car was worthy of celebration. Before the build had even begun, Aaron Kaufman accidentally drove into it with a RAM pick-up, damaging the front left corner. Nevertheless, the car ran well, and only needed minor adjustments and modifications.
The team opted for a custom offset, pushing the rear-wheels out for a greater stance. After being finished in a fresh new silver paint, the car looked as good as it did rolling off the assembly line – maybe even better thanks to the GMG treatment.
7 1972 Buick Riviera
With only 40,000 miles on the clock and no rust in sight, Richard had found himself the perfect ’72 Buick Riviera to start working on. Richard wanted this car to spread the word about Gas Monkey Garage, so he spared no expense or time in allowing his team to get it perfect.
With five months to play with and a crazy budget of $300,000, the possibilities were limitless. The car didn’t fail to wow with its supercharged LT4, carbon fiber parts and a chopped top, all coming together to better compliment that low-rider visage.
6 1975 Datsun 280Z
This was quite the special build, being the very first import build the Garage had ever taken on. Thankfully, they understood the assignment, perfectly encompassing JDM culture into the final product while maintaining the style and workmanship Gas Monkey has become so greatly praised for.
The 280Z features a stunning green paint job, wing mirrors on either side of the hood, large bronze rims and a widened stance. It certainly would fit in just fine on the streets of Japan!
5 1967 Chevrolet C10
The C10 is a highly sought after platform to build on within the American market. It’s big, it’s heavy, and it looks great dropped to the ground, and Gas Monkey’s C10 may be one of the best C10s on the road today.
Wearing a gray and black two-tone scheme, the C10 may not have the most stand-out colors. Pop the hood, and that’s where things get exciting. The engine bay and the inner hood are all painted in a bright red color, matching the redone interior. Powered by an LS3 crate engine, this C10 will have no issue sending hoards of power to those 22-inch Rotiforms on the rear.
4 1968 Ford Mustang
When you visualize the Ford Mustang, you think of a street running muscle car, maybe you imagine something capable of drag racing, or possibly the image of a car going sideways comes to mind. In this instance, Rawlings had the idea of recreating an off-road monster.
Inspired by The Thomas Crown Affair, this ‘Stang was built during the lockdown by Chase Fillion. Not only was it jacked up, it featured a roll cage, rear spare wheel, flared arches and spotlights, all replicating the car from the movie.
3 1972 De Tomaso Pantera
A car not too unfamiliar to the Gas Monkey team, the Pantera offered a cheap and usable platform for modifications. This particular example, however, got a full overhaul. Powered by a 3.5-liter Ford EcoBoost which had been swapped in by the team, achieving 475-horsepower at the wheels, the little sports car was no slouch.
The car looked the part, retaining that ’70s mid-engined sports car style. The car was graced with coil overs, rocker extensions, Alcantara inserts and a MOMO steering wheel among other upgrades.
2 1991 Ferrari F40
No, your eyes do not deceive you. This is a genuine Ferrari F40, considered by some to be the best supercar ever made. The team at the Garage decided they could do a little to make it just a bit better.
This F40 was actually a salvaged wreck, still costing Gas Monkey a ridiculous $400,000! A further $295,000 later, and the car is blacked out, fully repaired, and sold to a baseball player. Nowadays, the car has switched hands a few times, even finding itself on auction once again a few years after its initial sale.
1 Hot Wheels 1968 Chevrolet Corvette
You may have to look at that picture twice. It’s actually not a scale Hot Wheels car, but rather a full-sized version of what looks like a classic Hot Wheels toy.
The build itself was commissioned by Hot Wheels, and was even sold as a 1/64 scale too. The details the team put into this car is astonishing, from the larger wheels at the rear to the red lines around the tires. The gold paint pays homage to older Hot Wheels models, and the car perfectly replicated the style so iconic to the brand.
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