Richard Rawlings of Gas Monkey Garage / Fast N' Loud. It's 10 AM, I got beer, I'm here. AMA.

You should try to get on 'Top Gear UK' for the 'Star in a Reasonably Price Car'. Get your people on it.

Yeah, you hear that people? Get on it!

Do you think the ladies would rather sit on your face or aaron's face?

Definitely mine.

Did you really fire Tom Smith? If so why?

Yes. Tom Smith was relieved of his duties at Gas Monkey Garage. I'm not the kind of guy that kick boxes and makes dramatic television over the very hard decisions I have to make to keep my business afloat, so many factors contributed and I had to make the decision that was best for my business. I wish Tom the best in his endeavors.

On the show, it seems like whenever you sell a car at auction, you get much less than you hoped. Does Discovery Channel only show the auctions where you lose your shirt, or do you always lose your shirt when selling at auction?

Auctions can be a dangerous place. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Discovery has no input on the cars I buy and sell as they are only filming my actual business. We are not scripted reality, we are reality. This is my livelihood.

Is there any car that is your 'white whale?' A car that you always have in the back of your mind that you are looking for, chasing for, that you never seem to find? If so, what is it and why do you want it? HUGE FAN!

Lamborghini Mira.

Richard! Thanks for doing the AMA. When are you bringing back that smoking hot welder chick?

Hahaha! She's got a permanent job in Detroit, so I don't think we'll see her anytime soon.

How did you and Aaron meet?

Aaron did some work for me when he was 20 years old on a hot rod I had. So naturally a couple years later when I decided to start Gas Monkey, he was my first call.

I love how I can read your comments in your voice and it fits exactly

Cuz I'm actually doing it.

Who has more money? You, or Denis?

Denis right now, but hopefully that will change in the near future.

What would people be most shocked to learn about you?

That I was a police officer, firefighter, and medic all before I was old enough to drink.

Hey Richard! You guys bought the 32 Ford 3-window that was on the show from my dad. We watch the episode every time it's on. Makes me miss my old camaro every time.

Cool! This must be the guy from Oklahoma. I love that car. Aaron was wrong, we should have put a floor in it.

Who would win in a fight: a grilled cheese or a taco?

Definitely the taco. But then it just becomes a grilled cheese taco.

Are you jealous of Aaron Kaufman's beard? If so, what are you doing to resolve this? If not, is he jealous of yours?

Am I jealous of Aaron's beard? No, definitely not jealous. He should be jealous of my face, cuz I'm willing to show it.

Does Aaron's beard have its own ZIP code?

No, it's a beard.

Hello Richard! Would you do another 4x4? I loved the Bronco, and we know Dennis has Jeeps. Second question, Is Sue really as awesome as she seems when she gives you guys hell?

Think you guys could pull off a sick offroader.

Some offroad buggies coming soon, stay tuned. And Sue is as awesome as someone can be that only has 4 or 5 sentences that she can speak.

Remember that landscape girl at the restaurant with the big boulders? Did you ever take her to dinner???

I believe she has a boyfriend...

Hey Richard if you had a theme song, what would it be?

I don't really know. Dammit, now you made me have to pick a theme song. I'll check with Snoop Lion and see what's coming up on his next album.

what was your first flip? And what was YOUR favorite car EVER to flip? AND how many times did ya get pulled overon your Cannon Ball Run record run? Run run run.

My first flip…geez. My first flip was a 1976 Chevrolet Impala. I bought it for $600 and sold it for $1100 at age 15. My favorite is always the one that makes the most money, and right now, that was the F-40 Ferrari that you saw on the show. I never got pulled over.

has a bird ever tried to form a nest in Arron's beard?

I think there's a flock of seagulls in there now.

Hey Richard, Thanks for taking time to do this AMA. I love that you guys like to keep the patina look on many of the cars you build. It has much more character than a shiny new paint job in many cases. Do you see this as just another trend in the hot rod community or more as something that people will continue to appreciate and seek out because of the character a car can have by leaving the patina?

My appreciation for patina stems from an untouched car, original. It took sometimes 30 or 40 years to develop that kind of character on an exterior of a vehicle, so to cover it paint is just something I don't agree with when you have an awesome looking vehicle to begin with. Besides, paint jobs cost money and people don't know how to open their cars at the shopping mall.

Do you think Aaron will ever shave his beard?

He's holding out for a part in a Western.

Richard! Love the show, do you have any plans to expand globally? Im sure there are plenty of great classic Jaguars and Aston Martins hiding away over here in the UK which could be amazing with the Gas Monkey treatment!

I couldn't agree more. We have plans to get out hopefully all over this great world of ours and find those great gems in a lot of countries. Feel free to send us your leads from anywhere in the world!

Any plans to work on a respectable JDM car such as a subaru WRX/STi?

Cannonball run. I don't have a real question but what was that experience like?

Definitely some Japanese cars coming. And the Cannonball Run experience was absolutely awesome but I don't ever want to have to do it again.

Big fan of the show. How much of it is staged, (scripted). Seriously.

Absolutely everything is the documentation of my actual business. These are my cars, what I buy and sell, how I make my living and how I pay my employees and for the building and everything else. The only time you'll ever see anything staged is the camera crew that can't move as fast as I do, so sometimes I buy a car and then we go back and get it and film it later on.

Are all Texans as awesome and drink as much beer as you do?

Fuck yeah we're from Texas!

How long does the average build take? Not necessarily anything from scratch, but rather just a clean up, fix up, and replacement of some of the easier stuff like wheels and shocks and maybe some rust spots.

We aim for 2 weeks.

Hi Richard! What's on your iPod?

Who carries an iPod anymore? I've got Pandora. Motley Crue, 80's hair bands, and back that up with a little Gypsy Kings for those evenings with the ladies.

What is your absolute favorite build you've done, on or off the show?

Also, would you like to make my 2010 SS Camaro fast n' loud? I'm in the process on my own, but by all means if you want to do it for me have at it!

Lastly, my aunt would like to know if you want to go on a date with her, so.. uhh.. there's that.

Big fan of the show, wearing a GMG hoodie right now actually!

Edit afterthought: I also went to the bar and grille with my dad while I was home over christmas break (90 miles from it), it was amazing! Food was excellent and the staff was cool!

My 68 Shelby Convertible. No thanks but we'll have our friends at Magnaflow send you a muffler. Send pictures of aunt.

What advice would you have for someone looking to follow in your footsteps and eventually start their own business flipping cars?

What advice would I have for someone who wants to follow in my footsteps? Perseverance. You're not going to be successful the first time, and if you are, odds are that you'll be hit with trials and tribulations at some point. So always be prepared and never give up. This is said from a true 11 year "overnight success."

Richard great to see you here on the old interweb! No question, just wanted to say I think the show is great and it's good to see a show about flipping cars which isn't just about stupid big TVs or obnoxious sound systems. Your guys work is real, don't go changing!

Thanks for the comments, we're definitely not going to change. And if the big powers at Discovery try and make me, I guess you'll see me on YouTube.

I have a pair of Aaron's sunglasses, ask him if he wants them back!

He didn't know they were missing. Besides that, he probably stole them from me.

Hi Richard! I'm crazy about cars and for me your show is better, then Top Gear :) Is it possible to just enter your garage and see how you work or it is only for customers and gate is always close ? Sorry for language mistakes, best regards from Poland !

Garage is always open! Come on by anytime you're in the great state of Texas, which is in America, not in Poland!

I'm going to the Gas Monkey Bar and Grill for a concert in two weeks. What can expect at the venue?

A fucking good time.

I'm totally not squealing like a schoolgirl over this.

Two questions:

1) Yours and every other car show I watch is in warm weather. Do you think that's a necessity? No snow, sleet, salt, etc.

2) You actually address cash flow on your show. How is managing cash flow different for you?

1. Yes. Who wants to work outside in the snow, sleet, snow and whatever else.

2. Managing cash flow is different for me because cash is my business. I learned a long time ago that you can buy a $10,000 car for $5,000 if you have it in your pocket. So managing cash flow is ultimately important so you have cash on-hand for those good deals that come along.

Hey Richard, What are some of your personal rides? I always see what you all are working on, but never your own personal collection. So what do you have in your garage?

My daily driver is the Dodge 2500 Diesel Truck. And my personal playtoy is my 68 Shelby Convertible Mustang, and it has been on the show.

What do you look for in a car that you like about it when you go to view one before you take it? Apart from no rust :) What is the one thing you would love to have outside the garage or bar n grill to attract customers? I thought the cockpit of the fighter jet was cool.

My mathematics are real simple: I try to find a car that I can buy cheaply that has a potential opportunity to make a profit based on the amount of money that I would have to put into it. E+W+X^{z+@$^} = $$$

I think Motley Crue would be cool.

How much of the money from the television show goes into the garage? Do you try to keep that separate from your operating costs?

All of it. It is one large business and it takes cars you see on the show and cars you don't see on the show to make it work.

Hey Richard! I actually knew who you were prior to Fast N' Loud. I remembered your 2007 Cannonball Run with Dennis. Anyway, the show continues to be great fun to watch. To me, what makes the show is how genuine you are. I watch that and think "Richard is like this all the time, cameras or otherwise."

One of my favorite moments was when you and Dennis went to get that Aston Martin and you just could not get it through your head that it was "Aston" and not "Austin." Wow, that was hilarious.

How's the restaurant doing? I have a few friends that own restaurants and they all say they're a giant PITA.

My restaurant is a giant pain in the ass. It holds 2000 people. But it's doing awesome and it's a great time. Come on by.

Hi Richard, I know you used to own and operate a printing company? How did you get into that business in the first place and why did you get out of it?

I got into that business cuz I needed a job, so I started selling printing and building my own company and selling it. The reason that I got out of it is that somebody with a lot more money than me wanted to buy my company. Simple math, refer to my equation above.

Did you go to school for business? What is your educational background? Just curious...

I barely got out of high school. But the best advice I ever got was when I was having problems in math, and my shop teacher told me math is easy, put a dollar sign in front of all those numbers and you can't afford to be wrong.

What does it take to get fantastic hair like yours?

44 years.

If you came across a 70s Comet or Maverick, what would you do to it?

My high school car was a 74 Mercury Comet, and I customized it then. It had Keystone wheels with Toyo tires. That was all I could afford to customize in high school.

Hey Richard, as a fellow Texan from Lubbock and a gear head, I just want to let you know that you are a marketing genius. However you pitched your show to the network definitely worked because I HATE reality shows, but yours is very entertaining. Have you got any "secrets" on the pitch?

Ahh, Lubbock, that flat spot over to the left. Secrets to the pitch are stay true to yourself and what your ideas are. Mine were deeply rooted in changing the way that some reality television is done, and being much more accessible to the audience.

What is in your current personal collection (car and bikes anyway)?

I've got my 1997 Harley Davidson that I've had it was new, and I've got my 2013 Streetglide, and I have my Dodge Truck and my Shelby Mustang. These are the things I'll never sell. Everything else is up for grabs.

The scenes on the show where you are "negotiating" prices with people feel so forced and scripted. Most of the time it seems to go like this:

• Buyer: I'll buy for $X.
• You: That's too low, how about <some super high price>?
• Buyer: That's too much, how about $X?
• You: You trying to steal from me? I'd be losing money with that price, man.
• Buyer: I'll give you $X.
• You: Ok I'll come down to $X. (usually about in the middle of the two original numbers)

EVERY single one seems to play out like that. How much of that crap is actually real?

A lot of it is actually real. A lot of it comes off as stupid as it does because they are sitting there filming it. But when a guy wants $20,000 for a car, I'm going to offer him $15,000 and we'll meet somewhere in the middle. But I agree, 40-something times of bargaining around cars is getting a little boring. Maybe next time I'll arm wrestle him for it.

Just down the road in Austin, the guy that lives beneath me gets mistaken for your bearded coworker all over town haha. Your show is the only reason I will ever watch regular tv anymore. Keep it up!

Thanks a lot! Keep Austin weird.

Which would you rather fight: one horse-sized duck, or 100 duck-sized horses?

The giant duck. And my reasoning for that would be that it's easier to kill one of anything than 100 of something.

besides being at the Reddit office, what brings you to the east coast?

I'm here doing press for the new season coming out March 17. Did I say that? March 17, new season? Watch on March 17? watch it.

My work is done here. Where's the bar.

Can i have a job. Ill buy u a case with my first check

Buy the case first, wrap it in your resume, and then we'll see.

Are you married?

No.

Hey Richard, huge fan of the show.

Do you dramatize your budget situations for discovery channel (if so, how much)? I realize the car flipping business is about finishing up one car and moving onto the next in order to keep cash flowing, but sometimes it seems like you're super stressed about a 10-15k dollar build and then go do something with a 6 figure car a couple of shows later.

Also, does next season get back more to your roots of car flipping? While last season's smokey and the bandit and flugtag episodes were still entertaining, I think most people prefer watching you guys do what you all do best.

What you don't see on the show is all of my current inventory. So if I seem stressed about something small, it may be that I have 20-30 cars in other inventory, and I'm worried about getting 'em done so I can go and buy more. I don't let Discovery control any part of my finances or script my show. What do you think I am, one of those other shows you watch?

I agree but we also gotta get out there and have fun every once in a while. So you'll see a little bit of everything in the upcoming season, EXCEPT you won't see me get mad and curse and kick boxes! March 17.

Hey Richards. Dang good show you guys do.

Question ; What car do you regret selling/flipping and not keeping?

The first car that Gas Monkey ever built, a 1952 Chevrolet Fleetline. Sold it twice, bought it back both times, sold it again. And watch the show, it might be back.

hi, what do you think of the hot-rod abroad, and are there models of French vehicles which shall tempt you to customize?

Hot rodding is a universal language. So I'm sure that there are vehicles in every country that I could find something to customize about. So sure, buy me a ticket and I'll fly over there and check out the cars. Plus you guys got good-looking ladies over there.

I know what you like on the show but other than work what are some of the things you like to do not car related? Plus, when is your birthday?

My life really centers around my business so it's hard to pick anything that I do that is not car or motorcycle related in some way, shape or form. My birthday is March 30th, in a few weeks, so send presents.

Want to build me a Bike? Send it to Brisbane, Australia so I can retire my kangaroo? shes getting too many k's Mason.

Sure! If you've got the money we'll build it and send it.

Hey Richard! Thanks for the opportunity for us to ask you some questions.

What's your dream car to own?

What's your dream car to restore/customize?

Lamborghini Mira. Anything with a great story.

Love the show Richard! Two questions:

What does it take to get a shot working in your garage?

If someone had an eye for cool, but no capital, how would they get into the car flipping business?

If you want to work in the garage, you gotta talk to Aaron.

Get some capital. Start small, work your way up.

Are you single? Are you ready to settle down?

I am single. Having a good time. Always ready to settle down with the right one.

Hi Richard, How do you find all these great cars and do you know how to find a car pre 1980 with a VIN or Plate Number.

Finding a car with a VIN prior to 1980 is going to be really hard because most states have purged their records. Best bet if you're looking for a certain car is to find out who insured it back in the day, the insurance company is more likely to have a record of who insured it back in the day but they don't keep a record of where it went.

Describe your perfect woman!?

As intelligent as she is beautiful. And as caring as she is smart.

If you had to drive one car everyday for the rest of your life what would it be?

The red Ferrari from Family Vacation with Cindy Crawford in it.

Will you race me?

In what? on what? Oh never mind, I win.

Why haven't you guys restored a 68' Charger Rt?!?

As I've said many times, mopars are a-coming!!

How did your garage get picked up to be a TV show? If you sent in an initial demo tape, can we see it?

I pitched the TV show for close to 7 years before getting it picked up. As far as the original demo tape, there's no telling where it is, probably upstairs in the attic on VHS.

What gave you the idea to turn that Mustang into a rally-style car?

That comes from the Thomas Crown Affair starring Pierce Brosnan, where he got off a private plane in the islands and had that car. With Renee Russo, that was her.

What is your favorite cruising music?

The sound of a well-tuned motor and the wind going by. Quit jacking up your experience with iPods.

What's with the lack of quality mopars products on the show - would rather see a dodge demon or a Plymouth GTX than another mustang or camaro

Many mopars coming!

Are you guys invited back to the National Red Bull Flugtag?

Hell yeah we are!

Hey Richard! I am a big fan of the show and an aspiring mechanic. I just wanted to know where your passion for auto-mobiles started from. Also what was your first car?

My dad. My dad always had cool hot rods and motorcycles around. And my first car was the 74 Mercury Comet.

Hey Richard whats your favorite build of all time?

One that we've done on the show, or my personal favorite build of all time?

Richard, thanks for doing this AMA. Any plans to do another muscle type truck build like the Dodge or the Frankenstein Ford, maybe a Chevy this time though?

Probably doing one right now!

I was wondering if you and Dennis have done anything with that car you saved from the crusher?

Not yet. But we're going to. We did verify all of its history, and it is the real deal.

If you had access to the Ford Sierra Sapphire in the US, what would you do to make it Fast 'N' Loud?

Send it back.

Would you take an '03 VW Beetle and customize it? I want a customized one and I love Gas Monkey's work

We don't really work on vehicles that new. But you could do the cheap flame job. Pour a gallon of gas on top of it and throw a match.

My uncle is a firefighter in the Dallas area, and we got talking about the show one day. He started to tell me about how he used to go to paramedic school with you many years back and that they actually had their own nickname "Hollywood" for you because of your crazy antics and that you eventually got kicked out. So what happened? I can't imagine you working in the back of an ambulance

Hollywood is a nickname I had. And I was definitely not kicked out of medic school. I finished and went on to work in Coppel for four years.

Love that you bring your dad on the show. He seems like a really cool dude! What's the best advice he ever gave you?

Work hard, get a good job, stay there 'til retirement.

I didn't listen.

Hey Richard, what newer vehicle (aside from the obvious ones, Mustang, Camaro, Challenger, SS, Charger, etc) do you think will be most collectable years down the line? And have you ever considered getting a FWD car, converting it to RWD and dropping a massive V8 into it to create the ultimate sleeper?

As far as the first part of the question, it's very hard to guess at what's going to be popular in the future especially with the electronics and the plastics they use these days. As far as the second part of the question, I'll wait until somebody else does that and we'll see if that works for them.

What's your take on the Dallas PD trying to shut down Cars And Coffee. I know you and others in your company frequent the event. Do you agree or disagree that it has gotten to big and its a safety hazard now. Also thanks for bringing the F40 and your 599 a few months ago! VIDEO.

Haven't heard anything about the Dallas PD trying to shut down Cars and Coffee, so I can't comment on that! But we are starting cars and brunch, right after cars and coffee, each month at the GM Bar and Grill. Shameless plug, thank you very much.

Why do you call yourself Gas Monkey, and use an ape as the mascot?

We call ourselves Gas Monkey because Gas is for cars, and Monkeys are irreverent characters who are getting into trouble. And it's not an ape, so that's why it's Gas Monkey.

Is there a car out there that finding in mint condition, would truly surprise you?

I'm sure there's plenty of them. And I'm sure they exist. If you run across one, please tell me where it's at.

If you were stuck on a deserted island, what 3 things would you want with you?

Let me refer to my "stuck on my deserted island book" and see what the most useful 3 things in a poll of 1,000,000 people who have been asked this question probably today.

My guess: Beer, beer, woman.

I would say that's very close.

What's that crazy little dance you do after getting them free wheels for the Ford Galaxie??

That's a little something I call the Clark Dance. Learned that from my friend Clark Cornwell.

Hey Richard, I was wondering if there is a certain vehicle you or A-ron will not touch with a 10 foot pole? If so..why?

Four doors and long beds. The resell value sucks.

What would you say is the best classic car for a good road trip experience while mostly keeping in line with the law?

one you know how to work on.

I know you travel all over the USA, but do you ever get the chance to travel to other countries? If so, what is your favorite place that you've been able to visit? What's your dream destination for vacation?

I'd really like to go anywhere in the world. Send me a ticket, I'll show up!

Richard have to ask where did the signature Scarf come from?

I don't know that I have an answer as to where it comes from. I'm asked all the time why I wear them, and I say, well they make 'em, they sell 'em, I wear 'em.

You sir, have inspired me to start flipping cars. First bringing some down to Mexico. Although should I start drinking more beer? Thoughts?

Beer helps with the pain of losing money when you make the wrong decision. It also helps with the celebratory nature of when you make the right decision. See? You just can't go wrong.

How much of the time crunch you seem to always have on builds is because of tv shooting schedules?

Our time crunch is directly related to overhead. We try to build each car we build in 2 weeks or less because that gives us a finite number of investment into the car.

Richard, Now that you have built such a strong brand, have you ever thought about opening Gas Monkey Garages in other cities?

I'm always open to other business endeavors. But we try to keep things close to home.

Hey Richard! Thanks for doing this AMA. My question is: How hard is it for the monkeys to clean all the rat shit before making a build?

You'd have to ask the Monkeys, I didn't do that. It looked horrible.

I'm curious why you started loading the show down with stars and fake situations (ie. Mark Cuban, the whole Bandit episode) and got away from showing actual builds on camera.

The first season was amazing because it was about cars, not drama, but now it seems to be more about drama and not showing actual work done on the cars.

Do the "semi-scripted" shows do better in the ratings or something?

Ok, first of all, I disagree with the drama. We did build a car and sell it to Mark Cuban, who is giving it away next month for his charity. We did build a transom in the Bandit Trans-Am episode and thought it would be funny to have a little bit of a spoof on the bandit. And I was personally responsible for calling Burt Reynolds, because it was a life-long dream of mine to meet him, he was my hero as a kid. Thanks for picking out the two as you call it "scripted dramas" that we added to our show of 49 episodes so far.

I have a buddy who has a thing for Panteras. Would you ever touch a Pantera? We done some reading up and it seems like it takes $25,000 to get a running one.

What is your take on a Pantara?

You don't watch the show very often? We've had 4 on there. I love Panteras.

How are you so like able? Are you the same off camera as you are on???

I think my likableness comes from the desire to learn from others. And really understand where they are and who they are and where they come from. And I'm exactly the same onscreen and offscreen. Come have a beer anytime.

What is the most that you have ever lost on a vehicle?

All of it.

Hi Richard, do you guys have mk2escorts in the US? And if so any chance of putting some Gas Monkey flare to one in the future?

No, never.

Have you any intention on coming to the UK soon?

And Canada for that matter - this was THE show to watch on Discovery Canada and then suddenly all they play are old 2012 reruns at 3am on Fridays, what gives?

All new shows coming out soon. Sorry about Canada.

What made you decide to branch off into the bar business?

It's pretty simple really: everybody that works on their hot rod in their garage probably has a fridge full of beer and a barbecue pit in their backyard, so my fridge and barbecue are probably just a bit bigger than the average guy's.