Tex Mex Motors: 8 Similar Reality Shows You Must See

Starring Rob Pitts and Sam Maloof, Netflix’s ‘Tex Mex Motors‘ is a car restoration reality TV show that follows a team of competent professionals who scout for old and scrappy cars in the junkyards of Mexico and transport them all the way to El Paso, Texas, in order to restore them. As they turn junkers into jewels in this feel-good and lively docu-series, we get an insight into what it takes to transform a weary old vehicle into a fully-functional one.

The professionals’ main goal is to create one-of-a-kind masterpieces from pieces of scrap metals and attract interested buyers who would pay a significant amount of cash to get behind these restored works of art. If the gearhead in you just couldn’t get enough of learning about the upgradation of vehicles, you might want to check out these car restoration shows like ‘Tex Mex Motors’ we have listed below.

8. FantomWorks (2013-2019)

Created by Tim Prokop and Peter Rees, ‘FantomWorks’ is a reality TV series that revolves around Dan Short, a former test pilot who has been restoring old cars ever since he was a teenager. After a spell in the Army, he decided to make a living out of his passion for car restoration, after which FantomWorks was born. In this series, we see Short and his team of professionals refurbish various kinds of cars as drama ensues due to personality clashes and angry customers. As you might have gathered, almost all the aspects of the show are similar to those of ‘Tex Mex Motors.’

7. Garage Squad (2014-)

‘Garage Squad,’ just like ‘Tex Mex Motors,’ also deals with a team of professionals, called the Garage Squad, that breathes new life into various old and worn-out cars and gets them back on the road again. They assist the weekend mechanics who lack the time, skills, and resources to get their automobiles road-worthy and functional again. Besides transforming the cars, the Garage Squad also provides their clients with some sound advice to keep the finished product well-maintained. The professionals working in the garage for hours to perfect the restoration of different non-functioning cars is similar to how the professionals in ‘Tex Mex Motors’ work on their projects.

6. Rust Valley Restorers (2018-)

History’s ‘Rust Valley Restorers‘ is a documentary series created by Matt Shewchuk and Tyson Hepburn that focuses on an old-school auto collector named Mike Hall, his friend Avery Shoaf, and his son Connor Hall. They collectively look for scrappy vehicles in the junkyard, just like the professionals in ‘Tex Mex Motors,’ and work on restoring them at their vintage automobile restoration shop, thanks to their experience and impressive skills. After that, they attempt to sell the finished product in the market and hopefully earn a significant profit, which is what happens in ‘Tex Mex Motors.’

5. Iron Resurrection (2016-)

Similar to ‘Tex Mex Motors,’ ‘Iron Resurrection’ follows master metal fabricator Joe Martin and his team of competent professionals who look for rusted-out and broken cars and motorcycles in the Texas countryside. Once they find one, they begin working hard on it at Joe’s shop Joe Martin Customs and breathe new life into it, while we get a glimpse into all the phases of restoration, including design, fabrication, mechanicals, and the final paint job. This process then transforms them into functional and shiny-looking vehicles. The aspects of finding scrappy vehicles and then refurbishing them in a restoration shop are what link ‘Tex Mex Motors’ and ‘Iron Resurrection.’

4. Shorty’s Dream Shop (2022-)

Featuring Javier ‘Shorty’ Ponce, ‘Shorty’s Dream Shop’ is a reality series that documents the professional journey of Shorty and his crew as they take classic cars and restore them into sleek hot rods. Being more than just a job for them, the competent mechanics tend to transform the cars in order to sell them to deserving owners. Since the American Dream is incomplete without a great ride, Shorty and his team tend to bring it to life one build at a time. The dynamics between Shorty and his crew are something you might find similar to the professionals in ‘Tex Mex Motors.’

3. Roadworthy Rescues (2022-)

‘Roadworthy Rescues’ is a reality TV series that follows Derek Bieri who looks for abandoned cars in areas where they lie dormant, just like the competent mechanics in ‘Tex Mex Motors’ scrape to find old cars to transform. Once Derek is done picking the cars, he works to get them running and back on the road again, all while giving a detailed explanation to the viewers of why these cars are still relevant and valuable. The same format of searching, refurbishing, and selling is followed by the mechanics in both ‘Roadworthy Rescues’ and ‘Tex Mex Motors.’

2. Roadkill Garage (2016-)

Featuring the former Hot Rod Magazine editor David Freiburger and former technical staff editor Mike Finnegan, ‘Roadkill Garage‘ is a car restoration reality series that follows David and Mike who use all sorts of tools on project cars and other things to make their own moving violations and meet the Roadkill vibe. As we watch the two work their magic on different cars, they demonstrate how they can manage to do the wrong things the right way. Although there are a few differences between ‘Roadkill Garage’ and ‘Tex Mex Motors,’ it doesn’t change the fact that both revolve around a bunch of professionals working on restoring old cars in a garage.

1. Full Custom Garage (2014-)

‘Full Custom Garage’ is an automotive reality TV series that follows a master car builder Ian Roussel who is known to take on wild projects and create one-of-a-kind vehicles. In each episode, we witness Roussel’s over-creative ideas as his clients put him in a tough spot. So, he is left with no choice but to work his magic under pressure and come up with a finished product that meets his client’s expectations every single time. The challenging projects that the professionals in ‘Full Custom Garage’ indulge in are kind of reminiscent of the ones in ‘Tex Mex Motors.’