Danny Coker finally named the five worst

employees on Counting Cars, and fans of

the long-running show were stunned.

Known for his loyalty and laid-back

attitude, Coker has rarely spoken

publicly about the people who didn’t

quite fit in at Count’s Customs. But in

a candid moment during a recent podcast

appearance, the car-loving rocker opened

up about the challenges of running a

shop that doubled as a reality show and

the personalities that just didn’t work

out. Dany was quick to say that most of

the crew over the years had been solid,

hardworking, and passionate about cars,

but he added with a laugh. There were a

few that made things interesting. First

on his list was a guy known only as Tex,

a mechanic from Dallas who joined during

the second season. Tex had skills, no

doubt, Dany admitted, but the guy just

couldn’t show up on time to save his

life. Tex reportedly missed multiple

shoots and even fell asleep in a

client’s car during a lunch break. While

viewers never saw him on camera, his

scenes were mostly edited out. Tex

lasted less than a month. He had heart,

Dany said, but it was in the wrong place

at the wrong time. Second was Vanessa, a

custom painter with an incredible eye

for detail, but a tough time working

with the rest of the team. She was

talented, Dany said, but she didn’t like

taking direction. It was her way or no

way. Koker revealed that Vanessa once

repainted a client’s hood without

approval because she felt it looked

better that way. The client wasn’t

happy, and that marked the end of her

brief stint in the shop. “Sometimes

artistic freedom has to meet customer

expectations,” Dany explained. The third

name surprised even the podcast host.

Todd, a fabricator who fans might

remember briefly from the background of

a few early episodes. According to Dany,

Todd had an issue with cutting corners,

literally.

He once welded a bumper using just two

tacks, Dany recalled. We didn’t realize

it until the car went up on a lift and

the thing nearly fell off. Dany said

Todd meant well, but didn’t grasp the

level of precision expected at Count’s

Customs. He just wasn’t built for custom

work. Dany said, “And in our line of

work, that can cost you big.” The fourth

on Danyy’s list was Richie, a young

assistant brought in by a producer as

part of a brief experiment to add a

younger voice to the crew. Dany gave him

a shot, but the chemistry was never

there. He was glued to his phone, didn’t

know a carburetor from a cam shaft, and

kept asking if we could build a drift

car with neon underglow. Dany laughed.

Richie lasted exactly two episodes

before quietly being removed from the

team. Nice kid, wrong planet, Dany said.

The final name Dany mentioned was

someone longtime fans had speculated

about for years. Marcus, a parts runner

turned apprentice builder. Marcus had

enthusiasm, no question, Dany said, but

he broke more tools than he used

correctly. One day, Marcus reportedly

dropped an intake manifold onto a

freshly painted engine, chipping the

paint and setting the project back 2

weeks. That combined with a tendency to

argue with senior builders led to his

departure. You’ve got to respect the

chain of experience, Dany said. Still,

Dany made it clear that even the worst

employees taught him something. Every

person who walked through those doors

added a piece to the puzzle, he said.

Some were lessons in patience, others in

trust, and some were just good stories

for later. Fans might never see these

former team members on screen, but

thanks to Danyy’s rare honesty,

they’ve now become part of the show’s

legacy in a way only Counting Cars could

make possible. Unfiltered, unexpected,

and 100% garage grown.