I'm sure the audience of the show will remember their favorite moments on camera, but what Tony and the Hot Rod Garage team will remember are the many, many moments they had off-screen. Tony Angelo and Lucky Costa presented a project building program that contained all the tips, tricks and heartbreakers you would expect from the Hot Rod Magazine team. Mike Finnegan recalls that Hot Rod Garage came after Roadkill and, at the time, he didn't know that any of the shows would turn into hits. We spoke to Tony, Lucky, David Freiburger and Mike Finnegan about their thoughts on Tony's departure and the future of Hot Rod Garage.
In addition to Tony's Hot Rod Garage work, he had worked on the legendary Roadkill with Freiburger and Finnegan. They took Hot Rod Garage to a level they didn't think possible given the budget and time constraints with which the program was launched. Tony and Lucky not only saved a show that wasn't planned to live beyond its third season, but they created a rare and unique experience that made people care about Hot Rod Garage. Tony rebuilt a G-Force trans in record time and turned it into Mike Finnegan's Chevy 55 to save the day and lead the team to win their class at Hot Rod Drag Week.
When it was announced that Lucky would become a permanent member of the Hot Rod Garage family, he had been away from the screen for a while. It was in the second season that Freiburger and Finnegan knew that Hot Rod Garage needed to find their address. Now that Tony has left, it is up to Lucky Costa to take up his mantle and continue the legacy of Hot Rod Garage. He wants to make sure that whoever comes on board knows how to turn a wrench, saying: Almost anyone who enjoys building cars and has a good amount of experience will work.
The future of Hot Rod Garage is uncertain without Tony Angelo, but with Lucky Costa at the helm, we can be sure that it will continue to be an exciting show full of tips, tricks and heartbreakers for car enthusiasts everywhere.
