If Boyd Coddington Didn't Have "American Hot Rod"

on TV, along with it's *drama*, would you respect him as a builder, designer? I recently saw the show on the 10 Top Hot Rods and I have to admit the 'Chezoom', 'Whatheheya', and others in the group really stand out.

Plus, he's won the Grand National Roadster Shows Americas Most Beautiful Roadster award seven times...yeah, yeah, I know he's also been convicted of fraud for registering vehicles in the wrong time period...but wouldn't we all if it would save a buck?

Anyway, just curious...is it the cars or the guy?

 

Yes!!..............oldbeet

 

Honestly...those cars look good due to the handywork of Marcel Delay, the guy who hand crafted the bodies. Boyd might have done the chassis, but he did not design or build the exteriors of those cars.

So, no I still wouldn't respect him as a builder.

 

Check your numbers...7times? Are you sure?

 

Builder no
A dreamer yes

 

He was good at getting the best guys out there to design and build the cars.His shop so he gets the build credit. I don't know how to hire one guy let alone a shop full of people and keep them all gainfully emploied. There must be a ton of design stuff that never gets air time on the show. It would be interesting to see 10 minutes of office work were they are typing up the monthly bill on a project.

 

i used to look up to the man but over the years i've met countless people who have told the same story of them doing work for Boyd and Boyd taking full credit for doing the work himself. i know that happens more often than we all think in this industry but i have a hard time respecting that sort of thing. there is so much that goes into building a car that there is plenty of credit to go around. IMHO.
i think he is realy good at surrounding himself with talented people and that has alot to do with his success.

that said i realy don't have enough inside or first hand information to form a super solid opinion, but my tendency is to believe he has made his reputation and fortune on the blood sweat and tears of others.
he probably has more talent than me or many of the fine folks around here but i'd like to see proof of it before i went out on that limb.

just one idiots opinion.

 

We I don't know the guy personally to judge him and I have heard some fucked up things about him but I don't know if they are true or not, but one of my friends work's for him and he says over all his a great person and easy to work with. He says the T.V show is just full of shit and that the producer of the show is just trying to start drama in the shop, that's why my friend told him and the other camera guys to FUCK OFF and that Dwayne is not a dick in real life like he is on the T.V show. It's just a fucking show.

 

He's hung his name on some nice cars,but I have no respect for him.

 

I'd actually watch the show without all the fake drama.

 

Who cares about Boyd?

 

What did you think of the show with out the drama??

 

He has talent to hire good talent. He is #1 and all others are #3-4 as far as he is concerened. Remember that he burned a lot of people when his original wheel company went belly up. The world would not miss his business if it ever failed. Ask Chip Foose, Jesse James, etc about Boyd's work ethics

 

Touche! J.J.

 

Whether he takes credit for total build or not some pretty cool cars come out of HIS shop. I would watch builds of cool cars, but can't stand the fake shit. I would watch a documentary type show where they show you how trick stuff is done. Maybe Leno will do something when he retires. His site is great, tells the history of the car, talks about special mechanics of it, takes you for a ride. No drama.

 

Putting on flame suit....(ziiiippp)

There are few people here likely to admit it, but if you know your history about the man, Henry Ford, you would find a lot of similarities. Ford took credit for everything and couldn't stand it when those under him got the limelight. He knew how to find the right people to do what he wanted done. The last car Ford himself had any hand in designing was the Model T. After a point its not like ole Henry was actually building anything with his own hands either.

Never understood the intense hatred toward Boyd on here. You'd think he's knocked up some of your sisters while kicking your dog and drowning a bag of kittens.

 

What's wrong with drowning kittens?

 

WHAT THE F*CK IS YOUR PROBLEM...

 

I struggle with the fact that they have some good metal-men, but then cover the car top to bottom in mud. If I was buying a build from him for $200K or whatever, I sure as hell would'nt want a layer of mud all over it!

 

Before the internet, and before the TV show, Boyd made a name for himself in rodding. Like most people that have made a name for themselves, I'm sure he had some help from some very talented people who got little to no credit or have been ignored by history.

I'll admit to having liked a lot of his earlier stuff but times change and the type of car he's known for now isn't my thing. I never met the man so I can't speak to his personality.

I don't really understand the whole "He-man Boyd Haters Club" thing that pops up every time he gets mentioned around here. I'm willing to bet that a lot of the drama you see on the show is fabricated or played for the camera. Point a camera at someone who likes to promote themselves and watch what happens.

I personally don't care to bash the guy nor do I care to spend my time worrying about what he'll do next. Can we let this horse just die already?

 

I met the man @ Frog Follies about 2 yrs ago. And from what I can tell he is a friggin prick. Tried to talk to him before all the crowds got there when they were chillin. Total fuckin ass about "his" builds. My .02 is that if you can't interact with other people like a fuckin human being what good are you.......

 

I met Boyd and Dwyane both at their shop and they were both very nice people.

 

I do have to say that I was out at Pomona last year ad met him, could be that part of the problem sometimes too is the TV side of things... After Discovery channel followed him and the gang around the car show, you could tell that Boyd was like "Ok dudes, just leave us the hell alone so we can be human too.."

He chased off the Discovery Channel guys, and then they mingled a bit more normal amongs the crowd.. Got a chance to talk with Boyd for a few about a few things and yes, he seemed pretty decent to me as well, along with Dwayne and a few of the other guys in the shop.

But all in all, do I "really" know him... no...

I wouldnt bitch if I had his wallet!

Lain

 

Does he have grease under his nails? No
Do I respect him? No

 

Oldcarmike,

I, like some others on this tread have no respect for Boyd Coddington. Why. Well, I had money in his first wheel company and he screwed all of the investors.
Boyd and G. Barris are a lot alike self promoters, self centered and not very friendly. "Glory Boys"

Cruiser

 

I went to his shop on open house day. Jeez, most of the builds are still there. Was there something wrong with the cars?
Another big name builder got "Builder of the Year" (not Boyd) but I saw a car he had been working on for 7 years. What a piece of junk!!! A friend of mine is re-doing the work this so called "Builder of the Year" did. It was a pristine Model A and now it's ruined. So awards don't tell the whole story.

 

I sent my sister and her family visiting from NY to his shop and he gave them a personal first class VIP tour. Starstruck they were, but still cool imho.

 

what do you think lead was used for back in the 50's!

i bet barris would have caked it on too if it was around,like now days.

-danny

 

I met Boyd this weekend in Columbus. He handed me my shit when I parked on Saturday. I Tried to talk to him, it seemed like he didnt want to be bothered (dickhead), his wife seemed very nice and pleasant.
Now let me tell you about Chip Foose. I realize his builds do not fit in this forum, but he is one hell of a nice guy!! My wife ran into him Thursday nite at the host hotel, while he was inline to get a burger. He put his food down and not only gave her an autograph but did a great drawing of deuce on her back and was only happy to do so. We ran into him and his dad several times this past weekend in columbus at the hotel and the show and they always took time to bs with us for a few minutes. Nuthin but good things to say about the Foose guys.