BOYD

[John D.]

Boyd Cottington

Well written Rich Thomas. Boyd was one of the good old boys who I first met many years ago at an ISCA event when I used to campaign my old hot rod. He made fun of it because if was all chrome and no go as I recall him saying. But he did take quite a few pics of the car. I got him back by making fun of the way he dressed. He and I were about the same age you know. I will be 65 in a few days.Medicare around the corner.
It is depressing to see so many of our car enthusiasts pass on at such a young age.
I could sit here and post a dozen names real fast. Most of which you would all recognize.
I used to enjoy watching Boyd Cottingtons TV shows. Good entertainment I thought. Acting was decent but not great but I still enjoyed it. I especially liked their state of the art equipment for popping out those wheels. The laser cuters they had were amazing.
RIP Boyd. John D.

[Chuck S.]

Thanks!...

We are grateful for your commitment to our national defense...Stay safe.

[Joe C.]

My Recollection of Boyd Coddington

Although I didn't care for some of his "showboat" antics, I remember one episode of his TV show, which forever endeared him to me.

They had gotten in a Mustang, with a "tired" old Windsor 351-2BBL engine, which was to be replaced. In order to cheer up his crew, he climbed into the car, and power braked it until he blew out both rear tires. This was, all to the cheers and grins of his work/camera crew, from within a huge cloud of smoke.

The man did have a sense of humor.
He did a lot to further the hobby.
Nobody's perfect, but he sure knows how to get "down and dirty" with his guys.

RIP Boyd.

Joe

[Chuck S.]

Re: Boyd Coddington

I liked his show because it did allow you see something inside the custom car business. The overdramatic weekly story line of making an impossible deadline against astronomical odds grew tiresome after awhile. And shop guys...they were total characters: there was the foreman who knew less than his employees (yeah, been there), that reticent CNC arteest that you had to love, and painters...I think he went through a couple of them. And, you got to give the guy credit...who in his right mind would have the "huevos" to employ his ex-wife as the bookeeper-receptionist-shop czarina, and solocit his NEW wife (Boy, didn't he trade up?) for advice on how to build a car.

But...I wonder how much of it was real; I'm thinking maybe it was a prop shop, with prop cars, and prop craftsmen. I always thought..."What a freakin' gig!...one day you're a metal banger making a few bucks an hour, and the next you're a dang six-figure a year TV star, possibly with residuals". What a deal...those guys would've been like these lottery winners you read about; filthy rich today, and "down and out" tomorrow.

Anyone with a real working shop would have to be really depressed at seeing the spotless CLEANLINESS of that place...can't show TV land what a REAL working shop looks like...holey moley! They had this huge shop space with the latest technology, adjacent CNC machine shop with direct CAD interface...and about three cars in progress in the whole building. Come to think of it, maybe it was his real shop, cleaned up...Boyd might have been "windin' 'er down" even as we watched. RIP

[Donald B.]

Re: My Recollection of Boyd Coddington

I also "enjoyed" watching his shows - however the melodrama was a little hard to take at times. Made you wonder how much of it was real and how much was for the cameras. I was always distressed by the "short cuts" that always had to be made to meet those inconvenient deadlines. I often said I would never buy one of his cars because of those short cuts.

I also never had the luck to be at Donut Derelicts in Hungington Beach on one of those rare early Saturday mornings when Boyd would show up with one of his creations - I understand they always drew a crowd.

Often talked about going to shop - which was open to the public once a month - but never made it.

Goes to show - don't delay or you will never do it.

RIP

[Randy G.]

Re: My Recollection of Boyd Coddington

I took the '57 to Boyd's (only about 12 minutes from where I live) for one of his car shows in 2006. They parked me right next to the front door. I had a chance to meet Boyd, Jo, Dwayne, Lee and even his ex. What a group. Jo was the nicests of all and I pray for her and the entire family during this difficult time.

Randy

[Kevin M.]

Re: My Recollection of Boyd Coddington

Did a talk show where he was a guest, invited us all to his shop, never got to take him up on the offer.

Kevin