GoGetEmTigers DTF1 ADMINISTRATOR Detroit Tiger
Number of posts : 57424 Age : 65 Location : Eastern Ohio, near Wheeling WV Favorite Current Tiger(s) : JV, Hunter, Jackson, Porcello, Avila (really ALL of em!) Reputation : 20 Registration date : 2007-10-05
| Subject: American Hot Rod - Boyd Cottington Thu Feb 28, 2008 11:13 pm | |
| Car-Building Legend Boyd Coddington Dies
By JEFF WILSON – 1 day ago
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Car-building legend Boyd Coddington, whose testosterone-injected cable TV reality show "American Hot Rod" introduced the nation to the West Coast hot rod guru, has died. He was 63.
Coddington died at Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital in suburban Whittier at 6:20 a.m. Wednesday. His La Habra office spokeswoman Amanda Curry wouldn't disclose the cause of death.
Coddington, who started building cars when he was 13 and once operated a gas station in Utah, set a standard for his workmanship and creativity, with his popular "Cadzilla" creation considered a design masterpiece. The customized car based on a 1950s Cadillac was built for rocker Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top.
"That was a groundbreaking car. Very cool," said Dick Messer, executive director of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.
"This was your modern era George Barris," Messer said. "He did things to hot rods and customs that weren't being done by anyone else. But the main thing is he designed cars that were drivable."
Coddington was a machinist by trade, working at Disneyland during the day and tinkering with cars in his home garage at night and on weekends. His rolling creations captured the imagination of car-crazy Southern Californians and soon he was building custom cars and making money.
Most often, he customized 1932 Ford "little deuce coupes."
"It was one of those things when a hobby turned into business," Messer said, noting Coddington was also "one of the first guys to get into the custom wheel business."
Wheels by Boyd were fetching $2,000 apiece, which was unheard of two decades ago.
Coddington also surrounded himself with talent. Alumni from his shop include Jesse James and Chip Foose, who went on to open their own shops and star in reality TV shows.
Coddington twice won the Daimler-Chrysler Design Excellence Award and he was inducted into the Grand National Roadster Show Hall of Fame, the National Rod & Custom Museum Hall of Fame and the Route 66 Wall of Fame.
Always dressed in a Hawaiian shirt, Coddington said he loved his "American Hot Rod" Discovery Channel show, which featured ground-up construction of $500,000 hot rods.
"The viewers are ... people who lived in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s and loved these cars. Now, they have money," Coddington told The Associated Press in a 2004 interview. | |
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GoGetEmTigers DTF1 ADMINISTRATOR Detroit Tiger
Number of posts : 57424 Age : 65 Location : Eastern Ohio, near Wheeling WV Favorite Current Tiger(s) : JV, Hunter, Jackson, Porcello, Avila (really ALL of em!) Reputation : 20 Registration date : 2007-10-05
| Subject: Re: American Hot Rod - Boyd Cottington Thu Feb 28, 2008 11:16 pm | |
| I loved watching this show and the masterpiece cars he created! I was suprised to see that he passed away yesterday. | |
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TrammMan New York Yankee
Number of posts : 90 Age : 46 Location : Toledo Ohio Favorite Current Tiger(s) : Granderson- NON TIGER Carlos Pena Reputation : 1 Registration date : 2008-02-15
| Subject: Re: American Hot Rod - Boyd Cottington Fri Feb 29, 2008 11:31 am | |
| every show i seen- he didnt do a damn thing other then let that midget stone cold wannabe kiss his ass.
i thought those two treated the workers like crap.
austin | |
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GoGetEmTigers DTF1 ADMINISTRATOR Detroit Tiger
Number of posts : 57424 Age : 65 Location : Eastern Ohio, near Wheeling WV Favorite Current Tiger(s) : JV, Hunter, Jackson, Porcello, Avila (really ALL of em!) Reputation : 20 Registration date : 2007-10-05
| Subject: Re: American Hot Rod - Boyd Cottington Fri Feb 29, 2008 12:02 pm | |
| He was a little over the top in the timeframes he gave his workers to get cars done. And his manager Duane was an idiot. So many workers quit because of Duane's managerial style! At least the great Chip Foose left him and built his own empire! Several other Cottington guys joined Foose who treats his people like human beings, not slaves. Same with Jesse James who went on to create West Coast Choppers.
Last edited by GoGetEmTigers on Thu Sep 25, 2008 9:58 am; edited 1 time in total | |
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detroitwings82 Lakeland Flying Tiger
Number of posts : 903 Age : 31 Location : Ohio Favorite Current Tiger(s) : Todd jones Reputation : 2 Registration date : 2008-08-28
| Subject: Re: American Hot Rod - Boyd Cottington Thu Sep 25, 2008 8:39 am | |
| i wish this qwould still be on btu ow well ..the good shows always gett cancelled | |
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