Car-building legend Boyd Coddington dies at 63

[ashleesmach1 28]

:crying:

[Protowrxs 111]

Seriously? They were just in Florida last month or so. What happened?

 

Edit:

Where here is a story:

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jXDIDXZ_rWA9QwirwigoIkmiWSswD8V31V5O2

[1BAD351 21]

yeah its sad to see him go, and really not very old either.

[bswor 77]

Very sad indeed. I wonder what the cause was? It looks like we will have to wait until tomorrow for the full story.

[coz 108]

I heard he had some kind of blood disease... Some sites are really bad mouthing him. I think he did more good than bad for the industry and hobby. He sure helped bring it "mainstream" - depends on whether you think that is good or bad.

 

His show was long on suspense and short on car building but he still put out some nice rides...

 

RIP Boyd...

[Pakrat 1,043]

Wow, that is sad. Boy will the prices of his cars sky rocket over the next few months, I can see alot of owners looking to make a killing over this especially at the next Barrett Jackson.

 

Funny thing is I liked him or at least his cars before the show but once I saw him in action I thought he was a bit of a jerk and couldn't figure out how the hell he became a success. His poor attitude lost him some very talented people over time. I wonder what will happen to the business now.

[70Coupe 10]

wow, words cant even describe right now. yeah was kind of an @$$, and he had some really nice cars, but damn. it still sucks. just makes me wonder whats going to happen once Carroll Shelby dies?

[R4K 10]

Oddly enough, I only watched one episodes of his show...maybe two, but the only one I remember was when that old machinist died at home in the middle of the episode.

[bnickel 10,004]

i wonder why they won't disclose the cause of death. wonder if he committed suicide because of the rep he got due to the show? wouldn't surprise me, really if that happened, but i hope not.

[coz 108]

His company has released a statement stating that Coddington was "a long-time diabetic" who "died from complications that were brought on from a recent surgery."

 

 

<?xml:namespace prefix = v ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" /><v:shapetype id=_x0000_t75 stroked="f" filled="f" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" coordsize="21600,21600"><v:stroke joinstyle="miter"></v:stroke><v:formulas><v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></v:f></v:formulas><v:path o:connecttype="rect" gradientshapeok="t" o:extrusionok="f"></v:path><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit"></o:lock></v:shapetype><v:shape id=_x0000_i1025 title='"Click here to read Boyd Coddington, Remembered"' style="WIDTH: 347.25pt; HEIGHT: 260.25pt" alt="" href="http://jalopnik.com/361403/boyd-coddington-remembered" type="#_x0000_t75" o:button="t"><v:imagedata o:href="http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/12/2008/02/thumb463x_BoydCoddingtonDriving.jpg" src="file:///C:\WINDOWS\Temp\msohtml1\02\clip_image001.jpg"><v:shapetype id=_x0000_t75 stroked="f" filled="f" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" coordsize="21600,21600"><v:stroke joinstyle="miter"></v:stroke><v:formulas><v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></v:f></v:formulas><v:path o:connecttype="rect" gradientshapeok="t" o:extrusionok="f"></v:path><o:lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit"></o:lock></v:shapetype><v:shape id=_x0000_i1025 title='"Click here to read Boyd Coddington, Remembered"' style="WIDTH: 347.25pt; HEIGHT: 260.25pt" alt="" href="http://jalopnik.com/361403/boyd-coddington-remembered" type="#_x0000_t75" o:button="t"><v:imagedata o:href="http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/12/2008/02/thumb463x_BoydCoddingtonDriving.jpg" src="file:///C:\WINDOWS\Temp\msohtml1\02\clip_image001.jpg"></v:imagedata></v:shape></v:imagedata></v:shape>

[Pakrat 1,043]

If I was behind the wheel of that car I'd at least have a phuqin smile on my face.

[coz 108]

yeah - he certainly appeared to be quite the grump. I think most of us would envy someone with that type of job and influence.... I think it's a case of the grass in always greener somewhere else.

 

I gripe about being a cog in the wheel of big business never having control and yearn for the freedom of being self employed and being my own boss while I have a buddy who owns a successful carpet company who wishes he was a guy in a cube in corporate America with no decision making abilities....

[bnickel 10,004]

that was the same "mysterious" answer they were talking about yesterday. they wouldn't say what the actual cause of death and gave that reply and said a formal statement would be forthcoming.

[fvike 173]

I've read on other forums that he was nothing like the TV persona. Hot Rodding has lost a pioneer and great ambassador.

http://www.hotrod.com/whereitbegan/hrdp_0802w_boyd_coddington_death/index.html

[Legion 10]

Like all reality TV, they sensationalize the stuff that draws attention and creates buzz. It probably took them a week of shooting to get 4-5 blow ups. Just think if they filmed most of us with our kids...you know the only footage that would make the show was the yelling and screaming (and for some the arse whoopins), but the kinder gentler tucking your kids in, laughing in front of the TV and throwing football in the backyard would get edited. For some of us, it's about the race...for the rest...it's about the crash.:scared:

[coz 108]

Right on Legion - stress and conflict sell. Just check out the nightly news.

 

As Fvike states he was THE guy when it came to hot rodding.... I doubt the hobby would where it's at now w/o him. I wonder where Foose and Jesse James would be with out Boyd?

[bnickel 10,004]

yeah but doing stuff like that TV show can change people's opinion of you in a hurry, perceived or real, what people see is the TV Boyd and not the real Boyd. i know i lost a lot of respect for the man if fo no other reason than allowing himslef to be portrayed like that on TV. i have a feeling that the show was cancelled because of that as soon as the contract was up though.

 

i also heard that a lot of the drama between he and Chip was mostly ust TV too, but again it's perception not reality and Chip at least did not make a big deal of it on TV like Boyd did, making him the perceived "better" man.

 

my biggest problem with Boyd was not actually his "drama" but that he allowed Duane to treat his employs like that. again it's that whole perception thing, did Daune really treat people like that? i don't know but in my mind he was a total ass and Boyd "allowing" him to do that bothered me a bunch.

 

regardless of how i or anyone feel about the man personally, whether that reputation was earned or not, the hot rodding world and the whole car world in general has lost another innovator in the industry and in my mind without Boyd even our little retsomod/pro-touring world would not exist in the same way if at all without him.

 

one of the first modern pro-touring style cars i remember was Boyd's son's 69 mustang fastback with i think probably the first set of 17" billet wheels ever installed on a mustang or any musclecar for that matter way back in the early 90's. so for that Boyd i thank you and salute you :thumbup: and rest in peace.

 

 

ps, carroll $helby will likely not get the same well wishes from me when he finally hit's the dirt but that's just me

[Pakrat 1,043]

On the same note how much you want to bet they rerun his show now that he's gone.

 

I also heard from someone on an opposite note that Chip supposedly has a reputation of not being a nice guy at all but never shows it on the camera. I find it hard to believe but who knows.

 

B, have you seen Dan's new bumper sticker on the cobra?

 

[bnickel 10,004]

hahahahahahahahah..oooooobawahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.....lolololololol, now that's funny right there, i just spit coke out my nose and all over my monitor.:biggrin: ok my nose hurts now, gotta go

[d.reese 13]

Dude, where have I been? We have heard nothing about it! It is hard to believe, I saw the one about the old tin man myself, show just wasn't the same with out him!

[unfrozen1969 11]

It is a reality that these legends pass on, and unfortunately for some it is before their time. As mentioned in a previous posting, I too wonder how the passing of the great Carroll SHELBY will shake up the classic car industry. The passing of Boyd is a loss to the industry.

 

Bill from Ottawa.

[SELLERSRODSHOP 13]

 

I also heard from someone on an opposite note that Chip supposedly has a reputation of not being a nice guy at all but never shows it on the camera. I find it hard to believe but who knows.

 

naw, he's a really nice guy from what contact i've had with him. in fact, last year at the nats, chip, charlie (the painter) & his girlfriend spent some time sitting under our tent drinkin' a few beers & shooting the s**t along with jesse greening & steve (owner :advanced plating) just seemed like regular guys.