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Boyd Coddington All Speed Expo Event

Boyd Coddington All Speed Expo Event

  • May 16, 2015
  • Boyd CoddingtonBoyd Coddington Detail GarageBreaking News

Boyd Coddington Garage® has become the title sponsor of the Boyd Coddington All Speed Expo Event

Kansas City, MO – May 16, 2015 – The All Speed Expo & Boyd Coddington Jr. today announced that Boyd Coddington Garage® has become the title sponsor of the Boyd Coddington All Speed Expo Event, which will be held on November 21-22, 2015 at the KCI Expo Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

“To have the Boyd Coddington name attached to our event is really exciting”, said All Speed Expo Co-Founder, Russ Dickey. “He represented multiple generations of custom car builders, hot rodders, and automotive enthusiasts who see cars as more than just point-A-to-point-B transportation. To many of us, they are a passion and a lifestyle. Boyd Coddington Jr. and Boyd Coddington Garage® continues to carry on the legacy.”

The All Speed Expo will encompass both a trade show and a car show. Car builders, restoration shops, racing fabricators, parts manufacturers, and many other performance automotive & truck specialists will be able to display as well as sell their products and services to the public. The car show portion will be invitation-only and feature a limited number of vehicles and classes, with the sole purpose of awarding the prestigious “Coddington Trophy” to the finest cars in the region.

The Boyd Coddington Detail Garage® display at the All Speed Expo will showcase a number of Coddington’s famous hand built custom cars and hot rods, some of which are rarely seen by the public, plus brochures and apparel. Some of Boyd Jr.’s All Star friends will only add to the excitement. One lucky recipient will carry home the prestigious “Boyd Coddington Memorial Award”, which will be chosen and awarded by Boyd Jr. and the team at Boyd Coddington Garage®

“We are very excited about the alliance we have created with The All Speed Expo. Through their world-class car show, Boyd Coddington Garage® will be able to continue my Dad’s vision and passion for hot rod and custom car industry he so loved. Through the All Speed Expo, I hope to insure that the Boyd look™ will live on and my Dad’s influence will continue to flourish and remain not only within the hot rod industry, but his innovations and influences that inspired the entire aftermarket industry.” stated Boyd Coddington, Jr.

ABOUT THE ALL SPEED EXPO – The All Speed Expo is the Midwest’s premier performance automotive and truck trade expo, where exhibitors showcase services and products directly to the gearhead public. It also plays host to the King of KC car show, where the finest custom and restored cars & trucks in the region compete for top honors. More information at www.allspeedexpo.com

ABOUT BOYD CODDINGTON GARAGE – Boyd Coddington Garage® was founded by Coddington’s eldest son, Boyd Jr., and encompasses multiple businesses and full service licensing for the brand. In 2013 Boyd Coddington Garage started an automotive design studio in order to focus their efforts on the company’s new high-end line of automotive detailing products, Boyd Coddington Detail Garage® which was announced at last fall’s SEMA Show and a high end line of hot rod and muscle car accessories. The Boyd Coddington brands are known as the design leader and the premier brands for unsurpassed quality. For more information visit Boyd Coddington Detail Garage at boydcoddingtonsgarage.com.

Detail Garage Limited Edition Wax

  • April 20, 2015
  • Boyd CoddingtonBoyd Coddington Detail GarageBreaking NewsHot Rod Gallery

The Spirit Of Boyd Limited Edition Wax

Available 7.20.15

“The Boyd Coddington Companies” have persistently remained the leaders in the industry due to our innovative approach and dedication to stay at the forefront. Today, to honor the memory of Boyd Coddington Sr. and to celebrate the launch of our brand new car care line of products, Boyd Coddington Jr. and Boyd boyd-billet-jar2Coddington Detail Garage® will be offering an exclusive limited edition Carnauba Paste Wax, which comes packed in a Kustom billet aluminum container. We want to unveil this project in the same manner, Boyd Sr. would originally have, a product that has his name, and something that every collector would love to have.

The quality of this Limited Edition Wax is unmatched and features pure raw ingredients. Moreover, it has all the style and attribute that’s typical of Boyd Coddington® by being neatly packed in Kustom 6061 T6 billet aluminum container. The signature wheel found on the lid is a special touch that only Boyd Coddington Garage® can offer. The container features a special airtight billet lid that consists of 5 sunken bolts made out of titanium, which can be removed with the help of a Boyd® Branded tool.

The Spirit Of Boyd Project Overview

It’s in the Coddington nature to be fixated on taking the ordinary and making it extraordinary. Always keeping in mind, customers are our first priority and we strive to offer them the best products. We have made it a habit of meeting car enthusiasts and collectors who not only motivate us to create great products, but have become good friends and long-time patrons. In fact, a long time hot rod customer and good friend suggested the concept of the Limited Edition Wax. This customer has a collection of Boyd Built™ hot rods that are some of the earliest hot rods we ever built. What makes these hot rods even more special now, is that all of them are detailed exclusively with the Boyd Coddington Detail Garage® products.

The Formula

While dealing with the professional detailers, we realized that it is quite crucial for the product to be produced from the best ingredients the earth has to offer. The key ingredient used in this wax is the Brazilian Carnauba. Part of the secret formula that makes this product the best in the market is that it contains more carnauba content. In addition, we use a revolutionary and proprietary filtering process and added a perfect blend of exotic oils collected from different parts of the world. Because the container is manufactured from 6061 T6 billet aerospace aluminum, it also provides as a sealant that will give the wax an extended shelf life. Depending upon the climatic and how you use it on your car or hot rod, you can expect a good protection of 6-12 months. The Spirit Of Boyd carnauba wax is a 100% “Made in the USA”, and we will only produce 499 containers to be able to provide the best quality wax, and to insure the maximum value of the collectable container. Three containers are scheduled for auction with a fixed amount of the proceeds donated to the Elway Foundation.

Boyd-billet-wax-jar.1036061 T6 Billet Aluminum Container

Our goal was to create the most unique container the automotive car care industry has ever seen. Apart from the wax itself, we had to create a revolutionary product combined with the most sought after billet collectable we have ever created. We designed the lid so that the lug nuts actually fit into the PCD of the wheel in order to make the canister airtight. The airtight canister also ensures longer life of the product, and prevents it from getting contaminated.

Our Final Product

Waxing is the way to a perfect shine, and when it comes to Boyds Limited Edition Carnauba Wax, its pure natural Carnauba ingredient ensures optimum shine. It contains zero synthetic compounds and no cleaning properties. It’s a formulation of beeswax, natural oils and waxes, and involves the use of our perfected refined petroleum distillate. Apart from giving best protection, the Boyds carnauba wax has been specially created to ensure a perfect finish that details the depth of the paint and its warmth.

In the early R&D of this product, we gave car care enthusiasts and detailing professionals samples of our refined & formulated waxes to find out which sample they thought was the best. It’s because of their valuable feedback that we were able to create the Boyds Limited Edition Carnauba Wax. It’s the perfect product for those who want a show winning shine, and a collectable that is sure to be a piece of Boyd Coddington history.

Some Key Features

  • The Perfect combination of natural oils and 100% Brazilian White Carnauba.
  • The unique proprietary filtering procedure ensures refined wax of optimum quality.
  • Comes in a Collector’s edition 6061 T-6 aluminum billet container.
  • Each container is numbered and issued with a certificate of authenticity
  • Limited production, only 499 will be produced!
  • Tested by world-renowned detailers of luxury cars, concept cars & hot rods.

Call us now to pre-order yours. Each Spirit Of Boyd Limited Edition Carnauba Wax carries with it a matching numbered certificate of authenticity. For those who warrant the best, this is a prized possession.

 

 

 

Jamie Musselman’s 1933 Roadster

  • April 9, 2015
  • Boyd CoddingtonBuilt By Boyd CoddingtonHot Rod Gallery

Jamie’s 1933 Roadster “The Roadster”

Driven by passion for automobiles, it was the persona of Jamie Musselman who started the trend of patrons that were ready to provide fabricators with virtually limitless amounts of money for the manufacturing of “ultra rods”, from the 1980’s to present-day times. Among Coddington’s earliest customers, Musselman, a San Antonio oil entrepreneur and virtuous car collector, with a genuine appreciation for motorcars. Similar to Boyd, his approach to hot rods was like a religious calling. In 1981, he approached – and funded – Boyd, and commissioned him to build a 1933 roadster.

Originally drawn by automotive artist legend Thom Taylor, and simply known as “The Roadster”, the hot rod represented a point of reference for Coddington, as not only did it establish him as a major contender in the industry, but also raised the standards by which all future hot rods would be judged.

Boyd Coddington group of hot rodsFar ahead of its time, the rod featured a custom drive train, consisting of a hand-fabricated unequal-length-control arm front suspension and an independent rear suspension that originated from a Corvette, but enhanced with chrome-moly half-shafts and control arms as well as hand machined hubs.

A visual masterpiece, its aesthetics were augmented by hand-fabricated rocker covers, and the very first Boyds Wheels centers machined from 2024 billet aluminum produced by Boyd from his favorite Bridgeport mill, whereas the interior was fitted with hand built seat frames covered with fine Italian leather.

Coddington modified 1933 Roadster grille and cowl angles until it matched the rake of the windshield, while at the same time lowering the cowl in order to produce a powerful straight line that ran all the way from the top of the grille to the rear of the vehicle. Representing much more than what first met the eye, The Roadster’s appeal lied beneath the surface layer.

Making its premier apparition at the 1982 annual Roadster Show in Oakland, California, The Roadster was not noticed by motoring professionals and builders, as a show car, based on its unprecedented clean looks. However, the 5.8 liter, Chevrolet V8 powered machine was a perfectly functional, road worthy performance automobile that “ran better than my 928 Porsche”, as Musselman himself stated. Standing out as the most influential custom car event on the territory of the United AMBR-TrophyStates, the Oakland Roadster Show yields more influence over professionals and enthusiasts alike, than any other American rod show. With roots set deep in the past, its first edition took place in 1950 and each year it grew in membership and importance, until it reached the pinnacle as “the show” at which any builder striving for recognition had to attend. In the world of coach-builders and fabricators, taking the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster award represents an honor unrivaled by anything else, being the equivalent of being awarded an Oscar or securing the leading podium position at the end of the Indy 500.

Shock and awe was instilled into the other builders and fabricators, as the hot rod commissioned by Musselman took the coveted AMBR award. The Roadster represented one of the numerous subsequent examples of cars manufactured by Coddington to reach standards for the fabrication of custom cars and rewriting them all over again. Prior to the hallmark year of 1982, any hot rod builder that had a garage or back yard at his disposal could have a genuine chance of securing the AMBR trophy. Once the Coddington hotBoyd coddington_jamie_vern with 33 ford roadster rods were in the spotlight, the rules of the games were forever changed and the echelon of competitiveness set new grounds for both the cars and the builders. It was virtually impossible for anyone working part time on a hot rod to dedicate in excess of 600 man-hours at $65 an hour for bodywork and paint jobs alike or thousands of hours for machining forged aluminum into complex elements such as engine mounts, one-piece pedal kits or door hinges. Despite being the ones to give birth to the rodding scene, the small time fabricators saw their prized possession taken away from them as wealthy patrons with money to burn represented the end of an era for the former category.

As both Coddington and Musselman considered themselves hot rodders to the core that merely combined money and talent in order to push the hot rod envelope to further stages of development, they felt that the criticism they received for “diluting” the purity of the hot rod concept was unwarranted. After all, the AMBR award did not come with any remuneration and the ultra costly hot rod marketplace didn’t exist. Jamie’s interests didn’t reside in gaining any monetary satisfaction his goals surround himself with a unique collection of hot rods.

Since 1982 this patron-and-artist relationship produced sixteen cars, with price tags ranging from $85k to $130k. Contrasting from some of the exotic machines Jamie has owned, Ferrari’s and Porsche’s, the Boyd Built hot rods remain his personal favorite, as they represent the perfect balance between aesthetic purity and function.

46 Ford Convertible

46 Ford Convertible

  • March 3, 2015
  • Boyd CoddingtonBuilt By Boyd CoddingtonHot Rod Gallery

Buz Divosta’s 46 Ford Convertible

Wild rides are one thing but most hot rodders would agree that any self-respecting collection needs a little variety. There are certain days for driving cars like a Boydster, days when you can fully enjoy the thrill of putting the hammer down on a truly individual car. Sometimes, however, you need to be behind the wheel of something more dignified, something a little less flashy. It can still shout hot rod loud and clear and it can still have a lot more performance than most cars, but it is nevertheless subtle. Such is this Boyd Coddington built 46 Ford convertible built for Buz Divosta, which was completed in 1992 and was featured in the July 1993 issue of Smithsonian magazine. Based on an original chassis fitted with Corvette independent suspension front and rear, powered by a 454 Chevy big-block crate motor painted red to match the exterior. With fuel fed by a four barrel Holley carb, the motor mates through a Turbo-Hydro 350 transmission to a Corvette center section. The rack-and-pinion steering is likewise Corvette and the tilt column is a GM part. The ride is fairly stock except for some subtle modifications. For example, the headlights have been frenched, the hood has been shaved, as has the deck lid, the running boards are blistered and custom rear lights have been frenched into the rear fenders. Also, the bumpers have been smoothed and the grille was painted body color. The chrome side trim is original, but all other chrome, with the exception of the smoothed out bumpers, has been removed. Many hot rod convertibles have been fitted with a Carson-style top but Buz chose to keep his folding top original that seems to be a trend with some of today’s rodders. Upholstered in beige material, the top matches the interior that is upholstered in tan leather. Interestingly, there is no stereo in the ’46 but there is air conditioning, which makes for comfortable cruising, especially when you’re riding on a set of three-spoke Boyd Coddington wheels.

1963 Twin Turbo Corvette

  • February 27, 2015
  • Boyd Coddington Detail GarageBuilt By Boyd CoddingtonHot Rod Gallery

1963 Twin Turbo Corvette “TwinSting”

This 1963 Twin Turbo Corvette was featured on Boyd Coddington American Hot Rod TV show. The producers of the show added a dramatic twist by setting the completion date for this Corvette in an unrealistic time frame of just 2 months. Adding drama to a TV show is commonplace in “Reality TV”, however, it is unfortunate the network added the drama because it took away the ability for the viewers to appreciate the details of this hot rod and how much work went into those details. The car’s owner, stated that he has always loved the lines of the Sting Ray ‘Vette, and the ’63 split-window was his favorite design, and chose the Sting Ray as he considered it to be the perfect starting point for a high-horsepower modern Pro-Street car.”

The customer reiteratebo_corvette+ted that he needs a high-quality car with amazing power but still be able to use as a driver. He also said that the reason he chose Boyd Coddington Garage to build this car, is due to our reputation of high quality craftsmanship in addition to the fit and finish that is associated with the Boyd Coddington Shop.

The most important aspect of building a good engine is to use the highest quality components you can get. That said, at the heart of the power plant sits Carillo forged connecting rods and JE 28cc slugs to fill the 4.155 bores. A Cloyes double-roller timing chain keeps things working in the right order and a custom ground Nelson camshaft that calls the valves to action inside the DART aluminum heads.

The intake manifold is manufactured from billet aluminum which features twin 62mm throttle bodies. Every nook and cranny of the engine bay is full of horsepower generating parts. So full, the headlights had to be removed to make room for the twin turbo’s. Attaching a pair of external headlights to the front bumper facilitated lighting at night, an insignificant sacrifice for an engine that will put out 1,500 hp and 32 pounds of boost.

In order to keep it all together under that much boost, we had to O-ring the block and mill receiver rings into the heads to keep it sealed for any pressure over 30 pounds. In addition, the exhaust valve guide clearances had to be set to exacting tolerances. The side pipes were manufactured with two additional aspects in mind; exhaust note, and ground clearance.Y6xbBIhR_q4uLT_j0OF3K6S2OacsNkk1SJh8AydqTWg

The sheer amount of fabrication carried out on the body is partly responsible for any delay in building the car. The headlight buckets were filled, one-piece windows were fabricated, and the door handles removed. Other modifications include an aluminum louvered belly pan, and the hidden radiator air scoop. We designed an aluminum hood to look like the big-block hood of the 1967 Corvette combined with the modern billet associated with the Boyd Look™. With the body completed and Charley Hutton off to work for Chip Foose, Boyd jumped into battle gear, into the spray booth and painted the car himself, (first time in 25 years) in House of Kolors Kosmos Red.

Gabe Lopez_01_z+1963_twin_turbo_corvette+ covered everything in the interior of the car with tan leather and suede. Gabe also went ahead and hid the cage under the headliner and pillar panels. Hot Rod Air provided air conditioning system for cooling the driver and passengers. No stereo system, it was decided you probably couldn’t hear it anyway with all the horse power flowing out of the rear. Inside the cockpit the vital parts of the engine are monitored by Autometer gauges and the steering wheel we made in-house at Boyd Coddington Garage.

TwinSting displays the quality and expertise that you would expect from an Authentic Boyd Coddington built hot rod and is truly art on wheels.

 

1963 Corvette Build Sheet
Engine Type:small-block Chevy 434 1,532 hp at 5,900 rpm and 1,580 lb-ft
Block:DART aluminum bock
Compression ratio:8.5:1
Cylinder heads:Dart aluminum Pro Top-Line, 235cc runners
Camshaft:Nelson Racing custom grind
Valvetrain:Inconel 2.08/1.60-inch valves, COMP roller rockers, COMP Hi-Tech pushrods
Induction:Billet Fabrication one-off intake manifold with BBK twin 62mm throttle bodies
Fuel pump:Aeromotive fuel system
Ignition:Electromotive TEC3 R engine management system with crank trigger
Exhaust:custom one-off stainless system with side pipes by Scott Parker
Transmission:G-Force five-speed road race transmission
Rear axle:Winters quick-change with fabricated independent suspension by Boyd
Steering:custom, Boyd Coddington Built
Shocks:Bilstien coil-over
Front suspension:custom one-off upper and lower control arms by Boyd
Rear suspension:custom fabricated independent suspension
Front brakes:six-piston Wilwood calipers with 13-inch rotors
Rear brakes:four-piston Wilwood calipers with 12-inch inboard mounted rotors
Brake booster:vacuum actuated
Wheels:Boyd Coddington one-off wheels, 17x13.5 rear;17x8, front
Tires:31x16.5 Hoosier, rear; 235/40R17 Goodyears, front

The Boydster

  • February 3, 2015
  • Boyd CoddingtonBoyd Coddington WheelsBoyds Hot RodsBoydsterBuilt By Boyd Coddington
  • 0 Comments

Building A Boydster

Boyd-and-Marcell

Boyd Coddington built this 1932 Ford highboy The Boydster for himself and it was the first hot rod he built for himself since the 29 Model A Roadster the Silver Bullet. Going back to the uncluttered lines of the classic rods built when Deuce roadsters were the car of choice for builders on a short budget yet sculpted with an attention to detail and a clean-lined sophistication that are the hallmarks of Coddington products-this first in a series of three Boydsters was crafted of aluminum, by Marcel DeLay and sons. The doors open suicide style, and operate via a solenoid system. The sweep of the doors leading edge was designed to continue in the windshield frame, which wraps seamlessly-and in the same DuPont Boyd Red as the rest of the car- around a custom shield by California Glass Bending. 

Boydster-LoCarrying the monochromatic color scheme throughout the vehicle is no small part of the Boydster minimalist appeal. The leather used by Gabe Lopez to fashion the seating areas was specially dyed to match the paint, and even the wool carpets and Boyds steering wheel are Boyd Red. The D.F. Metal works grille, set in a sectioned ‘32 shell, and the three-spoke custom Boyd Coddington wheels, 15 inch in front and 17 in the rear to help promote the aggressive stance of a fenderless Deuce roadster strike the only other color note. Almost- though those clean arcs of sheet metal above the rear wheels are really no more than subtle hints of the fenders that might have been. For the drivetrain, Boyd chose a 1996 Corvette LTl engine matched to a General Motors 700R4 automatic overdrive transmission and Vette differential. Independent suspension, front and rear, rack-and-pinion steering, and Carrera coilover shocks provide road manners. Introduced at the 1996 Oakland Roadster Show, the Boydster 1 won that year’s America’s Most Beautiful Roadster Award, the sixth of nine AMBR titles Boyd won. The success of the Boydster prompted Boyd to introduce a fiberglass version that sold for a more typical highboy price.

Boydster Build Sheet
BODY:1932 Ford Roadster Marcel DeLay reproduction steel and aluminum
CHASSIS:SC frame rails
ENGINE:Corvette LT I
TRANSMISSION:GM 700R4 automatic
WHEELS:Boyd Coddington wheels, custom three spoke one-off 15 inch front and 17 inch rear
TIRES:B.F. Goodrich P195/50ZR15 and P255/50ZR17 Comp T/A radials.
REAR END:Corvette Differential
FRONT SUSPENSION:Boyd-built with Carrera coil-over shocks. Chrome A-arms fabricated from chrome-moly tubing
REAR SUSPENSION:Boyd-built independent rear suspension
BRAKES:Wilwood 4-wheel discs
HEADLIGHTS:King Bee headlight buckets housed in quartz-halogen units.
GAUGES:Classic

Alumacoupe

  • December 10, 2014
  • Boyd CoddingtonBoyd Coddington WheelsBoyds Hot RodsThe Boyd Blog
  • 0 Comments

Boyd Coddington Alumacoupe

The name “Mitsubishi” isn’t exactly on the tip of everyone’s tongue in the hot rod world. But when Boyd Coddington thought about a power plant for the Alumacoupe, first of his custom-body aluminum trio that came to include the Alumatruck and Alumatub, he settled on the four-cylinder Japanese motor in defiance of rodding convention. The reason? The two-liter, dual overhead cam Japanese mill fit the ultra light specifications of the car, and its small, efficient turbocharger was highly regarded for its ability to spool up quickly with a minimum of turbo lag.

Larry Erickson, who also sketched out Boyd’s CadZZilla for client Billy Gibbons of the rock band ZZ Top, designed the Alumacoupe. Built on a mid-engine custom tubular chassis, the car features aluminum bodywork by Marcel DeLay, with touches including a grille hand-formed by Pelle Forsbert, a scratch-proof aircraft-style windshield, and a plexiglass rear window. Unlike Boyd’s later aluminum creations, the Alumacoupe doesn’t wear its silver skin in the raw-it sports a lime-gold pearl acrylic lacquer applied by Greg Morrell, who also hand-formed the seats that were upholstered by Ron Mangus in tan Connolly leather.

Boyd-Coddington-with-aluma-coupeWith a stance that harks back to the classic fenderless rods based on coupes of the early ’30s, the Alumacoupe also seems to prefigure the Plymouth Prowler, which was still on Chrysler’s drawing boards when Boyd’s car made its debut at the New York International Auto Show in 1992. The Alumacoupe’s wide-set front paws claw the road via an independent cantilever suspension, Fiat rack-and pinion steering, and a pair of Boyd’s own Tri-Fan sixteen-inch aluminum wheels, matched in the back by a pair with the same diameter but with an extra two inches over the eight-inch front width.

That game little Mitsubishi engine, built by Russ Collins of RC. Engineering, is mated to a 1990 Mitsubishi Gallant four-speed automatic transaxle with Boyd built billet aluminum drive shafts and hub carriers. At 4,000 rpm, the ultra light setup delivers 275 ft. lbs. of torque. Was the turbocharged four-cylinder motor controversial, in a realm dominated by American eights ranging from prehistoric flatheads down through small- and large-block Chevrolets and Boyd’s own favored Corvette LTl? Of course-and no one argues that it set any major trends. But in a car as radically different as the Alumacoupe, it was just the right touch-a perfect example of a potent but understated engine in a sleek, superlight package.

 

Alumacoupe Specs:

  • ORIGINAL OWNER: Boyd Coddington
  • DESIGNER: Larry Erickson
  • BODY: Custom aluminum
  • CHASSIS: Custom; tubular steel
  • ENGINE: 1991 Mitsubishi 4-cylinder; turbocharged; 330 hp
  • TRANSAXLE: 1990 Mitsubishi four-speed automatic
  • WHEELS: Boyd Coddington Tri-Fan; 16″ front and rear;
  • TIRES: Goodyear 
  • FRONT SUSPENSION: Independent cantilever; Carrera coilover shocks
  • REAR SUSPENSION: Independent; inboard Carrera coilover shocks

 

French Connection

  • February 27, 2014
  • Boyd CoddingtonThe Boyd Blog

1939 French Connection by Boyd Coddington

Mechanical Engineer Emile Delahaye started his company DELAHAYE GFA in 1879 in Tours, France. Soon he began making four-stroke internal combustion engines. By 1894, he had built his first car, surprisingly when he was 51 years old.

Born almost a century after Delahaye, my dad was exploring similar passions, but unlike Delahaye, he was allowed more time to express his gift of vision in search of the perfect hot rod. With his passing, my dad left deep and lasting impressions on many generations who know of his work. We hope, through this type of documentation, that future generations will come to know and appreciate his work as well.

The “French Connection” was the last fully hand formed metal body hot rod to roll out of Boyd Coddington’s Garage. This project was built for long-time customer and family friend Rocky Walker.The inspiration behind this creation started several years before, when we constructed the 1939 Lincoln Zephyr or, the “Led Zephyr” as it was called. The Led Zephyr was the start of the next chapter of hot rods my dad wanted to build. I remember a conversation we had where he said, “Jr., I’m tired of looking at the same old thing, it’s time to take this to the next level”. What he meant by the “next level” was the larger, or full-fender cars. With that, the renderings started to fly. Between Todd Emmons, Eric Brockmeyer and Chris Ito, we had them drawing everything Packard’s to Auburns.

Through those renderings came the all steel and hand-fabricated 1936 Delahaye or what came to be known as the WhattheHaye. It was based on the French-designed Delahaye of the 30s. The “French Connection” was patterned after a few of the pre- and post-war Delahayes, principally the 1939 Type 165 and the 1949 Type 175S. For their time, these cars were dramatic extrapolations of the full-fender look. In the car we constructed, we felt that we captured the essence of what Mr. Delahaye’s designers were trying to accomplish – and we added touches from the 21st Century.

Build Sheet & Key Specs

  • Hand formed metal one-off body by Marcel and Sons
  • Painted Boyd Red and Boyd Black using Dupont Hot Hues paint system
  • Pinstriped by Dennis Ricklefs
  • Art Morrison Chassis
  • Independent front suspension
  • Ford 9 inch rear end with 4-link suspension
  • Custom 8pt chrome moly roll cage hidden behind interior
  • Hand fabricated grille
  • Hand fabricated moldings
  • One-off Boyd Coddington Wheels
  • Custom gauges
  • BTM Marine Offshore 12.8 Liter V-12 engine, made in Italy, 781 cubic inches
  • Hand fabricated fuel injection system with 12 weber carbs
  • Turbo 400 automatic transmission

My dad set a standard for his workmanship, creativity, and thinking from which he never deviated. He strived to personalize each hot rod to be different without being odd. The flawless metalwork, paint and wheels were always a given. When he saw a line in the body that didn’t suit his overall vision, there was no hesitation, and that line was changed. The “French Connection” reflects the awesome standards and the creative thinking of my dad.

The French Connection was one of the last hand formed metal body hot rod my dad built. He was very happy with the final outcome of this build and as always, proud of the team at Boyd Coddington Garage that made it happen.

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