Dysfunctional Hot Rod Shop

[Calaber]

No doubt, some of you who have Foxtel watch American Hot Rod.

I have been watching it for some months and cannot help but wonder how Boyd Coddington manages to stay in business.

He would have to run the most dysfunctional business I have ever seen. His shop manager, "Negative Ned" Dwayne Mayer, spends most of the time boring it up some poor junior employee, moaning about problems, saying things can't be done, criticising the workmanship of some blokes, the list goes on. He has no personnel or people handling skills, yet Coddington is happy to leave floor issues in his hands. He has a foul temper to boot.

In today's episode, one of the employees was told to sweep the floor because he couldn't be given any meaningful work commensurate with his low skill level, on the current project. By episodes's end, he had been "let go". The pathetic way in which he was dismissed was disgraceful, and would probably have Coddington in hot water if it was Australia and not the States where he had his business.

Coddington himself has a love of the most god-awful brightly coloured Hawaiian shirts and wears no other style during the show. They are obviously his trademark but he would be the only person game enough to wear them on a tv show.

Despite all this, the cars are absolutely brilliant and the workmanship of his skilled staff is unbelievable.

Does anybody else watch this show and what are your impressions about the business and the cars?

[Troy711]

Coddington is dead man...

[Troy711]

But yes, I agree... Dwanye is a total flognuts who has his head so far up his arse he needs to get a pedicure everytime he does a shit.

[badaz]

I've seen it a few times, the cars they build look great but Dwayne is a complete tool, so that puts me off the show a bit. It will be interesting to see if the show continues because as Troy77 said Boyd passed away sometime last year.

[Calaber]

Coddington is dead man...

Hi Troy

News to me, hadn't heard it. He looks well enough in the shows made in 2005 - know what caused his demise?

Did someone finally take exception to his shirts?

[FusionX]

He died February last year. From memory, liver and kidney complications with something to do with his diabeties (spelling?)....

[Ado]

Im afraid they just show you a small part of what really goes on.Yes Dwayne is a tool but he gets the job done.
He died on Feb 27 2008,he was a diabetic and died from kidney and liver issues.

[Ado]

He died February last year. From memory, liver and kidney complications with something to do with his diabeties (spelling?)....

Damn i should have hit the reply button earlier.

[jet-6]

What you think there cars are good, yer they look shiny and stuff but there that full of bad welding and bog who would want one for the price there asking, i know guys that can build a car as good as them with no bog

[Trevor 062]

I prefer Foose's cars..

[Steery]

What you think there cars are good, yer they look shiny and stuff but there that full of bad welding and bog who would want one for the price there asking, i know guys that can build a car as good as them with no bog

Got anything to back that accusation up?

[badaz]

I prefer Foose's cars..

Mate I would have to agree with you, chip foose builds some very nice cars.

[DANNY8]

Don't have Foxtel, but I bought the 3 box sets (S1-3).....damn that's alot of time watching the tube.....bought them months ago and still haven't watched them all.

Dwayne is a bit of a nob towards everyone, but like mentioned above, he gets the job done, and really that's all that matters, otherwise none of them would have jobs. I remember one episode Dwayne was moving out of his girlfriends house, I think he said it was coz of lack of communication, he didn't tell his missus about the other girlfriend haha!

IMO Foose does make nicer cars, but I'd rather watch American Hot Rod as ya just about see everything getting done.

[excalibur]

Obviously there is no unfair dismissal laws in the U.S. otherwise Coddington would be in a hell of a lot of HOT POO!!! if he was still alive.

[sircruisealotVS]

It's a tv series, you've got to be pretty ****ing guilable to believe everything your seeing and take it as "reality". there is no such thing in a tv series, it's produced and edited to make the show entertaining.
if all the guys round the workshop got along sweet and no one got yelled at or told off or made any mistakes, etc.. it would be a boring show and no one would want to watch it.

i do think it's awesome to see how a car comes together though, especially when they're engineering custom parts and stuff, thats cool to watch them design/make.

[Scooter79]

I prefer Foose's cars..

Chip Foose was actually an apprentice and learned his craft from Boyd Coddington. Apparently they didn't leave on good terms when Chip decided to go out on his own. Boyd was rather pissed about it.

He died on Feb 27 2008,he was a diabetic and died from kidney and liver issues.

How is that possible? I first read about his death towards the end of 2007. Anyway, from what I understand the Coddington shop was in rather bad financial trouble. That was the main reason why they sold off the wheel shop next door. Coddington Hod Rods closed their doors forever 6 months after Boyd's death. Everything was left to his wife (the newer one) and I believe she tried to make a go of it but they were already in so much debt there was no other option.

Charlie ending up going to work for Foose and Dwayne ended up working for West Coast Choppers.

[excalibur]

Chip Foose was actually an apprentice and learned his craft from Boyd Coddington. Apparently they didn't leave on good terms when Chip decided to go out on his own. Boyd was rather pissed about it.
Charlie ending up going to work for Foose

This really Pissed Boyd off when Charlie hutton left to work with Foose.
Now a lot of the guys are working for Foose

[Goon]

It's a good show i enjoy it!!....thats news to me to on boyd's death, its sad!

[Calaber]

It's a tv series, you've got to be pretty ****ing guilable to believe everything your seeing and take it as "reality". there is no such thing in a tv series, it's produced and edited to make the show entertaining.
if all the guys round the workshop got along sweet and no one got yelled at or told off or made any mistakes, etc.. it would be a boring show and no one would want to watch it.

i do think it's awesome to see how a car comes together though, especially when they're engineering custom parts and stuff, thats cool to watch them design/make.

Of course the show is edited, and it would be boring if the personalities didn't clash, but gullibility has nothing to do with this thread. The personalities as presented give a pretty good indication of the types of people involved and some of the "administration", at Coddington's and Mayer's levels, were deplorable. It is amazing that the team held together as it did.

Charlie was not the only one to leave to head to Foose's business. Mike, the guy with the funny fixed upper lip, also left. The show is presented at present in two formats and one, "The Series", is obviously earlier, with the team still together at Coddington's. I'm surprised that some of the guys stayed there at all.

Jet-6, regarding cars "filled with bog", that's a big call. Foose's crew end up wiping heaps of the stuff over complete panels to rub back to perfection too. I'd like to see how well you would do with the sort cars they tackle.

[Torquative]

but when you watch shows like this there is always what seems to be an "impossible" deadline to meet.

Watch a "normal" workshop when theres pressure on and see what goes wrong and quickly fixed, then imagine what these guys are up against to have "that car or that bike on show in Denver tomorrow afternoon"

not having a stab at anyone and I love the work they do, some of the engineering has to be seen to be believed, just you cant have a workshop constantly under that sort of pressure without having problems.

[jet-6]

Got anything to back that accusation up?

You watched the show, at least 15KG of bog has gone in to most of those cars, they just lay it on!

[Ado]

You watched the show, at least 15KG of bog has gone in to most of those cars, they just lay it on!

Well with those sort of FACTS you must be right.