RIP: Boyd Coddington. August 28, 1944 – February 27, 2008

[P100 Ute]

Rip Boyd... loved watching your show.

World-renowned tuner and hot rod king Boyd Coddington died at 6:20 am this morning. The cause of death is still unknown. Coddington, founder of Boyds Wheels and designer of prize-winning custom cars, had recently been hospitalized twice for an undisclosed medical condition. Although he was though to be in recovery, rumors of his untimely death began circulating today throughout the forums.

and this.

Hello all,

It is with a heavy heart that I come on here and write this. I just wanted to stop by and thank everyone for their comments and prayers. A friend told me about this forum and I stopped by last night to read all of the posts, and what I seen made me proud to be a hot rodder. Thank you one and all.

Boyd was a great man, not just because of his accomplishments, but, because of what he believed in and did. I was with him for 8 years and seen the man for who he really was, not what was seen on a TV show or a brief encounter. I can tell you all he truly loved hot rods and enjoyed seeing the cars that folks brought to the many shows we attended. Here's a good example of how he felt, we were at a small show for an appearance. Him and Jo were taking a break before heading out to start signing autographs and hadn't had a chance to see the show yet. I had taken a quick walk around to see some of the cars and when I returned he asked how it was. I made the comment that some of the cars really didn't belong in a car show which quickly brought a response from Boyd. He told me " these guys work hard on their cars and they are proud of them, that's what matters, and it is not for us to judge them but to respect them for the hard work and effort it takes." He of course was right and I knew better, just one of those stupid comments we all make sometimes.

I learned a lot from Boyd over these past 8 years and, although I wish I could have more, I thank God I had the time I did. I am proud to have known and worked for the man and feel very blessed and lucky. He is and always will be a legend in our community, and will be deeply missed.

Again, thank you one and all, and I will pass along the wonderful thing you all have said on here to Jo and the rest of the family and folks at the shop. God bless you.

Todd Emmons
Boyd Coddington's Garage