American Hot Rod

['Tard]

That show about the Boyd Coddington shop.

I've come to the conclusion that Coddington and his shop manager are terrible managers and are bullies. Their attitudes lose really good employees.
I am waiting to see the shop manager get his clock cleaned sometime. I'd bet the kid 'Bluebear' could do the job.
Mike, the CCR flowjet programmer, was fired this week for doing a side job.

Chip Foose (Overhaulin') has aquired the employed talent that has been thrown away by the childish Coddington.
I would rather have Foose do a car of mine than Coddington, he's better, he's more creative, he's cool.
Just a thought/rant.

 

[TooManyWheels]

Those are my thoughts exactly. It makes me wonder how Boyd has ever kept any talent around long enough to accomplish anything. If he were the only big name in the business you could see people staying for the coat tail effect, but he no longer is.

I have a little more tolerance for the shop manager, you seem to see a little humanity creep in from time to time. But even on television it is easy to see that they are the cause of many of the problems they blame on the employees.

 

[Schmoe]

Yeah, I was suprized that Mike got the axe. Seems like Boyd just won't have anything whatsoever to do with Chip. He needs to get over it and like you said, realize that he's loosing good folks....let's see, there was Charlie, Bluebear and now Mike. But, it is getting interesting to see what happens next. I don't see Duane getting the axe anytime soon. He and Boyd are pretty tight.

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

Is that hat nailed to Boyd's head?

 

[Drew99GT]

Is that show even for real??? After watching it a few times, Boyd Ciddington and his crew are AMETUERS!! I would never in my life buy a car from those clowns. Rad Rides by Troy all the way. Who gives a rats *** what it looks like, POWER is where it's at, functional power, unlike that truely screwed up *** twin turbo Vette the Boyd built.

 

[Pablo]

Some of you guys think watching sports on TV is dumb.

I rank these stoopid shows right up there with soaps: No Watch TV!

Maybe if enough of us wouldn't watch this garbage it would go away. Just a thought. Cable/Dish TV = proof that if you create a void, nothing really fills it.

Sorry for the rant. Nothing personal.

 

[jsharp]

quote:

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Originally posted by Drew99GT:
Is that show even for real??? After watching it a few times, Boyd Ciddington and his crew are AMETUERS!! I would never in my life buy a car from those clowns. Rad Rides by Troy all the way. Who gives a rats *** what it looks like, POWER is where it's at, functional power, unlike that truely screwed up *** twin turbo Vette the Boyd built.

---

I've wondered the same thing. Those guys seem to have all the talent of a high school shop class. Freshman year.

I loved watching them run a brand new engine for about 10 minutes with no oil pressure. Almost as nice as the particle board interior parts they used on the same car.

 

[55Test]

This is television. I imagine it's as scripted as professional wrestling.

 

[keith]

I did see the show where Mike was discovered to be moonlighting for a competitor. That will get you fired from any job in America.

This show, and it's sidekick American Chopper, are staged and edited for entertainment.

The one thing that appears to be honest on American Hot Rod is the crazy schedules. These guys are always trying to do a job in less time than it takes. An employee can take that for a while, but it's no wonder they lose staff.

The funniest part of the series was when Duane said his girlfriend left him due to a communication problem. He hadn't communicated to her that he was seeing another girl and she found out.

 

['Tard]

Apparently Foose worked with Coddington in the 90's and was responsible for the designs that put Coddington on the hot rod map. When Coddington mismanaged the business and filed bankruptcy, basically killing all profit shareing and stock in the company, Foose went and openend up his own shop, and has never looked back.
Coddington never looks at his contributions for the problems then and now, its always someone elses fault.
Duane humanity? Please, the guy gets a ticket then comes back to the shop and takes it out on the employees... humanity indeed.
I'll bet that little loudmouth would run crying like a girl, slamming doors if someone tagged him like he deserves.
What a stand up guy, living with his girlfriend while screwing around on the side, its an insight to his personal integrity.
Charlie was a stand up guy and is now painting for Foose, apparently they won the Riddler award again this year.

Chip Foose seems like a genuine guy, very talented, and a good boss.

At least American Chopper is entertaining and at the end of the day you still like all of them, like the 3 stooges, the copper bike looked way cool.

 

[jsharp]

As if Boyd didn't have enough problems of his own.

The Great Boyd Coddington Raid! California goes after hot rodders and kit builders

MARK VAUGHN
Posted Date: 11/4/04

State of California agents, armed with guns, raided Boyd Coddington’s hot rod shop last month.

Sounds exciting, right?

“Well, yeah, I mean, they had guns but just because they wear guns everyday in their work, they didn’t have them drawn or anything,” said Coddington spokesman Jim Rizzo.

http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=101166

 

[Dan4510]

American Chopper may get things done but there is always a large dose of yelling and abuse. I am amazed someone has not parted the hair of the owner yet and taught him some manners. I guess he just hasnt hired the right person yet. If you are his family, i guess you are used to the abuse.

Dan

[ July 25, 2005, 03:35 PM: Message edited by: Dan4510 ]

 

[drm7]

Yeah, I believe Chip did work for Boyd. I love it when you see an ex-employee leave an ****** employer and then outperform them and take their people. Boyd treats his people like dirt and they are the ones making him rich. At least respect the monkeys paying your bills!

 

[Matt_S]

I saw the episode where Charlie quit and told Boyd where he was going to work. Boy was Boyd fuming! Talk about someone who will hold a grudge. Holy cow! It's like the separation happened yesterday. I'd never want to work for someone like that.

 

[Kestas]

These guys - Boyd Coddington, Paul Sr. - are arrogant jerks to begin with. Put a camera in their face and they are simply unbearable.

Although I'm with 55. I doubt a lot of it is for real. It's for our entertainment, I can't imagine they actually run their business that way.

 

[Rob Taggs]

I'm so glad this topic came up. I like watching this show with my wife. We comment back and forth over it. Boyd is an arrogant, spoiled baby. His shop manager is such a butt kisser. They both blame the entire shop for their mismanagement. Its either Boyd's way or no way at all. I have seen where Boyd will no even do a car the way a customer wants it. He just does it Boyd's way. I feel fame and fortune have gone to his head in a bad way. I hope all his employees go to Foose. I would put money on it that the former employees are far more happy with Foose. The problem is Management. Boyd has no concept of how to treat people like human beings.

 

[Matt_S]

I agree about Boyd. I've got more management skill in my little toe nail that he's got in his entire body. He's the reason I don't watch that show. The guy is so bitter and cynical, it's no wonder he can't hold onto anyone. I do watch American Chopper occasionally, but my tolerance only extends so far. I'd like to see more shows like Trucks on Spike where they actually show you how to do something.

 

[blupupher]

I personaly was glad when bluebear go fired. He was just annoying IMO.

 

[Larry the Cable Guy]

quote:

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Originally posted by blupupher:
I personaly was glad when bluebear got fired. He was just annoying IMO.

---

Ditto That!! That was waaaay overdue.

 

[Larry the Cable Guy]

Great Topic!

It's such a shame to see so many talented, hard working people treated so poorly in Boyd's shop. The unreasonable schedules are rammed down the throats of those in the trenches while Boyd does what? Shops for matching Aloha shirts to wear with his trophy wife? What a dork.

It's good to see that some of them ended up working for Chip Foose. Every time I see Chip on TV I am so totally impressed with what a great person that he appears to be. I have to believe that it is more than just appearance...

Steve