OT: R.I.P. Roy, Boyd Loses the Best he had... Options

[Britain Smith]

Just wanted to take a second to honor Roy on American Hotrod (Boyd's Cottington). I just heard about him passing away...must say I will miss him. He was definitely the best that Boyd had...true craftsman. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/welder.gif)

-Britain

[GeorgeRud]

Never saw the shop or the real workings of same, but am I the only one that gets concerned that these cars seem thrown together at the last minute in order to make some deadline?

It does seem that Boyd is either a crummy boss or a terrible time manager. Don't know how much of that is for the TV show though. Roy certainly was one of those craftsmen that just leave you speechless when you see what they can quietly do by themselves. RIP

[messix]

not to hyjack this thread with more about boyd, but i think that show has hurt his reputation for quality. from what i have seen i wouldn't want a car built by those jokers.

[Air_Cooled_Nut]

QUOTE (messix @ Mar 30 2006, 09:18 PM)

not to hyjack this thread with more about boyd, but i think that show has hurt his reputation for quality. from what i have seen i wouldn't want a car built by those jokers.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/agree.gif)

[LvSteveH]

If you watched NASA build the space shuttle, you wouldn't go up in that either. If you helped build the stratosphere tower in Vegas, you probably wouldn't want to take your kids up there.

That's the way it always is. It's virtually impossible to build custom cars at a semi-production pace, and not have some quick fixes and fitting issues. I seriously doubt anyone can build a perfect, full custom car, to show standards, that will turn a profit in the end. Even if you pay everyone minimum wage, it would still be tough if you accounted for every hour spent on the car; and we are talking about $100k+ cars. To not have any issues at all, you'd have to have a team of veteans that command $50 an hour, what would the car cost then? You'd spend $100k on labor before you bought the car or the first part.

Oh, and with regard to Roy: He welded the door shut on one of the cars as a joke, using oxy fuel. He was standing outside the car, holding the torch way out, and the filler rod about 30" from the end, and managed a very nice clean bead, it's difficult to comprehend how hard that is, and with the camera rolling to boot.

[messix]

QUOTE (LvSteveH @ Mar 31 2006, 09:36 AM)

If you watched NASA build the space shuttle, you wouldn't go up in that either. If you helped build the stratosphere tower in Vegas, you probably wouldn't want to take your kids up there. That's the way it always is. It's virtually impossible to build custom cars at a semi-production pace, and not have some quick fixes and fitting issues. I seriously doubt anyone can build a perfect, full custom car, to show standards, that will turn a profit in the end. Even if you pay everyone minimum wage, it would still be tough if you accounted for every hour spent on the car; and we are talking about $100k+ cars. To not have any issues at all, you'd have to have a team of veteans that command $50 an hour, what would the car cost then? You'd spend $100k on labor before you bought the car or the first part. Oh, and with regard to Roy: He welded the door shut on one of the cars as a joke, using oxy fuel. He was standing outside the car, holding the torch way out, and the filler rod about 30" from the end, and managed a very nice clean bead, it's difficult to comprehend how hard that is, and with the camera rolling to boot.

i do agree with the custom production, but that wouldn't be what i would chose to have featured for a tv show.[ he does pick what cars get featured ]

[LvSteveH]

QUOTE (messix @ Mar 31 2006, 10:08 AM)

i do agree with the custom production, but that wouldn't be what i would chose to have featured for a tv show.[ he does pick what cars get featured ]

I think Boyd's ego got in the way. Everyone that knew him before he did the show probably thought he was a boob, now the whole world knows. Not the greatest marketing strategy is it. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wacko.gif)

[olav]

I saw the episode where Boyd found out about Roy's passing.

If he was such a good friend, wouldn't he have said to everyone to take the day off out of respect?

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/confused24.gif)

[rktmn247]

I agree Roy was one of the good ones! I was excited about the show initially but after awhile I just could'nt take it anymore. To much BS and all the good people left. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/ar15.gif)

[mikeyb33]

more, re. Boyd:
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/hijacked.gif)
I dunno, having watched that show 8-10 times last year (while on travel for work - no cable tv at home for me)(..cheap b#std that I am), I think Boyd is a very poor manager. For one thing, he chews out people, regularly, right in front of the other workers (something that would get a manager FIRED in my co.). Yeah, real smart - take your project lead and undermine his authority and credibility in front of everyone else...

and yeah, it's tv, but if he's doing that just to 'add drama' to a show he's obviously being paid well to take part in, that makes him double an a$$hole for the way he's going about it. And, as has been said above, he expects everyone to give 130% and only rarely shows token appreciation for their hard efforts.

it's almost routine: When the newest project starts up, and the new (..whatever) car comes into the shop, you could make it a contest - how quickly will the project lead get on Boyd's sh!t list. Usually it's within the same show, a day or less in real life.

Compare to O.C.C. ("American Chopper" show, for you less than cable-savvy folks): Sure Paul Sr. regularly gives people flak - mainly his son Paul Jr - but while it seems even more obvious he's doing it for the theatrics, it doesn't seem like there's hard feelings involved - they usually end up laughing it off and they're all buddies again, within a short while. While on American Hotrod (A.H... hmmm interesting initials there...) you have people talking about quitting pretty damned often. That right there says you are dealing with a bad boss (IMHO).

I stopped watching the A.H. show because by the end of each episode, I'd found I was getting rather wound-up by the pointless stress being shared by everyone on that show (even when a project got completed). Whereas at OCC/A.C., you see people busting a gut, getting stressed, sharing some terse words, but when all is said & done you can tell that everyone feels they are on the same team & they act that way. Maybe because it's more of a family operation - you don't get that sense of constant antagonism like on the A.H. show.

And frankly, all of A.H.'s creations end up looking like the 1980's ZZ Top -mobile. Sure it's some mighty fine looking work, but that is so two decades ago...

anyway I dunno what set me off, I guess I haven't ever vented on that show with anyone - and perhaps I needed to! - so there's my $0.02 -

mike
p.s. AHEM. Anyway, too bad about Roy - I think I remember which guy that was - I too am sorry to see him go.