American Hot Rod - On The Road...

Boyd and his lovely wife Jo led the way. The coupe runs as good as it looks and there were a lot of times that the Budget Beater and I had to work a bit to keep up.

Mike and his pickup quickly settled into a groove and he and his brother were content to click away the miles listening to the unmistakable song of an un-corked flathead--it doesn't get any better than this, does it boys?

Though we followed I-40 most of the way, we did enjoy racking up the miles on good ol' Route 66. Seeing America from the same perspective as millions of travelers before us was a blast, and the many mom 'n' pop diners and restaurants were a highlight of the trip. Here you can see our motley crew about to stuff our faces. Seated clockwise are Kevin, myself, Boyd, Jo, Martin, Ian, Raffi, and Eric. Kip, Jose', and Gil got stuck at a second table but still enjoyed a great home-cooked meal.

Here's a shot of Raffi shooting some driving shots out the back door of one of the camera vans.

Gas stops were, well, a gas. While the rest of us took the opportunity to stretch our legs, hit the restrooms, and grab some cold drinks and munchies, Boyd spent most of his time signing autographs and posing for pictures with fellow travelers and locals. People couldn't believe that we were actually driving these hot rods cross-country and got a huge kick out of meeting Boyd, Jo, and the guys from the shop. Me, I was just having a ball being with them on the road!

One of the more remarkable hotels we stayed at was the Big Texan in Amarillo. Not only did it have rooms fashioned after a barn or something, but the restaurant boasted a free 72-ounce steak for anyone who could completely finish the meal. Let me tell ya, it made for an interesting evening, and for some, a rather interesting next morning to boot.

The ignition gremlins seemed to plague Mike's pickup for most of the trip, prompting a bunch of good-natured I-told-you-so's from the Boyd camp.

Camera van number two was manned by Martin as tail-gunner. Here we see Mike and Boyd neck and neck in the background.

Portions of the trip were made in well over 100-degree temperatures, which was okay unless we got caught in slow-moving traffic...

...Boyd and I both experienced a couple of rather warm episodes during such times, but nothing a short rest and a cool drink didn't resolve.

Gil was door-gunner for most of the trip. I liked his idea of using bunji cords from the grab handle to support the camera. That's using your head if you ask me.

This was the view from the Budget Beater for most of the trip. Although, when Jo relieved Boyd at the wheel of the coupe it seemed as though it'd disappear into dot on the horizon rather quickly. I've since begun calling Jo "Lead Foot."

The Nats were beginning to get hoppin' when we rolled in on Wednesday afternoon. By Thursday morning the crowd was packed around the Coddington contingent. We'd printed up People's Choice ballots so the show spectators and participants could vote on their favorite beater, either Boyd's T or Mike's A. (I didn't want to embarrass either of 'em so I left the Budget Beater off the ballot.)

Since I had magazine duties to attend to upon our arrival at the Nats, I handed over the keys to the Budget Beater to the guys so they could do a bit of fairgrounds cruising. Andy took advantage and gave rides around the grounds. I'm not sure who had more fun, Andy or his passengers.

The boys were able to find a few minutes to kick back and visit with some fans during the early morning hours.

One of the things I enjoyed most was watching Boyd mingle with the crowd. Though I know he and Jo enjoyed the whole trip, it's quite evident that Boyd's favorite part was spending time with his fans. If I learned nothing else on this trip I did learn what a great guy Boyd really is. His smiles were never bigger than when he was making others smile.

Jo Coddington is another one whose heart is as big as a hot rod. Her love of the little ones is quite evident and you can tell she really loves making people happy--just like her hubby.

I normally present the awards for the ROD & CUSTOM Pros Pick competition each year at the NSRA Nationals, but this year I had the pleasure of naming the winner of the People's Choice award for the Boyd Coddington Beater Road Trip, as well. You'll just have to tune in to American Hot Rod on the Discovery Channel to find out who came out on top.

Well, I have to say being a part of this road trip was truly one of the highlights of my career. The friends I made and the times we had will be forever in my memory. And, if there are two things I can stress to you all at this point, it's to check out the new season of American Hot Rod, and to plan a cross-country trip with your own group of rodding friends--life doesn't get any better than this.