09 Jun CheZoom

On the cover of Auto Week Magazine:

February 1, 1993 edition of Auto Week was a beaufiful photograph of CheZoom, it was stated on the cover as it stands today "1957 was never like this"

The article was written by Mark Vaughn; it is as it is today one of the most compelling stories of my late husband creative eye and a handfull of very talented artist's and craftsmen that stood for "The Boyd Look"

Chezoom started her life as a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air, Thom Taylor pinned a beautiful rendering to quote him and the article "My thinking was this would be a contemporized version of a 57 Chevy" and that it was at 37 years old Thom had his automotive coming of age in the early 1970's, Thom had just finished the rendering of the Frakenstude, which has very similar lines. I believe that Thom was in the mode to take something old and give it new life. After finishing the rendering of the 57 he took it to my husband. My husband was known for taking a rendering such as this and breathing life into it, building the dream! It not only takes an artist, but a craftsmans who can see out of the box, creating, building, engineering such a free form vehicle. I understand at the first meeting between Boyd and Thom, Boyd felt this would be a perfect build for Joe Hrudka who founded and owned at the time Mr. Gasket. Joe Hudka already at that time owned 20 or more 56, 57 Chevys so understanding my husbands thought process he knew it was a build he would enjoy. Boyd contacted Joe Hrudka, and we all know the story… the start of Thom Taylors rendering and Boyd's ability to manfacture and design what was on paper came to life form!

The doors are 10 inches longer than a stock 57, it was chopped, channeled, fendered and ferreted until about 10 to 15 percent of the body work was the orginal donor for this amazing build! Her 201 inch length no higher than 48 inches, could well perhaps drive over a soda can laying sideways, she was low. Most of her components were manfactured by Boyd Coddington Companies, except for the GM steering column, and a couple of Mitsubishi door releases, the seats came from Cerullo, which Boyd had chopped so the doors did not stick out over the doors, carpeting and cloth were sourced out side of the company but anything metal, well that what Boyd did he made what others thought of out of metal!

Boyd placed a Corvette LT1 engine, an automatic transmission and of course a Hurst/Mr.Gasket shifter!

Fast forward a few years to 1999, Mr Hrudka wanted to sell CheZoom and contacted Boyd, Boyd and I went to Palm Desert to vist and see her in her glory, a bit of southern california dust seemed to cover her, almost like a silhouette, of a fine lady in waiting. Boyd arranged for her to be delivered to his shop in Anahiem, our crew went over ever inch of her she again stood proudly with her crowning glory.

I recall seeing her after her last detail, and asked Boyd where will she go from here? He said on a fine date with an amazing blonde!

I turned to see if anyone was standing behind me, as Boyd was known to be quite the prankster…..Lucky for me, he picked me for the date!