Boyd always shared the spotlight,...
Boyd always shared the spotlight, and here he is giving Marcel De Ley of Marcel's Custom Metal an award for decades of craftsmanship building all of Boyd's one-off metal bodies.
"None of us had any money, so there was Ronnie Patitucci, Tom Cappelli, Dick Cappozza, John, and myself living in Ronnie's mom's duplex. At least John had a job working for Mickey Thompson.
"I made six cross-country trips with John, starting in 1975. The '75 trip started out poorly, as we were supposed to drive the white roadster with the Gurney-Westlake motor with slide plate injectors. We couldn't get the problems worked out, so we jumped in the T and drove to the NSRA Nats in Memphis, Tennessee. Andy Brizio was in his Mazda-powered roadster, and all of us had cowboy hats. It must have looked pretty funny to see this crew heading east.
"In 1976, John and I went to the NSRA Nats in Tulsa, Oklahoma, along with Dennis Varni. In May of 1977, John and I jumped in the white roadster and headed to Kenosha for his dad's 75th birthday. Did I mention we were in the white roadster, going through Denver as it snowed?
"In July of 1977, we took the new John Corno roadster on another cross-country jaunt. In 1979, we took his new Deuce three-window and went to the one and only NHRA street rod event in Denver, Colorado. I drove the white roadster and remember spending an entire day in Las Vegas, working on a faulty alternator on the coupe. But, we made it.
"John could be hard on people, but I always found him to be my friend-a very close friend who would always help me. He also treated my wife, Sharon, well, helping her and myself with a number of car projects over the years.
Another Marcel body is the...
Another Marcel body is the Aluma Tub, which appeared on the cover of Street Rodder.
"In my times of need, John was there-that's how I know I had a true friend, and I will miss him."
Builder Bobby Alloway on Boyd and Lil' John
"I knew Boyd going on 30 years, and during that time I bet I spoke with him almost every day. He was always a shy person who didn't say much in public, and most people misinterpreted that for being arrogant when in fact he was really just shy. I would walk by Boyd at an event, and he might look over his sunglasses and visually acknowledge me, but he wouldn't say a word. Then, 10 minutes later, I might be 100 feet from him and my cell phone would ring, and he would ask me how everything was going.
"I remember one year Boyd promised me a display for the Grand National Roadster Show-we were competing for the AMBR award (and we were lucky enough to win)-and as the show approached there was still no display. We finally got down to the last month and no display, then the last week and no display. All my friends thought I was crazy because of my undying faith that Boyd would come through. Sure enough, I pull up to the show and there, waiting for me, was a delivery truck with my display from Boyd. In all the years Boyd and I worked together, he never let me down.
"Over the years, Boyd would make the trophies for our car show here in Tennessee (Shades of the Past), and every year they would be over-nighted, but they were always there the first day of the show. He was always good for his word.
"I remember back in 1985, I had just won the Ridler with my '33 Vicky and was competing at a car show in Philadelphia to gain points when my Vicky was beaten by a 4- or 5-year-old '32 sedan delivery. Boyd told me, 'You win some, you lose some.' Wouldn't you know it, the following week in Omaha, Boyd's car, the Larry Murray phaeton, was beaten by the same sedan delivery. I called Boyd and reminded him, 'You win some, you lose some.' After he calmed down, he got a good laugh. Boyd had a dry sense of humor, but he had one, and I fear far too many people didn't see that side of him. That makes me sad, because Boyd was a good guy.
"And then there is Lil' John. John never said a cross word to me, but I must admit I was always on pins and needles when I was around him. I saw both sides of John and knew he could be hard on people.