American Hot Rod takes a close-up view of one of the world's most celebrated hot rod builders – the legendary Boyd Coddington. Follow Boyd and his team – Roy, the shop supervisor; Charley, the lead fabricator; and Duane, who oversees each rod's internals – for all of the drama, comedy and tension as they conceive and construct some of the finest classic cruisers.

'32 Hi-Boy Roadster 1
Boyd Coddington and his American Hot Rod crew set out to create their third masterpiece – a rebuilt 1932 Hi-Boy Roadster. Traditional touches abound, including a front-mounted moon tank, a louvered deck lid and conventional wing-style gauges. But the real trick will be shoehorning a 21st century, 400-horsepower Chevy motor into this old school beauty. It's going to take maximum effort from everyone involved to get this Boy on the road.

'32 Hi-Boy Roadster 2
The Hi-Boy project hits a major speed bump when critical parts turn up missing, pushing volatile Duane that much closer to his breaking point. With the shop in an uproar and on its way to a full-blown mutiny, Boyd makes a gutsy decision to change the build. But, if what he has planned doesn't work, this is one hot rod they'll have to put on ice.

'32 Hi-Boy Roadster 3
Falling dangerously behind on the prize '32 Roadster, the Coddington crew is forced to make a series of radical moves in its bid to finally bring the Hi-Boy under control. But with a precious deadline fast approaching, these last-minute adjustments may already be too late. And when the two Coddington shops begin fighting over the Roadster and control of the car's destiny, Boyd loses his cool and then some.

'32 Hi-Boy Roadster 4
With only two days left to assemble the entire '32 roadster, Boyd's team bears down to fight its way to the finish line. But when Mike refuses to work over the weekend like everyone else, the group is faced with the prospect of trying to complete the Hi-Boy shorthanded. And with a boxful of crucial parts still not back from the chrome-plater, Boyd may be headed to the hot rod show with nothing to show.