I was off line yesterday and just saw this, though I never met him it doesn't distract from the huge loss I feel. Those are big shoes to fill literally. I am glad he left us doing what he loved best, not in a hospice care, alone in the night like my mom a few weeks ago. I can only pray I get to leave under such terms. God speed to Pat and God bless his family.
I shared with a friend of mine earlier this morning about going back and re-reading his last blog. I told him that last paragraph seemed eerily prophetic. He agreed. As I was watching a favorite movie of mine last night, (Second Hand Lions), one of the lines in the movie brought Pat to mind……”he went out with his boots on”.
While I always enjoyed Pat's writing, he earned my highest admiration for his persistent championing of lo-buck 'junkyard solutions' during a time of preferred corporate content featuring 1-800 parts from their advertisers. This no doubt had something to do with his abbreviated tenure at most publications, but he never gave up the fight. He was the Real Deal, a true 'roots' type hot rodder in my mind. I can think of few others who had the impact in this arena that he did. There's no small amount of irony in that many of the things he highlighted are now entry-level 1-800 parts as the original supplies dried up, so his legacy lives on. Thank you for all you did... RIP Mr. Ganahl.
So sad to read of his passing. Prayers and condolences to his family , fans and friends. Godspeed Pat.
Fellas, any speculation on how it happened or why…. Let’s just not go there, or down that road. Posts of I heard this or that or rumor has it …. Deleted. Let’s just pay tribute to Pat. Thank you.
I was introduced to Pat briefly at the tail end of South City R&C open house, very nice man. I loved his Caddy powered roadster and tailed Bill and Ryan who took it to Gambino's open house back in 2014 shortly after my pick up was back together. Condolences to all his friends and family.
Nuts... Condolences to his family. I also can remember his intro in SR in the early 70's. & appreciated his articles, incl his latest blogs.. Marcus
Just saw this! Sad! While I never met Pat , personally, I feel like I have been reading his articles, forever! Sad loss! Condolences to his immediate and hot rod famlies! Bones
It hurts to reread his last blog story, the final paragraph is what really makes it hurt the most. As I mentioned in my previous post, I never met him but his writing made me feel as if we were friends. Maybe Pat and Gray will co author new hot rod material and send it “down” to everyone who misses reading their words. https://patganahl.com/2022/08/08/dandy-drive-ins/
Just learned this from Stephen Szantie on Facebook......followed his blog, collected issues of Street Rodder and Rod & Custom he helmed. Only Greg Sharpe rivaled his rodding trivia, and I hope Anna and Bill didn't witness it, though I feel they did. Prayers, much prayers. Can imagine Gray, Senter, Tex and Medley welcoming him to great garage in the sky. So sad.
Pat's last Pat's last blog: " OK, this has been a long one. But I wanted you to have plenty to savor, because we’re goin’ racin’ and I’ve decided it’s time to take a vacation from this busy retirement of mine. So it’s going to be a couple extra weeks until I get the time and energy to do the next scintillating issue of this column. Go back and read some old ones if this doesn’t hold you. But don’t worry, I’m not evaporating. I’ve got plenty of topics impatiently waiting in line to appear here. That’s why I need to take a break. But I’ll be back. Till then."
I pulled this from Royalshifter’s instagram account. Just thought it was a fun photo. Giant of a man.
I've lost three close friends. I've always admired and appreciated Pat Ganahl's journalism since I'd spent 17 years as a newspaper journalist. His voice was excellent, and the perfect scribe for hotrodders. Although I'd never met him, this feels like losing a fourth close friend. My condolences to his wife and family and to all the rest of us who cherished his work and friendship.
Really sad news to hear. PG was the real deal hot rodder and such a big influence for many with his writing and photography contributions. RIP Pat, and prayers for your wife and son to help with their loss. I met Pat when he came and took pictures and wrote an article that was in Hot Rod "Wednesday Night Special" about friends getting together one night each week to work on and build a car. That was a fun experience and a neat opportunity to spend some time talking hot rods, more than a quick hello at a big event.
My story of meeting Pat is a little different. 20 years ago (Aug 2002) we went to the States for the first time, doing a month long road trip taking in California, Arizona, Nevada. We stayed a night in a hotel in Flagstaff and at breakfast the next morning, while in the queue for coffee, I got talking to the guy in front of me who had a Hot Rod t shirt on. That was Pat, he invited me back to his table to meet his wife and have a chat. They were doing a trip on route 66. He told me he had been to New Zealand 20 years prior to that. I met him again a few years later at the Peterson 75 years of the Deuce day.
Fellow HAMBer Fuzzy Knight called me early this morning to inform me of Pat's passing, a hell of a way to start the day! I first met Pat in '73 at the LARS and since I was 6ft 7in tall we had an immediate kinship. We'd cross paths several times a year at events since then and it was always great to get his views and opinions on the state of the car world. Pat's knowledge and enthusiasm about hot rodding and racing were a gift that he shared with us all, and we were so lucky to be recipients. My thoughts and prayers are for his family. R.I.P. Pat.
The Jalopy Journal
