Folks Of Interest Pat Ganahl R.I.P.

There are a thousand people more qualified than me to write about Pat Ganahl. We talked on the phone several times, exchanged a handful of emails, and I spent one very memorable afternoon hanging out at his house—in his garage—with him, Steve Coonan, and Geoff Miles. Those guys knew Pat. I was just lucky enough to get acquainted with him.

I’ve seen Pat’s name in print for nearly 40 years—since I first picked up a hot rod magazine at about eight or nine years old. In my teens, as my taste in old cars became more and more focused on customs, Pat was my man. Everything he wrote was an education in some way. In two or three words he could sum up why something was important, why it ruled, or why it didn’t. Pat told you what was what.

The American Custom Car became like a bible to me, and his articles in Rod & Custom in particular often kept this hobby of ours on track. But his work in TRJ will always be my favorite. He got to say exactly what he wanted to say, and tell stories in ways I don’t think they’d been told in any other magazine. His depth of knowledge was remarkable, and his ability to string words together and keep you smiling and nodding along simply can’t be duplicated. Grab issue 58 and read about the lowriders he saw as a kid cruising down 4th Street past his junior high school. Or issue 13, where he describes his chance encounter with his old pal Lee Pratt right after Lee’d painted his primered, supposed-to-be-purple ’40 Ford its now iconic gold hue. Or his description of the evening glass-off just beyond Jerry Aggus’ panel-painted Nomad in issue 55. His writing was visceral, and it was cool.

I’ve probably quoted Pat and referred to his opinions and words of wisdom about car building in at least a dozen of my own articles. I did it mostly because I felt like those thoughts and opinions were important to reiterate—rules of the road for guys building cars and trying to get it right. But if I’m being honest, I also did it to give Pat a nod and show my appreciation for what he’d done for hot rodding and custom cars…like maybe he’d read one of those stories and go, “Cool…they’re paying attention.”

That day we spent hanging around his garage I was a little awestruck. There was just so much history there—in Pat's stories, in the stuff hanging on the walls, and in the cars surrounding us—his roadster, Ike’s dragster, the yellow F-100. He was as nice as could be, and we talked a lot about custom cars. When I told him I was building a chopped pre-war Buick, he asked, “Does it still have all eight cylinders in a row? Good.” But he talked even more about his family. What Bill was up to, what Anna thought about this or that. It was clear in our conversation—as it’s often been in his writing—just how important his family was to him, and how proud he was of them.

 

Whew boy, This news made a grown man cry. I only saw this last night and read thru the entire thread. The tributes and personal stories about this wonderful man are going to be part of the grieving and healing process. It will take a different amount of time for each individual.

My hope is for Pat's family and close friends, that our writings here on the HAMB will bring them some peace. How cool to know that your beloved husband, Dad and friend touched soooo many, sooo deeply.

Other than my Dad, I feel that Pat Ganahl had a direct affect on me becoming a kustom car enthusiast. His coverage of the early 80's Kustom Kemps of America shows are so appreciated! I recall a small black and white picture in an article he wrote, a shoebox Ford coupe, likely lowered, lake pipes and spun aluminum wheelcovers and widewhites. The simple caption made note that 'not all kustoms have to be wild, any 50's car can make a cool mild custom'. That's not a quote, but it is how I recall I got the motivation to turn my '55 Ford sedan into a mild custom. Yes, I lowered it, and put on some Night Prowler lake pipes, and of course Moon spun aluminum discs, just as I felt Pat had directed me to do!

He was a promoter of, a catalyst for, a cheerleader for, ... the everyday man owning, building and enjoying a custom car. What a gift he gave us all in just that. And of course his wealth of knowledge of the history of traditional hot rods and customs, written and photographical .... well, he was really second to none!

I thought I was unique in that Pat was my favorite automotive writer. WRONG! Reading all the posts on the HAMB, seems like he made us all feel that way, as if we all had this special connection. Amazing people like Pat Ganahl have a way of doing that.

I went places and saw things because of Pat Ganahl. He wrote about cool events in a very descriptive and exciting way, and I soaked it all in until I just couldn't take it anymore. Next thing you know, I'm behind the wheel or on an airplane to The KKOA Leadsled Spectacular, The Merc/Deuce ReUnion, The Sacremento AutoRama, The Oakland Roadster show, (at the Cow Palace in San Fran for the 50th), West Coast Kustoms at Paso Robles, The Petersen Automotive Museum, GNRS in Pomona, The Straights Area Car show in St Ignace MI, and on and on. Thanks to Pat for that fire that he lit under me.

I had the privilege of meeting him on the streets of Paso Robles in 2001. I was wearing a wide brim straw hat with the Rod & Custom logo. He was wearing a Rodder's Journal T shirt. I was carrying a tripod and two cameras, maybe that caught his attention. We glanced at each other and I took the opportunity to tell him he was my favorite automotive journalist. Seems like a lot of us told him that.

I shot this picture. What a great smile.


For someone that got into kustom cars because of a caption that Pat wrote under a little picture of a mild custom car in a magazine in the early 80's, I was thrilled to receive what I consider the highest compliment in the Feb 2010 issue of Hot Rod magazine. A multi-page coverage of the '09 Leadsled Spectacular in Salina Kansas. It was the maiden voyage for my little red Chevy, a copy of my Dad's very mild car from 1956.

There it was, a small color picture that Pat shot. He said "the whitewalled '54 Chev is a typical mild custom. You could have knocked me over with a feather.



May Pat's family be surrounded with overwhelming love until the time that they are reunited with him.

 

God bless Pat and all his family.

 

Innumerable images of Pat out there thru the years.....this is my favorite.

 

I am just a regular person that has lived across the street from Pat and Anna for 25yrs or so. My wife and I are devastated by this tragic occurrence as well as the rest of the neighbors that knew him. No longer being able to see his smiling face while working in his driveway and garage hits hard. My wife and I send our sincere condolences to Anna and his family. It’s been more than interesting watching Pat work on his cars over the years. I remember first seeing the dragster when he brought it home, after he painted it and most recently when he had it loaded up for this event. The car world is missing an icon, we are missing a loved neighbor. RIP Pat, you are dearly missed by all.

 

Huge loss to the hot rod world. Thank you Pat for everything you did for hot rodding. My sincere condolences to his family and friends.

 

When I first posted on page one when this news first came out I was stunned - without words.

I'm still stunned, but I have been thinking about Pat quite a bit over the weekend. Odd I guess for a man I never met, and who's only contact was a couple of emails. But I guess that is proof that Pat somehow touched my life. Like he seemingly did for so many who have posted their thoughts. It got me thinking about how this could be.

First, I think Pat was unique in todays 140 character world in that he was at heart a Storyteller. A journalist sure, but many have had noteworthy careers in automotive journalism telling the facts, but Pat told a story. That is why in my opinion his best work was with the Rodders Journal, and his own blog. Both gave him the space to tell the story. Tell the histroy of the car, or the owner, of the builder. Tell us the circumstances or reasons or friendships that brought a car to be. He learned the story, and he took us along. Part raconteur, part teacher.

Second, he proved over and over that he was just like the rest of us. A guy who loved Hot Rod's, and built things he liked in a small garage behind the house. A guy on a budget. A guy with many interests and responsabilities. And a guy who like us made mistakes - and showed us how to prevent them. Think about the Ganahl garage - take all the identifiable cars out, take a picture, and show it to 100k Hot Rod and Custom guys - 99% would immediately know it was Pat's garage. We grew up with articles written in that garage.

I'm sure Pat had flaws like every man, but he seemed to get the big parts right. And a big part of that was understanding that Hot Rods, as much as we love them, should not be all consuming. It was easy to see in his writing the role his family played. How proud he was of his 50-ish year marriage to Anna, and how proud he was of Bill's accomplishments. Some of his commentary on projects at Bill's shop were bursting with pride - even though he was doing his best to hide it. Think back to how many times the build thread on the sedan noted he'd been MIA because he'd been busy riding his bike, or hiking with Anna, or groovin on some other interest he was passionate about.

The world lost a storyteller, a historian, an enthusiest, a husband, and a father. What the world really lost was a Good Man. And I can't think of a better title to strive for in life.

I thank Ryan for shutting down all the speculation on the what / how / why of the accident. It doesn't really matter. It happened. Someone we all cared about is gone. Remember the Good Man. Don't cloud it with things that won't change the fact that Pat is gone, and we will all cherish his memory.

Or to quote Richard Petty after the racing accident that took his grandson Adam - "I will always hurt, but I don't believe it is man's place to put a question-mark, where God has put a period."

Godspeed Patrick Ganahl

 

Few times that someones death just stops me in my tracks, but the news Friday night that Pat Ganahl died in an accident in his iconic dragster was one.

As I read through the myriad of posts in the thread about him on H.A.M.B. so many others were astonished at his passing and expressed how much he meant to them as a writer and book author who had enriched their lives with his personable writings, I knew I wasn’t alone in feeling I had lost a friend.

For almost 50 years I enjoyed Pat’s informative writings. A true southern California hot rod guy, he was blessed by being in the right place to absorb the culture he came to represent as a historian in his many books and countless magazine articles. Even after his “retirement” he continued to write a blog with interesting articles and photos from his vast collection and send it out weekly. He kept doing it because he wanted to share it - not for any money. That email would always come as a fine treasure from a hot rod buddy.

We corresponded a few times over the years starting when he was editor of Rod & Custom magazine and then later by email. He was always friendly and receptive to the information I shared with him about a particular car or factoid he might not have known.

If there was one person who helped further hot rodding, especially the traditional, old school style; he was the one. The efforts to revive R&C and his many books perpetuated an art form in vehicles, such as hot rods and customs, which may have withered had it not been for the renewed national exposure. He built his own cars and wrote articles on what he did and how he did it. Truly a model for what the average guy could attain to.

As a kid who grew up reading Hot Rod, R&C, and other car magazines they were my connection to the car world and the demise of the publications has been sad for me. For the most part the prospect of receiving the latest issue in the mail is a thing of the past. Pat was one of those last connections. He helped keep hotrodding alive and provided a historical context and content for his readers.

R.I.P. Pat Ganahl

 

There will never be another like him. Much respect. Praying for the Ganahl family.


Dan Stoner, over at Hemmings did a great write up on Pat that is worth reading.
https://www.hemmings.com/stories/20...dding-neophyte-on-the-far-side-of-the-country

 

Maybe the greatest tributes to Pat are all the great tributes that have been posted here. May he RIP.

 

What a pity!! Clearly, Pat had an important place in the hearts and minds of hot rodders. I looked forward to his email articles….RIP, sir. My condolences to Anna, Bill and everyone feeling the sadness.

 

Went through each page and read all the wonderful memories and stories and it made me smile, which I haven't done much since I read the horrible news. Pat would smile too I think about all the wonderful things everyone said, although he'd be a bit embarrassed I think. A good friend who took the time to attend my last exhibition in LA and a CC member with me. I will miss our email chats and I will miss sharing his most excellent articles. His contributions will live on in his excellent books and articles but the encyclopedic memory is gone, such a devastating loss. RIP my friend and sincere condolences to your Family.

 

I'd give this one a couple more "Likes" if I could. Thank you.

 

Thanks Pat for all of that you shared with all interested in living this way of life.

 

this reply by Pat on my 2008 Goodguys Pleasanton thread is my proudest moment in my 35 years as an amateur HOT ROD photographer. my photos and event coverage have been in magazines, but this is it right here.

without a doubt there is direct link to pgan's work in the industry and my "very good eye for great rods and customs".

 

This is awful news. I'm deeply saddened and I never met Pat. It's very telling how strongly Pat touched so many of us; pure testimony to his high character and humility. Most who had achieved his level of success in an industry would undoubtedly lose their humility and appreciation of the simple things.
I too, never met him but admired and respected him for his consistent high quality work. I shot him a PM here on the HAMB and was shocked when he replied. I'm glad that I was able to tell him in the back and forth messages via PM the following (edited/condensed) -
_____

Writing to pass along how your journalism back in the day at Street Rodder was powerful in my life. I had almost forgotten it and then I saw the "Too Tall" build thread...Thanks for all you have done to build the hobby and inspire countless people. It's an important part of the worldwide car culture.

(He replied with "Well, thanks very much." and asked if I read his blog. I replied -)

I've (been) reading and thoroughly enjoying your blog posts...Love so many of the subjects you explore even though they are well outside of my normal range of interest...I feel like my hot rod IQ goes up each piece of yours I read.
Your willingness to share your experiences, your photos, your curiosity on lost hot rods is very much appreciated.
I'm proud of the work both you and your kid are doing and I don't even know either of you personally.

_____

 

agreed.

 

I originally posted a tribute to Pat on Facebook. After reading these wonderfull 12 pages I wanted to include it here. This is an amazing celebration of Pats Life!
I first became familiar with Pat by reading his articles in early issues of Hot Rod, Rod & Custom and Street Rodder. He had a writing style that was so natural, it was like listening to a friend. I got to finally meet him in the early 1980's at the Paso Robles shows. We talked about Early Customs, Old Chevys and Inline Motors. Pat always liked my 40' Chevy Custom, and I was truly honored when he included it in his wonderful book "The American Custom Car". In recent years I got to work with his very talented son Bill and saw Pat a little more often. Pat and I had a common interest in the historical stuff and would share photos and information. Whenever I sent Pat something I would always look forward to a Thank-You Note. Not an E-Mail or Text but a hand written note on some vintage Hot Rod Stationary , he was Old-School! My heart is broken for Anna , Bill and the family , but they are left with the legacy of a man who gave so much to the hobby he loved. R.I.P.

 

…pretty much epic… he is…

 

I live in the UK and I have been reading Pat's articles since Street Rodder and Rod & Custom back in the 1970's, more recently in The Rodder's Journal and even more recently his 'e-magazine' articles. He was a guest at the UK's hot rod Supernationals in 2003 and I was very pleased to hear him speak in the lecture room. Although I never met him, his familiar writing style made me feel like I knew him and his passing is very sad news. He was a true icon of hot Rodding history.

 

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/20...dding-neophyte-on-the-far-side-of-the-country

 

I don't have a lot of words to say, but these, and these are for everyone who is hurting.

I LOVED MY FRIEND
AND HE WENT AWAY
NOW THERE'S NOTHING MORE TO SAY
SO THIS POEM ENDS AS SOFT AS IT BEGAN
I LOVED MY FRIEND

 

Thanks for posting, Ryan.

 

@southcityrodandcustom
Deepest condolences to Pat's family and all who knew him best. Thank you for inspiring so many and for sharing your passion and talent with us Pat, may you rest in eternal peace.

 

His passing made the National news this morning....

Pat Ganahl, Rodder and Writer, Killed in Drag Racing Accident (msn.com)

 

Special people are the ones that are missed most.
Pat was special to many.
My condolences to the family.

 

A life well lived.

 

Prayers for family and friends he and his work will be missed by many

 

This is so hard to write. But I have to write something. I'm no writer and I can't even ask Pat for advice on how to go about it.
I first met Pat when he pull in my driveway in his Yellow Ford. He asked if I was the guy with the Studebaker and heard I did handy work in the neighborhood. He wanted someone to retrofit new windows in his house and needed it done in the least expensive way. But done right. I told him I wasn't a licensed contractor, just an animation artist out of work. But I had installed all my windows in my house and he thought they looked pretty good. So over to his house we went. Pat was pretty picky about things being perfect. I saw his garage and how everything was neat as a pin. So I was nervous I'd screw something up on the windows and he'd put me on his shit list. But things turned out pretty good and that's how our friendship began 8 or 9 years ago. He knew I was a hotrod guy from the start and had spied my '37 Coupe Express in the neighborhood and knew where I lived. He knew where all the hot rods and cars of interest in Glenoaks canyon were. He would go on long walks or ride his vintage 10 speed around for exercise, but what he was really doing was looking for "barn finds". I would stop by his house regularly to show off a vintage motorcycle I was restoring or the latest thing I was doing on my truck. He would tell me of some car he saw down a back alley or through the crack of someone's garage door that was a jar. Sometimes he'd pull up my driveway if he saw my garage open, getting my attention with a burn out that would slightly annoy my wife, and we'd hang there and talk. There's still evidence of Pat's tires on my drive today and it brings tears to my eyes. He came by one day wanted to take pictures of my Studebaker and that turned into a small article in Rodders Journal. I had mentioned to him that the guy I bought it from said it had been in the pages of Rod and Custom back in the early 70's. He said he doubted that. Then he calls me one day and said " Joe, by god I found it. you were right." He loved old rods that continue to be driven and the people that drive them. Garage or trailer queens and unfinished projects that don't run, made him head shaking sad/mad. Hanging out in Pat's garage, listening to him tell stories of the people who made hot rodding, while surrounded by the very thing, is something I will always treasure. Sometimes I would stop by just to say hi and sit with Anna and Pat in the living room and talk of things other than cars, like kids, guitars and landscape. But not for long. It was always mostly cars. The last time I spoke with Pat was at a neighborhood gathering in the park across the street from him. He was pretty excited to take his dragster up north that next week and run it. He had worked so hard getting it all back together and it was beautiful. I don't know what happened. But I do know that up until that point, He was having the time of his life. So long friend. I'll miss you pal.