Folks Of Interest Remembering Pat Ganahl Today

5window. True and true. God Speed.

 

I was reading Rodder's Journal #86 last night and read the tribute that son Bill wrote about his Dad. One story was a rodder who was debuting his newest build and asked Pat what he thought. Pat (the guy with no filter) said, "It looks like a house painter pinstriped it." I almost choked laughing. When my wife asked what was so funny, I said, "You have to read it." because every time I tried to tell her I started laughing again.

That's the kind of stuff I want told at my "Celebration of Life!"

 

Pat's family car. HRP





and his '32 roadster.

 

One memory I have, which I never wrote about took place at El Mirage many years ago. I drove out to the top end to watch the cars come through and found Pat s sitting on the tailgate of his 56 pickup fiddling with his camera. I asked him where Baskerville was and without looking up, pointed to the track. There was old Dad, camera in hand on the course, taking shots as the cars came racing through the traps. Pat said, "out there, He's braver than me!"

 

And the short Kiwi guy. Dang didn’t realise it was 3 years ago since he p***ed .I came inside and my wife asked what was wrong, just heard the sad news, mere weeks after we met Pat. Cruising nats Santa Maria 2022.

 

Ahh yes, the late @pgan. A man of great character, integrity and honesty. Long may he live in our hearts and minds.

 

I saved all of his emails with discussions about the building of the Spalding, and other things we were up to. I was lucky to have had him for a friend !

 

Hail to the Chief.
Pat Ganahl Word Puzzle

Here is a list I made (Nerd!) of all the words that I had to look up that are from Pat’s articles.
In no particular order. See how many you know! (English Majors excluded.) That means you, Billy!
I was going to show it to him, but our paths didn't cross that often. (Since the Nostalgia Racing Days). I have stories, but I will cherish them alone).
Esoteric
Apocryphal
Empirical
Ephemeral
Idiosyncratic
Enigmatic
Imperious
Ubiquitous
Laconically
Iconoclast
Moribund
Erstwhile
Quintessential
Panoply
Obligatory
Indefatigable
Pragmatic
Eponymous
Ostensibly
Ethereal
Inveterate
Loquacious

And of course, Venerable.

 

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When I shot these photos of Pats dragster, years ago at the CHRR, I wasn't a member of the HAMB back then, and I didn't know who Pat was. I bet he wasn't standing more than a few feet away from the car when I shot these photos.

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Hello,

I knew young Pat Ganahl. At the time, we were both 20 somethings. We lost touch as we both got older. I met him in the editorial offices while I was submitting some photo articles. At the time, we nodded as we p***ed each other. He was going to his desk and I was headed to the “executive editor in charge’s office.” Yikes!

He happened into a job at Street Rodder Magazine in 1973, where he learned to be an editor and photographer, promoted the return of custom cars. Who would have thought this young editor was going to be a multi book author and historian of hot rods/custom cars. We were about the same age and I guess, he had some sympathy for another photojournalist.

The day I met him was the day I got sent to “Mr. Big,” Tex Smith, for a final editing of my stories. Talk about high school English Cl***, when the short term papers got sent back to my own desk with red marks all over, again. Tex Smith had his own way to present the next issue of any magazine and so, I was the student awaiting the return of my submitted article. (or, in H.S. an "essay")

Boy, what a wait. As the ever present RED pen took over, a scribble here and there was almost non-stop. I could see his face in concentration and then the comments came out. It was not a way to change what I wrote, but how it should be presented to make more sense. The story had to have a neutral sense and not a one sided presentation. As old Jack Webb used to say: “just the facts, ma'am…”

It was a nice visit with Tex Smith, as awesome as being able to meet and talk to the guy we always read about in Hot Rod as well as other magazines. He was sitting across his huge desk, but everyone at one time had to go through it. So, when I came out into the “pit,” Pat Ganahl came over and said that… “We all go through it as a warm up to creating magazines and articles.”

Then a wink and a big smile came across his face. He mentioned my photographs, B/W and color slides were top notch and as clear as "a sunny So Cal day.

THANKS, PAT…

Jnaki

The philosophy I retained from that last bit of information was: “Write what you want in your own style and take the best photographs possible. Then, when the story and the photos are ready, submit it.” Tex Smith had his own way to create each issue, but we are not Tex Smith and have our own style… yes!!! YRMV