Fuller's reply to my e-mail question . . . "Porky the Pirate". probably the WORST welder ever. FULLER Mike
I was going to say... "CAAAAPTAAAAAAAIIIN CAAAAAAVEE MAAAAAAAN!!!" But I guess the question has been answered.
I knew Porky the Pirate pretty good back in the day. We always were hanging with Porky, listening to his stories and jokes, he was quite a character. He drove a 55ish Ford truck loaded to the gills with anything you can think of, and behind that he towed another old Ford truck as a trailer, just as loaded as the other. He had almost anything that a racer might need to get down the track one more time at least. What he was most revered for though was his welding, he made the best looking bead with any metal or object that needed repaired. Many times I watched him weld up anything from a car that hit the guard rail to busted wheelie bars, cast iron blocks with rods hanging out the sides, you name it. He also made his keg leg that was his trademark. My uncle always had the motorhome in the pits and several times Porky would come over and grub some lunch. He even passed out in the motorhome when he was really tired. The thing I remember most was he did the best work you could want on your car and never take a dime for it, he was good with kids too. Many a racers days were saved by good ol' Porky the Pirate. I have his obituary and there's a good chance some pics of him at Fremont Dragstrip. I'll try and dig them up, and if you are interested in them I'd be happy to forward copies of whatever I can dig up. I also have one of his calenders that he would autograph and give to anyone that wanted one. As for the locale of that pic, I'm gonna guess Fremont, or Pomona, it's hard to see much in that picture. So anyway I'll talk to later, Peace, Bill
Porky the Pirate was the best. He welded 2 random cars bumpers together in the parking lot at Fremont.....just because. When we were kids, he would always freak us out by throwing a pocket knife he had into his wooded leg. I can't remember his first name, but his last name was Gastelum.
No relation. And actually, I was wrong. Porky Gastelum was a bearded hispanic guy with a young, healthy hootered girlfriend that got busted big time for running a big methamphetamine operation. I don't know if he is still in jail or not. Sorry for the confusion. He ran a top fuel program for a little while, then disappeared into the abyss of narcotics. Porky the Pirate was still bad ass.
i might be able to get you some storys on the guy my uncle and my dad both remembers him and my uncle says he might even have some old pics of him at fremont
Yes, that is Porky the Pirate and I am a member of the Porky the Pirate, Jr. Pirate Club. It was free to join for $5.00 or a six pack beer. Dean Moon made his peg leg Pirate Jungle Juice tank with flip top cap. At the Opening Ceramonies at the 74 OCIR MFG. F/C race, a marching band from UC Irvine was to march down the 1/4 mile and out pops Porky the Pirate in the front, marching along with his Pirate Flag. That lasted for about 100 ft till the rent-a-pigs got him off the track. That was Bitchin ! LONG LIVE PORKY THE PIRATE ! ARRRRRRRRRRRR !
Yeah, yeah, that's what I was talking about. He drank our beer. I guess that makes me a member of the Jr Pirates club, huh? I love the OCIR story. Thanks.
I was at the drag boat races, can't remember where, maybe Lake Ming ? Porky was standing at the edge of the dock where they would launch the boats. Off comes Mr. Ed BFH near the dock. All of sudden they fire up and Porky falls off the dock into the drink, like walking the plank. He didn't know how to swim I don't think. We see all this water churning up and about 15 seconds later here comes Porky, marching up the boat ramp. What a HERO ! LMAO
This is my new favorite thread! I remember hearing about the knife in the leg schtick from Bob Beezer (The "Canadian Indian" - another character). Unfortunately, I never met Porky. But I think I've been befriended by every other gonzo railbird that ever attended a drag race... Great idea to honor these guys, Phil!
Thanks, Man. The era of racing that we all love was just chock-a-block with benevolent weirdos and charactors. The current drag racing scene wouldn't even allow Porky access to the pits.
Porky ruled, and when I was just a boy I believed that he was a real Pirate. Somewhere I have a picture of him and me when I was little, he hung around my Dad's race cars. He filled up his leg and beer bonged out of it. One time Bradley pissed in it, poor Porky. I'll bet that pic is OCIR. Somehow my youth was a little more colorful than my kid's are......
After a WCS race at Fremont we were coming down 880 freeway and along side the road was Porky waving his Pirate Flag. We turned around at the next off ramp and headed back towards Porky. When we arrived by Porky, there were already 5 trucks with racecars on trailers helping him out. After we got him going again, we all went to a pizza place where Porky was taking us. The pizza and beer were on us. Porky welded up alot of racecars and parts to save a racer's day at the track. He would fit right in at the Nostilgia races, RIP Porky.
So, does anyone know the Porkmeister's real name. Pretty sure the statute of limitations has run out by now. heh heh...
Let's bump this up for the Easter Sunday Prime Time crowd. Must be more stories out there about Porky and his contemporaries, eh?
i'm glad you are doing this thread, guys like this deserve to be remembered, i hope someone can come up with more pictures, he almost disappeared into time for good. This entire country used to be run by nuts and goof balls, thats what made it so great, now they have all quietly been moved out of the way and not allowed anymore. no wonder it's falling apart now. I guess the "normal" people can't figure out how the nuts put it together. bring back the crazies!!! some of the coolest people i've ever know have been labeled oddballs and crazy. it's sad when you make such an impact on people and your life is reduced to one grainy picture.
Jeez Phil, just found this thread. I remember that dude, he welded up alot of cars.....but the first thing you did when you got home was have his shitty welds redone! He was a funny old coot.......... NHRA needs a guy like him around now to loosen some of those tight asses up!
all of us crazy people need to take it back over. and yes i would like to see a car welded to the tower. the lawers are the ones who ruined racing, the lawsuits and insurance will only let the super clean sanitized people in there now. it's ruined .
What is the betting he was an Expat Kiwi?, the skills with the welder,handy with a beer ,a missing limb, the beer in the hat and the tube running into his gob ,no one knows his real name and a finely honed sense of humour all point to a birth in Godzone.
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