After seeing the post about Phil Weiands Roadster - it got me thinking, Phil obviously kept the roadster until he p***ed away. What about the others??? I know that Isky and John Athan kept their cars, I just wondered if any of the Influential old timers still have Hot Rods or whether they progressed to later model transport. What do Norm Grabowski, Tommy Ivo, Wally Parks, Ak Miller **** Kraft, Spaulding Bros, any Early Roadrunners or Sidewinders members have tucked away in their garages. It'd be great to see some pics or just find out what they're into for fun driving in this day and age cheers Bob
Well, look at the A tub post and you can see the Kookie II from Grabowski.........better yet, study his woodcarving! The man has skill. Dont know aboutthe others?
Well, I'm not certain what Norm Grabowski has stashed in his garage, but I know what he is driving as his every day car. It's a Brinks (or some such)Armored Vehicle! I remember seeing it several years ago in it's construction stage in some car mag. And then this year on my way back to New York from California, I saw Norm driving it along Rte. 40 in Missouri. He was just choogling along at about 65MPH and when I pulled up on him I kept wondering what the hell that thing in front of me was. It was big and primered black and had this really cool exhaust note that told me something was going on under the hood (I think memory tells me it has a BB Ford of around 460").The most astonishing thing about this piece-it had a kind of '37 Fordish appearance to it! The headlights were definitely '37 and I think the front fenders were also, but beyond that, who the hell knew what it was. One thing it was, it was way cool and Norm was just meandering along life's highway doing his own thing. We tooted as we went by, he grinned, honked his truck-like horns waved and continued on his way. What a guy and what a life!
Ivo's car is in the NHRA Museum. Saw it at 50th Oakland and it's a nice as ever. Isky still has his. Edelbrock Jr. has his old mans '32. Norm drives a mid-60's Tbird and that black mirage is a car hauler he made to carry Kookie II. I'll include a pic and you can see it in the background. I'll also include a pic of one of his shifter knobs. (This particular car was wiped out in a head on with an 18 wheeler the next day.) Don't know about the rest of those guys.
Norm also has a killer 1937 Ford flatbed that he has been going to the events with the last couple of years. It's a tongue in cheek creation that totally reflects Norm's personality. There have been pictures of it posted here. Maybe someone will put up a picture. Just a teaser, the front bumper is a carving by Norm that states "Boogie 'till you puke". Cl***ic Norm. Frank
Wally Parks has a clone of Suddenly, the 57 Plymouth he drove at the Daytona Speed Weeks in the 50s.
Kinda off topic, but does anyone know what is in the old Isky building by the Fox Hills Mall in Culver City? I think Isky still owns it, as his name is still pained on it, but a look in the windows reveals wall to wall stuff, and it seems no one is ever there.
In the current National Dragster: a goldchainer club called the Cal-Rods is building a re-pop of Wally's '29 on duece highboy to give to Wally and then be put in the NHRA Museum. Looks like a pretty nice piece. cp
Isky never threw anything away! I suspect that when the building referred to above was filled, Ed bought another building. His car is in the NHRA Museum also.
Few had the foresight to keep their milestone cars. They needed the money to build new ones. A few examples... Mutt
Cool, thanks Guys, Sounds like a few of the "Ol Timers" are still having fun - good on em !! especially Norm!!!
what's a henway? well, it depends on the hen, usually between three and four pounds, or somethin like that. **** kraft either has a "bug" clone, or is building one. rod and custom did an article on him, in 2001, i think, and it showed it.
When I visited Ak Miller a couple of years ago he was driving a supercharged Ford F-150 Lightning truck that he converted to run on propane. His ex-wife Marilyn drives a late '70s Corvette with an Ak-prepped, turbocharged small block, also running propane.
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