Visited the Don Garlits museum today

I only took a few pictures but I thought I'd share them with you. I started vacation today and planned on getting out in the shop but did this instead.

Here is his first drag car from the 50's



Here are a line of sling shot dragsters, they look like they are lined up in a new car showroom. Too bad this pic doesn't translate the cool


This was one of my favorites twin engines mounted on a angle. I love the shot from the drivers seat. Could you imagine sitting there at full throttle?






Just a couple of cool Willys



This was my favorite car the board tells the story.










I took this because I have a 46 in pieces and one day hope to have a it looking a 10th this nice





Any way this doesn't even tell part of the story. If you ever get a chance to go DO IT!!!!

 

The Don Garlits museum should be on everyone short list of places to visit when coming to Florida.

They have worked very hard to create something very special for everyone who loves drag racing for sure.

Jimbo

 

Man that is a great place. Been their and can't wait to go again.

 

raidmagic. Was my brother in law's car on display yet? He shipped back to the museum in Oct. Not of interest to this board but it's a VW rail that ran a 6.99 and held the ET and MPH record for years.

 

Was Don there?

 

Did you get pictures of the engine room?

 

Been there a few times myself and met Don once. Great place and great people running it.

 

Toured in '87, bought a piston he had autographed from one of the hemis. When we were leaving he crawled out from under a '49 Ford convertible he was working on, gave us a big wave and smile.

 

There were a suprising amount of VWs there but I didn't notice it. You could walk through there twice and not see everything. It really is sensory overload.

I didn't see him, I was hoping to meet him. Last time I was there about 10 years ago I got to meet him.

No that dyno room grabbed my attention and I never thought about my camera. It's a shame too he has a wall of intakes that will make you drool. I did get this shot of a Twin H 308 but I took it because I have one in my Hudson.

 

I went there while we were down for the Turkey Run..Haven't been in years.. Still an amazing place ..Big must never throw anything away..there's a display case that has a jar full of marbles he played with as a child..!!
In the "engine " room there's a display case of flathead intakes..just for kicks ,I counted 86 Stromberg 97's in that one showcase alone...!!!

 

Man that place has been on my bucket list forever, I'm so jealous rifgt now. One of these days I'm gonna make it out that way. Want to do it before Big heads to that big dragstrip in the sky,would love the chance to meet him. Usually my vacations take me in the opposite direction

 

I was there a few year
s back when I was on my way to the Gatornationals....mecca for sure!

 

FYI if you are going....
http://garlits.com/hours.htm

 

I would like to get there some day. Mr. Chevy is always kool to look at!

 

I see that Barbara Hamiltons beautiful willys "Miss Blue" is there for the winter. That car sounds so tough.

 

Kool - Thanks

 

Words nor pictures can explain how awesome the Garlits Museum really is. I finally got to visit at last years Billetproof show. Any gearhead heading south on I-75 is making a huge mistake if they don't take the time to visit. His collection of horizontal missiles is amazing.

 

I watched Barbara race at Quaker City Dragway back in the 60's. Cool car , super cool person. Bill

 

My wife and I visited the museum on our Honeymoon over 21 yrs. ago......That visit is responsible for my current midengine roadster build right now...........Littleman

 

Visited there in 1985. It was a lot smaller then. Meet Don & Pat when we were there. Also met Don a few times when he came to Scribner in the late 80's & 90's when wit was a IHRA Track. Got to get back to Florida.

 

Saw Don on an auction show on Speed recently they were auctioning off a couple electric replicas that he and Darrel Gwynn raced for charity. Big stated this was only race car he ever sold. I was amazed when I visited that he had them all. In my area we tore stuff apart and used good parts in next years car. If I remember Big was an accountant so I'm guessin he had a big plan even in the early days!

 

Got to visit last year...GREAT place!
My wife even enjoyed it; that's not typical for car-related activities.

 

Don never got rid of anything EVER. His first pair of racing goggles are still on display there. He is the ultimate hoarder.

I drove by that museum for years and never stopped for some reason. Then we went there a few years ago for Billet Proof and I was blown away. His museum is only part of his stash, in the buildings on the property he has the rafters full of everything from cotter pins to dragsters.

Don

 

Been there 7 times myself!.....I could sleep and live there!......Lol....gotta find pics!

 

Been there a couple of times. I was there back in June or July and asked if Don was around. The girl at the counter said he should be in the garage, just walk around around the building and see if he's there. Yep, he was there. My wife and me talked with him and his wife for a while. His garage is the bomb. There were a few flathead v8's on stands and a few hemi's. There are dragster frames hanging from the ceiling rafters. Parts and parts of cars all over the place. A real nice guy. He told me he never got rid of anything, and the few things he did get rid of people have brought back to him for the museum. You got to go there, it's a must see. Ken

 

first met don in 1958 at the sebring track. he and his wife and brother were going to lunch and asked me and my friend to watch his car for him while they were gone. took a pix that i took that day to billetproof and had don sign it for me, he remembered the time and told me all about the eng. that he had in the car at that time,has a great memory. saw him at turkey rodrun, he looks beter all the time, a great guy. comes to a lot of swap meets around fla. , a super scrounger for flathead parts.

 

I hope to tour that someday !!!

 

There is a Metz roadster in the cl***ic museum there that I striped 45 years ago.

 

This is coming to the top of my bucket list for sure. Been working on that list for quite a few years now and it is getting shorter, but lot's left to go see and do.

 

We've been there twice in recent years. It's a really amazing place you could easily spend several days loitering around trying to get a grip on all the history parked between those walls.