Hey, I'm new here on the hamb. I'm 17 an love hot rods. Lately I've been really down about Big Daddy. I never got to meet him (which I regret every day) and I just wanna hear about yer guys stories about him. Anything, stories you've heard, times you met him, or just tell us what he means to the Kustom Kulture world. Add some pictures too! Thanks Rat Finks Forever!
Well I'm standing in his Drag Racing Museum a few years back with my Dad.Not very crowded and out a side door walks Don himself. I really did not expect to see him there. I had a 35MM Camera with me. I say Hi and he walks over and start to chat. I ask if he would take a Picture with me. He says Sure. My dad taked the camera and as he is about to take the shot the freakin lense falls right off the camera smashes on the floor. We are all stunned. He walks back in the side door and comes out with a broom and sweeps up the glass. says that he sorry about that but really nothing he can do. Says goodbye thanks for coming etc.....Did buy some stuff in his shop
Ed Roth or Don Garlits? I met Roth in an ice cream shop in the upper peninsula of Michigan a few years back. He was absolutely swamped at the St. Ignace car show so I couldn't get any of my stuff signed. I went anmd introduced myself and asked if he would sign one of my posters. He signed all of 'em and we sat there eatin' ice cream for a while. Really great down to earth guy. Glad I had a chance to shake his hand and say thanks.
The only thing Ed liked better than "Free" ice cream was his home made crappy pasta in tomato paste,.......... Ed was a good egg, I only got to know him good in the later years when he converted to Morman, I'm not a morman and we had some good discuessions. I still hear from Dennis every now and again, my buddy Clyde was really tight with the Roth clan.
When I was younger, I was facinated with Ed Roth. My Dad drove my brother and I to the Lewiston world of wheels to meet him one summer. It was absolutly dead at the show, so I got to sit and talk to him for about an hour. He mentioned wanting an ice cream, so My dad and I went to the store, bought some ice cream, and took it back to him. He was a cool guy, really down to earth, and funny as hell
For my 11th birthday (1961), my dad drove me to Roth's shop on Slauson in Maywood. It was a rainy saturday and dad walked me in to the shop. I had a catalog of Roths shirts and had selected the one I wanted. This was before they were silkscreened, they were airbrushed by hand. Big Daddy was working on something and there was crap everywhere. He stopped whatever he was doing, shook my hand, wished me "happy birthday", sat on a stool and started to airbrush my sweatshirt (no t-shirt for me, I wanted something that would last). On the back he painted one of his monster/beatniks. Above that it read "Don't Bug Me"....on the front he airbrushed my name "Doug" and painted some spiders hanging off of my name. A similar shirt was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated at about this same time...I have it framed. Anyway, all the way home the car smelled to high heaven with the smell of that freshly painted shirt. I only wore it to the drags when I used to go to Lions every saturday night with my dad. There's a couple of scenes of me wearing it in the documentary DVD, "Lions, The Greatest Drag Strip". I'm 56 now, have tossed out many things that I shouldn't have, but thank goodness I had just enough brains to take good care of that sweatshirt for the past 45 years. I saw Roth back in the 90's at a swap meet in Pomona and had a chance to thank him for that shirt and those great memories. Been a big Roth fan ever since. Hence my nickname... Mazooma \
He was at Detroit Autorama around '01 or so (?) and my buddy got his shirt signed and shook his hand. I was outta loot and thought "ah, I'll just catch him next year. There never was a next year. I'm still bummed about that. Anyway, there are a couple of great books about him: http://www.edroth.com/nonflash/Shopping/newitems.html
Boom Boom, Help is on the way. I have a camera which uses this stuff called film. A friend has a digital. Stand by... Geez, new technology...I gotta get onboard...
When I was in Carlisle in '91, I was walking down a row and saw that someone had a big display of Roth T shirts....and it turned out to be Ed Roth. I spoke with him for a moment, and bought two shirts. I kept one and gave one to my older brother, who was a teenager during the heyday of Rat Fink. Mine has never been worn or washed...I guess it's achieved shrine status now.
Sorry I didnt specify, I meant Roth, Don Garlits is a kool kat too though (actually met him!) Keep the pics comin thats a boss monster shirt!
to Harms Way You knew Roth when he was just becomin a Mormon? Thats Kool! I always liked the fact that he became a mormon because I'm a mormon. Is Dennis Lil Daddy? I get his kids mixed up. thanks
Here he is doing our RatFink on our car back in '94 at the BTT50's. We just went up to him and asked if he would do it - he said find me some paint/brushes and he would do it. We had a hard time convincing another painter to let him use his brushes (?) - but it all turned out - awesome!! The car today...
Reno passed away, but I think he converted to mormanism as well,.. Dennis is a,... ah,...........well, lets just say he ain't a morman, and yes Dennis is "Lil Daddy" He sells the Roth Flake
yeah I met lil daddy, kool guy, seemed just like his dad, although I dont know his dad... Lil Daddy told me that one time they was at a show somewhere an he saw the Ramones there, so lil daddy an them was talkin and lil daddy had Ed sign some stuff an was tryin to get his ol mans attention but he was talkin to somebody, so as Ed was talkin he signed the shirts an stuff an off the Ramones went, after Ed finished talkin lil daddy said who was that. Ed was talkin to Hitlers cousin! I dont know all the details about the relation to Hitler but it was his cousin!! HA! I love that story...
I think Hitler himself hung out at the shop on Slauson. There sure were enough swastikas there anyway.
Now Ed would come to Valencia to see his kids. And i would sit with him at Church and then go out side and look at what he had outside. Allways had time to talk and to have some fun. He would talk to all the kids and anyone who wanted to talk. He was in town for the MOON show. Man i miss the 1 on 1 talks with him. I am 51 and had a ton of his shirts and stuff all over my room as a kid. RIP ED ( BIG DADDY ) We miss you Dave
Ed Roth and his first wife,Sally,were my Godparents. My mom went to college with Sally,and they were best friends. We went to the same Church together,St. Clements in Hunington Park. After church we would go to breakfast and I would sit next to Ed,cause he would draw on everything(mostly napkins). I would grab the napkins and put them in my drawer at home. When my parents passed away,I looked in the dresser and they had wilted away. Boy,those would be worth some bucks! Another time I rode my BRAND NEW Schwinn Stingray to his shop and left it there when my dad came looking for me. When I went back to get it the next day,Ed had pinstriped it,all over! When my dad saw it,he made me rub it off. Ruined my paint. I have a plastic German helmut,Ed gave me when I was 7. I've had it all these years,and many offers to buy it,by collectors. Last year,I took it to a painters and pinstripers show,and had Doug Dorr stripe it. There was this Japanese striper there and offered me $2500 for it,right in front of Darryl and Dennis! Darryl said,"hey...i've got a box of those things at home. I'll sell you one". It was funny. Also when I was a kid,thet used to have Ratfink keychains in gumball machines. My best friend and I went home and got as much change as we could,and emptied out all the keychains! About 50 or so. Still have about 20 of them. I'll post a pic of my helmut. Give me a second.
Here's the helmut. I painted the white stripe around the bottom when I was about 10(thought I could be a striper too).
And please do NOT misunderstand me. I was really glad to see that Ed got religion. He was heading for a bad end otherwise. And, under it all, he was a really nice guy. I dug him in both of his lives. RIP Big Daddy.
Another one. If you look closely,you'll see an original Ratfink,water transfer decal,about 40 or so years old. Doug painted flies around the Ratfink.
I got a letter form Big Daddy, a few months before he died, granting me permission to use the "RAT FINK" logo in our club name. "Western Washingtion Rat Finks" Its on the club house wall. Im still pissed at Garlits he stepped on my leg when I was under a car ar SIR (Seattle InreNat'l Raceway) before the Californicators took over the place How could you confuse the two guys, Ed was a nice guy
Get over getting your leg stepped on. Gar's a really cool guy too. I got to ride in the Caddy with him and Miss Pat at the CHRR. Very gracious people. As almost drag racers are. Only in drag racing and LSR will someone help you, often with their parts, get your car on the track. And shake your hand when you beat them WITH THEIR PARTS! Garlits is a real drag racer.
OK I'm an Idiot....I should have read the thread better. He did mean Roth. Still cool meeting BIg Daddy Don !!
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