Norm grabowski 1933-2012

Truly one of my heros since finding out he owned the Kookie "T". Seeing that car on 77 Sunset Strip back in the '50s had a lot to do with me being a gearhead for the next 50 years. RIP Norm. My condolences to his family and friends.

 

Oh man this breaks my heart. Met him while in college and was just an amazing guy to visit with. Godspeed...Norm

 

Met Norm at the Columbus nats in 90... walked up to him and started talking about his T bucket, and some other things I remembered from feautures and interviews from Dads old Rod and Custom Magazines....he was impressed that a youngster (22 year old) like myself had some knowlege about his exploits...I did not ask for a picture that day and regretted it, so the next day I went back to find him, he was selling his wooden scooters at the time, and asked for a picture, which he gladly posed for...I'll have to find it and post it.

He told a great story of how the Kookie T was driven into a post during a scene for 77 sunset strip, and how it got repaired etc....one of a kind. Godspeed

 

That was one guy who in EVERY picture you see of him looked like he was having a GOOD TIME!!!, Sad news Mel

 

So sad to hear this. R.I.P. Norm.

 

Right on brother Larry. I will be watching those clouds as I know it will happen....
RIP, NORM you will be missed by all, but you left us with some great memories.

 

How sad, RIP

 

Sad day to be a hot rodder! Hart broken, my prayers go out to norms family and loved ones he will be missed.


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RIP Norm- It was great to meet you.

Spike

 

So sad to hear of Norms passing. I never met him, one of those people that I had always wanted to meet. RIP Norm!

 

R.I.P. He was a true original. What a better world we would all live in if their were more like him.

 

RIP Norm. Condolences to friends and family.
Jim

 

Bummer deal. RIP.

 

god speed norm R.I.P

 

rip nice talented man. was lucky to meet him at a party at a friends house.

 

It will be a sad cruise night at Toluca Lake tonight, R&C just did a shoot using Norm's shoot for life as a guide at our Bob's. Will miss his sense of humor, like the pic I have of him wearing the FREE PEE-WEE! shirt with the zipper pulled down exposing the letters. Godspeed Normie Poo!

 

If you read all the previous posts the one constant is that everyone considered Norm a friend, even if we had never had the pleasure of meeting him. He would go out of his way to make us average guys feel important when we did have the honor of meeting him. How many other celebrities do you know who have that ability and caring for others ?

I have got to find the letter Norm wrote me years ago after I wrote a "fan" letter to him. Norm Grabowski actually took his valuable time to sit down and hand write a letter to a nobody like me ! But if you look at some of the stories posted here it was just the way Norm was.

It's very hard to type with tears in my eyes, I've lost a good friend today.

Don

 

Sad to hear this news today. It is sad to see another great artist move on but it is
even more difficult to come to grips with the pain and suffering Norm experienced in
his last days. I am grateful for an end to his battle. He was a truly inspiring man.
Your spirit loves on Norm, God bless you and your loved ones and
Godspeed, hot rod man!

Respect and condolences,

Mark

 

very sad to hear , great person who helped many

 

Wow. This sucks to read.

I met Norm at the LSRU 10 and he spoke like we'd known each other for years. Not a lot of guys like him left in the world.

 

I was in Columbus years ago, and I had just met Cassandra Petersen (Elvira), I walked away from her and a few steps away Norm was standing by a truck with big pipes behind the cab. As I got near him, he made that whistle sound, and I stopped. I said "hello Norm, it's really great to meet you", and he gave me his little salute. I told him I really loved trucks with stacks, to which he replied: "I like mine stacked too" and I said..."trucks", to which he answered: "yes, that's what I meant" and then he did his whistle again.

Rest In Peace Norm, it will be strange knowing I'll never get another e-mail from you.

 

Norm would attend the Roundup in Austin and hang with Bob Owens in the swap meet. My swap meet space is across from Bob's. One year Norm comes over to my space alone and looks around at my stuff. We talked for a bit and I asked him how he felt being famous. He said he really did not care so much for it but he did enjoy the friends he made. Best answer ever. RIP

 

RIP --- Hammerhead

 

Wish I could have known him better. Longer.



Rest in peace Norm...

Jim Harrison

 

I will have some crown royal in his memory....RIP

 

Sad to read of this news. Norm stayed with me several years ago. I fondly remember his roots blown Suburban. We went out and got a 10' mini sailboat and tried to sail to Catalina island.

God Speed Normie Poo

 

Big loss. Only met him once, but it stuck. Godspeed Norm.
God's Hot Rods gets another great one.

 

Sent from my DROID device using the TJJ mobile app

 

The best thing about this is at least he is not suffering any more, his quality of life was really bad the last couple weeks, he was a great man and a huge help to many rodders and will be missed but it would have been very sad to see him continue to suffer. R.I.P. Jim

 

I feel most sorry for the people that never met Norm.Even if you met Norm for a second it was the best second of your life.I was lucky to have talked with him several times over the years even though i was not close to him.Everyone was his friend and he made sure you felt that.The Greatest Hot Rodder to have ever lived.I will always smile when i remember the times when i talked to him.I do feel a loss for the family and his Hot Rod family but he left LOTS of good memories.His memories will live on FOREVER.God Bless Norm.