Pat is and always will be an inspiration for our hobby. I came to know him through his writing in Rod&Custom. I would read everything he wrote, he had such an easy and friendly way of writing. God Bless you Pat! RIP.
Going to miss you Mr. Ganahl. God bless this giant in the industry and we must keep carrying this torch for him.
I don't think now is the time to ask what happened. Or speculate on what occurred. We may never actually know the truth. And it really doesn't matter.
Very sad to hear that Pat Ganahl passed, and especially so suddenly. As others have stated, this isn't a time to point at reasons, or whether it was the car's design, track, or medical issue with Pat. I was going to head up today to the races at Riverdale, but I decided not to attend after hearing this. Just too sad to be there, and surely the mood at the meet wont be good.
I remember where I was the first time I noticed the “new” R&C magazine at the magazine rack. It was an emotional experience. Thanks pat.
All we can ever hope to do is leave a mark on society and go out doing what we love. Pat checked both of those boxes. His energy burned so bright that each and every one of us were touched by his light. The world of the living is a little darker today. All we can do now is pick up the torch and carry it in his honor. Take solace in the notion that he's heating up his rubber in a better burnout box now. It never rains and the lanes are as smooth as glass. For hot rodders, the gates of heaven is not some gilded portcullis, but rather, a christmas tree. We love you, Pat. Hopefully someday, if we're good, we'll all get to see you shut down the good lord's LS swapped Tri-five Chevy with that straight six of yours.
Got the call last night....was planning to attend the races today. ...pretty bummed. Died doing something he loved. May we all be so lucky.
Hello, It is a long day in our hot rod history to hear of this sad news. We were 20 somethings with a need to take photographs and write about what we liked. Hot rods, motorcycles, and drag racing… We started and worked in a business that was involved in the journalism side of a hobby that almost everyone enjoyed and acknowledged as time moved through history. We tried to make it work individually without actually being on staff of any of the publications. At the time, we were together for the first time and our lives were an open road for the future. When we looked at what we could do, I dabbled in photography and cameras as a hobby. There were those that were in the industry as professionals in photojournalism. Having grown up reading all of the old R&C, Hot Rod, and other early magazines, it drew us in like no other. But, after our foray into early hot rods and drag racing, photography and writing, looked like where we wanted to be and make it work. Jnaki When I started to get the whole act together, I met a relatively young, Pat Ganahl. He was a few years younger and had the enthusiasm of a highly active teenager, but showed a calm demeanor. I could tell at the time that he was so enthusiastic about the whole hot rod, motorcycle, custom car world. It was like a senior in high school looking at a young enthusiastic freshman, getting all of the information necessary. He also learned from the relatively lively group at the magazines… so thanks, too, Jim, Dain, Brian, Rich, William T. and of course, Mr. T. Smith. One day, I was wandering around a few magazine offices and he came over to talk about some articles and photographs I had submitted. There were others in the office that were showing me the “rules” of the game and the “needs” of the staff + publications. They were all nice to me as they saw my submissions. Pat was a young one and I could see his enthusiasm right away. He was on the staff as one of the journalists, so I listened. I knew he was locked in and had an edge for articles/photographs as part of his job at the magazines, over a freelance journalist. But, he continued to talk about how to do better to suit the needs of the magazines and the direction they were going. He was very helpful to an older guy, but also an enthusiastic journalist. I went out to my car to instantly write down some facts and procedures for future articles and photos. Thanks, Pat, for seeing we were close in age, enthusiastic about what we were doing in the hot rod/motorcycle/drag race world and the great tips for being a good photojournalist. A Master’s Degree in English Literature? Great background for sure… History of hot rods, none better and that includes 1000’s of photographs, too. This clip honors a great example of hot rod/custom car history. It close to home as it was in Long Beach, CA, the owner had one of the first custom 58 Impalas in the whole So Cal area, we were fortunate to visit with the owner in his garage in the early 1963 era, and it remains a classic showcase on film. Pat Ganahl and Mox Miller in Long Beach Condolences to the Pat’s family at this time…
Condolences to Anna, Bill, and family. Pat was a humble and generous mentor when I needed help organizing/judging the San Marino Concours Hot Rod Class. No doubt his books and articles will stand as monuments to the hobby. Thank you Pat.
Thank you sir for your many, many contributing words and actions to the hot rodding community. Condolences to family & friends.
This is such a tough read. I never met Too Tall Paul, but followed his writing from Rod n Custom, (his first swim suit issue is still one of the best!) to The Rodder's Journal, his webpage, Instagram, etc.
I posted earlier but still can’t believe this terrible news. I remember him doing a series on a Fat Chevy in RC and it gave me hope for a ‘46 I still haven’t touched. I loved his tech articles because they showed how an ordinary guy could get it done. Of all the car guys that have passed on I’ll be sad for a long time over Pat’s passing... I went back to his R and C blog last night and re-read the last one, Dandy Drive-ins. The last paragraph was so comforting when I first read it but so sad last night.
I still remember getting the new issue of Street Rodder in the '70s where they introduced a new staffer, Pat Ganahl. The editor (maybe Robert Smith?) interviewed Pat and it was like "How tall are you? Did you play basketball? OK, that's out of the way." He then proceeded to detail his affection for Chevy sixes, starting with the hand-me-down late '40s four-door sedan he got from his grandfather and the '49 pickup he slapped a bed cover on to take on his honeymoon. Awesome storytelling. His '32 Chevy coupe that started as a fire-breathing Olds-powered beast and evolved into a sweet blue six-banger-plus-four-speed driver. Sad that he left Street Rodder; glad that he re-started R&C. Even more sad now.
Such a sad time. He was a true inspiration. I loved how "real" his articles always were. They made you feel like you were part of the process/event/experience. He will truly be missed.
@ the ripe age of 77 this news was a punch in the gut for me. I have read his articles since day one and felt like they were directed to me personally. Just came back from a short cruse in his honor, clipped off 100mph. My way of dealing with the news..........Prayers to his family and friends.................
Very sad... One way to measure his influence is the stories of those of us lucky enough to have met him (for me, at SEMA 30 years ago). We all remember it.
Very sad to hear this. I've been following his work since the 70s. His passing is a real loss to our hobby. R.I.P.
Wow, this is horrible news to wake up to this morning, just shocking. What a huge hole this leaves in the hot rodding community. I have many thoughts going through my head as I read this thread, it's probably best to wait some time to express them. I will say that I was one of the lucky ones to have met and spoken with Pat a number of times, as he was so often present at many of the events here in So Cal and was so recognizable, and for that I am thankful. Condolences to his family and close friends, may God grant you peace during these difficult days ahead. God speed Pat! You will be missed by many.
The Shifters owe a lot of gratitude for Pat's extreme support and media coverage he gave us over the past few decades. Our early years were a time when most editors/photojournalists did not like what we were in to - traditional Hot Rods. Pat was a personal friend that would call or come by the house, began talking about cars, but ended up having extensive conversations about music. What a tragedy. Sincerest condolences to his immediate family.
The Jalopy Journal
