.....and I about lose my MIND. Gene Winfield in the Home Depot I work in ?!?!?! In Portland?? WOW! The very same guy who built the Jade Idol, Silouette(spelling ) and other cool rides? So, I approach him and tell him how cool it is to meet him. We talk and he then takes a peek at a pic I have of the Sledsel. He smiles, then whips out a pen and signs it . Pretty cool guy! Wow, Gene Winfield.....
Thats great that someone of his talents and history is that down to earth and reasonable with people.I dont know anything about him,but what I have read about him and all I have read is-hes a real good guy.You know these people are approached all the time and I could see how they could easily get tired of it.I really admire all he has done,some really cool stuff!Reminds me of when me and my son met Ed Roth,he treated us as though we had known him for years.
I was freakin out at a swap meet a few years ago because there was a bunch of cool old stuff on the table. All kinds of sweet custom related stuff. The dude even had Winfield T shirts. I became even more impressed when I saw that he was Winfield. I was completely awestruck. He's about as down to earth as they come. I was suprised that no one had set up an alter near his Winnebago. No one even seemed to know who the hell he was. I think his wife (?) got a kick out of my reaction. I know I had a "Do you know who you are?" kinda look on my face. You just cant beat car folks, no matter how famous they are.
Well I wasnt gonna say anything but. I turned 40 this January and got a phone call from the little blonde lady Denise is speaking of. She say for me to hold on the next thing I know I get a Happy Birthday from Mr. W himself. Kinda cool, So I know what you are feeling.... Danny
i met him this past summer,.i too was completeley awestruck,,and like you guys said he was totally aproachable and cool. i had my rodders journal with me,the one with the joe barnett story and the cool 2 page shot of Winfields shop back in the 50's. he got a kick out of it and was showing the other fellows with him...of course i had him sign it!
he's kool..he was here a few years back with his '61 caddy so he drives it off his trailer,scratchs the shit outta it.he parks it in the dupont paint display area..the car is full of dirt,and grime,so my buddy offers to wax the whole car for him,never mind he still had to clean his own ride,,what a great way to get a super close look at his work...and i talked to him for a bit,and look at what he is sellin'the whole time he was stairing at my wifes tits!!!!!hahahaha thats my winfield story....
So ....Poncho my friend...... You gonna SHARE,with us, what he was lookin' at?????? Pictures my man, PICTURES
I think everyone who has spent more then a couple minutes around Gene has a cool story to tell about him. He has to be one of the coolest guys around. I've a few stories myself. From watching him get asked to leave a few different go cart tracks in Pigeon Forge to watching him spray some flames on A car at the KOA Double Date show a few years back.
Awesome!! I ran into Chip Foose at Ignace a few years back and he knew who I was!! I met the dude at Dan Webb's shop a few years prior and was flabbergasted he remembered me. I know what your feeling.
Spent some time with Gene today, talkin rods and Mercs. Have met him a few times over the years, I'm sure he don't remember me, but its cool that he acts like he does!!!........OLDBEET
He's a really great guy, since the first time we met him he always manages to see us first....& i know its not me he remembers its my mrs!! i just let him carry on while he gives me the old photo album But he's so polite & down to earth my mrs loves him too, i'd like to know how he was with the ladies in the old days......bet he can tell a few stories
Met him at a car show a few years back. I was there all by myself and he had his spot set up over against a wall, and everyone was just walking by, not even noticing him. I went up and introduced myself, we ended up talking for an hour about chopping my chevy... The next year he was there, in the same spot, so I went up and introduced myself again, not expecting him to remember me, but the first thing he says to me is " you get that chevy chopped yet?" I was stoked! Talked for another half hour, and then some other people wanted to buy stuff.... Nice guy man, one of my heros. -J.
Gene would like to say thanks for all the nice compliments and come talk to him any time, he is a car guy first, legend second. And Thunbs up to the HAMB, because the HAMB "Kicks Ass"
I met him a few years ago Mark and he was the nicest,self effacing and humble gentleman ever.....Then I met Boyd and it was different......much different.
Ya know, it says a lot for the guy that everybody who's posted has something good to say about him. Would it be that we could all live our lives that way. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The fame stuff is interesting. A few March Meets back, we were up in the stands and right behind us Diamond P - think it was - was shooting a TV interview with Wally Parks, Don Garlits and another guy I didn't recognize. When the interview was over, Parks and the other guy talked to the interviewer and camerman for a bit. Garlits walked away into the crowd and I figured he was gonna get mobbed, but it didn't happen. I guess there's a trick to it, he pulled his ball cap down a little bit, marched off like anybody else and I watched him until he dropped out of sight quite a ways up the vendors aisles. Not a soul spotted him. A little later, me and my buds were at his booth. I bought T-shirts and ball caps for family Christmas presents and he signed em for me. He was a gentleman, busy, but very nice. The most interesting part to me was talking to his wife while I was waiting in line. Very nice lady, open and frank and she told a couple of interesting short stories. The point? Talking to the better half can be more interesting than talking to the person carrying the heavy load of fame. At least it was for me....
Yes, I agree Jay, thats one of the reasons I'm soooo looking forward to sitting down and chatting with your wife. I'm looking forward to getting all the juicy details of who's who in your stories
i have to agree with everyone, i met him a few times over the years, he is a genuine nice guy! he always takes time to say hi to me & my wife. we have seen him at paso, portland roadster show, vegas, & a few other places....do you think he is thinking why is this guy following me all over the country?...by the way, that petite lady got gene's extra pass for fri. nite set up at the rod & custom show so i could get in, kinda nice of them...he always remembers us, when we see him,i thik i agree he mostly remembers my wife's tits!........hopeing to get her to drag him to our show in aug......chip
Me and Windy (all his friends call him Windy ) at Back to the Beach 2000... Every time someone posts something about Gene I whip out this pic. He's a great guy, even took the time to look at my little photo album that I had with me. Of course, he insisted that he have a photo with my wife...
[ QUOTE ] he's kool..he was here a few years back with his '61 caddy so he drives it off his trailer,scratchs the shit outta it.he parks it in the dupont paint display area..the car is full of dirt,and grime,so my buddy offers to wax the whole car for him,never mind he still had to clean his own ride,,what a great way to get a super close look at his work...and i talked to him for a bit,and look at what he is sellin'the whole time he was stairing at my wifes tits!!!!!hahahaha thats my winfield story.... [/ QUOTE ] Good memory Ponch;that was Buicknailhead and myself,man he looked too tired to do it himself,after all he drove all the way with dam rickety ol trailer(26 hrs,if i remember) I must be gettin old ,i'd almost forgotten that!!
Myself & my wife met him last year at Paso....great guy, down to earth & made me take a couple of pic's of him with my wife!
Hey Guys!! Been a while for me to be on here!! I saw the Gene Winfield thread and thought I would add to it with a continuation of TheRev's 2 cents. I remember discussing fades and shaving/decking etc etc with Gene. He is a very polite man. I was impressed with him being interested in what I was doing with my 64 Wildcat at the time. (air ride) We discuss set ups and roof lines and it went on from there to..heylets clean your car!!! hehe Here are the only 2 pics I have on my pc of that great day. Thanks Rev...was a cool time!!..
The Jalopy Journal
