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Garlits Was A Cowboy

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Ryan, Dec 31, 2007.

  1. Lobucrod
    Joined: Mar 22, 2006
    Posts: 4,122

    Lobucrod
    Alliance Vendor
    from Texas

    There's nothing wrong with that music, Reminds me of the pre-FM days. Garlits is Da Man. With out him the sport wouldnt be where it is today.
     
  2. bustingear
    Joined: Oct 29, 2002
    Posts: 2,283

    bustingear
    Member

    Garlits IS a cowboy. He is still around.
     
  3. G V Gordon
    Joined: Oct 29, 2002
    Posts: 5,713

    G V Gordon
    Member
    from Enid OK

    Actually I believe he was a gunslinger. Rolled into town, gunned down the local hero and rode into the sunset. The stuff ledgends are made of for sure!
     
  4. pasadenahotrod
    Joined: Feb 13, 2007
    Posts: 11,775

    pasadenahotrod
    Member
    from Texas

    I spoke to Don Garlits several times years ago when he was buying parts from Specialized Auto Parts in Houston to build a 37 Ford pickup (either one he had owned or one to replicate one he had owned in the day). We discussed parts for a while, he decided what he wanted, then began to give his name and address "Yeah, that's Don Garlits...". I wrote it all down and asked, "Are you THE Don Garlits as in BIG DADDY?". He replied, "Well, some folks call me BIG DADDY but most just call me Don."
     
  5. pitman
    Joined: May 14, 2006
    Posts: 5,148

    pitman

    I met Don at the New England track when he was racing in '71. A nicer fellow you could not have met. Thanks Ryan for bringing back some good old times!
     
  6. I have his book where he tells a lot of his stories on the road... very neat book.

    One of my favorite stories is when he switched to the new 426 hemi... and when the car wouldn't run 200... he started advancing the timing. His guys wouldn't even stand next to the thing!

    Great book.

    Sam.
     
  7. stillkruzn
    Joined: Apr 10, 2007
    Posts: 980

    stillkruzn
    Member
    from Conway, AR

    Great clip... to me Don Garlits is drag racing... I remember watching him and Muldowny, Kalitta. Good memories...
     
  8. Gotta respect a guy who would try anything to win and advance the sport.
     
  9. Ned_Gob
    Joined: Jan 12, 2007
    Posts: 539

    Ned_Gob
    Member

  10. olcurmdgeon
    Joined: Dec 15, 2007
    Posts: 2,289

    olcurmdgeon
    Member

    Boy this clip brings back memories! Late 50s, Dover Dragstrip in Wingdale, NY. I first laid eyes on Don Garlits. He was towing race car on an open trailer with a Dodge pickup. When I spoke to him, he was eating fried chicken alongside the pickup waiting for eliminations! Good times back them, run what you brung, built it yourself.
     
  11. Muttley
    Joined: Nov 30, 2003
    Posts: 18,500

    Muttley
    Member

    If you stick your computer speakers right in front of you and turn them all the way up it's just like being at the crappy local cruise night. :rolleyes: :D
     
  12. NITROFC
    Joined: Apr 17, 2001
    Posts: 6,175

    NITROFC
    BANNED

    Gar is one of a kind ..trust me I worked on his T/F during his last NHRA tour years ago and you don't want to get him going with Shirley or the UFO'S
     
  13. Gator Mc Klusky
    Joined: Apr 18, 2006
    Posts: 307

    Gator Mc Klusky
    Member

    Right spoken!

    And Garlits is a hero! Even we German kids did know him and his Dragster, from models, playing cards and magazines!

    Cheers to him!
     
  14. gas pumper
    Joined: Aug 13, 2007
    Posts: 2,957

    gas pumper
    Member

    ^^^^ this is really Garlits writing this? (the UFO stuff?)

    This is gonna take awhile, i'll be back later! :)

    Frank
     
  15. autobilly
    Joined: May 23, 2007
    Posts: 3,123

    autobilly
    Member

    Big Daddy is King! Long live the King! I'd love to have a long conversation with that guy, more than any one else alive. I envy you Tudor.
     
  16. 85-percent
    Joined: Apr 5, 2005
    Posts: 328

    85-percent
    Member

    Garlits and Frank Zappa are my two hero's. I never spoke to Zappa, but I have spoken to Garlits a few times. The two have a lot of personality traits in common. I'll compile a list some day. Both are true American heros.

    Dr. Robert Post (I think) called him "a craft empiricist", which could also describe most HAMBERS. coincidentally enough.

    Garlits memory is amazing. You name any race he was at and he can tell you how many rounds he went and who he raced each round!

    He truly lived a gunslingers life in the early days. Depending on race winnings to both make a living and feed a family forced him to use every resource available to him, which in hindsight seems to have been mostly his wits and mechanical aptitude. Seems like a pretty Darwinian existence, not unlike gunslingers of the Old West.

    And at the core he is a car guy's car guy. He just plain loves cars.

    -90%

    PS - I hope some day somebody out there finally makes a well done movie of his life. Don has the essense of what makes America great and it would resonate in a country a little lacking in the hero/courage department right now.
     
  17. Ranunculous
    Joined: Nov 30, 2007
    Posts: 2,465

    Ranunculous
    Member

    Thru the accounts of others and a passage in his book,he apparently can toss large numbers around with ease mathematically.Pretty smart feller?

    He signed my glove box door for my truck at a Goodguy's show at Indy in the 90's.I asked his pretty wife to autograph it first,then asked him to sign and draw an arrow to her name.
    He then got on his Schwinn and rode off somewheres...
     
  18. Goldy
    Joined: Feb 10, 2007
    Posts: 476

    Goldy
    Member

    Yes BIG is the man, he will always be the man. He did it all himself, not like today where you buy a tune up or hire a nitro guru. Gar didn't suceed by looking pretty and sucking up to people, he did it on raw enginuity and performance. He didn't bow to sponsors, or officials, including Wally, or competitors. He just built his cars his way and kicked butt !!! KING RAT RULES! GOLDY
     
  19. Goldy
    Joined: Feb 10, 2007
    Posts: 476

    Goldy
    Member

    Yes BIG is the man, he will always be the man. He did it all himself, not like today where you buy a tune up or hire a nitro guru. Gar didn't suceed by looking pretty and sucking up to people, he did it on raw enginuity and performance. He didn't bow to sponsors, or officials, including Wally, or competitors. He just built his cars his way and kicked butt !!! KING RAT RULES! GOLDY
     
  20. Goldy
    Joined: Feb 10, 2007
    Posts: 476

    Goldy
    Member

    Sorry for the duplicate.
     
  21. Mercmad
    Joined: Mar 21, 2007
    Posts: 1,383

    Mercmad
    BANNED
    from Brisvegas

    Well well ,guess what .Hes almost hit it right on the head. It has been proved by NASA and several other scientists that bacteria survive in space ( as was discovered on the camera bought back to earth fro m the moon ,it had a bacterial growth inside it from here but it had grown on the moon...) and the latest thinking is that life began on earth from meteorites crashing here with spores on them. (unless of course you know the earth is 1000 years old or what ever). I always believed Don Garlits to be a trend setter...;)
     
  22. kyhotrod
    Joined: Oct 25, 2006
    Posts: 132

    kyhotrod
    Member
    from Kentucky

    Next to Dad, Garlits is my hero. Have chatted with him couple of times, once at his museum, which is the center of the universe, IMHO.

    I can't find the video or clip with the bad music. WTF?
     
  23. kyhotrod
    Joined: Oct 25, 2006
    Posts: 132

    kyhotrod
    Member
    from Kentucky

    Damn ZoneAlarm was the problem. Now I see the vid fine.
    Great stuff, BTW.
     

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