Hot Rods Is This a Norm Grabowski Skull Shifter?

It's so blurry I would be hesitant to assume...perhaps it's a nameplate similar to @brigrat's

Perhaps the working button mechanism has a bearing on his decision to insert objects...

Artistic license...

Maybe we can find a clearer image to verify...

You are probably correct though as there is red under it and it does appear to be bloodish in nature...

 

It looks like a bullet casing to me also but nobody has proven it was done to every single skull. I haven't seen one in/on Jeff's Norm Skull yet and you can take it to the bank his is the real deal...............

 

Just as some have signatures on button like discs others are right on the Skull directly...aka artistic license by the creator...no two are alike...

 

Another view!

 

If we are talking about the skull in his original T-bucket. He bought that in a giftshop after going on one of the rides in Disney Land. So, no bullet.

 

http://www.rumpsville.com/?page_id=985

...Here's another link to a slideshow of a huge array of his work and @brigrat a number of unique bases for inspiration...

​

 

I’m in no way qualified to venture a guess if it’s genuine or not but I can tell you that if @Jeff Norwell says it’s real, he’s sure of that. I would 100% believe it is based on his word.

 

Stogy, Thanks for the pic I like the combination of the polished Aluminum and wood!

 

A classic example of provenance is everything when it comes to art.

Brigrat's skull sure looks like it is the real deal. The only things I could find that might be off are that Norm seemed to always dot the "I" at the end of his name and the signature is quite thick. If you look at Norm's other signatures though they do seen to vary through the years a bit which is normal.

Here is a Grabowski that sold on Ebay a couple months ago with some other ones. Is it a real one? Has the bullet on top but the signature is on the pedestal. Very different than the typical Grabowski. If you look at the skull on the Kookie II in the picture from Stogy, The cheek bone on this skull looks very similar to the Ebay skull. Brigrat's skull cheek bone is a bit different but similar some of Norm's other stuff.

Jeff's skull has the same tooth and skull cap as Brigrat's. It would be nice to see the other 2 that are part of the 3 that Brigrat is referring to.

 

What a character Mr. Grabowski was! A true artist and a really cool guy. I got a chance to chat with him at the Chicago World of Wheels a decade or so ago... he was very friendly and "real". I first found out about him when that article in Car Craft showed him with the Corvair powered motorcycle and ping pong ball eyes. I always thought it was a hoot that a fellow like him was named "Norm".

 

This thread inspired me to get my signed Norm poster framed that I’ve had since 89.

 

I would be 98% sure it's the real deal. As Jef said, he did a few for Lokar shifters and were a PITA to work out. When I got mine from him, he asked me what shifter I was going to use and had been working on the Lokar workings and talked about how it really messed with how he normally did stuff. While pretty much all his knobs had bullets in the top (filled the center hole he drilled for the threaded mount on the other end), I'm not surprised a Lokar one wouldn't have it since there was a button where the bullet hole would have been. As for the different signature "coin", Norm went through several styles of those over time.

Norm's skulls went through a series of style changes. The simpler, plainer ones were first, with the first 100 being numbered. The one posted by @Ratspit that recently sold (was part of a large collection that the collectors estate just sold) is one of those first 100. Over time they got more detailed and wilder. This one in question fits the "transitional" style of the time Norm did the few Lokar ones in the early-mid 90's....'94-'95 maybe. I suspect that's about the same time as the other one @bigrat posted that's on that auction site right now (but is probably priced quite a bit too high). The dark one in question is a cool skull....I'd love it in my collection.

 

Dave do you have any pic's you would like to share, especially if they have a "stand" or display? Looking for ideas!

 

Here are mine. The one on the left never had a stand and was given to the guy I got it from by Norm when he helped Norm work on the Kookie II. It's one of the real early ones but is not numbered. It does have a bullet, but does not have a signature coin on the back, rather it has a sculpted brass NG inset on the back. The one on the stand is a little newer and starts to show the transition from the early simple ones but not quite the more intricate ones. The signature coin is not on the skull but is on the bottom of the stand. The one on the right is the one Norm made for me late '97....only one he ever did with braces. LOL This was still kind of "early" in the later more intricate and wilder skulls. From here on, some of them got pretty crazy.

 

Thanks Dave, the one with the braces is nuts but in a good way!

 

I used to use it in my consultations and tell kids if they didn't brush their teeth or wear their rubber bands, this is how long they would be in braces. Haha

 

Just wanted to add pics of my Norm Skull collection for reference ! Also if one of these lokar knobs is available I’m interested ! Actually interested in any Norm Skulls available!

 

It’s kool to see some of the telltale timeline giveaways on his stuff , I’ve got one with the brass. ( gold ) tooth with the same jewel in it like yours and the other black lokar norm skull seen here that were probably made around the same time

 

Norm signing prints at Pete & Jakes for my son.



NORM!

 

The only time I ever met him was at the HAMB Drags mentioned above. I'm glad you paid his "appearance fee" Ryan.

 

NAH!--------That's one of Norm's famous replies when ask what's a "HENWAY?"

 

Norm's car and truck at a Little Rock shows in 2004.

 

It is a big wrong misprint that Norm was on the cover of Life magazine in 1957. He appeared in the magazine. YES. But not on the cover. He did print up a poster that makes people think he was on the cover. If I`m wrong. Please correct me. Don`t believe everything you read in print. Like what I just wrote. Let`s see the actual cover from 1957.

 

My Norm story,,,I was in a Bass Pro restaurant Branson ,Mo.for a Navy Seabee reunion. Norm came in and sat beside us. I was star struck.. We struck up conversation only to be invited to his home..SEABEECMC and I went the next day for the visit ,,,This is near the top highlight of my many hotrod adventures...

 

Even though they are 2 different types of cars I personally think Norms first "T" Bucket is more iconic than the multi thousand-dollar mint green Merc, there I said it!

 

You should have heard him whistle with his mouth closed!

 

It's SEABEECMC Jack.

 

Here`s one from the Museum of Speed in Lincoln Nebraska.