Event Coverage Gene Winfield's Open House Oct. 12, photos galore

I went out to Gene Winfield's open house yesterday to take a few photo for all the folks who couldn't go.
I had two cameras, one with a standard short zoom lens and the other with a 16mm 180 degree lens. I am not a fan of fish-eye lenses when they are overly used and I find them too gimicky for regular coverage, BUT due to the close quarters of Gene's shops and his cars it was the lens of choice for me. Try to disregard some of the distortions. My intent was to just get an image of whatever the subject was....
So...on a different note, I was really pleased to get out tere and get some photos. It's been a year since I have covered anything for the HAMB.
I've had two spinal fusions in seven months and I'm still pretty screwed up, but just getting out to Gene's yesterday was a big confidence builder.
So, t's good to be back. I hope to continue to improve. I really missed covering events.....really missed.

Gene's place is in Mojave, 100 miles from my home, east of Pasadena, but out in the middle of the desert Gene can make as much noise as he likes....



"Blackie" Gegeian was there as he was last year. He's a great guy and a legend in the car world. You can't be in a bad mood around "Blackie". He's a happy man and is as much of a jewel as Gene...

 

yes, this guy drove this out to Gene's....I wonder what it's like to drive this on the freeway???? I'll bet you get your photo taken by kids with cellphone cameras...!!

 

Thanks a bunch for the great pics...sorry to hear about your health issues
Hope your back to 100% soon,
Carl

 

out on the back of Gene's shops is his "used car lot"....it's a crazy collection of donor cars, piles of parts, engines, projects that have been cast aside and gawd knows what else....there's old motorhomes and even a boat.....

 

HEY! YOU!....free hugs......

 

Great pics thanks for sharing


Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

from "Back to the Future II"



from a TV commercial



this appeared to be some sort of device that produced flames or smoke, not sure

 

great pics,as always. hope yor back mends soon

 

I ran into a guy I haven't seen in years. I barely recognized him and he didn't recognize me. George "the Bushmaster" Schreiber who used to drive "Big Daddy" Roth's "Yellow Fang" and went on to drive jet dragsters for 15 years after than. He was the guy who told me in 1967 that tomato juice in beer was the ticket. I was 17.
I set a friend up with George in 1970 to make a student film with the "Yellow Fang". George was still in SoCal living in Alhambra and the two of them did a film project together.
He's one of those guys that can tell you stories for hours and they all are true. He's been all over and done it all.
At 76 years old he's still wearing those awful shorts and always smilin'....
He was out at Gene's with the Don Garlits dragster....
He was drinking a big glass of beer today with tomato juice in it.....



Gene whips up the crowd as the Garlits dragster fires up.......

 

really cool pics I had the pleasure of talking to Gene at this years Syracuse Nationals. Thank you for posting the pics for us who aren't able to attend.

 

nice pics

 

I see the guy in the ugly shorts all over Missouri. Guess I shouldn't judge a book by it's cover. I stayed away from him because of the shorts.

 

Thanks, Mazooma, for the photos and I hope your back gets better. I am also having back problems and it is not fun. That Garlits dragster is actually a recreation as there were several dragsters called Swamp Rat 3. These weren't driven by Garlits, but by Connie Swingle. Actually Swingle built the 3 dragsters as he was quite a craftsman. I think the original wound up in a canal in Georgia.
As a flagger, in Florida in the day, any dragster driven by Garlits, Swingle or Art Malone, scared me to death.

 

Killer pix as usual Maz thanx !!

I got lucky and caught up with GEne @ Chopped last week.

Man does he get around for an 80+ dude !

Rat

 

Great pictures and perspective of his place.
Thank you for posting them.
Noticed you hadn't been posting pictures here for a while.
Heal well!

 

The " bushmaster " loose again ? CHRR will never be the same !! Thanks for the pics Maz. I know and feel your pain but getting out does help.

 

I could spend years there, great pics, thanks for posting!

 

We've missed you around here Doug. Glad you're getting around again. Thanks for all the great pics.
I'm really diggin this Ranchero.

 

I've never been out to his place, but I've looked at it on google maps. these pictures sure make it look like it rambles on and on. also, I love the non-colorized pictures! I prefer to see things as they are. way to many show pics that are over enhanced with color etc.

 

Thank you so much for the great pictures and for taking us along with you. Hope your better real soon.

 

Thanx for all the pix! Crazy stuff there. Gary

 

Mazuma::: Thanks a lot Great shots.

 

Talk about a lot of projects in the fire!!!