I was talking with my friend in the US who has the Don Gay 62 Super Duty Catalina. He travelled a lot last year showing it at a number of events.
One event he attended was in Kentucky. He was sitting in a chair at his car. A man came and sat down in the chair beside him and he said they talked for over an hour. As they continued, it got to the point it was suppertime and the man asked him if he had plans for supper. He didn't, and the man mentioned he knew a good restaurant and invited him to have supper with him.
My buddy Herb is a pretty sociable kind of guy and agreed. Off they went and proceeded to talk all through supper and another hour or two, mostly about drag racing. As they were leaving the restaurant, Herb commented to the man that he had never gotten his name.
Herb said he almost had a heart attack when the man replied "My name is Don Garlits"!!!!!
I thought everyone knows what Don looks like, but I guess not!!!
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
Maybe he would have recognised Don if Big Daddy was "upside down, backwards and on fire" like he used to say in his commercial before they edited it out.
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Prince Edward Island
'64 Parisienne CS "barn find" - last on the road in '86 ... Owner Protection Plan booklet, original paint, original near-mint aqua interior, original aqua GM floor mats, original 283, factory posi, and original rust.
I was at Don Gartlis museum in november. That man does not stay still. It was the Mopar Fest weekend and there was a car corral, flea market and car show with all kinds of mopar stuff. I got to talk with his wife a for a short time but did not get a chance to talk with Don himself as he was very busy with the Mopar guys and he did not stay in one place for very long. He is in great physical condition for a man his age. The museum is a must see for car lovers when going to Florida.
I went to the museum with my father in law about ten years ago. Mr Garlits came in to talk to the woman at the desk just as we were leaving, he did say hello to us. My brush with drag racing royalty?
Absolutely a must see when in Fla, even if it takes a fair drive to get there. Mecca in Ocala.
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65 Laurentian post, 67 Grande Parisienne 4 door HT.
I met Mr. Garlits at the Indy Goodguys weekend and asked him to sign a goodguys sweat shirt.He said sure and Istill have it. Funny thing is he spelled his name wrong.Don Garlit, forgot the s.
Years ago we were at the Gatornationals in Gainsville Fla. sitting in the stands on the pit side when Don and his wife came up and sat down beside my son who was about 10 at the time. My son wanted him to sign his t-shirt but couldn't get his attention, until his wife said, you'll have to yell loud , he,s almost deaf from so many years of racing. Nice family, and a great museum.
i was flying down the hwy in florida one day with my x wife and my four boys and i caught the don garlits shop just off the freeway and i never went back to check it out and im still kicking my self for not stopping.
I was drag racing my 340 Duster in 1972 at Cayuga and Garlits was there match racing. I had a chance to see him in the pit area and I asked him a question. "What's it feel like when you pull the chute at 200 mph", his reply " Well son it feels like your nuts are in your back pocket"!
-- Edited by ARCADIAN on Wednesday 26th of January 2011 08:55:43 PM
I was drag racing my 340 Duster in 1972 at Cayuga and Garlits was there match racing. I had a chance to see him in the pit area and I asked him a question. "What's it feel like when you pull the chute at 200 mph", his reply " Well son it feels like your nuts are in your back pocket"!
-- Edited by ARCADIAN on Wednesday 26th of January 2011 08:55:43 PM
That's priceless! Wonder how Shirley would have answered you.....hehehe!
