Guest shadetree77 Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 The wife and I recently celebrated our 7th anniversary by taking a trip to Daytona Beach. On the way home I convinced her to let me take the "scenic route" that included a stop at the Big Daddy Don Garlits Drag Racing Museum. Unbeknownst to me, they were having a big car show that day. Big Daddy himself was in attendance and signed some shirts for me! I bought my dad a shirt for his birthday and had Mr. Garlits sign it. My dad remembers seeing Big Daddy race when he was a kid in Spokane, Washington. It was one of the things that got him into cars when he was young and this made the perfect gift. Here are some pictures of the early Buicks in the museum as well as some Buick racing engines and a Buick dragster called "Swamp Rat Too Buick". Enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shadetree77 Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 Here are some of my non-Buick favorites from the museum and car show. If you're ever in the area of Ocala, Florida, I suggest you stop here. Admission was only $15.00 for both museums and it is well worth it. I could have spent days in here but unfortunately I had to snap pictures and run through as we were on a deadline to return the rental car! It's much more than just cars. He has piles upon piles of antique auto-related stuff in every nook and cranny. Enjoy! P.S. Interesting little factoid, the 1950 Mercury on the right in the pic below was driven by the Fonz in Happy Days. It used to be purple with green flames but was re-painted when restored. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D Yaros Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 Neat pics! Thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 Neat pics! Thanks for sharing.X2 !!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kingoftheroad Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 Thanks, GREAT PICS !!Love that '59 Desoto Firesweep, great body style !!Its also great to see the Nailhead in a museum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TxBuicks Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 I'd like to know what a 600 HP nailhead feels like directly connected to a 4-speed manual transmission! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1953mack Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 Gotta love that "mother-in-law" seat on the 1909 Buick, first two pics.Why don't they have these on modern cars? Al Mack"500 Miles West of Flint" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booreatta Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 I'd like to know what a 600 HP nailhead feels like directly connected to a 4-speed manual transmission!As the sign I have seen says "SHUT UP, SIT DOWN, HANG ON" ahh to go back to the days when Big Daddy was racing, times were good and life easy. A really good time to be alive. Everybody I knew was into drag racing. It was fun then not a big businessChuck Kerls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Old Guy Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 I was racing when garlits, Malone ,and Kalitta all were towing the dragsters on open trailers. Theyall came to Central Michigan Dragway .Karamisineesand all the BIG guys ran there back in the 60s because the promoter (Bob George) paid money, and he was one of the first to do that. EJ Potter and his Chev V8 powered motorcycle and Arfons were also there quite regualarly This was 1959-1960 time frame Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shadetree77 Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 Here's a few more. I especially like the story about his first dragster being so ugly Hot Rod Magazine wouldn't run a picture of it!! Also love the "Pollutionizer" dragster with a WWII fighter plane engine. I have a bunch more pictures of his old dragsters, mainly the "Swamp Rat" ones. The lighting in that area was odd and caused the pictures to not come out so great. I may post some of those later too. Enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hotrod1940 Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 The red fender in the model T sign pictureabove, is a Metz roadster and I striped that fender over 45 years ago. I lived in Clearwater FL and was a flagger at the Golden Triangle dragstrip in Oldsmar FL where Garlits was based. All the racers came to Florida in the winter to race Garlits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Cool, you still do striping? how's the Skylark comin? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bob Call Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 Great pics. I donated the radiator grille shell and instrument panel for the Chrysler air raid siren. It came from a Chrysler 354 industrial I bought for a hot rod engine back in 2003. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hotrod1940 Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 Cool, you still do striping? how's the Skylark comin? Still striping. see pics.Skylark is coming along. see pics.Tub is done and I am converting Roadmaster fenders to Skylark.Apologize for hijacking thread, but you asked.Got any old 820 whitewalls? One of my rollers is leaking.See attached pics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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