Elvis and the Wall of Death movie "Roustabout" had Norm Grabowski in it!

Norm Grabowski had a bit part in "Sex Kittens Go To College" skip the first 3 min 30 seconds.... it's useless

There were 2 cars at the LA Roadster show in tribute to Norm Grabowski

The famous Horne intake. Very rare. Long story about these in the Rodders Digest if I recall correctly... the guy who made them was working at Bell autoparts, before they were famous for making the helmet, and before they bought out Cragar. He cast his name into them for a short while before the company owners bought the rights to them from him and I forget what name they cast on them after that

"My Mother the Car" the car was made by Norm Grabowski or Barris?

Premiering in 1965, what may be the strangest sitcom of all time is a reminder that borderline brain-dead TV executives have been with us for decades — and deserve no say in the big-budget boardroom. Jerry Van Dyke played a man who discovers that his mother's soul has been reincarnated in his automobile, enabling him to hear her voice through the radio http://www.esquire.com/the-side/feature/worst-tv-shows-100109

Hot Rod Deluxe, May 2010 issue page 69 says Norm made it, and it was owned by Kaye Trapp, Hollywood studio photographer who used it as a push car for the Zueschel, Fuller, and Moody dragster

But according to http://local.aaca.org/junior/starcars/mother.htm Barris built the car; The car's body (finished in Metalflake carnation red with a white top) was made up from various vehicles including a Model T Ford, a Maxwell (precursor to the Chrysler), a Hudson, and pieces of a Chevrolet, including drive train. The car had a custom-made hood and radiator shell.
2 were made, one is at http://starcarstn.com/index.html in Tennessee along with a lot of other cool cars like the Munsters Dragula, and a collection of Barris customs




The video is badly editted news shorts from a local tv station perhaps... it seems like it once had commercials, only the first half is really worth watching

Tommy Ivo's bucket T, on tv and in the movies... on the strip too, where it was a consistant 11 second 1/4 miler

Above: the same issue had this photo of Norm and his Kookie T, Norm was telling Charles Coburn about the particulars of the T

He even built the early 322-cubic-inch Buick nailhead V-8 engine, thanks to inside tips from the late Max Balchowsky, a man known for building some of the most potent Buick V-8 engines in the world. Among Balchowsky's stable of Buick-powered cars were the infamous Ol' Yaller road racers.

Ivo had heard about Balchowsky and visited his shop in nearby Hollywood seeking advice. Eventually, Balchowsky showed Ivo how to set the bored-and-stroked engine (it eventually stretched its eight holes to 402 cubic inches) to use one of three induction systems: a dual-quad manifold, the quintessential six-pack of Stromberg 97s, and the Hilborn fuel injection that has become the car's trademark over the years.

Ivo's desire to race netted him and his T-bucket several Top Eliminator awards at the San Fernando Drags and later at Lions when it opened in 1960. The car was dependable for 11-second elapsed times and a top speed of 119 mph. Not bad for a street car, but then, when you really get to the bare bones of the matter, a T-bucket is nothing more than an engine stand on wheels anyway. You know, a dragster.

Despite its reputation at the drag strip, in those days Ivo's T-bucket had an equally mean reputation on the street and on the screen. Being a prodigy child actor, Ivo had numerous contacts in the film industry, and when hot rod movies became popular during the 1950s, it was only a matter of time before Ivo's T served as a movie prop. In this case the hot rod served as the hero's car in the 1956 movie, Dragstrip Girl. Ironically, Ivo played one of the heavies in the movie, and the script called for him to steal his own car!

Perhaps the crowning glory for the reconstruction project was its white pinstripes. As he did with the original car back in 1955 for Tommy Ivo, Von Dutch also striped the restored car for Jack Rosen. Regardless of how close the new stripe job is to the first the Dutch laid down, according to Jack, this was Von Dutch's final stripe job. He passed away a short time later.

Text from http://streetrodder.automotive.com/50882/0006sr-tommy-ivo-t-bucket/index.html

Images from http://theselvedgeyard.wordpress.com/2009/05/24/the-great-1950s-t-bucket-rod-rivalry/ and the August 1957 Car Craft

Car Craft April 1957, Kookie T and Norm Grabowski

For the gallery of the LIFE photos: http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2009/12/norms-kookie-t-photos-from-1957-life.html

For a gallery of the recreated Kookie T:http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2009/11/replica-of-norms-kookie-t-i-doubt.html

For more about Norm: http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2008/11/norman.htmlRead more: http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2009/12/norms-kookie-t-photos-from-1957-life.html#ixzz0Ye99GiOk

Norm's Kookie T photos from 1957 Life photographers

Go FULL size on this and the first photo to check out the kids seat... world of difference from the ones you'll see today

racing at Santa Ana, and below, the far lane is Tommy Ivo

These photos found at: http://theselvedgeyard.wordpress.com/2009/05/24/the-great-1950s-t-bucket-rod-rivalry/

For a gallery of the recreated Kookie T:http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2009/11/replica-of-norms-kookie-t-i-doubt.html

For more about Norm: http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2008/11/norman.html

For a gallery about Tommy Ivo ( in the above photo he's racing in the far lane ): http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2009/12/tommy-ivos-bucket-t-on-tv-and-in-movies.html

The replica of Norm's Kookie T, I doubt anyone but Norm could tell the difference

For a full post on Norm Grabowski, icon and influence of hot rodding: http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2008/11/norman.html

For a full post on Norm and the Life gallery of photos taken at Norm's garage and on the way to drag race Tommy Ivo at Santa Ana dragway in 1957: http://theselvedgeyard.wordpress.com/2009/05/24/the-great-1950s-t-bucket-rod-rivalry/


Tere http://justakargal.blogspot.com/ was invited to sit in the T and have her picture taken with the hat. But I was stunned to see the T at SEMA... completely unremarked in the SEMA information pamphlet I'd looked at, and at an entrance to the South hall (I think)

The original was upholstered by icon Tony Nancy, painted by legendary Valley Custom, and with flame job and pinstriping by icon Dean Jeffries

this was the start for this replica, looks rough! But they did a perfect job and you've seen the results!

This is what has became of the icon bucket T that was on 77 Sunset Strip, it was a victim of the touring show car craze of the flamboyant 60's, and in this iteration it remains in storage. It's current owner is not showing it, or returning it to it's original look.