Thread: Finally made it buy a ol' friends Shop in Las Vegas.

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Went to see a old Family friend today over lunch. Sat and talked for about 2 1/2 hours.
It seemed like 5 minutes and we both had things to do. A very good guy who growing up was around our house all the time. From kinder garden on, my Dad loved him like a son. Glad to be back in touch, He remembered things I had forgotten about, Good time for sure. Here is a couple pictures the wife snapped of us in his shop. He build's Dragsters and his dad used to have a custom exhaust shop, he always did the best work around. I didn't realize how popular he was till after I post the photo's of us on facebook the other day. I must of had 6 different folks get in touch with me that I had not seen or heard of in 30 years. All of them ol' drag racing buddies. Anyway they all said what good work Gary Gilbert does. The one photo we took in front of his own Dragster. He had 4 dragsters at his shop, the one he just got done doing the wheelie bar on. then he had his 10 year old son's jr. Dragster there as well. Just as we were getting ready to go to lunch we had to wait because a truck pulled up with some steel he ordered for some of the cars he was working on. It was a great day all in all though. He's still a super nice guy after all these years.
Photo link below, I am the ugly guy on the left, Gary's the big guy.

Flickr: kurtvara's Photostream

I also reunited with an old friend, so I know how good it feels. He still lives in the Midwest where I grew up. We went to high school together for a couple years when we were budding motor heads, and we both liked art and drawing hot rods and dragsters. I still have the drawings! He recently started "wintering" here, and we got together the first time last year, then again a couple weeks ago. We got to thinking about how long ago it was, and realized it was FIFTY YEARS!!! The neat part is that we picked up right where we left off. :-) (I have to confess HE has aged a lot.) LOL!

I hope you are enjoying it as much as I am.

It seems to be the time for tripping over old friends,guys,,cos I,too,,have reunited with a couple of old school friends,,after close to 50 years..Well,,45 years with one guy,,and a full 48 years with a girl we went to school with.. A lot of catching up to do,,and it's not the easiest when we are 5 hours driving,apart..but,,we shall overcome the distance..

You guys are so right, he was actually my little brother best friend but he was always at the house growing up.
He was one of the family though, like a little brother, he went every where with us.
I am 7 years older then him and my little brother, but at 15 and 16 he was helping to run the drag strip here in Vegas.
He is definitely wiser then his years in age, His Dad was always building ol' classic cars and still has one today at age 80.
I wish I would have snapped some photo's of that while I was there, I think he has a black 36 with a 454 that's pushing
about 500 HP for the street. Very nice, they take it and ride in Parades with it and invited the wife and I to ride along.
It's nice to have friends.
Kurt

Sounds like a great visit, Kurt!!! Looks like a very nice shop and the new dragster looks very nice!!!!!

Good to hear others are getting reacquainted with old friends, too! None of us are getting any younger, if we put some of these visits off, could be the friends aren't around anymore---a lesson I've learned the hard way a couple times in the recent past....

You are so right Dave, I almost waited to long.
I need to see some of these guy's, why I can still have fun.
The wife and I got invited to a meet the other day with a bunch of drag racers.
Anyway we drove in to Vegas and the guy had his pit crew there and some other racer's and cooked for everyone.
I taught this guy to build his first motor which was a little 318.
Here's a little funny story about use putting a cam in his motor, back then he didn't know anything.
Now the guy has 3 different drag cars in his Garage, Times sure change like you said Dave.
Memories Back in the day, Working on Eric's ol' 4 door Plymouth Valiant. Eric's mom comes out and say's Kurt I made you some sandwich's Take a break and come and eat them. Ok Eric don't touch anything. 5 minutes later I come out and Eric say's UMMM Kurt we have a little problem. What's wrong Eric??? {Eric} The lifter's fell in the oil pan. {Kurt} Here's a magnet Eric. HE! HE! HE!
Boy was he happy by the time he got that last lifter out of the oil pan an hour later. That little 318 went from not being able to turn the tires over, to having to take your foot off the gas to keep them from spinning clear up the street. I guess that must of hooked him because he's still doing it today.
Kurt