BILL WZOREK
Well-known member
Sad News, Our thoughts & prayers go out to his Family & Friends.
Where are Rumbleseats posts ?
- Thread starter Tom Walker
- Start date
V8 Bob
Well-known member
Very sorry to hear this, although many of us knew his health was not good. I'm grateful for the visits he made to my home, the rides in his roadster, and the wealth of knowledge he shared with so many.
The above picture was taken in 2003, his first visit during one of his cross country trips. RIP Paul.
Bob
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V8 Bob
Well-known member
Below are a couple of pictures from my first trip to Bonneville in '08. Paul insisted on giving my friends and I rides throughout the pits, and introduced us to many of his friends.
Although we all tried to keep the salt to a minimum while entering his roadster, the floors and carpet became "white" very quickly, but that didn't bother Paul one bit.
Although we all tried to keep the salt to a minimum while entering his roadster, the floors and carpet became "white" very quickly, but that didn't bother Paul one bit.
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JM 35 Sedan
Well-known member
That is sad news. Paul was a great person and a huge contributor to all the old Flathead Ford Internet forums.
Ol' Ron
Well-known member
I've been a friend of Pauls for several years. He and I spent a Month driving through the Colorado mountians back in 06 in his 34, the car would go where Mountian goats would think twice. He was in Vermont several years ago on one of his last trips, I will surely miss him. My heart goes out to Paula and his many frends, he was a great and generous guy.
Bruce Lancaster
Member Emeritus
For anyone who missed the chance to meet him or to read his posts on the old Barn, go have a look at his online book linked above. It really needs to be printed off as a real hold-in-your-hand book. You will quickly get an idea of his knowledge, experience, and personality...he was quite a guy and a hugely important resource in the flathead world.
roadster36
BANNED
This is a huge loss. I followed what he did and how he did it through this site. It was nice that he was able to make a few trips in his pride and joy. He made a huge contribution to the hobby. You will be remembered, Rumble Seat.
Vic Piano
Well-known member
I had the pleasure of meeting Paul (Rumbleseat) at the first (I think it was the first) Florida "Barner's Bash". As part of the Bash, we attend BilletProof at Don Garlits museum where Paul was awarded the "Best of Show" trophy for his '34 Roadster that he had just driven across the country. I am glad to have met him and benefitted from his Flathead knowledge. RIP Paul.
Paul also had a 1966 Ranchero, white in color at first until some brat kid dropped a cinder block off the Federal Ave overpass onto the truck while he was on his way to work at Public Service Company. Luckily the block just hit the roof and inside the bed and not the windshield. Anyway Paul chose Black for the new color after the repairs.
This truck was of the same quality restoration as the '34 Roadster. He and I loaded dirt bikes in back for the trip down to the Rampart Range from 1970 until 1983. Rampart Range was an area of hundreds of miles of dirt-bike trails, many of which Paul cut and mapped himself (with a chainsaw strapped to back of the '69 DT-1 250, later he bought a '71 reed valve RT-1 360) .
I should say Paul loaded the scooters into the bed! I would not load one even if he let me. That truck was perfect in every way. He just put up the ramp, fired up the scooters and rode them up into bed.
Typical Paul!
Paul "campaigned" the truck all over the country to hundreds of shows, just like he did later with the '34. This truck won awards all over the country for years. But to Paul it was just a ride to go "dirt-biking", haul cement bags, gravel and dirt and to drive to work.
Every scratch no matter how small was repaired as soon as possible.
A couple of years ago Paul sold the truck with over 500,000 miles on the clock. Still was in restored condition. Wood paneled bed and an electric window in back, custom wood dash, Custom Ford V8, A/C and all BUT a stick-shift and Columbia O/D.
One day we were on a trail called Sh^t Creek. Story is that a Harley Rider got stuck at the bottom of this hill. He looked to his left at the water fall coming down then to his right at the water fall going down, then to the giant hill he had just come down and at the equally steep hill in front of him ... Sat down on the scooter and said "OH Sh^T" hence the name.
Paul loved that story!
Any way we stopped at the top of the first hill to wait for the guy at the bottom to get out of there. There is only room for one scooter at time on the trail and you had to get a good run at it. The guy driving the DT-1 250 would start out and get partway up the hill and the transmission would slip out of 2nd gear. Down the hill he would slide to try it again. The DT-1 was more than enough to get up the hill if it would just stay in gear.
Paul rode down to the bottom and I walked down to see what he was going to do.
These kind of situations always had the potential to be interesting when Paul was involved!
Paul asked if the guy minded if he fixed the scooter for him. This was a factory transmission defect that Scotty Brown, the Yamaha district sales rep had told him about.
Paul removed the gas tank and oil tank, laid the 250 over on its side so that the transmission oil would not leak out, removed the cover. He used a file and some Vise-Grips to re "form" ( i.e.bend) a latch and spring on the shifter drum.
The scooter was re-assembled, tools put away, Paul's 360 was idling and this guy can not believe what he just saw!
I remember the guy asking Paul "Are you sure that it is going work?"
Paul: "It would'nt dare"!
Classic Paul !!
Paul had that Steve McQueen attitude and sense of humor! Kind of cocky sometimes but always with a deep understanding of other peoples feelings.
Needless to say it worked just fine on the first try.
Paul's day job was at Public Service Company of Colorado. Chief engineer of construction on new projects. If a shopping mall or a housing project was built, Paul reviewed and signed off on electrical work on it.
Yes it was a pleasure to know Paul for 42 years!
On Monday morning he was driving the '34 when he hit a pole and small retaining wall. Witness behind said he slumped over the wheel. So maybe a heart attack ...
No other cars were involved ... the way I heard the story.
Anyway he was doing what he loved to do ... Driving the '34 Ford.
I almost forgot ... he also repaired the large Pratt and Whitney piston aircraft engines for the Navy during the Korean War.
He did not talk much about that. PW 2860 and 4360 cubic inch engines. Not sure what air frames they were installed in. I did not know about this for years until one day I was with him working on his computer and I saw his discharge papers on the wall.
This truck was of the same quality restoration as the '34 Roadster. He and I loaded dirt bikes in back for the trip down to the Rampart Range from 1970 until 1983. Rampart Range was an area of hundreds of miles of dirt-bike trails, many of which Paul cut and mapped himself (with a chainsaw strapped to back of the '69 DT-1 250, later he bought a '71 reed valve RT-1 360) .
I should say Paul loaded the scooters into the bed! I would not load one even if he let me. That truck was perfect in every way. He just put up the ramp, fired up the scooters and rode them up into bed.
Typical Paul!
Paul "campaigned" the truck all over the country to hundreds of shows, just like he did later with the '34. This truck won awards all over the country for years. But to Paul it was just a ride to go "dirt-biking", haul cement bags, gravel and dirt and to drive to work.
Every scratch no matter how small was repaired as soon as possible.
A couple of years ago Paul sold the truck with over 500,000 miles on the clock. Still was in restored condition. Wood paneled bed and an electric window in back, custom wood dash, Custom Ford V8, A/C and all BUT a stick-shift and Columbia O/D.
One day we were on a trail called Sh^t Creek. Story is that a Harley Rider got stuck at the bottom of this hill. He looked to his left at the water fall coming down then to his right at the water fall going down, then to the giant hill he had just come down and at the equally steep hill in front of him ... Sat down on the scooter and said "OH Sh^T" hence the name.
Paul loved that story!
Any way we stopped at the top of the first hill to wait for the guy at the bottom to get out of there. There is only room for one scooter at time on the trail and you had to get a good run at it. The guy driving the DT-1 250 would start out and get partway up the hill and the transmission would slip out of 2nd gear. Down the hill he would slide to try it again. The DT-1 was more than enough to get up the hill if it would just stay in gear.
Paul rode down to the bottom and I walked down to see what he was going to do.
These kind of situations always had the potential to be interesting when Paul was involved!
Paul asked if the guy minded if he fixed the scooter for him. This was a factory transmission defect that Scotty Brown, the Yamaha district sales rep had told him about.
Paul removed the gas tank and oil tank, laid the 250 over on its side so that the transmission oil would not leak out, removed the cover. He used a file and some Vise-Grips to re "form" ( i.e.bend) a latch and spring on the shifter drum.
The scooter was re-assembled, tools put away, Paul's 360 was idling and this guy can not believe what he just saw!
I remember the guy asking Paul "Are you sure that it is going work?"
Paul: "It would'nt dare"!
Classic Paul !!
Paul had that Steve McQueen attitude and sense of humor! Kind of cocky sometimes but always with a deep understanding of other peoples feelings.
Needless to say it worked just fine on the first try.
Paul's day job was at Public Service Company of Colorado. Chief engineer of construction on new projects. If a shopping mall or a housing project was built, Paul reviewed and signed off on electrical work on it.
Yes it was a pleasure to know Paul for 42 years!
On Monday morning he was driving the '34 when he hit a pole and small retaining wall. Witness behind said he slumped over the wheel. So maybe a heart attack ...
No other cars were involved ... the way I heard the story.
Anyway he was doing what he loved to do ... Driving the '34 Ford.
I almost forgot ... he also repaired the large Pratt and Whitney piston aircraft engines for the Navy during the Korean War.
He did not talk much about that. PW 2860 and 4360 cubic inch engines. Not sure what air frames they were installed in. I did not know about this for years until one day I was with him working on his computer and I saw his discharge papers on the wall.
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Yes the box was from a Hudson ... I researched and found a printout for the Hudson box from shop manual that Paul was looking for.
Added info: I remember that we had trouble finding info on Hudson steering.
I found a note in my 1952 Motor Flat Rate / Parts book.
The diagram that I sent Paul was an exploded half page parts diagram of a 1940 to 1951 Hudson steering gear box.
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Safari-wagon
Junior Member
Vern called me yesterday & gave me the bad news.
Because he could be gruff at times, I used to love teasing Paul & actually got some of the Roadster guys to start calling him "Grumpy" Garrigan. Ha! He would then try to ignore us & act like we weren't even standing there.
GodSpeed Grumpy, you taught us all a lot.
Because he could be gruff at times, I used to love teasing Paul & actually got some of the Roadster guys to start calling him "Grumpy" Garrigan. Ha! He would then try to ignore us & act like we weren't even standing there.
GodSpeed Grumpy, you taught us all a lot.
