To an NHRA fan this is like looking at Lincolns top hat. Those were truly the days at the drag strip in Fremont, Ca. and elsewhere (Fremont is in my area).
Heavenly sound my friends! That car gives me chills, it's so awesome! Nothing compares to that crackling sound and don't forget the wonderful smell of nitro ! 🙏
I love the sound of the engine changing over the fuel and pumps. The sweetest engine sound ever!!!! I'm an old mechanic myself and I have worked on a few race cars and some drag cars. But, the sound of an engine getting it's real go juice, WOW 😲! You feel the beast come alive and a beautiful sound comes alive!!!
Dude, the 2023 modern stuff might be the hottest bad fast nitro has ever been, but this baby must have just stunned spectators back in the day. Thay changeover instantly got her just "BWAAAP-BWAAP bwaa cackle cackle" Y'know, theres a dude has a channel called 2 stroke stuffing He building the first nitromethanol, supercharged 2 stroke 50cc engine. Hes gotten it to make at least 38hp a few times, with many prototype engine issues and revisions required But uh, go check it out. It consumes nitro at the same sort of per displacement rate the big v8 dragsters do. Spinamathings to about 18-19k also. Ita rhe gnarliedt 50cc has ever sounded!
Fact is that engine was decade ahead of tires and suspension. Smoked tires full qrt mile. Live to see what the old swamp rat cpuld do on modern slicks, bet it would be 1 to 2 seconds faster in qrt mile than it was in the day.
I was about 8-9 yrs old when I first saw DG at Baylands Raceway in Fremont California…also All the Rest of the Big Hitters…Cha Cha…Snake Prudhome…& Kitty O’Neal in the Green Mamba Jet Car😉🦾
Good memories! I met Big Daddy back in 1996 at his place in Ocala in Florida. So nice guy!♥ He said: - You are from Sweden? Do you know Hazze Fromm? Say hello from me!
@@AllensAutomotive Haha, you misunderstood me. Don said that to me when I presented my self and told that I came from Sweden. Hazze Fromm was a drag racing giant here.
It was 2014 @ Milan Dragway, at the Detroit Dragway Reunion. My older brother & I met Don Garlits there, he'd brought Swamp Rat VIII I believe & he Was' gonna start the car up & I regret deeply I didn't take a chancec & ask him if this drag race fan could sit in the cockpit as it was fired up! 😢
Yep, because you needed the center of gravity towards the middle. The first rear engine dragster just popped wheelie's and flipped over backwards. Guess they added weight to the front to stop that. But I can't imagine trying to drive this with the engine in front of you.
Yeah Don lost half of his foot due to a trans explosion on 3.08.1970 , and yes Swamp Rat XIII at Lions Drag strip in Long beach Ca , track was closed down in 1972.
Only real men taced those huge blown hemi in front of you, narrow slicks with motor cycle front wheels no brakes on front. Brave guys raced these, and maybe a bit nuts😅 grew up living and idolizin garlits the snake and bob glidden
@@MAYNARD927 Actually a transmission explosion but yes, that would be correct. And at first, Garlits' RED was nearly uncontrollable at speed, which was traced to the steering being way too aggressive. Once they upped the ratio to a much less responsive number the car 'Cadillac'd' right on down the track.
Normally they light up a nitro engine with gasoline. Much easier to ignite at slow engine cranking speeds than nitromethane. Once it's running the switchover is seamless (and dramatic!).
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
"The music of my people"...
Boy, oh boy. When he switched her over to nitro...DAMN
My eyes watered at that moment... Reacting like a Pavlov's dog to a visual image... My time spent at the strip with nitro mist in your eyes...
That is so cool...it's amazing that he didn't jump in the car and do a burn-out...
Way to go, Don !
Day's not over yet. It be possible.
To an NHRA fan this is like looking at Lincolns top hat. Those were truly the days at the drag strip in Fremont, Ca. and elsewhere (Fremont is in my area).
Where would we be if Big Daddy hadn’t brought the Hemi to NHRA?
Heavenly sound my friends! That car gives me chills, it's so awesome! Nothing compares to that crackling sound and don't forget the wonderful smell of nitro ! 🙏
92 years of being the Big Daddy.
I love the sound of the engine changing over the fuel and pumps. The sweetest engine sound ever!!!! I'm an old mechanic myself and I have worked on a few race cars and some drag cars. But, the sound of an engine getting it's real go juice, WOW 😲! You feel the beast come alive and a beautiful sound comes alive!!!
@@scottcollins5060 YES SIR!!! 👍👍👍
That was just plain Badass !
I've met him so much fun to talk with! The Greatest!!!!!
I remember watching this car run when I was a kid, man that takes me back 😊😊😊
Mr Garlits
I grew up watching everything you did , you will always be my hero!
A legend in his own time. The one and only. The GOAT.
A Great Man, Driver and Christian ! Nice Video, He Looks Great For Being over 90 !😊
He's truly the definition of drag racing. Met him when I was bracket racing and he was so open and genuine!!! Even gave me some tips and guidelines.
My father worked with don when the swamp rat was running in the 60's i met Don Garlits in 1988 he's a true legend
Dude, the 2023 modern stuff might be the hottest bad fast nitro has ever been, but this baby must have just stunned spectators back in the day.
Thay changeover instantly got her just
"BWAAAP-BWAAP bwaa cackle cackle"
Y'know, theres a dude has a channel called 2 stroke stuffing
He building the first nitromethanol, supercharged 2 stroke 50cc engine.
Hes gotten it to make at least 38hp a few times, with many prototype engine issues and revisions required
But uh, go check it out.
It consumes nitro at the same sort of per displacement rate the big v8 dragsters do.
Spinamathings to about 18-19k also.
Ita rhe gnarliedt 50cc has ever sounded!
All of them did.
There were more top fuelers and funny cars, and fuel alterds...literally hundreds....
Nowadays, you get 10-20.......sheesh...
Fact is that engine was decade ahead of tires and suspension. Smoked tires full qrt mile. Live to see what the old swamp rat cpuld do on modern slicks, bet it would be 1 to 2 seconds faster in qrt mile than it was in the day.
Awesome ❤ I was lucky enough to meet him in Bradenton last February. Quite the Legend!!
So awesome,I got chills! Just listen to this rocket, the greatest sound in the world!
I'd love to see it run on some current slicks
He's still wild and crazy, and damn sure one of the best.
King of the strip right there. Don't get any better than that.
Sling Shots I love them!
I built drag boats and safety capsules back in the day, I've been around my fair share of top fuel boats...it was always amazing.
Ol' Gar was rattlin' them pipes!!!!!! Also loped
BIG DADDY dill aldays be the man.
For those unaware, it was started on alcohol and he switched it to nitro @1:21. Easy to tell, a massive difference!
What a legend
That is one bad machine!
90 plus years young and he is still " Big Daddy"
My dad bought a 57 New Yorker with the same 392 Hemi engine. Pulled that lead sled without any problem.
that 392 that is in this rail now is a modern G3 hemi , that engine is a 6.1 block with a 3.795 stroke and 6.1 Heads.
I was about 8-9 yrs old when I first saw DG at Baylands Raceway in Fremont California…also All the Rest of the Big Hitters…Cha Cha…Snake Prudhome…& Kitty O’Neal in the Green Mamba Jet Car😉🦾
I'm have 11 ,and remember another car ,Hurst hemi under glass ,a funny car (barracuda)
Nitro cackle is awesome, huh ?!
Good memories! I met Big Daddy back in 1996 at his place in Ocala in Florida.
So nice guy!♥
He said: - You are from Sweden? Do you know Hazze Fromm? Say hello from me!
USA. Glad You Got To Meet Don!
@@AllensAutomotive Haha, you misunderstood me. Don said that to me when I presented my self and told that I came from Sweden.
Hazze Fromm was a drag racing giant here.
@@matsfredsson9445 Gotcha 😂!
Awesome!!!!!
Look at the difference in safety, respect for those who climbed in those
Howdy.
Mercy and pity ! The Forefathers' Spirits are still angry ...
Regards.
This car raced at the 1968 Winternationals. Short wheelbase.
Anybody wanna bet that IF that ran I-40 thru Arkansas,,Trooper Boyd could catch it👍🏼
even at idle, standing over the top of one of those motors had to be one of the most dangerous jobs
I have the same video from a different angle. Really cool show and story he told.
Agreed
I LOVE EXTRA LOUD NOISE FROM DRAGSTER 'S
badass!
encore exhibition runs at NHRA events…if you please. October 25, 2025 in Valdosta GA would be phenomenal.
AWESOME, X A MILLION
For What it's worth , the engine in that Rail is a Modern G3 Hemi, it started out as a 6.1 crate engine , rebuilt to 392Ci all forged internals' .
Talk about an adrenaline rush❗️
'The' Man!
Old 4 port hilborn injection 😊😊😊
This will show my mates..!!!
It was 2014 @ Milan Dragway, at the Detroit Dragway Reunion. My older brother & I met Don Garlits there, he'd brought Swamp Rat VIII I believe & he Was' gonna start the car up & I regret deeply I didn't take a chancec & ask him if this drag race fan could sit in the cockpit as it was fired up! 😢
Vvvh😂❤
Nice CACKLE BIG !!
a "hymn"
Insane to have the engine in front of the driver. So dangerous.
Yep, because you needed the center of gravity towards the middle. The first rear engine dragster just popped wheelie's and flipped over backwards. Guess they added weight to the front to stop that. But I can't imagine trying to drive this with the engine in front of you.
Doesn't Don have a mangled right foot because of Swamp Rat 13 (bad number) ? Engines in the back just make sense!
Yeah Don lost half of his foot due to a trans explosion on 3.08.1970 , and yes Swamp Rat XIII at Lions Drag strip in Long beach Ca , track was closed down in 1972.
Only real men taced those huge blown hemi in front of you, narrow slicks with motor cycle front wheels no brakes on front. Brave guys raced these, and maybe a bit nuts😅 grew up living and idolizin garlits the snake and bob glidden
The guy talking had it wrong garlits went to the rear engine car in 74 I believe on the cover of hot rod magazine that year with it.
71 i believe was when Garlits went to rear engine
@@AllensAutomotive I have heard that he went to rear engine after a clutch exploded and took part of a foot off.
@@MAYNARD927 Actually a transmission explosion but yes, that would be correct. And at first, Garlits' RED was nearly uncontrollable at speed, which was traced to the steering being way too aggressive. Once they upped the ratio to a much less responsive number the car 'Cadillac'd' right on down the track.
😊
RED was in 1970
Semi hemi. The modern engine not a real 392.
Hemi has zero to do with size fool it is shape of combustion chamber, hemispheric, hence hemi. Please do not pist ignorant shit. 😢
running on methanol then added nitro?
Normally they light up a nitro engine with gasoline. Much easier to ignite at slow engine cranking speeds than nitromethane. Once it's running the switchover is seamless (and dramatic!).
Do you Know Jerry Dadatto from Milwaukee???
Nope.
Cackle fest!