Tom Rose Passes

Discussion in 'News and Announcements' started by Gebling, Feb 12, 2020.

  1. Gebling

    Gebling Member

    Just read in the tribune Chronicle that Tom Rose passed away on January 31, 2020
     
  2. JR Wills

    JR Wills Well-Known Member

    Yep, That was "The Tom". (had to dig up the Obit)
    Owner/Builder of Tom's Tinker Toy (s), Roy C Eaton GS, Great Scat, Salvation Jane, Lil Joe, Juan Mo Time, (former Jr. Thompson Opel GT)
    Rudy Sims Buick cars & others. ( He raced Cadillacs prior to the Buicks)
    I had heard he had been in bad health for some time, The last I saw him, was @ Norwalk in the mid 90s.
    There were a Number of stories about Tom & his "Antics" with Buicks, from flying out to Cal. with 1 of his drivers, & having to go by luggage to carry parts he bought from Jim Bell, so they could get the parts on the return flight back to Ohio the same day.
    He also had a 455 punched .060 (only 1 I heard to last for a while) in his 71 GS convertible, to "Play" from 100 MPH Up on the freeways when in Florida for the winters.
    Tom also tried various "innovations & theories back in the 60s. He was Notorious for swapping frames (sedan frames under Convertibles & Hardtops) & having them 'Swiss Cheesed" to save weight, & even tried building Headers using Flex Tubing of equal lengths, so they could Flex during the exhaust expansion. (Problem was they were Not attached to anything except the Block flanges, and Beat The Hell out of the Engine Bay due to "flapping round" wildly. )
    I also remember Tom being 1 of the early owners of the "Car Hauler set" actually having the cars come in on the back of trucks instead of being towed in behind tow vehicles.
    1 of his quotes (or advice) "If You want to be a Millionaire in Racing, Start by being a Multi Millionaire".
    Another Early Buick Racer/Owner & early Driver gone.
    JR
     

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