Norm Grabowski

Norm Grabowski

Kookie

"American hot rod builder Norm Grabowski is best known for creating an influential T-bucket hot rod that was used in the television show 77 Sunset Strip.

By far this is the most famous T-bucket. One night in 1957 Norm and Franco Castanza where cruising up and down the local strip. Life magazine was also out cruising and looking for kids and cars just like Norm and his T. The Life magazine article on hot rods exposed the world to Norm and his ride.

Two years earlier, Hotrod Magazine had done a feature acticle on Norm and his "Lightening Bug" feather light with a feel for the road. This car soon became known as the Kookie car."

Kookie 2 - Norm and the late Ed "Big Daddy" Roth 1998.

Norm Grabowski

The car was featured on the cover of the October, 1955 cover of Hot Rod Magazine and later in the April 29, 1957 issue of Life Magazine.

As a consequence of the magazine exposure, Grabowski was approached about renting the car out to appear in movies and television shows. The contacts he made in this way led to an acting career for Grabowski. He appeared in many movies and television shows, including Roustabout, Girl Happy, and The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.

Grabowski is known as a wood carver, and many hot rods and custom cars feature his unique hand-carved skull gearshift knobs.

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