HomeR.I.P. Joe Vittone
+8
JEFF KYLE
Black Cat
Mohawk
mrclean
Tanbug
overspray
Cave Man
Dave
12 posters
Page 1 of 1
R.I.P. Joe Vittone
Dave Wed 24 Feb 2010, 10:15 pm
I just got word that EMPI founder, Joe Vittone, passed away February 23rd.
Any old-time BKC guys will remember that magical night at the host hotel for the FL Bug Jam, with Joe and Richard Guarino hangin' out, and Joe's wife going for a ride in a BKC car, as she had no idea what all the fuss was about with these tiny little airsucker cars.
All the wonderful memories I have of Joe, are now just that.. memories.
It's like losing my Father, all over again. It sucks.
Any old-time BKC guys will remember that magical night at the host hotel for the FL Bug Jam, with Joe and Richard Guarino hangin' out, and Joe's wife going for a ride in a BKC car, as she had no idea what all the fuss was about with these tiny little airsucker cars.
All the wonderful memories I have of Joe, are now just that.. memories.
It's like losing my Father, all over again. It sucks.
Dave- Posts : 27
Join date : 2008-10-21
Age : 72
Location : Third Rock from the Sun
Re: R.I.P. Joe Vittone
Cave Man Wed 24 Feb 2010, 10:55 pm
At least we were all blessed enough to have those memories, and to have him make such an impact on the Air Cooled Hobby and Sport that we all enjoy so much. Rest In Peace Sir.
Cave Man- Posts : 367
Join date : 2008-07-25
Age : 57
Location : Cave Spring
Re: R.I.P. Joe Vittone
overspray Wed 24 Feb 2010, 10:59 pm
Thanks Dave for the sad news.
Yup that was a fun night @ the hotel.. I have a pic of Joe in my office with the original BK gang. Good times
Yup that was a fun night @ the hotel.. I have a pic of Joe in my office with the original BK gang. Good times
overspray- Papa bear
- Posts : 1962
Join date : 2008-05-29
Age : 61
Location : West GA
Re: R.I.P. Joe Vittone
Tanbug Thu 25 Feb 2010, 8:23 pm
Even though I wasn't back into VW's at the Jam for the gathering, it's always sad to hear when one of the pioneers has passed on.
Tanbug- Hip to the hop you dont stop
- Posts : 884
Join date : 2008-05-26
Age : 69
Location : Royal Hickory Level -
Re: R.I.P. Joe Vittone
mrclean Thu 25 Feb 2010, 11:20 pm
sorry to here the bad news. thats was a great night hanging out with him at bug jam.
mrclean- 2nd highest HP
- Posts : 487
Join date : 2008-05-23
Age : 48
Re: R.I.P. Joe Vittone
Mohawk Fri 26 Feb 2010, 3:13 am
I say like some other guy said in a Swedish forum:
Now is he sittig down and having a conversation with Dean Lowry, Gene Berg, Mark Herbert och SOB.
R.I.P Joe
Now is he sittig down and having a conversation with Dean Lowry, Gene Berg, Mark Herbert och SOB.
R.I.P Joe
Mohawk- Posts : 347
Join date : 2008-07-02
Age : 53
Location : Sweden (Varberg) -
Re: R.I.P. Joe Vittone
Black Cat Fri 26 Feb 2010, 10:21 am
Mohawk wrote:I say like some other guy said in a Swedish forum:
Now is he sittig down and having a conversation with Dean Lowry, Gene Berg, Mark Herbert och SOB.
X2
R.I.P Joe
Black Cat- Posts : 91
Join date : 2008-07-27
Age : 63
Location : Orlando
Re: R.I.P. Joe Vittone
JEFF KYLE Fri 26 Feb 2010, 10:37 am
RIP Joe...
We are losing all the pioneers of VW speed.That's why it's important to encourage young folks that are interested in our hobby.When you drive by a High school,look at the parking lot...when I was in school in the 80's,it was full of muscle,customs and Hot Rods.Now,you might see a HonDuh with a coffee can hanging off the back end.
The local speed merchant's shop used to be full of teens spending their paychecks there,now it's mostly guys my age.
We are losing all the pioneers of VW speed.That's why it's important to encourage young folks that are interested in our hobby.When you drive by a High school,look at the parking lot...when I was in school in the 80's,it was full of muscle,customs and Hot Rods.Now,you might see a HonDuh with a coffee can hanging off the back end.
The local speed merchant's shop used to be full of teens spending their paychecks there,now it's mostly guys my age.
JEFF KYLE- Posts : 97
Join date : 2008-08-23
Re: R.I.P. Joe Vittone
Tanbug Thu 01 Apr 2010, 11:11 pm
Good article in HVW, Dave.
I'm sure that he is proud.
I'm sure that he is proud.
Tanbug- Hip to the hop you dont stop
- Posts : 884
Join date : 2008-05-26
Age : 69
Location : Royal Hickory Level -
Re: R.I.P. Joe Vittone
Dave Fri 02 Apr 2010, 4:22 pm
Thanks, Tan.
It was more of a biography than anything else, but when I got the call from Hot VWs that they had all decided that I was the one that should write the story, having been closer to Joe in recent years than anyone else they could think of, I jumped at the chance, and considered it an honor to pay my respects to Joe. That photo of me and Joe, with the steering wheel, was taken at the host hotel for the FL Bug Jam, I think it was called the Sleep Inn? What a great night that was,Joe and Richard Guarino hanging out with the BKC guys and Gals, and Joe's wife going for a ride in a (then) BKC member's car... she had told me just prior to that that she didn't quite understand what all the fuss was about with these little "Economy Cars" so she got to get into a 2276 powered '62 Sedan... I heard them leave the parking lot, nice and mellow, and then I heard LD get on it, a little sideways in first, from what I could hear, a real healthy chirp in second, wound up to the limiter before 3rd, and then they were too far away for me to really discern anything... but when they came back to the parking lot, she was all smiles, and I heard her remark to Joe "NOW I know what all the fuss is about" and Joe just smiled...
Anyway, that's a night I'll never forget.
(That's back when even Poker had a car..)
It was more of a biography than anything else, but when I got the call from Hot VWs that they had all decided that I was the one that should write the story, having been closer to Joe in recent years than anyone else they could think of, I jumped at the chance, and considered it an honor to pay my respects to Joe. That photo of me and Joe, with the steering wheel, was taken at the host hotel for the FL Bug Jam, I think it was called the Sleep Inn? What a great night that was,Joe and Richard Guarino hanging out with the BKC guys and Gals, and Joe's wife going for a ride in a (then) BKC member's car... she had told me just prior to that that she didn't quite understand what all the fuss was about with these little "Economy Cars" so she got to get into a 2276 powered '62 Sedan... I heard them leave the parking lot, nice and mellow, and then I heard LD get on it, a little sideways in first, from what I could hear, a real healthy chirp in second, wound up to the limiter before 3rd, and then they were too far away for me to really discern anything... but when they came back to the parking lot, she was all smiles, and I heard her remark to Joe "NOW I know what all the fuss is about" and Joe just smiled...
Anyway, that's a night I'll never forget.
(That's back when even Poker had a car..)
Dave- Posts : 27
Join date : 2008-10-21
Age : 72
Location : Third Rock from the Sun
POKER- In & out
- Posts : 178
Join date : 2008-06-05
Age : 51
Re: R.I.P. Joe Vittone
Major62 Sat 03 Apr 2010, 9:15 am
Dave wrote:
(That's back when even Poker had a car..)
wow that was a long time ago.
Major62- Class 11
- Posts : 326
Join date : 2008-08-01
Age : 59
Location : Roswell Ga.
Re: R.I.P. Joe Vittone
VOLKSWAGENUT Sat 03 Apr 2010, 10:40 am
Major62 wrote:Dave wrote:
(That's back when even Poker had a car..)
wow that was a long time ago.
Anybody have pics of this , maybe spark our memory of this historic time.
VOLKSWAGENUT- I ruined the club
- Posts : 1830
Join date : 2008-05-27
Location : Tennessee
Re: R.I.P. Joe Vittone
Dave Sat 03 Apr 2010, 4:33 pm
Nut, there were dozens of cameras flashing that night, I know folks got a photo of Joe signing Poker's GTV wheel, and Joe and Richard Guarino sporting BKC T-shirts. I have some somewhere in my archives, but it will take me months (or longer) to find them, and mine might all be 35mm slides...
Dave- Posts : 27
Join date : 2008-10-21
Age : 72
Location : Third Rock from the Sun
Re: R.I.P. Joe Vittone
VOLKSWAGENUT Sat 03 Apr 2010, 5:53 pm
Dave wrote:Nut, there were dozens of cameras flashing that night, I know folks got a photo of Joe signing Poker's GTV wheel, and Joe and Richard Guarino sporting BKC T-shirts. I have some somewhere in my archives, but it will take me months (or longer) to find them, and mine might all be 35mm slides...
That would be cool to see , but the historic time i was referring to was the time when Poker had a car.
VOLKSWAGENUT- I ruined the club
- Posts : 1830
Join date : 2008-05-27
Location : Tennessee
Re: R.I.P. Joe Vittone
Thang Sat 03 Apr 2010, 6:24 pm
VOLKSWAGENUT wrote:Dave wrote:Nut, there were dozens of cameras flashing that night, I know folks got a photo of Joe signing Poker's GTV wheel, and Joe and Richard Guarino sporting BKC T-shirts. I have some somewhere in my archives, but it will take me months (or longer) to find them, and mine might all be 35mm slides...
That would be cool to see , but the historic time i was referring to was the time when Poker had a car.
ZING!
Thang- I built mine backwards
- Posts : 394
Join date : 2008-05-23
Age : 62
Location : West GA
Re: R.I.P. Joe Vittone
Dave Sat 03 Apr 2010, 8:25 pm
Thang wrote:VOLKSWAGENUT wrote:Dave wrote:Nut, there were dozens of cameras flashing that night, I know folks got a photo of Joe signing Poker's GTV wheel, and Joe and Richard Guarino sporting BKC T-shirts. I have some somewhere in my archives, but it will take me months (or longer) to find them, and mine might all be 35mm slides...
That would be cool to see , but the historic time i was referring to was the time when Poker had a car.
ZING!
OOOOoooh No. Jason already doesn't like me, no sense adding to this and throwing gas on the fire....
Dave- Posts : 27
Join date : 2008-10-21
Age : 72
Location : Third Rock from the Sun
Re: R.I.P. Joe Vittone
VOLKSWAGENUT Sat 03 Apr 2010, 8:51 pm
Dave wrote:Thang wrote:VOLKSWAGENUT wrote:Dave wrote:Nut, there were dozens of cameras flashing that night, I know folks got a photo of Joe signing Poker's GTV wheel, and Joe and Richard Guarino sporting BKC T-shirts. I have some somewhere in my archives, but it will take me months (or longer) to find them, and mine might all be 35mm slides...
That would be cool to see , but the historic time i was referring to was the time when Poker had a car.
ZING!
OOOOoooh No. Jason already doesn't like me, no sense adding to this and throwing gas on the fire....
Fire only burns the tender ones .....
VOLKSWAGENUT- I ruined the club
- Posts : 1830
Join date : 2008-05-27
Location : Tennessee
Re: R.I.P. Joe Vittone
POKER Sat 03 Apr 2010, 11:02 pm
Im no hater! That was a great Bug Jam weekend. I will never forget that night.
POKER- In & out
- Posts : 178
Join date : 2008-06-05
Age : 51
Re: R.I.P. Joe Vittone
overspray Sun 04 Apr 2010, 10:35 am
It was a great night.. I have his pics in my office along with the shirt he signed....
overspray- Papa bear
- Posts : 1962
Join date : 2008-05-29
Age : 61
Location : West GA
Tanbug- Hip to the hop you dont stop
- Posts : 884
Join date : 2008-05-26
Age : 69
Location : Royal Hickory Level -
Re: R.I.P. Joe Vittone
Dave Mon 05 Apr 2010, 2:26 pm
Tanbug wrote:Awww, c'mon.
Poker has a car again.
I know, I was giving him a good old fashioned BKC smack-talkin'.....
Trust me, Poker can dish it out, and he can take it...I've seen him do both....
While I guess you could say that while maybe he changes cars about as much as I change jeans, he always has a badass car... and I will say the same thing about him, as I would Smiff.... 100% Family First....good on them....
Dave- Posts : 27
Join date : 2008-10-21
Age : 72
Location : Third Rock from the Sun
Page 1 of 1
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum|
|
|