Remembering Grady

[rbuswell]

https://www.monarchsociety.com/obituary/2576559

It was five years ago today that Grady Clay died. It seems like only yesterday. He was moved to hospice in his home a couple days earlier. I had visited him the day before but had to do another thing that evening. I said goodbye hoping to visit him again the next day but didn't get the chance.

Grady was an acquired taste. He rubbed a lot of people the wrong way but I seemed to understand how he was wired better than most. We got along famously and I don't recall ever having a cross word with him. He was generous to a fault with his biggest asset which was his massive knowledge of cars; specifically air-cooled Porsches. Many Pelicans can attest to his attention to detail and patience with them as they got their cars going.

He was also generous with me in allowing me to tag along to the special car events to which he was routinely invited. Of course, I was also invited because his fading eyesight caused him to fear his driving ability. Some of it was unfounded. He still did pretty well probably from his sheer willpower and enormous concentration. Once he asked me to ride with him to give my stamp of approval on his driving. The irony was thick. Here I am, critiquing a guy who had driven a 935 at the Daytona 24 Hours.

Regardless of the reasons, I never regretted a minute being his personal chauffeur. We would talk about most anything; Porsches, racing, health, religion, family, politics, you name it. We were polar opposites politically (he was on the left, I was on the right) but we never fought. We shared. I think the world could have learned from us on that front.

I have literally hundreds of remembrances of my time with Grady. The ones that stand out are:

• Meeting him for the first time at Perkins near Evans and Colorado Blvd. He walked in wearing his trademark cargo shorts, T-shirt and vest with the name badge he usually attached. His glasses looked like Coke bottles and he was scruffy looking as usual. My first thought was, "What have I gotten myself into?" We talked about lots of stuff even then and I think we instantly knew we would be lifelong friends. Too bad his life wasn't to be that much longer.
• Grady was invited to a private event at Pikes Peak International Raceway hosted by a well-known car collector. I was Grady's driver. The collector brought some of his special cars and other invitees brought their own cars too. Let's just say there was some really fast driving going on. The collector flew in Dieter lnzenhofer of ANDIAL fame to look after the cars. I got to ride shotgun with a few fast drivers but I preferred helping Dieter. At one point, I found myself handing tools to Dieter and holding parts as he diagnosed an oil leak on the GT1. I had to pinch myself to be sure I wasn't dreaming. There was another moment when Dieter and I just stood by the track rail and talked about his love of bicycling. Unfortunately, Dieter had a mishap while riding a couple years later that set him back a bit. Of course, there was no way I would have ever experienced something like that without Grady.
• Once Grady invited me over for dinner. He cooked some of his favorite dishes. I thought I was one of several guest but it turned out it was just me. We sat at his rickety old picnic table on the deck; talking and eating. He told me some difficult stuff about his life he claimed he didn't share with anyone else. No way of knowing if that was true but I still felt honored that he included me in his life that way.

I loved Grady like a brother and I still miss him every day. I wish he could have helped me put my 911 back together. He helped me take it apart, didn't he? I get mad at him for not taking better care of himself but none of that matters now. I hope that everyone has their own "Grady". I know I was blessed to have known him. I hope that my fellow Pelicans never forget him.

[Jack Stands]

The PCA always claims it’s the people, not the cars, that make the club what it is, and I think that’s certainly true. Folks on the Forum, at Cars & Coffee events, and other venues become friends even if never met in person. The sharing of information and enthusiasm is what I find so pleasurable and has made my life with sports cars (starting in the late 1960s) so enjoyable. Keeping memories alive of members that passed is also wonderful.

[jpnovak]

Thank you for sharing this.


Thank you Grady.



I never met Grady. We communicated several times on some strange problems. He was always helpful. When I lived in DC a friend bought his old green 72 with a 2.8. Sitting in the same seats was as close as I ever got yet instantly felt the connection.

[Matt Monson]

Thanks for posting Roger. I was thinking of him yesterday as something came across my FB feed. I’m glad to have known him. His humility really stands out to me. He was the one who got me to start posting here all those years ago, telling me he thought I had something to contribute. I’m glad I listened. Such a great community of. people, and he was one of the best. Hope he’s drinking Steinlager in the sky.

[juanbenae]

I was suppose to meet up with grady some years ago when he was coming to the bay area to spend some time with bruce Anderson who lived just a few blocks from my house. bruce was in failing health and grady wanted to come see and spend some time with him. a couple days before he was to arrive out here he got sick and never did make the trip. I knew id missed the chance to meet a legend not knowing he too was in somewhat failing health.

he was always classy, and seemed like he genuinely wanted to help the membership here with his posts. his advice was always on point and delivered in a way that made me feel like he was there to help with out making you feel like you were being talked down to or spoken to like a child.

RIP Grady.

[GH85Carrera]

He was a great guy. I met him when he attended War Bonnet Tech back in the 1980s. I can't say were were close friends, but he was an obvious wealth of knowledge.

[rbuswell]

Originally Posted by Matt Monson

Thanks for posting Roger. I was thinking of him yesterday as something came across my FB feed. I’m glad to have known him. His humility really stands out to me. He was the one who got me to start posting here all those years ago, telling me he thought I had something to contribute. I’m glad I listened. Such a great community of. people, and he was one of the best. Hope he’s drinking Steinlager in the sky.

I first met you when Grady and I visited Tom Conway in Boulder. You were still affiliated with Tom at the time. Grady had very high regard for your knowledge and passion for gearboxes and predicted you would go far.

[rbuswell]

Originally Posted by juanbenae

I was suppose to meet up with grady some years ago when he was coming to the bay area to spend some time with bruce Anderson who lived just a few blocks from my house. bruce was in failing health and grady wanted to come see and spend some time with him. a couple days before he was to arrive out here he got sick and never did make the trip. I knew id missed the chance to meet a legend not knowing he too was in somewhat failing health.

he was always classy, and seemed like he genuinely wanted to help the membership here with his posts. his advice was always on point and delivered in a way that made me feel like he was there to help with out making you feel like you were being talked down to or spoken to like a child.

RIP Grady.

I would find myself sitting in Grady's study when some of the dozens of Porsche friends would call. There was a time that Bruce called while I was there and it was a delight to hear Grady and Bruce banter and poke fun at each other.

[Matt Monson]

Originally Posted by rbuswell

I first met you when Grady and I visited Tom Conway in Boulder. You were still affiliated with Tom at the time. Grady had very high regard for your knowledge and passion for gearboxes and predicted you would go far.

Thank you. Grady was influential in my decision to go it alone. As Powerhaus was failing and about to close up shop he suggested it was my time. Turns out he was right. Less than two years later Paul Guard rang me up and offered me GT.

[KTL]

Thanks for sharing. Your story reinforces what I suspected of Grady all these years. He was and continues to be a great friend and resource of the forum.

I had my own Grady and I too miss him every day. Rarely does a day go by where I don't wish I could talk to Mark about something. He was nowhere near the legend & talent of Grady but he was like a brother, bigger than life, could do just about anything he put his mind to, and he was very influential on me. He got me into various things during our friendship and I was able to go places I never thought I would.

He introduced me to Porsches back in the late 90s after he decided to switch from VWs to a 911- something he always wanted. Little did I know how his desire for an old 911 would change my path in terms of my "car guy" hobby and abilities. I never aspired to own an old 911, let alone drive it on the track and then race one "competitively" for a short while!?!?

I now have his '86 911 that he left behind when he passed away in December 2014. Unfortunately it's in pieces (my fault, not necessarily his) as I fix the engine, trans, steering and fuel system. Suspension & body are next on the horizon. I enjoy the fact that I can fix up the car and make it how I think he would have wanted it to be. But it's sad he's not around to enjoy it in person with me. That said, he'll always be with me when i'm working on the car and using it. It's unavoidable.

[juanbenae]

^^^^ my eyes have now welled up for the third time today. this story and remembrance of grady with this thread. well said k-man.

in between those moments I have just returned from across the street bidding farewell to my 96 y/o neighbor lady who's lived there from when my grand parents owned my house and my mom was just a kid. emotions are running high today over here due to the fact im leaving having sold a house that I was a 3rd generation owner of (grew up here when my folks owned it). I did not tear up in front of her, but they were streaming down my face as I made my way back to what will be my house for one more night.

im a mess today.

[Matt Monson]

Originally Posted by juanbenae

^^^^ my eyes have now welled up for the third time today. this story and remembrance of grady with this thread. well said k-man.

in between those moments I have just returned from across the street bidding farewell to my 96 y/o neighbor lady who's lived there from when my grand parents owned my house and my mom was just a kid. emotions are running high today over here due to the fact im leaving having sold a house that I was a 3rd generation owner of (grew up here when my folks owned it). I did not tear up in front of her, but they were streaming down my face as I made my way back to what will be my house for one more night.

im a mess today.

Hugs brother. I'm having one of those days too.

[juanbenae]

thanks M2.

[ClickClickBoom]

A snapshot(s) of the inside of his brain:
Reconstructing Constant Velocity (CV) Joints
Ever time I read through I am amazed.

[ramonesfreak]

Originally Posted by ClickClickBoom

A snapshot(s) of the inside of his brain:
Reconstructing Constant Velocity (CV) Joints
Ever time I read through I am amazed.

I remember reading that way back when and thinking wow that’s the way you explain something

I come across Grady’s posts all the time and always read them hoping the knowledge will be absorbed just in case I need it someday

[rbuswell]

Now I'm tearing up. Grady's soothing way of putting things probably saved a thousand Pelicans from going out and killing themselves. Believe it or not but I actually held that Colorado 911 vanity plate in my grubby little hands. Yes guys, it really did exist.

[OldSpool87]

Originally Posted by ClickClickBoom

A snapshot(s) of the inside of his brain:
Reconstructing Constant Velocity (CV) Joints
Ever time I read through I am amazed.

I had this thread next to me and referenced multiple times when I planned and did my CV work. It was like having Obi-Wan Kenobi in my garage. I never met or spoke to him but his contributions and thoughts were enough to let me know the type of guy he was.

[KTL]

That rebuilding CV joints thread is classic Grady. He took a typically mundane repair and went into the finest details to identify the key points readers ought to be aware of. You can see from that thread why he was a teacher. He knew the scientific and technical whys + hows and had a great way of explaining things.

^^^^ my eyes have now welled up for the third time today. this story and remembrance of grady with this thread. well said k-man.

in between those moments I have just returned from across the street bidding farewell to my 96 y/o neighbor lady who's lived there from when my grand parents owned my house and my mom was just a kid. emotions are running high today over here due to the fact im leaving having sold a house that I was a 3rd generation owner of (grew up here when my folks owned it). I did not tear up in front of her, but they were streaming down my face as I made my way back to what will be my house for one more night.

im a mess today.

I know the sadness you feel. Sold my childhood home that I was born in back in 2014. I actually lived there from the time I was born until 2014 with only a small gap from '91 to '96 while I was in college. It was an empty feeling when I had to leave and accept that it wasn't my house anymore.

I now live a couple towns away and still go by there when passing through, to check on it from afar like a stalker. "Don't screw my house up. That's a GOOD house......." I jokingly say to myself.

Incidentally I was looking forward to the "new" house location because i'd be living closer to Mark. We lost touch a little bit after I got married and had kids. We used to be thick as thieves and saw each other every day for like 7 years straight. So I was anticipating seeing him more regularly again. However, his sickness was much worse than I actually knew.

The older I get, the more often I shed a tear or two. It's all good. Means you care.

Strong men also cry............. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqbGiwi1rNI

But in all seriousness, Jimmy V said it well and it's very true https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1p63os42Y38 Thinking, laughing and emotion are indeed a full day. It'll be 5 years gone in December and I still often well up with tears thinking of Mark and all the stuff we did together.

I also highly recommend the 30 for 30 episode Survive and Advance about Jim Valvano and the '83 national champion NC State team. That is, if you're looking for something to prompt a tear or two from your eyes.......... Great story told by team captain Dereck Whittenburg and many of the teammates. But even more so it's a profound story about fond remembrances & relationships of friends on several levels. Also does a great job of showing how they became a true team that clicked at season's end when it was down to winning the next game or else you go home, season's over.

They had so many nail-biting moments and narrow victories as they overcame improbable deficits and beat some incredible, legendary opponents that season. You don't have to be a basketball fan to enjoy that story. Because it's real. The guys who accomplished it told the story (very well I might add) and the video footage is how it actually happened.

A small group of people, all pulling in the same direction, all trusting and believing in one another, showed how they accomplished the unthinkable thanks to their coach's belief in them. It changed their lives. Not because they won a national championship. Because they developed strong friendships and learned life lessons on account of the guidance & love from their coach. Pretty heavy stuff when you look deeper beyond the success story.

[LuftWaffle]

Thanks for the reminder Roger. Grady was the ultimate enthusiast, fount of knowledge and genuinely a super nice guy. First met him when I was a wide-eyed 18 year old with a ratty '66 911 looking for parts and advice at his shop in downtown Denver. I fondly remember him following me thru a crowded parking lot at a RMR-PCA event to check out my recently re-assembled 914-6 to check it out and offer pointers on carb settings. It tickled me that he was such a huge 914 fan. Somewhere in one of the forum archives he has great stories of tormenting Ferrari owners with his 2.8 RSR powered 914.

Here's to Grady.

[Quicksilver]

Was just going through my phone clearing out contacts and saw Grady's name in the list. Can't bring myself to delete it from my phone...
One of the last times Grady came out to LA I picked him up in Anaheim and drove out to Pacific Palisades to have dinner with Wayne Dempsey. Don't remember where we ate. I remember good stories.
(Wayne has a food one about "How to buy a car".)