GASSER MUST HAVES and cant haves?

See, NOW we're gettin' somewhere!
Yeah, at my event we shouldn't have put the Ford in with the Gas class. (bitchin' car, and a lot of people told me they loved watching him run, but we'll chalk that up to growing pains--I've apologized as much as I can about it, and I'm done with it).

GOING FORWARD for me and other promoters, what happens when a center-steer car like the Zoro car or a car like Prock and Howell or the Malco Mustang shows up and wants to enter the Gas class? Remember, the HAMB has set a year cut-off, but that doesn't coincide with vintage drag racing.
Again, I can't say enough good things about the Meltdown Drags, and I'm really interested to hear what they'd do if something like those center-steer, flip-top cars showed up to run in Gas.

For me, it's like Hotroddin said--the Golden Era up to about '71 or '72, at least for door-slammers (or what's traditionally considered door-slammers). I'd extend that up a few years for Pro Stock--who doesn't get wood watching early '70s muscle cars thunder and pound? And of course, the same with funny cars... Once the late '70s got here, the style, and era, starts to lose something. But I'd LOVE to see a '76 and older Nostalgia Pro Stock class, and I think most of us would too.
-Brad

 

The "Meltdown Drags" criteria right off the website. www.meltdowndrags.com
Criteria

* If you car does not meet event criteria, it will be in the car show only and not racing!* That means no wheels newer than the 1960′s and no modern exteriors.* You can race you motorcycle if it is 66 or older and fits the feel of the show.

All race cars must be 50′s and 60′s appearing!

Please remove anti-freeze from your cooling system!* This prevents racing delays if a problem arises.* Water cleans up very easy!

*9 Simple rules that everyone (14 seconds and slower) should be able to follow:1. Seat belts2. All lug nuts installed3. Metal oil pressure lines4. No fuel pressure gauges in the cabin without an isolator5. Dual throttle return springs6. Non-glass coolant overflow cans7. No more than 12″ of rubber fuel line total8. Closed toe shoes and long pants9. Please drain anti-freeze and run water.* It cleans up faster!If your car is quicker than 14 sec, you’ll have to look up the NHRA rules.(this was borrowed from the*Chrome Czars)

Criteria:

This is NOT just another Drag Racing Event….we are looking to relive / re-create a 60′s Drag Meet…..so that means, if your car is old, but has many modern components making it look from the 80′s, 90′s or newer, then please join us as a spectator.

If you can make some minor changes to your car to make it fit the criteria….we appreciate it !!

Remember, 51 weeks out of the year you can race your car*with the rest of the drag racing crowd, at any track full of*modern cars.* For this one weekend you will be surrounded with really cool people, racing really cool, period correct cars.* Knowing that, is having period correct wheels asking to much?

No whinning, no crying, just*VINTAGE*racing.

1966 and older cars only for full body production cars! Dragsters and altereds can be built later if vintage appearing.

ALL CARS must be vintage 60′s appearing without billet, digital or modern components.NO*Billet or modern wheels unless*pre-approved*for Exhibition Class…..for safety reasons due to speeds of car.NO*Snorkel, cowl induction, or modern hood scoops…..NO*modern graphics, 80′s or 90′s graphics…..NO modern appearing cars (paint & wheels) but they happen to be pre-66.NO turbos or Paxton type superchargers unless factory type pre 1966…

YES….to reproduction old style wheels (example) torq thrust, slots, halibrand, etc…YES….to tribute cars, restored drag cars & hot rods, unrestored drag cars & hot rods,YES….to msd, elec ignition, traditional superchargers.YES….to Edelbrock carbs, new Holley’s, quadrajet, etc…YES….to new vintage valve covers, intakes, hilborn scoops,*etc…The overall look of the car should be traditional, or 60′s style….We do not care about the year of your engine etc, it is 2011, we do not expect*all parts to be 100% 60′s…but the overall look of the car needs to be 60′s style.If you are unsure if your car fits this…please send us a pic for pre-approval!!!

Hot Rods, Gassers, Super Stocks, Front Engine Dragsters, Funny Cars, Stock/Stock appearing

Cars can be an untouched barn find, a restored vintage drag car, a tribute car, street car, drag car,or….a non running traliered project for show….

We encourage you to swap out your modern wheels for those old Cragars, Slots, Chrome reversed, or steel wheels….lying around in your shop…In 2010 we had several participants do just that, to really make the show more period correct.*Thank you to those for taking the time, respect, and detail for the show.

Since you are still reading we know your getting our drift.* For those that don’t know what cool wheels look like we will give you some ideas.* You can clearly see examples of wheels not allowed.

FYI spray painting the wrong wheel does not make them right!

Are you still unsure if your car fits in at the Meltdown Drags?* Please email us and ask!*


MELTDOWN DRAGS
JULY 19-20 2014

 

Shoot, what's 35K to a man like you? Of course now you can pretty much build a new one from scratch from new parts, aftermarket. The only problem is that the new parts don't work with the old ones.

If I were going to build one to run, I would build aftermarket because parts are available and a lot easer to get not to mention less expensive.

The truth is that is the reason the Passing Gas was never or more than likely ever will be run hard. That motor is all Ford and you just don't risk damaging them unless you have money to burn.

 

As for the three outlaw cars mentioned Zorro, Prock and Howell, OGM,s mustang. They would be allowed to run just because of what they are and were, but remeber nobody gets any money or a trophy. This event is just for those who get "vintage" drag meets. If your only there to win then this event isn't for you and thats fine. There were 400 cars this past year, so the criteria and no winnings is not hurting the event.

The way the Gas class works is determined by ET not CI. to weight so there really is no ringer. A being the fastest down to D. My car runs as a Gasser even though it doesn't meet the letter of the rules because it looks like what people think a gas class car should.

The other classes are nowhere near as big, so you just run who is closest to your ET or whoever you want to have a picture with.

MELTDOWN DRAGS
JULY 19-20 2014

 

So you are running an Index Class but there are no winners? Just cars making passes?

 

Correct. No losers either
Whenever there is a winner you end up with whiners and ringers. If there is no benefit to winning the weekend is laid back and fun. Thats what makes the event so fun. There are some of the big Gasser clubs who come with no payout. I have personally heard them say that they would drive farther to be at the Meltdown than get paid at closer events.

MELTDOWN DRAGS
JULY 19-20 2014

 

Brad anyone that does not want to see an original car run simply does not have a pulse. I believe you have a real point that if a car ran in any sanctioned event in let's say a gas class then it certainly has a good reason to be classified as a gasser and we all know that NHRA was not the only game in town. If it never ran in a sanctioned event hopefully you have thick skin.

You also know that racers can be extremely competitive so if you give them a reason to bitch there is a better than even chance you are going to hear some bitching. Since you are the promoter you set the rules. As long as you stay within the rules you can pull out the rule from your back pocket and show them in living color.

Since the term "gasser" has a few different styles depending on the year etc then it may make some sense to have more than one class. If you chose a spec class and the cars that show up and run in that class run each other and if there is a free for all or God only knows what you want to call a second class, then everyone gets to run and the fans get to see some pretty decent cars making some decent passes.

Your job is not enviable but when you make it work then people will want to see the magic over and over.-Jim

 

That's a great format and is all about the fun! I could see that it might get more cars on the track if maybe there were a couple modest cash awards drawn at random for everyone that runs. Maybe draw car numbers out of the hat or something. They may already do something like that, I don't know. Anyway, still sounds like they have the secrete figured out.

I bet the fans enjoy watching the 14 sec cars run just as much as the 9 sec cars. To hell with a bunch of elitism!

 

This is a great, fun time to watch...I've been to the Meltdown and the 100 car heads up (as a fan), and have enjoyed the days both times....

Plan on running both next year (if allowed) but will hopefully not break (as I have a tendancy to do when I race my stuff) as I will be planning to drive the truck to both events....no trailers....
Tom

 

No cash, but there are lots of prizes given to those who race. You get a card to fill out when you get your tech card. Last year a fiat body with a chromoly front axle and 9" ford rear was the main prize. There was also some garage cabinets and a three section toolbox. There were many other stuff too.

MELTDOWN DRAGS
JULY 19-20 2014

 

Well, gee, look at that. Three posts in as many days bitching about people talking about the history, Man, I just dont know how I ever got that impression... If I got the wrong end of the stick, sorry about that. You started bitching as soon as I showed up on this thread, I tried to laugh it off, but you just dont give up. Everyone else actually seems pretty interested in what I post, you are the only one who keeps dropping not so subtle hints that I should STFU.
I've posted dozens of times about the various match gasser circuits that sprang up in '68, so I'll repeat myself here. By 1968, the funny cars were cutting into the gassers match race bookings big-time. To compete, guys started converting their gassers over to nitro, and forming what are now known as "match-gasser" curcuits. Pretty soon, guys were building "gasser like" cars specifically for these circuits, cars like the F-Troop Willys, Prock & Howell, the Lemon and Kasajian T-Bird, and the "fantasia" willys. No headlights, center steer, in some cases, one-piece flip-top bodies ect. Other guys ran cars that had formerly been gassers, or street roadsters( the class that roadster based cars that otherwise met the gas class rules wound up in) ran these circuits as well, for instance, Gary Burgin pulled the front fenders off his AA/SR and ran it on fuel in one of these circuits. In my book a car running on nitro(or alky) is not a gasser, I would think that would be pretty clear to anyone who can manage to tie his own shoes.

AHRA also ran gas classes with much more liberal rules, no headlights single seat, blown BBs in Anglias ect. Brad, care to quote the post where I said that Vega wasn't a gasser? Hmm? No? Then dont put YOUR words in my mouth. IN FACT, what I said was that it was a good example of where the class went in the early seventies.
Heres my EXACT response to your post on the vega, word for word...

AHRA? Yup, I'd call that a gasser. Match gasser on nitro? Not in my books. Clear enough? Explanation satisfactory? And the cars that ran the match gasser circuits are a red herring. I would bet you could count the total number of cars running those circuits on your fingers and toes.

NHRA's rules changed considerably as time passed as well, WELL AFTER the time that everyone is trying so hard to emulate now, by the time NHRA was allowing gassers to run tube chassis and no headlights, pie-crusts, straight axles, and jacked up stances were a faded memory.

And I got laid this morning, You got one thing right, its high time you did.

 

and so thats why we passed the hat for side bets...
and grudge racing,
or just 2 guys that wana bet each other...

 

No problem, if you break just find the closest U-Haul dealer and rent you a small truck and car carrier and come home, after the racing is over!

Ask me how I know! Bowling Green, KY to Atlanta , GA $225.00. But the HHRR was a blast!

 

That is freaking Hilarious coming from the guy who said he wouldn't run his car hard cuz someone else broke and his might do the same.

 

Last year coming home from the 100 Car heads up, about an hour and a half north of the track on my way home I passed up on the freeway a '56 Chev and a '57 Chev heading home...no trailers, just boppin down the highway....too cool of a site to see...

Earlier that day the same '56 was flogging burnouts and running hard....black '56 with a blue flake roof (I'm sure if you've been to these events you've seen the car)....

He also drove the same car up to WIR were we were running in the Real Street Drags this summer.... hoped to see him run there, but he didn't....

Anyway this inspired me to not trailer...fwiw..
Tom

 

The hell of it is, I had my trailer with me last weekend and a hell of a lot closer to home.

I ran it a couple times, just didn't beat on it. Hell, after dropping a couple grand on a new trans and the first time out then seeing a guy bust one just like it makes a body wonder I guess. What can I say, I was scared! If I had busted that new trans I would have had to sell a set of OEM SOHC valve covers to buy another one.

The rest of the story is, the guys who broke his trans had to haul his car home on my trailer. One of them dang Sock Fuckers!

 

Love them straight axle cars,But to MANY have to narrow of a axle WTF looks STUPID people ,ifin your gonna do it do it right

 

When I think Gasser, this is the image that was etched in my brain 50 years ago.

 

Cool Baron, thanks for sharing!

 

...

 

This post really says everything there is to say about Brad and his "deciples", and the HAMB "gasser" mentality as a whole. The last blown gasser to win a national event should be deleted, but a '65 comet with chinese wheels on the front jacked 3 feet in the air that'll never race, gets a pass. I'm sure the Opel would get a pass if he let it rust up,hung a moon tank on the front and put some ten spokes on the front, so it looked like a real "gasser".Who was the guy that said the history is safe???? See you in the funny papers...

 

I would call that a 4 door Pro Mod car...!


Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

I love the zoro car and the way the owner preserved what he could of the history but there is no way that I or 99% of the people who have a clue would ever call it a gasser. It was ask if it could run at the melt down drags sure it could but it would not be recognized as a gasser. Please correct me if I'm wrong because I have turned down flip top round tube low setting car that want to run with us and I might be the one that is wrong..

 

Someone would have had to tell me it was a gasser. I would have bet it was
M/SP

MELTDOWN DRAGS
JULY 19-20 2014

 

From a forum that is 65 and older...absolutely. Jenkins first Vega was groundbreaking, but does not belong here either. Just because it has a special place in drag racing HISTORY does not give it a place here.

You wouldn't post your new M16 on a civil war forum would ya?

MELTDOWN DRAGS
JULY 19-20 2014

 

This is PURELY speculation on my part, but I'll tell you what my thinking is:
Lamar Walden raced that '71 Vega--a round tube, center-steer car, in AHRA's Gas class in '71. Rules said the flip-top car needed a functional door to be legal for Gas class.
Lamar told me this today, and I linked to the Jon Asher story earlier in this thread.

Lamar raced that car at tracks all over the South East.

My understanding from prior conversations earlier in the year with the Zoro car's owner is that the car is originally from the South East, was built in '68, and it raced Gas class--he didn't say what sanctioning body. To me, it's interesting to note that the Zoro car has a functional driver's door, just like Lamar's car was required to have.

Lamar's car was originally injected, as was the Zoro car (Lamar's was BBC, Zoro is SBC I believe).

I believe--and again, this is just me--that if Lamar's car and the Zoro car were at any of the tracks in the South East--Bristol, Atlanta Speed Shop, Jacksonville, etc. etc. etc. the cars would have been running in the Gas class. I KNOW Lamar's would have, and the build style of the Zoro car is the same.

This is just my supposition; your mileage may vary.

-Brad

 

Dick Harrell's 67 camaro funny car had a working door on the driver side with a flip top body. If Lamar's vega the f troop willys or the zoro car is a gasser we need to ditch all of the rules we have worked so hard on trying to put together in the last 3 years and start over. Also the old racers that were there in the mid 60s have told me wrong I guess. Oh and by the way Dave you started this thread looking for advice on how to correctly build your gasser looks like to me if this is true just build a early 70 style funny car and you will have a gasser.

 

10% engine set back left hand steering square tube chassis production body and no funny car flip top body. Ask Ric Panneton about this one sad story.