GASSER MUST HAVES and cant haves?

Don,

What setback was your drivetrain?

 

Hi Dave

Since I was building it just for racing I went as far as the rules would allow, and that was 10% from the number one spark plug to the center of the kingpin

One day I was feeling pretty frisky about a all new alum interior, fired up the cutting torch and cut out the whole metal firewall and floor board back to the rear of the trunk

Boy did that leave a very large hole and i'am standing there thinking man 0 man did I ever screw up big time, like how am I ever going to figure out where thing go with no with no reference points from the stock car locations for the seats etc

But after I got a grip on myself and started to measure and draw up notes , it all worked out ok

That is how you learn by jumping in the deep end of the pool, then letting your good old noddle figure things out and it does a pretty good job too most of the time if you let it

Don

 

I thought 10% was the rule.
I am very fortunate that the trans tunnel was a bolt in on these cars. Makes building a lot easier. No initial cuts required. I will use aluminum to separate the drivers compartment and trunk. Maybe two walls so I can carry moonshine?

 

I think I'm the only guy with a hot rod who uses his trunk...stock tank under the trunk, battery up front, and room for tires, parts, jack, tools, luggage in back. Most guys are smart enough to not even try to drive these cars on the street

 

Interesting topic. I cant own a trailered car. While I understand the advantage for breakdown and comfort I don't build them to show them. I build them to drive them. I may in the future transition to a hybrid approach for shows of considerable distance (>200 miles).
My 32 rod is an example of poor choices with battery and tank in trunk. Because I drive them I need that trunk space. The tank will get replaced on that car.
The gasser will get battery in trunk and tank below. I don't see room for the battery up front while the trunk is huge (5.5 feet deep) unless I create the hidden compartment for 'shine.

 

Squirrel,

Nova, VERY COOL!! and fast!
http://www.selectric.org/62nova/index.html

 

thanks! more match racer than gasser, but the idea is the same

 

Have to agree with hotroddon on his memory. Front brakes not required , rear tire under fender not required. Had to have head lights and generator , but didn't say they had to be functional , weight saving item . so they were gutted . To be totally correct, one needs to read the rule book for that time period. The rules changed yearly and the memory isn't what it used to be. Originally the Gasser class was supposed to be able to be driven on the street , but it didn't say you had to. And as I remember ,we did a number of things that bordered on "unsafe". Racing like your hair was on fire was the norm ,we were young .

 

Yep Ditto on your Nova, that must be very cool hearing that blower singing away while you are motoring down the road

 

Hi Dave

As I remember the firewall box was about 8" deep and tall enough to get the mag out with out the cap on it

At the time I was working at a precision sheet metal shop, and they used a gitterbug sander on all the parts as it leaves a nice satin finish so I used the same thing for my stuff and on the inside too

The magazine layout person must of had a rough nite and put the pic in backwards

 

neat!

 

MELTDOWN pics in Gasser Wars magazine very inspirational !!

 

haha, laid the negative upside down!

I like that style timing cover.

 

Yes that the new Hilborn cover that made it so simple with all the lines, as the pump was right between the engine and fuel tank

And my filter was on the frame rail next to the tank, the shorter lines made for a better start up

 

Mine got a little work out at New England Dragway today at the Cam Snappers "Old Fashion Sundaaay event". The 55 ran great. Best run was a 12.4/108 mph. Taken out second round of eliminations by a 68 Camaro race car.
Didn't break or hurt anything and drove it home. Saw a lot of old friends, and had a few laughs. For me, that is a great day at the drags. I took a couple of in-car video's. I'll post in the next few days.

 

Yep you are right Baron if you can bring her home in one piece you have had a good day, back in the day when I ran on Sunday and was in good shape to run the next week I was a happy camper

As there was always a weak link waiting to break

 

Back in the day what colors were the engines? stock colors or black?

 

From a lot of the pics I've seen...every color under the sun. Jenkins engines were satin black.

 

I used the stock orange-red, plus if you have a oil leak you can see it better with a lighter color

 

good point Don
Since I am not building the engine I figure it wont leak!

 

Yep I hear ya Dave but that stuff does have a way of getting out at times

Short story about leaks, in 67' while at the Riverside Can-Am race of Bartz's customers said come on over Don to see what happens when there is a oil leak

The wind wipped oil mist coats everything under that rear body, then the dust from the track sticks to it and what a mess that has to get all cleaned off with a hot water pressure machine

They had a oil line crack but wanted me to see it, so I would take more care putting their engines together but I always carefull but it did open me eyes about oil leaks

 

One tip about gaskets on the intake manifold they come with the rubber ones for the ends, sometimes a manifold might be a little tight then it try's to push out the rubber as it does not want to compress to much

I would use cork that you can buy in different thickness, put the side gaskets in place and snug the manifold down using the 4 end bolts and measure the end gap using a feeler gage and add about .030 or a little more for the right thickness of cork

Cut them out and stick them to the ends of the block using a good adhesive and a little dab of silicone on each corner

Since the cork will compress better than rubber this system works very well, I know now that guys just use a thick bead of silicone but seems low class to me plus having the chance of some of the stuff breaking loose and getting into the inside of the engine and that is not good

Don

 

neat idea about the cork. I quit using rubber end seals when I got a blower, the intake was cut different than factory intakes, and would squeeze the rubber out. I've been using RTV since, and some times if I don't do it quite right, it leaks and I get to try again. I never had any issues with it getting where it shouldn't, but I don't go crazy with it like some guys.

 

might add to list, if not already on it, is a good throttle linkage set up that will not allow it lock up at full throttle - also, a way inside for driver to be able to kill motor - see current thread on Car Show Accident

 

My brown coupe has a front main seal leak that I cant fix. Three seals in I gave up.
Same car I started in gear so it could attempt to drive out the back wall of my garage. The band saw stopped it.

But on a much higher note........ I plunked down the deposit on my 350 Chevy build today. 385 HP with twin quads.
Nothing to brag about but it will get that old girl down the road.
He estimates 6-7 weeks with current workload. Here is what he promises......
WE CUSTOM BUILD THIS FOR YOU THEN WE SET IT UP ON THE DYNO AND TEST AND TUNE IT WITH A 4 HOUR LOAD SESSION TO SIMULATE DRIVING CONDITIONS AND BREAK THE MOTOR IN COMPLETELY.

WE THEN PROCEED TO RELASH VALVES CHECK VITALS AND TUNE THE CARB AND TIMING,ADVANCE CURVE SO WHEN YOU RECIEVE IT IS READY TO GO.

 

Is your engine guy going to re-torque the head bolts when hot after run in, back in the day we would run them in for 1/2 hour at 2500 under load then do all the stuff then ready to blast

Have you thought about a early 097 Duntov cam for your 350 it would be a great match with your 2 carbs

Cruising Bob's in 60' that was the engine combo we all had, and boy did the cam sound good with the little ticky - ticky - ticky from the rockers

That was the real deal, Don

 

I think they re-torque to a number 10 LBs lower, essentially checking torque.

He has a cam he recommends for that combo and I don't need to rock the boat knowing I will get a tuned combo with a dyno graph.

No doubt I am out on a limb using dumb luck and gut instinct to choose a guy 3 states away.

 

Here are a few engine pics from my old magazines...nothing newer than 67....

 

Also the term GASSER has been bashed, and guys say that the name is new...this is from Rod & Custom December 1963

 

THANKS for sharing^^^^^^^^^^^^^^!