Hot Rods Heritage Gas: Traditional Gasser Classes and Racing

This is true. What class would a 350 or 400cid Chevy have been in a 55 Chevy in 1964? I know they had stroker cranks back then but I always thought they were more of the upper classes.

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For arguments sake, lets say the 55 Chevy weighs 3000lbs in race trim. Divided by 350 cid comes out to 8.57 lbs per cubic inch. On the high side of A/Gas. The 400cid would come out as 7.50 lbs per cubic inch. The A/G class is 5.00 to 8.99. If you could run a Pontiac with the same combination 350cid and it weighs 200lbs more, then you would be in B/Gas. #3200/350cid=9.14 lbs per cubic inch.

 

Don, I know this thread is for your proposed Heritage Gas class, but, I was interested in your Nostalgia Gas class rules. Do you have a complete set of rules listed anywhere?

 

Thank you Don. That is about what I thought but I didn't have a copy of the class break down for that year handy. That is probably why you didn't see many heavy cars in A/G back then.

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Good thread. When do we start. I see the votes are for the class to start, But can enough guys get something together to get everybody on board? Oh, about the money. I raced classes forever, I still am not rich. Some bracket racers make a living on this sport, but I just want to see traditional racing again. Hell, I may comb my hair to fit this tradition. LOL. Lets get this going, I am still living in the past. I don't want to grow up.

 

seems no one watches bracket racing, at least around here. Empty stands.

 

True, but that is what has kept 99% of the tracks open, as class racers have slipped away from the sport for reasons already mentioned.

 

Big inch 283's? lots of work but it an be done.

 

No offense to any one, but I think 550hp out of a 64 period correct motor would be a bit much, maybe a blown motor but not a naturally aspirated one.

 

348 intakes I love it.

 

They are on the Gasser Magazine website somewhere, I will be updating them this fall as well as Competition Gas. In it's basic form, a Nostalgia Gas car is any full bodied coupe/sedan with a nose high stance. Competition Gas is a more competitive lower stance, or the center of the spindle is above the rocker panel/lowest point of the fender.

 

Should I put in attire and personal grooming rules, hehe.

 

Sure, remember the rules, TRADITIONAL. . LOL.

 

I HEARD THAT squirrel, It seems that its hard to get any people in the stands. If it doesn't cackle, you can't get the stands full. I'll sit in the stands all day to watch class racing. Old school drag racing needs to come back. Like I said before, I like living in the past.

 

That's right, Jim.
That's where Quain has the right idea. Free admission for his cars and crew. They are the stars of the show, and they bring in spectators, unlike bracket racing. The bracket tracks have to charge the racers out the ying-yang to survive.
Only ones in the stands are family and friends

 

It's getting harder to get bracket racers out to the track these days much less spectators.
Guys here in the DFW area have been going up to Ardmore Okla. to race since they closed Kennedale this year and the Motorplex only races once a month now.

 

467 cubes for Gas class racing, really doesn't make sense does it? It may move you up a couple classes, but it looks like a grenade....your still racing pounds per cubic inch.

 

That is not good.

 

Yeah, we have had 3 tracks close in the area in the last 5 years but I did hear this morning that Kennendale will be opening back up the first of September. Seems the city fathers that were railing against it got voted out of office.

 

Do , did this thread just stop here, or is going to happen? This could be a blast.

 

Clay City is packing the place with the No Prep races. People like watching blown and nitrous cars slipping and sliding and of course the wrecks that happen. SEG is going to be there this week end, I'm going to check them out, can't wait.

 

This is happening for sure!

 

I'm looking forward to the rules being posted, I'm seriously considering building a car for this class.

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I will have a rule book out by Thanksgiving. You can start now, just build it like it was 1964! I am going to require a build book, so document your build! I hope to start on my own car this winter also. This will take some time, but it will be worth it! Keep me in the loop!

 

Still working on rules. Some great comments here on this thread and on Facebook. I got to see a blown T-bird Gasser with Pie Crust slicks play at the Jalopy Showdown Drags last weekend. I may have softened my stance a little bit on some of the internal parts. As I suspected the tires were very limiting to the performance. That being the case, my goal with this class is to make it as close to Gas Class Racing from 1964 as possible. I have my idea's on to what parts to allow. What do you guys think should be allowed to be used while keeping the idea of true, period correct cars. In other words, what internal parts can be used that won't affect the experience for the fans in the bleachers, cause that is what really matters.

 

Don
You already know this but there was a lot of really neat go fast goodies by the mid '60s. I think that fan wise and performance wise too I would avoid modern cam grinds. The older grinds just had their own sound, it was all duration and ramps and not mega lift. For example, my Chet Smith mill has an Engle Cam in it, .500 lift so not tons of lift but 288 duration. There is just a mega difference in the sound of an older cam grind as opposed to a modern cam grind.

 

Good point! Although it is not a gasser but we have a dual quad 57 Jr stocker in our circle with an Isky cam and shall headers and it just sounds right. Definitely stands out in a crowd and it is only a "stocker!"

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Honestly Don, (My opinion only since you asked) the internal parts are not as important as the external as long as the external is within the time frame you have invisioned. I'll use a small chevy since that is what I work with mostly. If my 55 gasser has a 63 small journal breather block taken to 4 inch with a 350 crank, 12:1 pistons with 6 inch rods and camel backs in my opinion that would not detract from the experience as long as the external engine is correct. You however; might be on to something by restricting cam grinds to achieve the correct sound.

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Hardest part about the rules is enforcing them. For instance, all competitors must provide a "diary" of their build to show that the parts they used conform to the rules. However, I am sure there will be a select few that will bend the rules. So I totally agree the cam specs should be 1964 and earlier grinds. Question is how to check this without tearing down the motor completely if the winner has been challenged. We will do a visual inspection, along with weigh the car, and P&G the motor so the valve cover will be off. Dial indicator can give me the lift but duration and separation? Is there a cam doctor tool that is portable and can mount to the head?