Some of you say Gassers can't be driven...

In the new March Ol' Skool Rodz magazine #32, there is a two page article on Yancey Johnson's trip from Indianapolis to California in his dsily driven 1952 Studebaker gasser... he also stopped into Vegas for the Viva show on the way.
Anyway, it starts on page 72, its the report on his whole trip and how the gasser did a great job.
So put the bullshit aside about Ol Skool magazine and just check out the article about a guy who done something alot of people said it couldn't be done that successfully.
For more pics, go to www.indyroadrockets.com
Thanks.

 

gotta love it. I would drive my 56 Chevy gasser anywhere. staight axle, blown bbc, ladder bars, etc.

 

That's too cool that you aren't afraid to drive your gasser anywhere as well.

The engine that was in the car for the trip was a temporary one. The bigger one threw a rod I think just a few weeks before the trip.

 

Nice, especially a Culbertson built Gasser...

 

cool,.,didnt read the article,,but just looks like a stude with a straight axle and a mild SBC ...?


wouldnt call that a GASSER....

 

Tom's been building Gassers since the early sixties and this one that he and Yancey built has seen the most abuse that could have been handed to it. From driving it with snow on the ground to racing it on the weekends, its a tough car.

 

It has everything that makes a gasser a "GASSER". All SBC look the same, even if they are mild or wild. Read the article.

 

you can drive a gasser style car every day if you have street gears, no spool, glasss windows, tag , title, exhaust, wipers, hyd or or hyd roller or solid camshaft, carbs......
and you can go fast without all that stuff................. what ya want a do????

 

Likely depends on what you call a gasser, but I dont think a straight axle precludes you from driving cross country. I would think twice about driving across town with mechanical fuel injection, but I've seen that done too.

I agree that a well built car with a straight axle and a 4 barrel should be capable of goin about anywhere.

BTW this reminded me of the old hot rod (?) article on Bob Hirohata driving his merc cross country. Apparently, some folks must have tought that was crazy or atleast news worthy?

 

I agree about building 'em to be driven, and hard. Even altereds can be highway drivers!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iOcm3KEfzw

Bitchin deal on your cross-country drive!!!

 

This whole thing is way more impressive if you've ever seen him drive. He has two speeds...top speed and then after that...top speed plus two when he's going downhill. I'm more amazed that his rear tires made it from one state to the next than I am that the whole car made the trip. That car and the driver both are realllllly big fans of the burnout...and both do it quite nicely.

Tom builds cars to actually drive and Yancy drives the piss out of this one.

 

reminds me of what my uncle has said to me in the past when talking about old cars and reliability.


"if it was good enough for 'them' to drive cross country in a bone stock (enter your favorite 30's-50's car) then it should be good enough for you..."

 

Absolutely! My dad's buddies drive stock Model As from Texas to Alaska every 5 years or so just to say they did it. They're all in their late 60s to 70s and still doin it. Im always super proud when I make it to Dallas! Jeez Im a weenie!

 

have 30Aford gasser style built in 69 ran 5.12's welded spiders...then 5.38 olds summers spool&axles now 5.83in olds spool...street driven &raced hard ever since 69...went thru many many sets of slicks...last year started complete grd up restore/rebuild....see pics my personal page>>>if you are afraid to drive it you're missing a whole lot
ryan thanks for this site see below post
xxxif you are ref me best 10.69 129mph the 327 [b/m hydrostick]
BURIES the 8000rpm sun tach in 1st&2nd left frt tire stops turning until they are back on grd in third...going thru rebuild by son now will be faster i promise that!!!

 

Hobbes said it best......Pfffftthththtthttht!

 

My 90 year old Aunt went from Mass to LA when she was 8 in a Model T tudor. Said they changed lots of tires, took 3 weeks to make it.

 

blt4speedsince79 drives his 4 door 1953 Chevy gasser everywhere. I mean everywhere, and its an 11 second car. In fact we drove to the Day of the Drags, raced all weekend, and drove home. It was a 3 hour trip each direction, and he still ran 11's.

Do a search for him

 

?Ummmmn, so why can't they be driven?

 

I was just getting to that question. Of course as noted, as long as all the street bits have been left in place.

 

I never said they can't be driven, but I have said they drive like ass.
Now haven't there been a few guys that have ridden bicycles across the US? Just because someone does something doesn't mean anyone else will want to.

 

I think I have seen photos of this car roasting the hides before, theres a front end only shot floating around. proof positive he likes to tear 'em up like I do. woooooot!

 

When he made the trip back in March-April, it was a different tune on here. People wondering how far he'll get before the car breaks down. There were actually people here in Indy taking bets to see how far he would make it. We go to shows all over and a handfull of people would ask, "I can't believe he drives that thing with a straight axle", or "Does it go straight?" There's just alot of sceptics out there... and yes Ryan, the car does run in the 11's.

 

Great looking Model "A" you've got there. Not many that looked like that in '69 still look like that today. Nice to see the survivors.

 

I think the point they are making is that a gasser was a purpose built race car and was not practical to drive on the street. Probably due more to the driverain than the chassis.

Ever seen a picture of Mazmanian or SWC getting a burger at the local drive in?

But the arguement has been beat to death.
Larry T

 

theres nothing mild about that car, saw it at culbertsons shop(great guy). That car looks, sounds, and runs the part. That in not just a gasser "look" car. He beats the snot out of that thing.

 

Yup, very cool article! Build em to drive and have fun, that's what it's about.

We ran the trip in reverse from Lemon Grove, CA to Indy in our new 63 Valiant. Everyone told us we would have troubles too and it was stupid to trust an old car to take that kind of trip.

 

Maybe the questions were justified?

The engine that was in the car for the trip was a temporary one. The bigger one threw a rod I think just a few weeks before the trip.

It's not contraversial to question how well a 11 second car would hold up cross country. I think the vast majority here would say to "go for it" though.