Thats fine, I guess I should have said "come to my mind" Those four things come to my mind at the mention of the word gasser. But what would I know being from Gasser country. Almost all the gassers I seen growing up around the Ohio drag strips had those four things. To each his own, I'm done.
When going through historical photos, you'll notice that gassers weren't TYPICALLY jacked up at both ends. The nose was raised for better weight transfer, to load the rear tires so they'd bite better. That's part of the reason guys had lead-filled well pipe bumpers out back too. It's also why they moved the engine back. Jacking the rear of the car up was something TYPICALLY (like almost always) done on street cars. It was a look. It wasn't for performance. It also might have given them clearance for too-wide rear tires if the street cars didn't want to cut the wheel wells... which wasn't much of a consideration for race cars. Now I'm sure there will be some guys who post a pic or two of a vintage car that was jacked up in the back, but I'm not gonna give in and say "Oh, okay... you found ONE pic of a dedicated race car that raced for a season or two... so now we'll go ahead and call everything that sits like a 4x4 a gasser." There were a LOT of lesser categories in the gas classes... I think it went all the way to "H-Gas". These cars wouldn't have typically had blowers, and often they had a stock front suspension. Like rat rods, the finer points have been lost over time. Anyone wanna discuss the difference between Altereds and Gassers, just to really screw the discussion up? -Brad
Future gasser in the making. Buy it and it will be the only one in town !!! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=439456
If you will be kind enough to do a little searching you will find that the "gasser" class has very definate regulations as per NHRA and AHRA. Set back was allowed, stock suspensions etc. Altered wheel bases were not allowed in Class. The misconception is that there were no definite rules related to that class. Chrisman's car was awesome and classic of the class. No disrespect intended but really an altered A/FX or B/FX...etc. car is not a "gasser". My cousin in the day ran the bracket and in a Falcon and was not allowed to run in that class but had to run as an altered class car. Why do I know this? I lived it.
So why'd your cousin have to run in Altered? And what year was it? The rules changed a lot.. in the early '60s, the car needed to have the front bumper. If it didn't have the bumper, you were bumped to Altered. Later, no bumper was okay. Engine set back was 10 percent. I have also seen rules dictating height of crankshaft off the ground. More for either, got you in Altered. In the early days of the class, it also required two seats and fabric door panels. Do you guys know that AMC Gremlins and Chevy Vegas were running in the gas class at the end of it? I believe Sox n Martin also built a '70s Cuda or Challenger for a customer that ran gas, while Fred Hurst ran a late '60s Barracuda in the class. I also just saw a '65 Mustang that was built for the class, last weekend. Muscle cars and compacts in the gas class?! GASP! -Brad
Cool truck. Gasser? If it fit the rules of the time, yeah. They let other trucks run... engine setback rules would still apply. There were probably a few of those in the class in different parts of the country. -Brad
Actually Brad an Anglia IS a sedan but in re: the English cars, if you were there then you know there was a lot of stink when they started running them for along time in fact they were run mostly as "outlaw' gasser for some time until the NHRA finally gave in due to pressure from the fans, much like the funny cars finally getting a class of their own, and you probably know that at the end there were flopper stlye Mustangs and Corvettes running as Gassers, so anything did go, at least at the end and something that is what killed the class but I think it was just time.. anyway if you would have read my whole post you would have seen that I was supporting the wagon gasser guys, like I said who cares??? but don't try to justifiy it by quoting a rule book, cause those changed every year... just have fun with what ever you want to and don't worry about the other guys... I hadden posted anything since June before this, now I remember why.....geeeeezzz I'm done...
My cousin is about 5 years older than me. His car was a 63 or 64. The issues did relate to seats and bumpers and suspensions. He had a 390 in it. He had used washers to raise it. His brother had a 396 in 58 Chevy two door. It was primer pink..LOL. Their youngest brother and I were in Automechanics and he later won the Super Chevy street in Dallas with a Chevy I can post up. I will see if I can get a pic of the falcon or any of the old cars from my Aunt or one of them. For the day it was impressive and fun. Funny too you post this Econoline...but a fella whose wife does 10's in a six cylinder that's turbo'ed. Is putting one together to be a wheelie machine. You can see his posting on fordsix.com. I think it is an interesting build. http://fordsix.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=62751 Thanks, for your interest. Bob BTW, I like the altered machines. They have always been a favorite even if they are a bit squirley..LOL
That's why I specified PANELS.. Anglia and Thames PANELS. Last I checked a PANEL is not a coupe or sedan. You'll note I also mentioned pick-up trucks, which you'll also note are not coupes or sedans. I wasn't looking at it from a "who cares" point, I was showing what actually ran back then... and it wasn't just coupes and sedans. -Brad
What you say is really true...the outlaw gassers were such a hoot to watch and the NHRA did have to buckle to the thing. It's a bitch but, I got rid of an Anglia in 1978 that I wish I had never let go of. BTW, I have noticed a bit of animosity from ppl on this site but I think some of it has to do with the purist and the "freethinkers" binging noggins. Personally I like them all. I have a friend who feels that nothing is right unless it is period correct. Drip rails and all...but..what can I say? The thing that brought me here was the ppl who love cars. That makes this place a good place to be. Hell, I like Blowers and Nitro in Boats...but I don't know what would make them pc....LOL.
Depending on engine setback, it might fit some classes, but it would be a handfull to drive in all of them. In the one I have, the entire motor/tranny combo sits in the bed. At full throttle, it's a lot like trying to make cats march in a parade.
I like how this thread has no more pics of wagons! Just cliche car politics once again.....BY the way that truck is killer!
Man TWTZ28 that is a bad ass almost station wagon. And i think it is what it is on the whole gasser,ratrod,hotrod,etc.etc... At least these are cars being built for whatever reason if calling it whatever keeps the builder interested and the car from being crushed or scraped or forgot about then rock on with it!!!! The younger generation like myself just love seeing these types of cars no matter if they are period correct or not. We think straight axle its a gasser,rust its a rat and shiny a street rod or hot rod because thats what we rember the most when are dads were talking about the old days. So i say build whatever as long as youre happy with it to hell with every one else. MORE PIC'S they are badass!!!!
I'm confused. Is this thread a debate on what's a true Gasser style car. Or is/was it a request for Gasser style wagon pics? Hey, just asking
Exactly....where's the damn pics??? Should have named thread gasser INSPIRED.... There's PLENTY of gasser DEBATE threads here already....
Here's mine: '57 150 2dr Handyman Fiberglass front fenders, lift-off hood and doors No inner fenders, no front bumper. 6-cylinder coils up front, combined with no sheetmetal and 14-inch Torque Thrusts put the nose up there. Fully adjustable Leaf Link rear suspension, with Mopar 8 3/4 rear end. Slick-shift Hemi Super Stock 4-speed built by Liberty Gear, with a rare Direct Connection S/S aluminum case. Interior will feature Mopar Super Stock style Dodge A-100 van seats on aluminum seat risers with holes drilled in them, and seat-belt window lifts. "The Learning Curve" engine is a stroked 283 (316ci) that made 403hp @6000 rpm on pump gas. -Brad
Or manual transmissions, actually, depending on what time period/class we're talking about, but...ehhh.... A rose by any other name.... I'd love to see some more wagons, in any case...and, maybe a Ranchero??? O.k., O.k......wrong thread...
I was thinking more along the lines of a blown 354! The original idea was for a 482-inch 409... That's still in mind, but has stalled. The little engine is already built... and frankly, starting out with 403hp makes a lot more sense than starting out with 700hp. Especially while I learn the car's peculiarities, and get the rear suspension dialed in. In essence, it's adjustable like a 4-link, but uses clamped leaf springs for the lower "bar." It has three mounting points at the front eye of the spring, three points where the housing attaches to the leaf spring, the top bar has two points where it meets the housing, and three points at the front where it meets the frame. So that's a total of... a lot. I'll be doing 60-foots for ever! And then of course there's pinion angle, and shock settings. -Brad
Let's not forget this thread too: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=254862 I'm partial to the long roof of any 'flavor'.
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