This truck is NOT a gasser, not now not ever, its mid engine, which exceeds the max 10% max engine set-back by a TON. It is a Street Freak. AWB cars are also NOT gassers, cars with no fenders are NOT gassers, and cars with a crank centerline to ground measurement exceeding 24" are NOT gassers. No debate, no discussion. Its all in the class rules for the time. The fact that a straight-axle car is not a gasser does not mean its ugly, a piece of shit, a bogus clown car, uncool, or whatever it is that seems to upset the guys that insist on mis-using and abusing this word so much. It simply means that the car is NOT a GASSER.When I was a young guy, there were TONS of street cars around here with solid front axles, NO ONE called them gassers, we just called them cars. In those days, it didnt seem to be so necessary for everyone to be uttering meaningless buzz words. Gassers were just that, gassers. Look at the for sale section in the back of Hot Rod issues from the late sixties/early seventies, there are TONS of straight axle cars for sale, and you will notice that the ONLY guys who use the word "gasser" in thier ads are guys who are selling cars that are ACTUAL GAS CLASS race cars. As far as that goes, by the late sixties, tires had improved, Maz & OGM had blown the chassis rules open with the Mustang and Maz's football, and most COMPETITIVE gassers were nose-down, square-tube chassis race cars, so if you are building a "gasser" with a tunnel-ram, or pseudo spindle-mount wheels, Fenton Gyros, or other late sixties/early 70s parts, it should have a nose-down stance. And I have yet to see ANY actual sixties-era gasser with psuedo spindle mount, ET ten spokes, or fake plastic injector stacks. For those that actually want to LEARN something about gassers, I strongly suggest they pick up Don Montgomerys book, and read it cover to cover, two or three times.
Where is the engine in that truck? If it's in the bed, then you're right. If it's in the stock location, then it's questionable. Engine set-back was 10 percent of the wheel base of the vehicle, as measured from the front spark plug to the centerline of the axle. For example, if the vehicle had a 100 inch wheel base, the front plug could be a max of 10 inches behind the front spindle. Where do you suppose the front plug is in relation to the front axle on that truck? With a 90-inch wheel base, the front spark plug can be set back 9 inches from the spindle, and it'd meet the set-back rule. Full interior, it's a truck same as a Willys... -Brad
http://public.fotki.com/redlinetoys/gassers/ I looked at a lot of these real Gasser cars before I built my Nomad.
So Brad...what kind of adaptor is needed to run the A-833 behind a SBC? Is it a modified bell? Yeah, a 354 would be ok I guess.....haha.
It's a Lakewood bellhousing that came with the trans when I bought it. The trans came to me in a fairly convoluted way, but I knew one of the guys who did a lot of the fabrication work on the car it came out of. I THINK he drilled the face of the bellhousing and added threaded inserts for three of the holes. The fourth required a small ear to be added low/outboard, with a mounting hole. The work had a very manufactured look to it, but the guy who helped on the car was a trained tool and die maker, and was an Industrial Engineer for AMC/Chrysler, and owned a bridgeport and did things like build his own spindles for his Super Comp car. He had the skill to make it look manufactured. But, I've talked to other guys who ran a Mopar trans behind Chevys in the early '70s, so it's possible the bellhousing was offered by Lakewood. I'm just happy it was based on a '55-'57 bellhousing, so the mounting holes for the bellhousing mounts are there! The input shaft was cut down to Chevy specs by Liberty (shortened, and the pilot is Chevy spec). It takes a course-spline (Hemi) Mopar clutch disc. I'm seriously toying with setting the engine back, but right now it's using the stock bellhousing mounting ears, so that would open up a can of worms. Right now, everything FITS, including the mechanical clutch linkage. If I move the engine back, I'm looking at cutting off the trans mount horns, front and rear engine plates, and a hydraulic clutch. It also might require changing the mount and shifter linkage for the Vertical Gate shifter. -Brad
Right on...thanks for the info. Yeah, I've seen a few Mopar trans behind Chevy's, just never asked HOW they got 'em done. For some reason I thought there was a bell made for the swap, read somewhere I can't recall, but they've gotta be rare.... Those V-Gate shifters rule too......
Of course you are correct, I assumed the engine was in the box. I actually had the same thought last night as I was going to sleep (DOH!), but I too lazy to jump up and type a disclaimer. If the engine is in the stock location, it it is probably on the edge of being legal. I stand corrected.
Interesting definition. And you say you are from Ohio, and were around during the heyday of gas class, right? Lets take a look at a short, incomplete list of cars that, according to your definition are NOT gassers. SWC: Hydros, TF's, Clutchflites Maz: Hydros, TF's Jack Merkel: Hydros, T400's Paul Frost: Hydros, TF's Kohler Bros: Hydros, TF's Junior Thompson: Hydros, TF's OGM: Hydros, C-6's Mallicoat Bros: Hydros, TF's I could continue on, listing virtually EVERY blown gasser that ever raced, with less than half a dozen exceptions. Off the top of my head, I can only think of two cars that meet your definition, Bob Chippers B/GS '33 Willys, and the Hrudka Bros '33 C/GS Panel. Think Mike Marinoff may have run a blown manual trans car as well. If I really sat down, picked my brain, rooted through old books and magazines and REALLY researched it, I MIGHT be able to come up with half a dozen blown stick cars, out of the THOUSANDS of gassers that ran automatics. Man, I have learned SO MUCH since I joined HAMB!
Jesus this is why I don't get on the message boards anymore. All the guy asked for was to see some pictures. I never saw anything about him asking about a God Damn lesson in Gassers or who knows all the history and rules. I bet some of the guys on here would get into an argument with a lady on how to insert a tampon. 76cam welcome to the HAMB sorry your wish got all jacked up.
Well, I HAVE been rude! Here is a young HAMBER, thirsting for information, and I have neglected to answer his question! He even said please! I will correct this oversight right away. The reason why Meatball & Groucho (or anyone else with even a rudimentary knowledge of gassers) were able to immediately and correctly identify your car as a Street Freak instead of a gasser is the the ride height. In 1960, NHRA made extensive changes to their rule book. One of the changes was that gassers were restricted to no more than 24" from the crank centerline to the ground. Since it is clear in the photos you posted that your crank centerline is actually higher than the top of the front tire, and a 5.50x15 is almost 26" tall, clearly your car is FAR too high in the front end to be anything even remotely resembling a gasser. No need to thank me. In fact, if you have any further questions, feel free to post them, and I will be only too happy to do my best to answer them. No need to feel you are putting me out, or wasting my time, I am only too happy to help.
Thanks Punk Rodder pictures is all i wanted but all of the bullshiting is hilarious.Didn't know that this was such a sentive subject.Gasser or Streat Freak they are all bad ass in there own way.
Is there a thread that defines what a Gasser class vehicle really is? Not all of us were around when these cars were ruling the strips and I would like to better informed as to what makes a true gasser. Perhaps someone could make another thread (this time, with no drama) and leave this thread to photos...?
What happened to all the pics? Are you guys put off that easily because it ain't gasser? Come on post the hot...WAGONS!!!
Im talking about the picture not the bullshiting!!!Or the car in general just want to see picture's..
If you go to the Gasser Madness website and click on the "history" tab, theres a reasonably complete page on the rules changes over the years. As I said before, Don Montgomerys book is EXCELLENT, but I think its out of print now. Montgomerys book gets into the evolution of gas classes, as well as the mid-late sixties "match-gassers". No pretty color pics, but a lot more "technical" than some of the other pretty picture books on the subject. Good read. His book on altereds is really good too.
Oh my achin' ASS!!!!! Like it or not Gasser has become a generic term!!!! Get over it!!!!!! Now can we PLEASE see some more cool old wagons with straight axles and big motors!!! Ops, I mean engines, cause a motor is electric and a engine is.......oh shit did I start another pointless pissing match? I'm just gonna go for a cruise on my engine cycle!!
Google "Gasser Madness." That site is THE source for the rules of the day. It's just a site, not a chat board, so talk of grannies, trannies, tampons, freaks and who's swinging 10-percent of 24 inches is non-existent. -Brad
The Jalopy Journal
