I am in the process of buying a 64 Econoline van... Does anyone have pictures of a gasser van? I think this would be a super cool way to go...I just have never seen it done. Thanks Edit found one
Why does that remind me of the old man on the tricycle from Laugh In! Pretty top heavy for a race car. Falling over is a possibility.
I've got an econoline gasser pickup truck from the 60's. I don't see how that could be any worse than a van. You still sit over the front wheels and it handles poorly and stops poorly. I'm not really surprised it got built so much as I'm surprised it never got wrecked.
I know of a local lunchbox van that runs in the mid to low 11's.........Its screamin for a brick on wheels.....Littleman
That just looks wrong... For my time and money, I'd locate a FWD Cadillac Eldo or a Olds Toronado. Cut the floor/frame out of the back of the van, and graft the two together... Make a rear engined, RWD street thumper. With the caddy or olds torque, and a few bolt on speed parts, you could have a budget wheelie machine!
I'm not gonna lie. The little kid in me yells AWESOME! The adult in me yells AWESOME! It swings on the pendulum way past ridiculous back to cool.
WOW with that high center of gravity I'd sure hate to get it sideways at half track!! Strange but cool!!
I remember back in the late 60's early 70's there was a speed shop in Garden Grove, California that had a 60's something VW van that ran a Olds engine sitting back in the cargo area with a real short drive shaft. I don't think it was up like a gasser but it sure was awesome looking. I wanted to buy it but my wife popping out puppies and it wasn't in the cards at that time! (don't get worked up I love my kids very much!) Does anyone remember the speed shop I'm referring to? I think it was on Katella or Chapman or maybe Ball RD????
Wow.. A Thames Freighter!!! I've had several of them.. My first car was one I paid $50 for out of a junk yard. Very rare over here. Non of of mine went like that tho.. The original Enfo motor put out about 68 horse I think.
Do you have the link? Evidently, hot linking does not work Freakin sweet! Do you have any more pictures? I am going to letter mine up to (hopefully) look akin to an old funny car... I am thinking that white and blue Topolino... I cannot remember the name of it... Sullivan comes to mind.
ive seen this van sideways at halftrack - sideways off the line and sideways over the finish what a beast it runs 351 clevlend with some nice speed parts and a predator carb as i recall it runs down in the low elevens high tens. the engine is in the back mid mount
I'm thinkin' back in the golden age of gassers, late 50's thru the late 60's the NHRA rule book required gassers to be based on true passenger cars. Thames slid under the wire as being mostly an Anglia. Another problem was the maximum setback was 10% of the wheelbase. All early vans probably had more engine setback right from the factory. Lastly, vans as your think about (other that VW) really didn't exist in the golden days of gassers.
I don't have a van, but I have a '30 Pontiac 2door Sedan turned RPU with a rear mounted 500cad and 425Transaxle, It's not running or 3/4 of the way finished but it should be pretty insane, I all ready filled the front frame rails with lead, I still think I'm going to have problems with front end lift though.
Use to be one on I thought like..Valley View some where in Garden Grove, I remember it had shelves like a 7-11 and had tons of used parts. we would go every chance we get cause parts changed daily. don't remember the name of it either. Roach
Sorry for the double post... but heres a quick photoshop to see what it would realistically look like... Cool as hell if you ask me
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