I'm just curious about the terms and definitions of all the different types of dragsters. Most times you see any car with a sky high frontend and/or straight axle being called a gasser, but doesn't it have more to do with the type of fuel...? Could someone post examples of what the different types are...? I know what most are, but would like to see 'em all spelled out in one place... Is a gasser the same as a fuelie... or is it carb vs. fuel injection...? Is a FED the same as a slingshot...? Is an altered just in the wheelbase...? Stuff like that. JOE
There has been quite a bit of discussion about gassers and different classes. You might do a search for rule book. If you can find a NHRA or IHRA rule book from the 60's it will have all of the information about all of the classes (and a few pictures too).
LARRY T- Some of it is slang terms, and I thought it would be nice to have it in our searchable archives here on the HAMB too... JOE
OK, Here's a run down of the basic classes from the late 60's. Pro Classes TF Top Fuel Dragster TG Top Gas Dragster FC Funny Car PRO Pro Stock Competition Eliminator and Modified Eliminator (where most of the cool local guys ran) /D Dragster /FC Funny Car /A Altered /G Gassers /MP Modified Production /SR Street Roadster All of the /classes were broken down even further according to weight/cubic inch, fuel, and blown or unblown. Then you get into the stock and superstock classes. I don't know about the slang terms. Anyway, it should be a long thread, lots to discuss.
a FED is a slingshot dragster and most old times take offense to the "front engine dragster" name, being that all car's & rails (at that time)had the engine in the front. the separate designation should only be for RED (rear engine dragsters) they're the F'd up ones.LOL the different class designations pertain to car/rail (type),fuel type,blown or un-blown,transmission and also weight to cubic inch etc.
I think the definition of a 'Gasser' depends on your age. For me it is the NHRA definition as used in the late 50's to early 60's: Street drivable (!?) - doors, lights, windows, interior, no more than 10% engine set-back (% of wheelbase measured from the front spindle to the #1 spark plug) The 'nose-in-the-air' stance came from trying to get as much weight transfer to the rear wheels on launch by getting as much weight as possible as high as possible on the suspension and was limited to 24" from the ground to the CL of the crank. Improved tire technology and rear suspensions made this practice obsolete.
in the 50's and 60's, "gasser" was a generic slang term for cars that ran in the loosely defined "gas coupe and sedan class". Generally, per association or track rules, these cars were to run pump gasoline, only. Then the breakdown was cubic inch to weight, then supercharged by cubic inch to weight.
From what I read "gasser" was a legit street car that was only allowed to run off of gasoline. No nitro or any exotic fuels. That may have changed over the years for that class.
ive never seen a gasser without fenders. fenders of some sort, covering a certain percent of the tire must have been required in gas class. what class would a fenderless car without many alterations run?
or at least gas class had to have fenders that covered 1/3 the tire. a rule change during certain yrs. looking up these rules on an altered is goofy. they musy have changed them around over those early years.
Oh my goodness! Perceptions, and mis perceptions! I know Porknbeaner has an old rule book he has thrown up here for folks. Gassers are modified sedans (including four doors, wagons, trucks, etc.) They MUST have full fenders. They can use any engine combination. There was an allowable engine set back, I THINK 10%, and I THINK there might have been a "spark plug to spindle" requirement. Moderate customizing was allowed, ie removal of bumpers, rolled pans, custom (or no) grills. Chopped tops were allowed as long as the shape was not changed (windshield angle). There were "just" gass clesses for normally aspirated cars, and several "Supercharged" classes, designated as such: AA/GS, BB/GS, A/GS, B/Gs, etc, etc. They had to be self starting as I recall. If it didn't have fenders it was an "altered" and there no connection whatsoever with an "altered" and an altered wheelbase car, none, zip, aero, zilch. Those car (the altered wheelbase stockers) were "Factory Experimental" at first, unitl '65 when Mopar unleashed its 12 monsters. Then they became "Exhibition Match Racers" until the term "funny car" took hold some time later. But seeing as it was a couple of years before NHRA recognized them, they just ran exhibition match races for some time. There's more, as mentioned, Street Roadsters, which had to have fenders, lights, etc. and also Modified Sports. YOu could drive in with a bone stock Corvette, Cobra, or Griffith, through the mufflers on street tires, but you were running in "Modified Sports" class. They were allowed to run 10" wide slicks, while the S/S sedans were limited to 7" wide slicks (ealry '60's) which really pissed me off. I they made the Cobras run a 7" tire, or allowed us to run 10", a lot of race results would have been different. The Cobras weren't that fast, if they didn't have a 6" tire patch advantage... Anyway, I'll let some other old timer add some stuff...
Gasser rules. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=334715 Altered rules. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=377772
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