GASSER MUST HAVES and cant haves?

My friend ran a 37' too in B / Gas with a hydro and after bugging him about the power you loose to the rear wheels, he put in a 4 speed and went a tenth quicker the first day

He did not have a crossmenber for the trans mount and one day it just blew its self right off the bellhousing leaving the front part of the casting and the 4 bolts, went off like a bomb with lots of little pieces everywhere

The auto's worked great on the blown cars as they could give up a little power, where as unblown you need all you can get and more

G Don

 

A lot of folks seem to think automatics are faster now days, but if you'll look at the NHRA indexes and records for Stock and Super Stock the sticks still have them covered.

 

I think it's more about "repeatability" running an automatic transmission in the classes of the NHRA today.

 

In bracket/index classes it is and that's what most folks that are on the dragstrip run.

And, if the "gasser" group you race in doesn't have weight breaks and heads up racing it doesn't really matter. Wanna go faster, just go bigger cubic inches.

 

Not by much.
http://www.nhra.com/competition/classindexs.aspx

 

But they are quicker.

 

Look at Pro Stock - they went from 4 speeds to automatics and then back to 5 speeds.

A lot depends on the car as well. With the Big Block my car was Very Inconsistent with a 4 speed, the torque just killed the traction on the gear change and you never knew where the car might go, so it was much easier to drive and more consistent when a power Glide was tried. With the small block, the 4 speed was faster and it wasn't a problem on the gear change.

 

Don,
You gotta picture of the pedal set up in your car?

I was gonna put an old DN 5 speed in my car this time around (always ran with a 4 speed while I've had it), but it's gonna get awfully tight with three pedals and a cage.
I've about decided to go with a 'glide because it'll be so much quicker and easier to put in. I've got everything to put the car together either way.

I'll probably replace my small "327 stroker" (actually a 355) with a REALLY big stroker (434) if I do it, just to make sure I have the power to pull the slushbox.

 

I have a question to pose to you all that hasn't come up so far in this discussion..

I'm deep into the build of my 56 *ahem* "Gasser?" and early on I decided to push the engine back...wayyyy back. The car has a 115" wheelbase so I was going for 11.5" but ended up at 10" and brother lemme tell you it is deep in what is now left of the cowl. I'm running stack injectors and the velocity stacks would not fit underneath so I split my beloved 56 open like a ripe watermelon to make room for them. My plan is to make a scoop which passes through a lexan windshield. I have looked at hundreds if not thousands of photos of vintage gassers and have only seen this done on one car and it appeared to be from the early 70's. I cannot find where it says this cannot be done in any of the rules but admittedly I am looking at abridged rules posted on forums such as this one.
I'm not going to jump off a bridge if that's a deal breaker because I'm happy with my car but I'm also curious to know the facts. Could gassers have a split windshield and if so when did this occur?

 

In that Don Montgomery book there is a Henry J done like that. This one is done in similar fashion, just talking the windshield here.

 

Just happened upon this while searching for something else. Historical Gasser Class Chart, thanks to John Shelton at American Gasser and Byron Stack's Gasser Madness.

NHRA GAS CLASS STRUCTURE BY YEAR 1958-1969
http://www.gassermadness.us/Gas_Classes/chart.htm

 

1971 NHRA rulebook says "Windshields may not be cut for injector clearance."

Up through 1966 the section for "Windshields & Windows" says "Windows can be made of 1/8" plexiglass", doesn't say anything about windshields.

 

Aren't we back to the 10% setback rule for gassers? Back in the day of weight-to-cubic inches there also was maximum engine setback. With that kind of setback, I believe you are replicating something other than a gasser. Move your engine back more than 10% and you were in an altered class. Larry T seems to have a pretty good handle on rules. Does this sound right?
None of this matters when it comes to what you are building, it may just not technically have fit in a gasser class.

 

At 10" of setback I'm actually under the max of 10% engine setback for my car by an inch and a half. I measured it from the spindle back to the #1 spark plug hole just to be clear. I found this picture not 10 minutes after I made my post.



I can't see any class designations on the car but it sure looks like a gasser to my eyes.

P.s Thanks for the link Baron! That is very helpful.

 

Yea, the rule is 10% of the wheelbase from the front wheel centerline to the front spark plug.

The BBC in my 55 was set back about 7 inches and it looks like there would be plenty of room to move it another 3 or 4 inches before you got into interference with the windshield. I think the injector stacks would be about in line with the back of the (mock up) blower.

Ok, the car is still here so I pulled the hood and measured. I guess CRS set in, it measures about 5" setback with about 4" more you could squeeze in. Not quite the full 10%, but close.

Bean Dip, are you going to run the car on the street? Is a plexiglass windshield legal? I didn't think they were in Texas, but not 100% sure. If it's drag only, no problem.

I checked the "Windshield & Windows" rule from the thread on here that has different year gasser rules from 56 to 71 scanned and posted in it.

 

looks like an altered

 

I have about 8* of tilt on my engine which may explain why mine is deeper into the windshield. I also have some pretty mighty injectors sitting on top (3" Kinslers). I will post pics of the car when it is done.

Nahhhhhh...mine is setback much deeper than that. Maybe I just don't know how to use a ruler

 

Sure enough is...thanks for the clarification!

....well...did some guys run injectors through the windshield prior to the 70's and NHRA just put a stop to that later or was it always a rule that you couldn't cut the windscreen?

 

Larry T mine is going to be 100% drag car. I live in Texas, but I'll haul anywhere the racing is good!

 

Here is Henry J that runs with the East Coast Gassers.
At the Hot Rod Reunion

At the Orange Dragstrip Reunion

 

Yea, I knew you had a race car, the *ahem* kinda threw me for a loop.

BTW, don't take my measurements for laser accurate. I've been known to use defective tape measures before.

If you head north, we might be at some of the same races. I probably won't have my car going, but if I see you, I'll stop and bother you anyway.

 

I remember back in the 70's,when Steve Woods pulled the body off his Prefect, and installed the Cricket station wagon body. The back of his 4-port Hilborn needed some serious trimming to clear the windshield on the Cricket.

 

Sounds good! I have a ways to go, but I hope to have the car ready by next season. I run at Kennedale and Denton mostly but also Ardmore and beyond. I'll keep my eyes peeled for you and if you see a goofy looking sob with a white 56 stop by for a cold drink!

 

Poppa like!!!

...Well, as best as I can tell, my car went from A/G to C/A just as soon as I decided to put the scoop through the windshield. This thread has definitely opened my eyes on gassers. Funny and a bit embarrassing at the same time to not know about the windshield but I suspect I'm not alone on that one.

 

You still have options.

MELTDOWN DRAGS
JULY 19-20 2014

 

Well I did have options....she is cut all to hell now! Hahaha! It's ok...C/A works for me.

 

Maybe not - unless he had more than one little Wagon

 

I will be replace our original (cracked) glass windshield in the future with a lexan unit from ProGlass. When I do, I plan on cutting back into the dash board, also for injector stack clearance, and will use a little mini firewall sealed to the dash, and to the back of the windshield ala Butch Thuneys 55 as well as others back in the day. The back of our "doghouse" is 15 inches from the original fire wall section.

 

Don, It had a Roto-faze blower intake on it at the time I saw it, and he had to relocate the the rear injector nozzle.