Art & Inspiration Gassers, a can of worms?

Gassers are the new fad. Everyone wants to throw a straight axle under their car, raise the nose and call it a gasser. And they are doing it to heavy cars that back in the day would never be bui8lt into a gasser. But not all gassers were nose high. It was done in the early 60s for weight transfer since the slicks and traction were not all that good. In the late mid to late 60s the tire technology got better so weight transfer was not an issue and the noses came down for aerodynamics. The early 60s gas class required front brakes and virtually no one used the 10 or 12 spokes unless they figure out a way to adapt front brakes to them. Just look at all of the old gasser photos on this post and no one ran front spoke wheels. By the late 60s front brakes were no longer required on gas cars so a racer could use the 10 or 12 spokes but by then the nose was low on the car. Nothing screams jump-on-the-band-wagon-poser-gasser than a nose high car with the new 10 and 12 spoke fake spindle mounts.

 

When someone in the marketing department called these new bolt-ons 'gasser wheels' the herd followed, blind leading the blind style. You could almost say marketing genius. Would they have sold as many if they called them 'altered wheels?'

 

GASSERS, I feel fortunate to have seen them run at Orange County International raceway when I was in my teens. Thats what hooked me, had to build one, and now that it has been sold, I apparently haven't got the GASSER bug out of my system.. So here goes again,,,a bit of a differnet direction, ,,,,

Building a 1950 Studebaker, Starlight 2DR GASSER

 

ANY! old car with a bit of racing history is GREAT to keep alive!

 

Bottom of the frame was not to be above the center line of the rear axle, so the front of the car could be at any height as long as a line drawn from bottom of frame would not intersect above the axle center line, engine crank center line no higher than 24" [Maybe 26" or not specified]. Where everything went once launched was not a rule, some of the cars moved a lot, front up but back could be up or down and hope fully the whole car went forwards. Most that had beam axles were to get rid of monkey motion independent and all the steering gear, big front cross member to allow easier engine set back and exhaust headers room, some used to say that the beam axle were lighter [doubt it], certainly simpler.

 

Team III makes the E-T Gasser, Rocket makes the Launcher and American Rebel makes the Altered. Team III probably outsells the other two combined just by being the first to trademark the Gasser name.

 

They got in first, and the name became generic. The rest is history. Accurate or not.

 

Over the last 2 months I transported both of these to the same gentleman in Mass. Both came with long histories in the same two families. While I was delivering the 1st one I noticed he had an extra straight axle that was for a 55-57 Chevy. I thought about it between trips & ended up buying it, so now I am going to build my 57 Pontiac into a recreation of an old Gasser. I will start researching so I can make it as traditional looking as possible.

God Bless
Bill
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...ar-transport-hauling-open-or-enclosed.614419/

 

...but it looks to me like it'd be safe to drive an altered wheelbase car like mine, there.

 

I'm definitely a fan of builds with altitude and attitude.... ultra high street freaks or gassers I do like the look they present either moving or sitting still . Is it a fad that will fade ....maybe to some but not here . Its just one theme of hot rodding that does have history . So it has its place . I'm in deep with about 4 gasser builds and only can inch along . I'd say I'm 2 miles wide and move an inch at a time whereas most in this hobby are an inch wide and move miles ahead. I'll get there hittin it hard everyday before my time runs out ...but at 67 I'll be busy in my next 33 years...lol.

 

Replaced my header/side mufflers with a new set of fender dump headers with mufflers built into the collectors. Now you can see my ladder traction bars and Hydro tranny pan.

 

Mine is not wildly high, but it is not in the weeds either. I do not mind people calling it a street freak, gasser or straight axle. I like what I built and will drive the shit out of it when done. Oh well let the bashing begin!

 

I have always loved gassers. I want to eventually put my dads C/Gas car back on the street in its original form. It’s been a street rod for years and dad mentioned the other day that it needs to be converted back. It was a track only car back then, but I need something I can drive and get more use out of it. So, it will forgo the injectors and maybe just run multiple carbs.

 

I ran in B, C, and D/Gas with different engines in my 57 Plymouth back in the mid sixties to early seventies. I converted it to a street car in the mid seventies and kept the straight axle and fiberglass fenders. Unless you were a shop or had tons of money most gasser guys were making mods to make it go faster and not so much to look good. At cruise-ins just about everyone thinks it was done for the current fad.

 

Amen Dave! Plus we don't need a floor jack to change oil, adjust brakes, change transmissions, etc i like em all, but i love a straight axle car.

 

Gassers?????.... I'm fucking crazy about them!!!... There, I said it!.....

 

I like gassers but I for one am tired of seeing try 5 cars

 

Here ya go brother, something different wheels are for moving around until i find more appropriate wheels

 

I LIKE your car man.

 

Cant wait to see that dude at the Hot Rod reunion next june.

 

Thanks! I know it is not everyone's cup of tea, but who cares right? I love your car as well. I really wanted a 55, but could not pass up the 400 buck price of my 51.

 

I love that El Camino. soooo cool. and you are right, I can get under my car easy peasy!

 

I for one never really gave a tinker's damn about pleasing anyone else. I like all gassers. Mine isn't period correct but its alot of fun. Just came back from pigeon forge rod run. Done alot of cruising and had a blast..

 

You have to admit that they have the natural gasser feel.

 

I bet you're going to the nostalgia fall classic ain't ya i seen the dates and about cried, we play music on Saturday and I'm on duty Sunday. Have you ever noticed how work gets in the way of having fun!? The plan is to bring my car and momma's truck to the reunion next year. Hope it all pans out

 

I agree 100%

 

Yes. Plan on it. Brother I got 3 more yrs as of Oct 1. Then I should be able to make more shows. Hopefully I will see you next yr

 

About 30 yrs ago I helped my best friend re-create a gasser Falcon Rancho he raced back in the 'day'. His build parameters were quite an eye opener for me. After I tied everything together, mounted the 9" and made 'floating' (his design) custom ladder bars that stretched to the tranny mount, I started on the front end. I whipped up a straight axle, but he blew that out of the water. Told me he'd tried that, but changed it up, because he liked getting down the 1/4 mile with minimum hassle. So I built, (per his instructions), a 5" dropped tube axle, mounted on parallel leaf springs with sliders and a long panhard bar. His original Rancho ran a injected SBC/4sp setup. Since this one was going to see some street duty, and according to him, since he'd gotten smarter (and lazier) in his old age, it ran a BBC/glide combo with some monster holley, and high stall torque converter. He even did the calculations and told me how much lead weight to put in the tailgate (which at the strip he ran down). We also ran 4w disc brakes (another concession for the street). He told me in the old days he'd back off the front brakes for less drag. We radiused the rear fenders by using some front fenders. For the street he used chrome wheels, and at the strip he borrowed my Motor Flys. I drove the car a few times and I gotta say it handled great. No wobble, no float, and it went where you wanted it to go, not where it wanted to. Not at all like our friends mile high 55 'gasser'. I didn't feel like I was driving a lumber wagon. Strip times weren't that bad either. A couple high 10's, but mostly low to mid 11's. He said he understood the nose high attitude back in the day because of the tire limitations, but he also said there were ways around it, if you thought about it.

 

There have been A LOT of the newer, uh, how should I say "fairgrounds gassers" that appear there was some kind of mushrooms involved during the build process.

 

Can i play please..?
54 since when i started id never even seen a stock one at a show around here, only 55s..
Currently getting a camel hump tunnel rammed big bore short stroke 352 (400 block, 327 crank)
Replacing 9” with 12 bolt and 4l80 with a jerico or something..