Since we are so traditional here.

A group car event that only allowed straight-axle cars to compete as "gassers"?
Sounds like a group car event put on by guys who know nothing about cars.
Honestly, kids, this is dumb.
A straight-axle is nothing more than a suspension choice. That's it.
Rules are rules and what the rule book said was the way the officials determined the classification of your entry.
Thus, this Anglia, below, was ordered to run in the "altered" class.
It's that simple.
This is just another collision of generations. One that got it's information from rule books and the other getting it's information from the back of a "Big Daddy" Roth t-shirt.
(a non-straight-axle car would make for a boring t-shirt, ya gotta admit, but a t-shirt isn't an accurate portrayal of real life)

 

Maybe he was trying to run with these guys? Just read this on the other current gasser thread.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=709866

Great Lakes Gasser Assn.

"16. Vehicles must be pre 1966. Straight axles only unless approved by the GLG."

As far a gassers the way they used to be, I'm pretty sure the old saying "You can never go back." pretty much applies. Just be glade you were around for the originals. I'm glad I got to see it.

Ya know what? I'm just glad we're getting all worked up about racecars and not "street gassers".
Larry T

 

What would make a car classified as Altered Class?

There was some debate about this on another thread having to do with changine the wheelbase on a car by a certain % or length over stock.

 

Could be something as simple as no upholstery.
And I don't think there is a plus or minus on wheelbase in the rulebook. That doesn't mean folks didn't stretch the rules as far as they could get away with. Sometimes they got caught.


.

 

LOL That would pretty much be any drag car then.

 

No, it's in the rulebook-Big John Mazmanian.

 

"16. Vehicles must be pre 1966. Straight axles only unless approved by the GLG."

THANKS, that's all I was asking/looking for. Not arguing the pro's or con's of it. Only that if it's their sandbox, they make the rules.

 

I see.

 

Engine setback is/was one of them. Lack of inside fender panels another.

 

Well If this is true then I've seen a lot of "gassers" that if they went strictly by the rules are actually 'altereds'.

Most rip out the entire upholstery and start gutting out unneeded stuff...like innershields.

 

Depending on when it ran a big inch engine or blown engine of any size could have put it into altered class, I am not sure if the Anglias got hit by the wheelbase rule in the later '60s. A lot of gas class cars got moved to altered class because of wheel base in the later '60s. I know for example that the Thames got moved to altered class because the wheel base was too short.

Hey we do require skull decals at least one per quarter and after 10 if the other car doesn't not have as many as you he has to spot you a length for every 10 decals you have more than him. I told the fellas that it was not fare because not everyone could afford to have more decals and that $$$$ would always win out.

We also require beer tap shift handles but anyone can run a Lenco or nitro.

 

EXACTLY! That's why all the "Gasser" confusion. Were they running and marked in a gas class? Like A/G B/G C/G D/G or just at a "Gasser" event?

I was just answering your question, not taking sides or pretending to know what anyone is running now.

These were a few of my old rides, call them whatever you want.

 

I luv all your old cars....man...that picture of the vette is really cool.

 

Well pretty easy to guess unless you marked the glass wrong.

The vette was an altered and the 2 tri fives were gas class or "gassers?"

Actually there is not question if you own a rule book. But the question is not what equipment the cars ran but what they used for fuel. Now there is a real question for the masses. Let's see I read and understand english so gassers must run on alcohol. Makes perfect sense to me.

 

Thanks, here's a couple more of it for you. Sorry at the bad quality.

 

Found a pretty good site with some good info and explaination of classes.

http://gassermadness.com/Gas_Classes/index.htm

Here is a nice chart too....

http://gassermadness.com/Gas_Classes/chart.htm

 

Porknbeaner, I'm only answering questions being asked. As far as fuel goes, back then A/G on down ran on gas only. As that was the rules, at that time.

 

wow, this is a big deal to some of you guys, I guess i needed to make the distinction of what was and what is the fuel / gas rule. no doubt back in the day it was gas.. today i have not ever been asked or told what i use or want to use or can use. simple. traditional? does that mean back in the day like when i was a young guy, that we ran air bags and a/c on the likes of 36 fords and such? no way, but we do today? is there any difference? I dont see it.

 

Byron (RIP) did an excellent job explaining things.

I scanned the rules for the NHRA Gas Coupes & Sedans for 64/66/71 out of my old rulebooks and posted them on this thread. I found the rules for 56 somewhere and added them. It's pretty much all there in black and white.
Larry T

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=334715



.

 

NOW GET OFF MY LAWN​

 

Jeez Rick, the guy has a point. GET YOUR BULLSHIT PSEUDO "GASSER" OFF MY LAWN, YA GODDAM WHIPPERSNAPPERS! There, thats better...

 

Edit: I know you know this, but you gotta consider the guys who are reading this think gassers run alky. Gotta REALLY Keep it simple...

 

Hey Doug, Why did J&S have to run Altered? Was this a fairly early car, before Anglia's were allowed to run Gas Class?

Upholstery rule went away as the years went by, pretty much done by late 60's

I think once they started to allow setback it was always 10% (in the 50's, no set back)

Not really - the Gas Classes were always cubic inch/weight classes and blowers bumped you up a class. The only real exception to that that i recall was when NHRA finally allowed Anglia's to run, they couldn't run blowers no matter what size engine. They eventually dropped that as well.

You got that backwards - In the early days the whelbase rule was 92" and Anglia's were 90". Gassers were also ONLY American cars in the beginning. NHRA eventually opened it up to foreign cars and then had the 90" Anglia rule, in the mid 60's, but no blowers. By the late 60's they gave in as AHRA and Match Racers were running blown Anglia's all over the country and the wheelbase rule no longer was important cuz it covered all the cars that were running.

YEP, and an ever moving target like most racing. The one constant?
GASSERS ALWAYS RAN GASOLINE!

 

Give this man a cigar!!!

 

You're right. I just wasn't going to get into the whole spark plug/spindle/axle location thing.

 

So can we move on to what to run in a gas dragster now?

 

Gasoline?

 

But we didn't discuss the Junior Stocker's yet.

 

well, I call them kool as hell ...........