Hot Rods The dos and don'ts of building a 60s gasser

So the reason I ask rhis is simple: if I figure out I did something that's not period correct to the 60's on my jailbar I WILL have a mental breakdown (I have severe ocd about doing things right when it comes to cars). I know what your probably all gonna say, rule #1 don't start with a pickup truck. I know there were a few guys racing pickups back then. Mabey all the well known ones were willy's trucks, but there may have been one or two racing a ford.

So what should I be doing/not doing?

I guess my question really is what is the difference between a real gasser and a modern hot rod dressed up to look like one?

Thanks for helping me.

 

There is a long drawn out thread titled somthing like gasser can't haves and must haves...search is your friend

 

Yeah probably would have helped alot if I wasn't lazy. Thanks

 

Yep
I'd suggest making a kettle of popcorn because there are a LOT of experts on that subject here, and none of them agree!

 

I will sir. Thanks

 

Welcome Duell

Building a gasser is all up to you and how correct you want your car to be, some guys get it really close and some are a ton off base

You are right not many trucks back in the day since they did not quite fit the image of a gasser, that is why almost everybody went with a coupe of some sort more like you would have had for your streeter

Be glad to help in your gasser building project

DND

 

Duellym
Consider DND as exibit A of one of our HAMB members who was actually in the thick of GAS class drag racing in the 60's.
I was not there, but his coupe had to have been one of the most sano of it's breed, love it.

 

Is that kettle original or re-production and are we talking traditional popcorn? I'm not into all that Redenbocker designer crap. And you can keep that caramel corn, air popped, jiffy pop, tutti fruiti, microwaved maize as well. Traditional popcorn has un-popped kernels!

 

Thanks both of you. I've been reading that thread dnd has showed up a lot so I trust he is a authority on the subject.

 

Caramel popcorn is pretty good stuff.

 

Check out all the South east gasser threads, they all have to be period correct.

 

And its good with a glass of Makers

 

Cool I will thanks.

Billy I have no idea what makers is.

 

I do!
As we speak

 

just a general question i have always wondered, if you wanted to get as much of the weight to the rearend of the car why would you put the moon tank on the front? and what was even in those tanks? i would think you would need a bigger tank than that.

 

the cars that had tanks in front [not all did] held fuel. Mechanical Fuel Injection is not self priming .The tank was usually installed higher than the fuel pump to gravity feed it.

 

Oh ok that clears it up for me thanks.

 

A real gasser raced in the gas classes, and you're building a modern hot rod dressed up to look like one

 

That's where your wrong, if I'm building an old style race car I'm racing my race car.

 

Cracker Jack (AKA caramel popcorn) been around since 1896. Don't get no more traditional than that!

 

If you plan on racing the car.It can't be built as an old time Gasser. The current safety rules will not permit that. The best you can do is have a modern day race car that looks similar to a 60's Gasser. Get an NHRA Rule Book before you start building

 

All the answers you need are right here: http://www.southeastgassers.com/rules

 

Hey Denny

Thanks for the Very kind words on my 37',that sure makes my day and a few more too

DND

 

If I was going to build a Gasser and be true to it's period, I'd do a shit load of UNBIASED research, instead of trusting the words or ideas of folks who may have nothing but opinions. When I'm doing something and I want it accurate, I find the best sources of info I can. If you're serious, block out the bull shit and get on it. That rule book would be a great start.

Good luck.

 

Exactamundo- all these new "gassers" just aren't- they are modern hot rods styled to look like old time real gassers, which were only built that way to try and get the tires of the day to hook. Bracket racing a hot rod styled as a gasser, if you can get it through tech, does not make it a "gasser"

 

Yep, the tank was mounted above the pump so it would self prime to start the engine- but usually a little squirt of gasoline to get it started when cold anyway. Nowadays there are electric priming setups available to give it a shot of gasoline for starting. The ones you see today sticking out on the bumper are usually empty and for looks, current rules require the tank enclosed. My buddy has two 5" Flying Toilets on the 672" BBF in his Pro Mod pulling truck, hit the gas primer and it lights right up then runs on methanol

 

Hmmm....to some extent. I think the build rules they use are more about putting on a good show in the modern age. Which is good, because they do put on a good show in the modern age.

 

On the do list find a rule book from the period you want to build to on the don't side don't stray from the rules back on the do side do figure out a way to bend the rules without breaking them.

Then there is one do that you should not stray from one iota my anal retentive friend, do have a good time. if you are not you fucked up bad.

 

Here I've made it easy for you start reading.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...es-and-cant-haves.822149/page-67#post-9380307

 

This is the stuff I am basing my build on:

• 60s NHRA Rulebooks https://www.dropbox.com/sh/2006u57wp7sqpxt/eZJPZZcJdZ
  
• Gasser Wars by Larry Davis http://www.amazon.com/Gasser-Wars-Racings-Classes-1955-1968/dp/1932494669
• Supercharged Gas Coupes by Don Montgomery http://www.amazon.com/Supercharged-Gas-Coupes-Remembering-Sixties/dp/0962645435

If I were to get one book, it would be Gasser Wars. If you read it cover to cover, I think you will have grasped what the class was about back then and how guys built their cars. The 60s rulebooks are a fun read and if you really want to be period-correct, I would say you'd need to pick a specific year to base your build off of. The Gas class rules of say 1961 are way different that those of 1965. But that's the beauty of it, the class was constantly evolving and guys were going faster.

Just imagine how cool it would be to build a car to 1960 spec and then for the next five or six years improve it every year based on the rulebooks, ending up with a 1965 or 1966 spec gasser! Talk about reliving the past.