Register now to get rid of these ads!

History TRADITIONAL GASSERS, Gas Class cars and modern TRADITIONAL cars.

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Gary Reynolds, Dec 21, 2016.

  1. Russ Barfield’s South Florida “Russ’ Auto Service” was home for many area racers. Russ’ machine work, race engines and precision tuning were legendary and he was always ready to help an aspiring young racer with honest and solid advice. Russ ran a long string of Gassers, including this ’55 Chevy C/Gasser, shown leaving under the flagman at Masters Field, Miami. The South Florida Timing Association bus in the background held all the timing equipment for drag racing at the three different airfields used by SFTA in the 50’s and 60’s. (Jim Hill photo)
    [​IMG]
     
    Bowtie Coupe and 41 coupe like this.
  2. So why is Eddie Schartman’s factory sponsored, ’65 Mercury Comet A/FX running in A/Gas, against Gene Altizer’s traditional A/G Anglia at the 1965 NHRA Nationals? Schartman’s 427 Comet had run afoul of the NHRA tech inspectors and was re-classed into A/G. No doubt the grille-mounted Moon fuel tank was one of the infractions cited. Hugging the center line, Altizer won the round .
    [​IMG]
     
  3. Bill Boer was a Long Island, NY Street/Modified racer, one of many very good cars that ran out of Jack Merkel’s Long Island shop. Here Boer shares a treasured moment with his greatest fan, his daughter. The tail fin belongs to Boer’s tow car, a ’56 Chevy sedan.

    [​IMG]
     
    41 coupe likes this.
  4. Rochester, New York’s Bill Lindner perfected the use of a small CID Chevy with a 6-71 blower for C/Gas Supercharged.
    [​IMG]
     
    Bowtie Coupe and 41 coupe like this.
  5. Dan Weis is known more for his role as promoter of Richmond Dragway, but he was also a competitor with this ’55 Chevy Bel-Air sport coupe. The B/Gasser shows “Joe Weis” as driver in this 1961 snapshot.
    [​IMG]
     
    Bowtie Coupe and 41 coupe like this.
  6. Another Cleveland resident, Gene Schwartz made a name in two distant careers. Schwartz was a regular and popular Midwest drag racer with his two E/Gas ’52 Chevys. His first was a ’52 Deluxe coupe (above) lost in a crash. It was replaced by a second car, a ’52 sedan, with psychedelic airbrushed paint and a “Strawberry Fields Forever” scheme.
    [​IMG]
     
    enloe, Bowtie Coupe and 41 coupe like this.
  7. Bill Gorvet drove the “Vitamin C” Willys in A/Gas competition across the Midwest. This was an early Gasser to use the power of the new ’64 426 Hemi in a classic chassis. Sadly, his became one of the names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.

    [​IMG]
     
    Bowtie Coupe and 41 coupe like this.
  8. Cleveland, Ohio was a hotbed for Gasser racers during the 60’s. The Rodriguez Brothers built and for many years raced this ’56 210 sedan in D/Gas. Here Jimmy Rodriguez cleans the tires as he edges towards the starting line at the NHRA Nationals. “Hut’s Dyno Shop” was Ron Hutter’s Cleveland area engine shop.
    [​IMG]
     
    Bowtie Coupe and 41 coupe like this.
  9. Jeg Coughlin’s Jeg’s Automotive, in Columbus, Ohio, grew a speed shop hobby into a national parts retailing power.
    [​IMG]
     
    Bowtie Coupe likes this.
  10. Tom Langdon was a GM employee and Gasser racer from Utica, MI. Landgon’s “Holeshot-6″ ’48 Anglia H/Gasser used an Chevy inline 6 for power and sometimes giant wheelstands!

    [​IMG]
     
    Bowtie Coupe likes this.
  11. Jerry Haley’s ’33 Plymouth classic was powered by a much modified, inline 6 cylinder GMC engine. The powerful GMC truck engine had a unique cross-flow ported cylinder head, built by Rockford, Illinois’ Sterling Racing Engines.

    [​IMG]
     
    Bowtie Coupe likes this.
  12. Koffel’s infamous “Flintstone Flyer” was well engineered, with maximum 10% engine set-back and an easy access hood. E/Gas class win at the ’62 Nationals was but one of the big dog’s achievements. Note huge parachute at rear (?).
    [​IMG]
     
    Bowtie Coupe likes this.
  13. Following the Packard Dave built this Studebaker Lark, the “Flintstone Flyer Too”, also powered by an injected Chevy, for E/Gas. A couple years later Dave got Chrysler factory help with a ’65 Plymouth B/FX before becoming one of Chrysler’s race group engineers.
    [​IMG]
     
    Bowtie Coupe likes this.
  14. Cleveland, Ohio’s Joe and Tom Hrudka were were unable to seal ported small-block Chevy heads with stock gaskets. They began making gaskets, selling them out of the trunk of Joe’s ’57 Chevy. That grew into Mr. Gasket Company. A ’55 Chevy D/Gasser won class for them at the Nationals, followed by this ’40 Willys C/Gasser, here at The Nationals. “Meal” is the notably talented Cleveland race car builder, Dave Meal.
    [​IMG]
     
    Bowtie Coupe and 41 coupe like this.
  15. By the mid 60’s Mr. Gasket was growing its product line as Joe and Tom built and ran this flashy C/Gas Supercharged ’33 Willys panel truck. A small-block Chevy with 4-71 blower and Hilborn powered it while Joe power-shifted the four-speed trans. The car was later sold and became “Foley’s Fooler”.
    [​IMG]
     
    Bowtie Coupe likes this.
  16. An original Ohio GAsser legend was Cleveland’s Ron Hassel. Ron gained fame first with his ’56 Chevy sedan, then in the Hassel & Vogelsong ’40 Willys B and C/Gasser. Here Hassel leaves the line during B/Gas class runs at The Nationals, 1963.

    [​IMG]
     
    Bowtie Coupe and 41 coupe like this.
  17. From Phoenix, Arizona came Johnny Loper’s legendary “Lil Hoss” ’48 Anglia A/Gasser. Loper’s small-block Chevy powered car became a well-known advertisement for his Loper’s Speed Shop.
    [​IMG]
     
    Bowtie Coupe and Donut Dave like this.
  18. Joplin, Missouri’s Harley Estes was a traditional Gasser racer for many years. Harley’s 394 Oldsmobile V-8 powered ’40 Willys
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  19. This classy Willys Gasser ran out of Don’s Hot Rod Shop, in Tuscon, Arizona. A blown small-block Chevy motivated the ’41 Willys in B/Gas Supercharged. Simple front straight axle and leaf springs plus Halibrand five-slot magnesium wheels all around show the seriousness of this car.

    [​IMG]
     
    Bowtie Coupe and 41 coupe like this.
  20. Henry Ford’s classic ’34 five-window coupes were popular Gasser material during the 1950’s and 60’s. Here the Ace Auto Parts sponsored ’34 makes a run in B/Gas Supercharged, a 6-71 blown small-block Chevy providing the go-fast urge.

    [​IMG]
     
    Bowtie Coupe and 41 coupe like this.
  21. Ray Doyon’s ’55 BelAir Sport Coupe was built to run in AHRA’s D and E/Gas classes. Ray ran with sponsorship help from Thomas Brothers Performance, in San Antonio, Texas.

    [​IMG]
     
    Bowtie Coupe and 41 coupe like this.
  22. Don Hardy gained legendary status as a trusted Funny Car, Pro Stock and all-around chassis builder, but he began his drag racing career running this ’32 Ford three window Gasser in Little and Street Eliminator. The Floydada, Texas terror made serious noise in A and B/Gas with this coupe, shown here in the pits, 1962.
    [​IMG]
     
    Bowtie Coupe and 41 coupe like this.
  23. The popular “Willy Charger”, Austin, Texas based, four-door Willys was anything but a family sedan! A 426 Max Wedge “B” V-8 provided plenty of power for A/Gas combat across the Southwest. Painted steel wheels and homebuilt suspension are evident along with M&H “pie crust” slicks.
    [​IMG]
     
    Bowtie Coupe, mad mikey and 41 coupe like this.

Share This Page

Register now to get rid of these ads!

Archive

Copyright © 1995-2021 The Jalopy Journal: Steal our stuff, we'll kick your teeth in. Terms of Service. Privacy Policy.

Atomic Industry
Forum software by XenForo™ ©2010-2014 XenForo Ltd.