'57 Gasser or Wagon Gasser shots?

I need ideas for my '57 four-door Chevy wagon. You can't radius the rear wheelwells on the four-door, so I'm hoping someone has photos of alternative stances that look correct with no radius. Also, I think the '57 is the least attractive in the nose when done Gasser style, and need ideas there. Hood or no? Bumper or no? If you've got sample photos it would help a lot.

I may need to go Junior Stock style if I can't find a straight-axle stance that looks right. I've been through our archives, and '57 axle cars were less common than you may think...especially more-doors.

DF

 

Mr. Freiburger, i have really enjoyed the specials that you have turned out. and i now really look forward to each new issue of hotrod. keep it up!

I hope you can make the soCal HAMB bbq on the 22nd of April. - Doug

 

To be honest, I think you're fighting a losing battle on this one. I agree with you on the point that the '57 look the worst of the tri-5s with the front end done gasser style. The bumper on the '57 plays an integral role in the styling of the front of the car, to delete it makes the front look totally bare, with the grille just hanging out in the middle of nowhere. '55s and to a lesser extent '56s, the front bumper plays a lesser styling role and can be lost with less aesthetic consequences.

Personally, to me a gasser without radiused wheel wells is like a kustom that hasn't been nosed and decked. Understood that it is a 4 door, but maybe '57 4 door axle cars were rare for a reason.

I think a real period correct street brawler would be pretty damn cool too, and kind of refreshing since everybody seems to be stuffing straight axles under and jacking up everything skyhigh now-a-days. By exhibiting some restraint, you'll be bucking a current trend, which appeals to me.

I'm envisioning a wicked 4 door wagon with 150 trim, a sick W motor or a hot 327, multiple carburation is a must, as are solid lifters and a wicked cam to provide the correct soundtrack. Maybe cut out a portion of the fenderwells to still run fenderwell headers, or a set of long tubes. No hood will show off the goods on the mill, finned valvecovers, and maybe this would be a good opportunity for some period speed parts, vertex mag, Paxton-McCulloch blower, moon cool can for fuel, etc. Inside, a 4 on the floor and minimal guages get the job done. Ass up stance with cheater slicks and torque-thrusts would look sinister, as would steelies in back and 5 spokes up front. Either way, no straight axle, stock front end and steering.

I'm getting excited just thing about this car. A hand-me-down car that could have been given to a kid in 1962-1963 and turned into a car to get to high school and terrorize to blvds on a friday night. BADASS

 

I'd like to 2nd Fur Biscuits remarks. The new Hot Rod is outstanding and I'm a happy subscriber. Keep up the great work

 

Heres mine with uncut wheel arches
Cheers Dago 88

 

The further you go back in the gasser class the more diversity you will find. From the 50's through the early 60's the Gas Classes were for hot street cars, at this point a four door is definately possible, guys built what they had. One would probably be more likely to find evidence of these cars in the less glamorous little books of the era, like Rodding and Restyling.

That being said, in that era, the cars that ran the gas class were certainly not the purpose built cars of the mid and late sixties, some ran front bumpers some had straight axles, but not many, and there were no tilt noses.

This Picture out of a '59 Rodding and Restyling is a good example.

 

heres a shot of a buddy of mine , rick hackers wagon ...right up your alley .....also ....eric on here from dayton has one ....brandon

 

Here is one a friend ran in the 60s NHRA record holder in F/S. Not a gasser obviously but it is a 4 door.

John

 

Instead of jacking up the front with a straight axle, you could use taller springs or the ball joint spacers, and lower the rear a bit. The early competition cars in the lower classes used heavy duty truck springs and dearched rear springs to get the weight transfer.

Chromed steel stock wheels on skinny slicks in the back for shock, maybe a skinny Astro slot or light weight Torque Thrust on the front....long-tube fender well headers and a nasty solid lifter cam small block that spins to nine grand.

Bolt the front clip together, remove the inner fenderwells and make it flip forward...

In the lower classes the wagons were actaully preferred for the weight distribution and were pretty competitive. If you don't have it, check out the Super Stock book for inspiration, it's awesome.

 

when did glass bumpers come about?

how about sitting high and level,
rear tires tucked just inside the wheel wells
straight axle
glass bumper
no hood,
or glass tilt front with glass bumper
and sheet metal scoop ala two lane blacktop

there was a HAMBer with a black long roof gasser style
spindle mounts and all
a couple years ago..
anybody remember who?

 

You could always go.... up. :ulp:



Guess I'm in the minority here, I love hoodless, bumperless, and grille-less '57 Chevys done in a drag style.

But there's lots you can do, take a look at some here.

I do like this one with a tube grille though. For me, the key is to not get it too high. This one sits just right with a dropped axle.

 

i agree with Gotgas about the later car. it really looks mean, but i think a slight nose hike (via a straight axle) would be ok too.

wonder how it might look with a slight altered wheel base (just shove the rear axle forward a few inches and mini tub the rear?)

 

If you yank the front bumper, a tube grille is the only way to go. I've also seen them with the center piece mounted to float all by itself without the backing mesh. I thought that looked cool.

You could always go real extreme and move the engine back into the interior and sit in the back seat. There was a yellow '57 in the magazines years ago that was pretty bad ass. The guy sat in the back seat. All that was up front was frame rails and a moon tank.

 

erics...

 

ooops...

 

Dave,

I'd like to thank you for printing a letter that I wrote to Car Craft back when I was in high school. It was the one where I made fun of you for wearing Teva's. That letter made me the coolest kid at the lunch table for like three days straight.


Thanks,
Ed

PS- Wouldn't this be a much better thing to do with a 4 door wagon:

 

Anybody remember the junior stock 57 4dr wagon build one of the Car Craft guys did back in the late 60s?

 

I have to agree with 57JoeFoMoPar, that would be a wicked ride. I like the idea of bucking current trends and starting your own. Personally, I don't really go for the 4x4 look.... some lift in the nose is okay but not when the whole thing is sky-high.

I also have to agree with fur biscuits comments, I look forward to receiving my hot rod every month, mainly to read your take on things.

 

Cant really picture what a '57 looks like in that area, but would it be possible to modify the rear Doors and move the Door Jamb out of the way for clearence?

And if not, how about a Fiberglass Rear Doors?
Just the outside shell, Dzus'd or glassed on ( non functional ), but leaving the Doorgap...

 

Before they had mini tubs, frame clips, and spring pocket kits the Tri-5s would move the spring hangers to the inside of the frame simply by swapping them side for side. It won't get you enough space for that Pro Street look but you'll have enough room for what passed for radical tires in the Gasser/Junior Stock days. IMO anyone who really understands the period look you're describing will appreciate the old school approach to big rubber in back.

 

Who on here has the black widow looking '57? That thing is bad ass. I like that red one that Gotgas posted ALOT!

 

Here's my 57. The picture at bonneville is the before shot. Rmoved the front bumper and ran some slicks. The rest are more recent pics. I definetly agree that the 57 is the least attractive of the 3. But I believe it's all in the stance. Just my 2 cents.

 

Hey,
is anyone familiar with the "charlie brown" race car? It's a 57 4 door wagon that has been raced over the past 30 plus (saw it as a teen in 74 and again as a grown up 47 in 2004). I hope that dude is still racing but it warms my heart to see that thing pull the front wheels.
Rod

 

Ok so far but why stop there shorten it a door width and turn it into a el camino too.
WHOA stop me. SPRING FEVER...

I think the old rule of remove it so it will go FAST applies here
..aerodynamics.. bah humbug ....how fast can a brick like this go?

You would not have this problem now had you traded the R/C tshirt for my 58 Buick Limited... REMEMBER....

NICE TO SEE THAT YOUR GARAGE IS STILL FULL!!

PAPERDOG

 

Dago....nice ride brother.....here's another shot of your bad boy wagon!!

 

Not sure what HAMB family member did this fine work but for a 58 ......looks very kool!!

 

.cc

 

C'mon Frei, "You can't"?

What's the goal? Are you going for period correct to make something that was typical? Or are you building something period that 'could have been'?

The trend with the 4x4 look and crazy suspension seem to fit into the latter category. I like it, but also prefer to do something unique (I'm the guy building a 55 Pontiac gasser).

If you want to go nuts, gut the doors, tack the skins on and hack into the rockers, doors, and floors. Can you picture the hate mail?

On the bumper topic, I think losing the front bumper and hood may not be the prettiest look, but it screams DRAG CAR! Bumperless, hoodless 57s are burned into my memory in reference to bad ass gassers of the past.

I was avoiding thr straight axle myself. I was going to use a C-type lift kit and big block chevy springs. I like the look of the raised front end with the A-arms hanging out there like the legs of a bulldog. Then a complete straight axle with brakes landed in my lap for practically nothing, so I'm using it.

Nice work on the magazine BTW, the best it's been since I was a kid.

 

This one kicks ass.

That being said, even though the "4x4 bashers" on here don't like what's happening, the gasser revolution will be televised!!! Slam your wagons and tri-fives down gentlemen! And when you lowly pavement scrapers are parked, and my nose-high, straight-axled '58 Edsel rumbles by, the blue roof will surf above the parking lot like a shark fin. Muwhahahaha!!!

It's really hard to beat the looks of an early 60's drag car...