GASSER MUST HAVES and cant haves?

I think you’re right on the Long car not running until 67/68. The build was featured in hot rod for a few issues in 66.

The willys I posted earlier is definitely a unicorn in a herd of horses. And yes the rear tires are 8.75 racemaster dragsters. The article says the 57 Chevy rear was narrowed 10”. This car also had disc brakes and coil overs on the front end...way way ahead of its time.

 

I believe that it was Henry's Machine that could successfully shorten [and re spline] axles with some kind of longevity and then they were the first to produce new axles for racing; again with some longevity and a grantee no less..Maybe Summers Bros were next..But as was stated the Gas budgets were low; racers were willing to take a chance on breakage, axle wise, or more coin the engine; had to spend enough on engine to be competitive..I also believe some wheres in Gas rules the tire [rear] were allowed to stick out of fenders up to 2/3rds of the tire width to get around the expense/breakage [most axles were cut and welded not the most dependable] of narrowed axles..I also think the Olds axles in Olson car were shortened and re splined for the chev axle gears which must have cried [or broke on occasion] on launch..

 

nit pick: They are not coilovers, they are overload shocks. There is still a transverse leaf spring.

 

Look at the transverse spring...no shackle, so the coilovers (overloads) are the suspension.

 

Henry was one of the pioneers in the custom axle world for sure, in the late 70's I had an ex pro stock Maverick that came with Henrys' axles, they had a twist in the splines that concerned me so I asked around and was told that was common, was told they were done twisting, just run them, I never had enough horsepower to hurt them anyway.

 

I think that 90° of twist was the limit but that was by a line painted the length of the axle, taken from the bowels of my memory. With in the splines them selves maybe one spline or so, more than that and I would start to get nervous..

 

https://www.macsmotorcitygarage.com/10-fabulous-forgotten-gassers-from-drag-racings-golden-age/

 

Well they are not forgotten here on the HAMB I know myself and others have posted numerous photos of all of them in various threads.

 

I assume I am correct that 60's gassers did not have shift lights? Also assume that was because that technology came along later. My hidden ignition box has a shift light output. I think my ETs could benefit from a shift light. I need to find a spot on the dash for an indicator light that doesn't attract attention.

 

You are

You are correct

 

Thinking about a shift light on a cord with a magnetic mount. Keep it hidden till you need it.

 

If it's an automatic, why not put a Turbo Action E-shift solenoid deal in the transmission, and hide the controller, as long as you're hiding stuff?

 

I don't have any pictures but in 67 the Ollie Olsen car had an injected new style Hemi with a Clutchflite.
It got a Dana 60 rear with some real wide slicks and they were outside of the fenders if I remember correctly.
I used to get a good look at the back of the car during eliminations. The first time they launched it with the clutch flite it stood on the back bumper and then slammed down and bent all of the front suspension that was under the car at the time.

 

Could be a stud connected to the hairpin bracket "deadperch style" with a shackle on the opposite side. I don't see a panhard bar in the pic.

 

Interesting, thanks, had not heard of that before.

 

My current project is a real deal 60s gasser that was retired in 1970. 36 Chevy 5 window coupe. This old Mallory Rev Pol switch has been under the dash since Moses was a boy and will not be used but what about wiring up the light as a shift light ? Lots of way to skin a cat..

 

While we're on the subject... I recently rescued this old gasser from the crusher and am looking for any info I can find. The fellow I bought it from had no history on it and neither did the guy he got it from other than it ran in the 60s here in East Tennessee and was retired around 1970. Possible tracks are Knoxville Dragway or Maryville Dragway. The car was found in Strawberry Plains Tennessee. If anyone on this planet recognizes this car it's likely going to be one of you guys. I have no info on who built it, who ran it, where it ran or any vintage pictures. It has a 57 Olds rear with 5:38 gears with welded spiders. Set up for Chevy V8 and 4 speed. Home built square tube traction bars that end under the middle of the doors. Been torn loose from the frame multiple times and repaired. My plan is to rebuild it using mainly period parts whenever possible but also make it safe to drive on the street.

 

Let's give correct credit for that great book! It was Larry Davis, not Don Montgomery.

 

Don Montgomery's book was Supercharged Gas Coupes. Another great reference book.

And if we're gonna talk narrowed rear ends - If you could narrow rear ends and get axles for Dragsters, no reason you couldn't narrow a rear end for a Gas car too. Here's Chuck Finders working on one right here.

And there were Gas cars with spindlemounts in the mid 60s - several Anglias and Austins come to mind.

 

This poor thread needs some life..

 

I was just reading some of the tires out, tires in deal. I really think a lot of the gassers tucked the tires in some, but maybe not completely under the fender. The rearend on the Shores & Hess Anglia has to have the rear end narrowed and some sort of tub in it. My Anglia <<<<< had the tires hanging out a good 8-10 inches and was still rubbing on the inner fender in the front.
And I think the rule that caused most of the "tires under the fender" builds with narrowed rear frame rails and tubs was this one from the 1966 NHRA rule book Modified Production rules. At first they limited the width of the slicks so it didn't make much difference. But later on, the tire width rule kept getting wider and wider and they kept this rule in. I think Super Stock must have had similar rules. I remember kits to tuck the leaf
springs in, and folks moving the stock rear subframe rails and widening the stock tubs on Chevy IIs. I thought it was pretty radical work when they started.