I built this one over 60 years ago from a junk yard $125. find. Tube front axle with 12 degrees caster and not a car to be driven on the street. Was NHRA legal for both C and B/gas after I moved the front axle back to correct the wheelbase.
I don't expect the nose high gasser deal to peak any time soon, as long as the traditional "trend" stays popular, it is refreshing though to see some of the more contemporary build styles, kind of a 70's vibe, somewhat lower while actually being road trip friendly, many times utilizing coilover shocks and dropped round tube axles.
Thanks for all of the information guys, I appreciate it. I'll be asking a lot of questions as this is my first "gasser" build. To this point, I'm leery of a straight front axle swap at the present time. Two reasons: 1. I've heard horror stories for drivability if done incorrectly, and I want to drive the hell out of this car on the street every chance I get. 2. I don't what the geometry needs to look like to be done "right". I'm sure I could learn, but I don't think whatever the first iteration of this car will look like will have one right off the bat. At some point someone put taller, heavy duty springs in the front end to get the nose up slightly it looks like, which I have seen in some of the early ones.
You can drive a straight axle, don't be afraid of that, and if you dial the springs and shocks in right they don't ride bad. You just have to drive them for what they are, they're not going to take a 30 mph curve at 75 but they'll damn sure go the 30 ! I drive mine all over
Swade41 is right they drive ok with beam axle. But please NO ball joint extensions. I have seen 57 with about 10” extensions, had to be trailer queen, was afraid would fall over standing still. When driven, I moved away did not want to get hurt.
I've taken my '39 Chev on several 1000+ mile trips. I put an OD trans in it just for that reason. Don't take long trips in my Austin as the 3.73 gears and no OD trans make me not like the high rpm's for long trips.
I have driven mine on a 250 mile round trip and a 180 mile round trip. BBC with 700r4 and 4.10 gear the rear tire is a 31" 65 mile an hour is 1800 rpm.
What final gear do you have in your 700R4. I have a 700R4 and I thought the final drive is .69 which calculated out to just under 2000 at 65 when I ran the numbers. If locked up drops it down below .69 I'll have to rethink my final gear choice.
From the factory 4th was .69. I used this type of gear/rpm calculator (Calculate RPM for Given Speed(MPH), Rear Gear Ratio, and Trans Gear Ratio) to figure out the no slip rpm at highway speeds and hopefully trap speeds at the track. I don't doubt the RPMs at @alumslot sees, I'm just trying to figure out if I missed something so I can buy parts just once hopefully. With the gear and tire size given in his post, I show 1997.94 RPM at 65. Almost 200 RPM is a lot of difference. I want to make sure I can't be at or over 150 mph thru the traps in 3rd gear which is 1:1 and I don't want the RPM too high or too low cruising down the highway possibly with a small trailer.
The way I would build a 100% street Gasser style car. Get out the sawzall and open up the rear wheel openings. Leave the factory front suspension in it (as most were done then) and drive the snot out of it.
I remember one like this from the late 60s, ran a 389 Pontiac with 3 deuces and a 4 speed. Friend of my brother I think. It was scary fast for its day.
If I go 29s or larger that is the plan. It looks like the 27s will fit in the stock 51 Chevy wheel wells. I don’t want too much tire stick. My safety fuse for the transmission is my tires slipping. I hope.
So if you wanna find out what's 'correct' for your car and plans, buy some old magazines. Popular Hot Rodding is my favorite rag from that era. Any issue from '62-'72ish is solid gold. Lots of 5-6-7 Chevy stuff from about '64-'70. Hot Rod from that era is meh. I have a few, but there's lots of fluff in Hot Rod. Motorcycles and go karts and dune buggies and shit. Some .02 on your other questions, I have a 55 with stock front suspension, and a 56 with an axle up front. They both ride like shit. I put the axle under the 56 when I was 20. Just seemed like a good idea at the time. Lotta work, minimal gain. Looks cool, that's about it. I'd keep the stock coil spring front end under your car. Keep it simple.
Love the '55, legit using that as inspiration and a goal of where I'd like to end up. I am going to keep it simple for now. I'm sure like with my other '55 I'll be constantly changing things, but for the first iteration I'm going to leave it as is. Appreciate all the input, everyone. Almost done with my street car, should be able to start on it this month.
Before and after. Kept the stock front suspension and added ball joint spacers. No drivability issues.
Well, I ordered so many parts yesterday I'm surprised the bank didn't shut my card off. Getting rolling on it soon. Factory fuel tank, factory sending unit, OE fuel lines, OE brake lines, petronix ignition system, and a lot of other misc. parts. I figure I will get a lot of it plumbed and sorted before it goes to the paint shop.
Here's the skinny, if you're wanting a badass hot rod that you have to actually drive, then build it, if you're wanting a nice driving, air conditioned, power steering, power windows, sweet radio setup, then build a street rod. I'm a hot rod guy, but every straight axle car I've built rides and drives great. Like swade said, no they don't road race well, but they're not built for that.
Put a '91 GM, 4L80E, manual shift in that Henery and never look back! Made My Willy's a hole new animal over the GM 400.................................
^^Close^^ View attachment 6413938 I just realised in the 1st pic it is grainy enough that can't see that I have tilt nose.
Most "Real Gassers" weren't 3 pedals. They ran Hydros. Including, SWC, Big John, Ohio George, etc, etc, etc. Not sure where the 3 pedal gasser thing started.
Todd553 right about auto gassers - quicker & less driveline maint/repair. SEGA south east gasser great group & racing requires manual trans
The hydros were a natural thing since they were behind many donor engines. You used what was cheap and plentiful. Then worked on making them reliable.
Thanks buddy. Glad to hear you already maxed out a credit card on it!! Lol that's how it all starts. If you dig mine, you'll dig these too. These are where my inspiration came from. There was a great writeup on this 'Big Stan Johnson' 55 in Hot Rod Deluxe in the 2010's as well but I can't find that magazine right now. 'It's around here somewhere' This was the other one. Sadly, I don't think any of the absolutely classic photos in this thread made it to the present day. I hope you have better luck with em. I just see red X's. This is the car @Fogger built. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/1955-chevy-gasser-white-lightnin.306408/
My 62 fairlane is as real as it gets the build was started in 64 and finished about a year later. It has a full stock interior the only race safety is some lap belts and a drive loop. The car had a Hollman Moody 390 backed by a toploader econoline straight axile and home made latter bars ,fender well headers. The nasty as cam was removed in 77 when my brother owned it replaced with a Crain solid. The car was sold ad sat for 30 plus years block was replaced as it was cracked then I bought it. It was raced from about 65 to the very early 70s.
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