GASSER MUST HAVES and cant haves?

Cool

 

Take a look at Quain's build threads. One is the real deal and the other looks the part. Quain's interior to me is spot on.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=729572
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=730747


MELTDOWN DRAGS
JULY 19, 20 2014

 

Hi Dave

In my 37' I used cardboard that had a embossed leather pattern made to replace the factory package trays under the rear window, after cutting to size for the door panels etc I had the top shop sew a small binding around the outside edge

I used it to make a 3 sided box behind the seats too, then used clear spray to seal it then you can just wipe it off with a dust cloth

Looks good and very lite, for the glass buckets I had the top shop guy stich up some black nagahude with a pattern then glued them to the two buckets with chrome washers & flat head screws to hold them in place

No room for Tuck & roll in the seats as they were a tight fit, also a factory type headliner

With the alum firewall & floorboards the car looked very good for a race only gasser done in 63'

Hope this bit of info helps

BTW when the car got restored they put in bare alum door panels and they look like hell !!

You guys need to think about these cars were built in the early 60's and we were not out to try to out do other cars for looks like today, just trying to take home a trophy

G Don

 

IMHO the single most important factor is intended use.

Face it, if you have any intention of real street cruising you are simply never going to be competitive in any of the current "Gasser" groups traveling about the country putting on exhibitions. And visa versa for that matter.

Personally my old car sees a lot of street use. I don't need a reason to get in and take the wife for an ice cream at the local DQ. I don't want to have to load or unload my car from a trailer as part of every outing. And I simply don't have the money or time to be able to travel long distances for the opportunity to make a few strip passes. I'm thankful there are those that can however.

On the other hand, if I get the itch to make a few slow passes at the local show and go my car is perfectly capable of doing so. And in a style that even some of the fast boys appreciate.

So as weird as it may sound, remember, the slower you go the more options you will have to enjoy your car.

 

Moon Rocket
Agree
I am a street/strip no trailer guy so my cars are never as fast as others but I enjoy them more.

This thread continues to provide valuable tidbits which I appreciate.

 

Lots of good engine choices, and depending on what you choose, the fenderwell headers can be very cheap and easy, or a lot of work and expensive.
On my Austin I used Patriot Fat Fender Chevy headers with the 327 and they were both cheap, and fit with just a little cutting on the body to clearance them.
On my Falcon I bought BBC fenderwell headers for a '55-'57 Chevy, and put them on the engine to position them before fabricating the mounts. They fit even better, and were slightly cheaper than the Austin's headers.
Both sets were under $225 ea. from Speedway and I got them with a free shipping discount, so that saved some more.

 

+1 on the Patriot Fat Fender headers... a really good economical alternative, and have many applications....

 

My D/G Stude ran the 68 World Series at Cordova in 68 and it had no front brakes,drums but no brakes...

 

Thanks fellas!
May go that way, but header kits are fun too.
Last one from Speedway worked great and honestly (no BS) the best fitting exhaust I have ever done.

 

Ran across this and thought about the Gasser interior discussion here. Just thought I'd throw it out.
Yea, I know it's a little off topic from the original question--or maybe not.

 

I think it's spot on.

MELTDOWN DRAGS
JULY 19, 20 2014

 

yep, white wall are wrong for gassers

 

Hayden Proffitt corvair ran A/FX with the front engine Z-11 w block.

http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt...en+proffitt+corvair&fr2=sb-top&fr=yfp-t-141-s

 

No white walls huh? Like this one? WW on the front was really common on race cars, not unusual at all for the street in the 60's. MOST gassers were 55 Chevy's anyway, tons of 'em ran WW's.

 

Hey Larry T that is sweet looking.

 

Very cool, but just plain Naugahyde was more common, and burlap (yes burlap) was very common. Cal Custom 'glass seats were common, but very dangerous, also common were seats from sports cars.

 

Dig the hood "safety" catch! classic.

 

And blocks between the axle and spring.

 

Big John Mazmanian's Willys, "Bones" Balogh's helmet.

 

That was pretty standard for straight axle cars.

 

I guess it's not as dangerous as it is on 4x4 trucks.

 

My question would be why did they do it, it's not like guys weren't re-arching springs back then. If I were building a car it would never have blocks between the axel and springs. And the rear axel would never be below the rear springs.

 

We did a LOT of things back then that you wouldn't do today!
It was common even on high dollar cars, including early funny cars.
I'll bet you wouldn't duct tape 100 pounds of lead bars on the axle either, but then it was common on diggers.
But you wouldn't want to drive a jacked up car at 150 mph either, and that was the hot setup for a while.
That's was all state of the art then. AND it was fun.

 

Hey HOTRODDON do you have any current pictures of your anglia? Is it a steel car?

MELTDOWN DRAGS
JULY 19, 20 2014

 

I am looking at using the original rear leaf springs on my 50 Stude. Do you think I should stiffen them up with a new main leaf or leave them as is? They seem to have a bit of flex on them.

 

I believe that would depend on how you intend your suspension to work.

I have very heavy springs on the rear and light ones on the front with 90/10 shocks. When I launch, I lift the front, via full ladder bars, transferring weight to the rear and the rear maintains it's ride height. I also have unbalanced springs on the rear, meaning I have more spring on the right (seven leaf) than the left (six leaf) but the ride height is equal. This keeps the car level side to side on launch.

But I'm sure others have far better engineered set-ups.

 

Why? How does the axle below or above the rear springs change how strong or safe it is? Thousands of factory stock cars locate the rear axle below the springs, as have many drag cars over the years. I've owned or built numerous cars with the axle below the springs, and never had an issue with that setup.
I'd never use a spacer block between a spring and an axle either. Regardless if it was front, rear, above or below the springs.

 

Yea, I know, I see them all the time. I just don't like the looks of them.

 

Speaking of blocks, here's Mazamanians Willys: