GASSER MUST HAVES and cant haves?

We just called an "era correct" car that didn't meet the specific rules for a class a hot rod or if they were driven on the street, the serious ones were street racers.

Now that I think about it, I don't really remember but maybe one street driven car that was in my area that was called a gasser when I was in my teens (mid/late 60's).

 

For those looking for visual aids check out this site. http://georgeklass.net/index.html?m

MELTDOWN DRAGS
JULY 19, 20 2014

 

I like it. Well said.

 

Don't confuse all the ones in parenthesis with A/G. A/GS, AA/G and AA/GS were all supercharged classes, where A/G was not.
All my info simply lists the national winners, car type, and engine. It doesn't list what trans they used. When Bob and Don Spar started B&M in the late 50's and built hydros for racing, there were almost no automatics being used. By 1961 almost every serious competitor in the supercharged classes was running either a B&M hydro, or one of the knockoff hydros done by Cal Hydro, C&S, D&F, or Vitar. By 1963 there were more B&M hydros being used than all the other sticks and automatics combined.

 

I don't know the correct answer for sure, but anytime Anglia, Gasser,(blown or not)and best 4 speed driver are brought up, most would say Ken Dondero driving the Panella Trucking Anglia..,and this was done with a Muncie before M22's were around. I'm also uncertain if Ken and the Panella guys had figured out about removing every other sincro lug at the time, or running less base pressure in the pressure plate which also helps ALOT in "flat on the floor speed shifting". I'm sure manuals were getting "slick shifted by the latter 60's, just don't know who figured it out first/which car/driver had it first. I believe the Muncie came out in '63-'64, and everyone I've talked to has said the Muncie was hands down better in every way than a T10 at the time. PS. I would say by '73 more guys were using "slick shifted" A833 Hemi boxes for Manual trans and Clutchflight/Clutchturbos. Most of which would have then gone to the Doug Nash 4+1, and then on to Lenco's in classes that allowed them.

 

When people see a certain model bodied car, be it 35,45,55 or 65 I believe they tend to assign that car to the era the body represents. Even though the technology under that body may be several decades advanced.

So when the average spectator see's a 40 Willis they look at it as an old car, when in fact that new glass body may be sitting on a new Funny car chassis.

And for the sake of entertainment that's fine.

But I think what happens many times is the owners of this type car start drinking their own Kool Aid. Hell I take a sip now and then myself.

But if we truly support the HAMB mission we have to realize when we get caught up in our own show.

I admit it, I have an HEI ignition in my car! And I'm running radial tires!

Feels good to get that off my chest.

So, what monkeys are on your back?

 

The Panella trucking Anglia was a stick shift, but I just looked and it ran BB/G not A/G.

MELTDOWN DRAGS
JULY 19, 20 2014

 

Looks like I was a little late.

MELTDOWN DRAGS
JULY 19, 20 2014

 

Dave, sorry for being one of many who may have "high jacked" your thread. How fast do you want your Hudson to run, and how much do you have to spend. Most on here would probably give you the biggest "HURRAH" for a hopped up Hudson (me included). However, from my own experiences, thats probably the most expensive/least HP return for your money. So do you go to another "old school engine"(nailhead buicks, early cads, olds, hemi's, chrysler wedges, FE fords etc. which will have vairing HP per dollar spent returns, or do you go the easy HP route with later model engines. From my experience do "what you've always wanted too, but never got around too" with this one, that way you've got no regrets! PS. Here a some images I found. (see I'm not a total thread Pirate)

 

PS. If you decide to go with a "vintage" engine, especially a Hudson, I think you would be surprised at how much "HAMBer help you will be offered, me included

 

Love this!

 

I just noticed that someone "photo shopped" this one into their garage. Blow it up, and you'll see.., bitchen coupe though!

 

I was "pitted" next to these guys at the 2012 Grand National Hot Rod Show in Pomona.., cool group of guys. You can see the right rear quarter panel of our '56 .

 

And you were just a couple of cars to the right of me

That was an interesting show for me. I set the car up, then went and set up the 29 RPU in building 7. By the time I was done I didn't feel good, so I headed home and went to bed. I didn't get up until Sunday Afternoon! I don't think I've ever been that sick. So I got back just before the awards and as I walked into the room to check on the car I got an award fro "Best Gasser" Made me feel MUCH BETTER Got the car loaded and went home and slept for two more days

 

It's kind of ironic that a class of cars that nearly everyone loves can generate so much controversy. You mention "Gasser" and the argument begins. I love them all except maybe the low, winged style gassers.

 

Speaking of shows I showed my 37' in the Trident's show in L.A. and Big John won first place with his neat Candy red A/Gas super , I got the second place trophy and third went to a muffler shop owner from Eagle Rock with his red Willy's

Those shows were a neat break from the strips, and let other people see the cars that never went to the drags

G Don

 

Don, I remember the J&J Muffler Shop 41 Willy's, but I think it was white - might have been from Inglewood though

 

I just can't remember his name he did not run the car too much, it was bright red and very clean and he owned a muffler shop

The white car I remember is Ed Greer's C & W Motor Parts Willy's from Pomona and Dick Barber was the pilot, Dick was a party dude too as we were hanging real bad on Sunday at Riverside one yr

Wild & Crazy guys in those days not only good for gassers but skirt chasing too

 

Yeh, I really agree, that one is "Right There" !!!

I just ran across a '49 Poncho 2dr fastback, is for sale, can't find the owner though to go through the "process"....
I'll start a thread if I can find out anything else....

 

Not even sure where to start with my two cars! My '46 Austin sedan has a manual shift TH350, a late model B&M shifter, fabricated valve covers to clear the roller rockers on the 327 heads, MSD box, Pertronix ignition, GM disc brakes, (not Aireheart) and drag radials. My '63 Falcon has Mallory ignition, MSD box, and radial tires front and rear,(Hurst slicks) modern tach, and my "Moon" tank is for coolant recovery not fuel.
Breaking all sorts of "rules", but at least they see street and strip time, and I have fun with them!

 

When I see a car that's lifted (axle or not), radiused rear fenderwells w/ tires sticking out, scoop on hood, roll bar/cage, headers, traction, ladder or lift bars, I think Gasser. Whether it's a "real" Gasser (with all the particulars everyone's gassing about) or not, it don't matter to me as the look is more important. Gassers were up then down; axle, no axle; blown, unblown; carbureted, injected; stick, auto; engine stock location, setback; fenderwell headers, in frame headers; slicks sticking out, not sticking out; and the list goes on. It's about da LOOK guys!

 

CalGasser you nailed it right on the head, the car either had the look or not

The correct looking cars were liked by the fans and got the magazine storys and that is the way it Ladies & Gentlemen

Good Going Cal, G Don

 

Good point, do you remember the car that was one tenth faster and won, or the car that was not only badass but also looked the part?

 

Not only all of the above, but they both look great too....I'd pay at the gate to see either of them run
Tom

 

I put about 225 miles on the Moon Rocket earlier today. Just a nice ride up to the swap meet and back home. Ran into a few HAMBers these. Lots of thumbs up and waves along the way.

Morning like this make me glade it's not a track only car.

(No trailer was utilized during the making of this mornings good time.)

 

I love your Henry J. I was priviledged to run next to you at the HAMB drags in my A Sedan. The gopro cam shot was great but you blew by way too fast at the 1/8 mile. Great Car!!!

 

I've put over 10,000 street miles on my Austin since I finished it two years ago, and numerous passes down the strip. I haven't had as much fun with a car since I owned my D/G '55 Chevy over 40 yrs. ago! I hope to put a lot of miles on the '63 Falcon now that it's road worthy, but considering how the 464 BBC gulps gas, it wont be nearly as many as the Austin has seen!

 

Well, I will describe Gassers here in the Nashville, Tennessee area in the early to mid sixties. You didn't see anything like the Stone Woods Cook, or Big John Mazmanian level cars here except for a special event.

I would say a third to a half of the Gassers were driven to the track and back. They were basically just older cars with a bigger or hotter engine swapped in, exhaust opened up, and a pair of slicks bolted on to race.

The next level of Gassers were towed to the track had the suspensions raised and high revving modified engines. I never saw any as high in the front like an Ed Roth cartoon t-shirt the way some folks do them now. Most of these cars were owned and driven by local gas station or repair shop guys.

A few top notch performing Gassers (the top third maybe) looked to be cars that had been dissasembled and rebuilt with engine setback, aluminum panels, and such to be as competitive as the rulebook would allow.

The lowbuck gasser guys could win if they could solo in their class, or get by a faster car that redlighted, missed a shift, or broke.

--- Steve ---

 

"The lowbuck gasser guys could win if they could solo in their class, or get by a faster car that redlighted, missed a shift, or broke."


This is why I always try to run cars that "should" beat me. Hell, I'm expected to loose! So nothing to crow about when they win.

But if they red light or the light catches them dozing, if they spin, if they break, if they miss a shift, if any of the long list of things that can go wrong do and I win, I never let they live it down.

 

Hi Old Colt

You are right about the 60's gassers and it was the same thing out here in so-cal too

It took every penny I made for 4 yrs to build my 37', so there were just a few hi-end class cars at each strip

In 60' I had a 57' Bel Air driver tricked up and raced in C/Gas but got beat by the towed in faster cars

That is why I decided to build my 37' so I could be at the top of the class and take home a trophy now and then

Money was hard to come by back then so there were not too many cars like Maz's candy red show car as that was a rare ride

G Don