GASSER MUST HAVES and cant haves?

all the old mopar super stockers did it with just leaf springs and a pinion snubber, they were also the first cars with noticeable rear body lift ---front wheels in the air does not always equal traction as in all the pics of dragsters and fuel alterds smoking the tires with the front wheels in the air and if you have ever ridden dirt bikes you know sometimes it means not enough power---in the end it is all about 60 foot time and there are many approaches to getting good ones...

 

I've never ridden a bike that wants to carry the front wheel and has 'not enough power'....tell that to my CR500...!

Scott


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I was into the flat track bike racing for years making disc brakes, and on a wet sticky track those bike wanted to wheelie in a heartbeat on the start

With a fresh tire they get a very good bite and want to come right up, takes some talent to get it off the line on time with both wheels on the ground

Got to ride my buddys XR 750 Harley dirt tracker once boy what thrill that was, you know you are on a real machine when you twist the grip and hold on as the power was instant on

My Yamaha TT 500 thumper had about 32 hp and that XR 750 had 95, just a wee bit more and yee haa let her rip

G Don

 

Hi Don!

Those XR's wil put the fear of God into even the most leathery,grissled flat track vet.
I'm getting giddy just thinking about it.

I'm just down in London right now picking up some leads I had re-arched for more fender clearance.
Have you had any bad experience with springs wanting to relax back to their previous arch after having them modified?
The gentleman at the spring shop told me this might be the case,but seemed less concerned once I told him I had aftermarket 5-leaf springs instead of the factory style 4-leaf pack.

Figured you may have run across this issue at some point.

Scott


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Ps:
Hoping to get 75-80 hp out of my 840cc XS650 build this summer...it should be an arm stretcher!

Scott


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Hi Scott

The thing about those XR's was the power curve was flat, soon as you opened the throttle it went and pulled till you turned it off

Such a different bike as it was very stiff and no travel at all to speak of and at 320 lbs and 95 hp, just made to haul ass like 140 on a mile track and flick her sideways at the end of the chute

Those were great days for me watching those guys banging handlebars and spraying dirt

 

my 100cc super rat would take a lurch with the front wheel up and die when in the wrong gear in the wrong place ,but to take your trajectory i don't guess E J Potter ever had that problem and you never stalled a bike...finis

 

...hope you guys don't mind even tho this aint gasser related, but talkin bout those bikes "in the corner" reminded me of this pic, thot you guys mite like to see it...


...ok, now back to the gassers.

 

Oh HELL yeah Rusty!!!


Scott


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Oh ya bring it on Rusty, as that's the real deal

Those guy's bring their ' Private Parts ' to the track in a wheel barrow

G Don

 

glad you liked that pic, how can you not like it?

....and if you guys like gassers, check out the latest Hot Rod Deluxe; it has a bunch of gasser stories in it,...

 

I have to agree with that. Known a couple of guys that ran flat track. Can't quite figure out if they are crazy or not. Half the time I don't think they even know.

 

Hi CG

One of my friends was Terry Dorsch who was a pro rider for years, and that is all he lived for

Out here in So-Cal we have nice graded roads in the mountain called ' Fire Roads '

Most of the hot to go riders have an older race bike that they use for a ' Fire Roader '

And in the winter time they run the roads and race each other just like a National meet

I rode with Terry on the roads for about 10 yrs after he taught me how to slide the bike, the trouble is I would go a mile and they would go 5 miles

BTW they were riding 750 Triumph's and I was on a Yamaha TT 500 thumper

They would stop now and then and make sure I was OK and take off again going full tilt

Terry had a great saying as it was ' The most fun you can have with your pants on ' and boy was it ever

It is like road racing in the dirt spraying dirt off of a new knobby rear tire and dancing the front wheel coming off the turns ' Priceless '

G Don

 

Sounds fun. My first bike was a 750 Triumph I then picked up a 53 K model wish I had never sold either one of them.

 

Back to gassers. On my stude I have the original 1 3/4 rear springs. I did get new main leaves made for them, but I am still concerned about the width. Should I ditch the original spring go with wider springs for a nova/camaro or ditch them all together and go quarter elliptic or coil overs. I am trying to get the look for a mid 60's car.

 

CGkidd....here ya go, you mite like this...I used to watch this Stude race at Byron/Rockford, Illinois dragway in the late 60's. Don't have much info on it, that's Ron on the right.


this I believe was also Colson's but different than the above car...I kinda know Ron and should call him and pick his brain about these cars...(I'm guessin the numbers corelate to the year of the cars, but not sure.)

 

That is awesome...

Maybe it would have hooked up better if those fellas had put some longer ladder bars on that baby..?

Seriously though,that is one cool old racecar!

Scott


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If you have ladder bars, then all the leaves are doing is holding the car up. I have the original 1-3/4" leaves on my chevy.

MELTDOWN DRAGS
JULY 18-20 2014

 

My Stude has floaters on the rear so all the springs do is support the car so they can be pretty weak. When mine had long ladder bars it made it lighter in the front ,not all bad but when I went thru the lights and the springs started unwinding the rear got crazy and that's when I put the floaters on it

 

Not sure if the 1.75" springs will be an issue or not, but if they are I have a pair of stock 5 leaf springs from my old '71 Camaro you can have when you come down next week. I swapped them for lowering springs, and they're just gathering dust here, so they're yours if you want them.

 

That would be great. Looking forward to meeting up. Looking FWD to the swap meet also.

 

Where's all the Gasser dudes to keep this thread going?

 

Working in the garage.

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Over on the MELTDOWN DRAGS thread again. You should really think about coming out. Gene Cromer and the moonlighter Ric, Quain, Scott, Isky, Bones, will all be there. Some of thise guys are older than you, so the age card won't cut it.lol

 

Spending time getting my two gassers ready for spring and summer Don! Just fired the engine in my Austin yesterday, and now comes all those hours of setting up the tune up on it!
Not your "traditional" gasser engine, but as traditional as any tunnel ram gasser engine.

 

Hi Don!
My progress in my coupe has pretty much ground to a halt while I get the other car ready for the Meltdown Drags.
Although I did manage to score an NOS Hurst HydroGate shifter,and a bunch of Hydro literature,and a second,super clean frame for the coupe.

It really would be cool to see you at the Meltdown,and like the boys mentioned earlier,Ed Iskenderian and Bones Balogh are going to be there,as well as many old race cars that I'd bet you would really get a kick out of.

Scott


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Ed Iskenderian is a joy to talk to, and listen to! He was in town here a couple years ago, and I was lucky enough to spend some time listening to his stories, and asking questions. His memory is remarkable, and even more so considering his age! He never had any problems recalling all sorts of details when asked about his early days in the performance industry. I also was fortunate to have him sign the dashboard of my Austin gasser. I clear coated it to keep it for eternity!

 

Don,...if you come to the Meltdown Drags, I'll ask you to sign the dash in my 37 Chev coupe; yours was one of my inspirations.

 

If you guys see Ed ask him if he remembers me as his then [ 1964 ] new necked down ' SBC Rod Bolts ' broke in my brand new engine the second time out

The 4 end rods broke , 2 at each end and put 14 holes in the pan, Harry Hibler the S.F. strip manager came riding down the the end of the strip and says ' Is this yours Don ' as he handed me a rod [ was not a good day]

Ed was very nice and gave me a 327 short block they had run on their dyno

My friend Tom Davis who owned Avaid oil pans had a party and Ed was there, he says Don do you know Ed and I said yes we met 20 yrs ago

So I said to Ed do you remember those Broken Rod Bolts and he says ' OH YAA ' so he remembered me for sure and i'am sure he still does today

I built 10 rods and had 2 spares so when he turned the torque wrench on the bolt and it snapped like glass his eyes were as big as silver dollars, you don't for get those things when it is your product that failed

As far as the the Meltdown goes my traveling days are long over, as my legs are junk so i spend my time in my shop building my models

But thanks for the invite, G Don

 

As far as the the Meltdown goes my traveling days are long over, as my legs are junk so i spend my time in my shop building my models

...let's see some of these...