LB you gotta do better than that, I don't even remember the "motion thread" I do know what I ate last night, so I'm still aware. I do seem to recall thinking that a post looked like Englishtown when it first opened. This post looks like that.
December 1959 Riverside Raceway pits Hello, Our hot rod history would not have started without a love of a certain Model A coupe we found in a neighbor’s back yard covered with a canvas tarp, in some tall weeds. The cost was minimal as she wanted to get that car out of her backyard. We towed the Model A home with a long dock line behind my brother’s 1951 Oldsmobile Sedan. It was and will be our first hot rod and future build. The Model A was a little dirty, some paint blemishes, but everything was there in good condition. This was going to be a street legal gas coupe for daily driving, cruising, and racing in the Gas Coupe and Sedan Class at Lions Dragstrip and other So Cal dragstrips. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...picking-up-a-car.1178196/page-7#post-13421147 A Similar condition Model A “To each his own…” A hot rod Model A for a daily driving and long distance road trips, with everything modern underneath for reliability and pure fun. It starts with a car or hot rod and if possible, a finished look to showcase the powerful Model A coupe. The street legal coupe would have passed any drag racing rules because it was based on what the DMV used to issue licenses. No single tube headers, all street legal items, including windshield wipers, license and working headlights/brake lights. What has been shown in the previous posts are not or were not the real street legal gas coupes and sedans of the 1958-66 era. Some knock off versions with what was thought of as a street legal gas coupe or driven on the street, mufflers and all. The various versions came later when the “nose in the air” stance gathered steam, but did nothing for performance. Then by the time the street legal Gas Coupe and Sedan Classes were eliminated, then the so-called coupes/sedans took on a look for themselves, in the classes they were put in without restrictions. Individual header pipes, spoke wheels, no fenders, all in the name of being competitive in the class they had to compete. Or for some, use on the street, dodging the CHP or State Police. Jnaki We grew up in an era that wording was correct and functional English was used to describe just about anything. The Gas Coupes and Sedan Class was still labeled as such, but in the colloquial terms, started being labeled as “gassers” after our era of building and racing was over. (Sounds like a bunch of old guys sitting around a fire pit somewhere, drinking, smoking and you get the picture…) So, modern stories of those famous Gas Coupes and Sedans from our old past have turned into the shortened “gassers” for ease of pronunciation. Yes, it is hard to see a poster showcasing a K.S. Pittman Willys Coupe versus the SWC Willys Coupe saying it is a “gas coupe versus a gas coupe in competition.” It was just easier to shorten the term to gassers and leave it at that. There are plenty of new words that describe factions of the hot rod builds and models. To each his/her own in their respective portion of hot rod/drag race history. YRMV A RECENT POST: Our first hot rod buy was a Ford Model A coupe. Then it went all over the place as far as style, type and builds. But, the one car that says it all for us, from the beginning is our “was to be” hot rod for the drags and daily driving. A Model A coupe. The one we bought from a neighbor did not look like the photos shown. But at the time, we did not care. A little water and rag cleaned the old Model A to a nice shine. Then we got going, trying to start the motor. The neighbor did say it ran when she parked it, outside next to her garage. To us, this was a start of what we saw as a hot rod. All it needed was better brakes, transmission and a SBC motor and it was going to be ready to compete with my brother’s best friend’s 34 Ford coupe with a big Olds motor and LaSalle trans. I suspected that there was some competition going on since my brother bought his 1951 Olds Sedan. He was a tireless ringleader getting stuff to make the Model A run. Jnaki As a pre teen who was the “gopher” similar to all younger brothers or sisters, I was given the dirty jobs. But, was able to drive the now running Model A down the street. Since there was a fairly fast 51 Olds Sedan in the driveway, I knew or though I knew, that one or the other was going to be my first car. My brother could not drive both cars, so I was supposed to be given at least one. Over the next month, the Model A sat in the backyard and one day after school in 1957, a new black 58 Impala was sitting in the driveway. The Model A was gone and so was the 1951 Olds Sedan. What??? My brother made the decision that it was going to take too long to get the Model A powerful enough to race his friend (34 Ford 5 Window/Olds Powered) at Lions Dragstrip. So, he bought a sedan that would instantly be fast and competitive in its class and on the street. (the two different hot rods never raced in any situation, except for comparing timing slips for the win or loss) The favorite "HOT ROD"photo changed colors, but still stayed with me as the years moved on in our adventures. As the years rolled on, the Model A still was portrayed as “the” hot rod. Since our 58 Impala activity was waning in late 1959, thoughts turned to a competitive street legal coupe for the Gas Coupe and Sedan Class. Did we get another Model A? We should have, but could not pass up a low cost, pristine 1940 Willys Coupe sitting a block or two away from the old Model A backyard. The rest is a simple history of our hot rod/drag race episodes. JOE PISANO MODEL A versus THE GRIST BROTHERS WILLYS Joe Pisano Riverside 1959 Ever since that time, I know it was in both of our brains tossing around to finish what we originally started. When we visited each other at our separate homes later on as full-fledged adults, (when we were in the 30s-40s age era,) our conversations always included that Model A. The topic was what was going to happen if we had continued with that first build. Times have moved on and is running out, so it is and has always been on the back burner. Street legal for the Gas Coupe and Sedan Class. But, what a "Hot Rod" it would have been, sitting in our garage.
in here: post 58810 https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...picture-thread.228509/page-1961#post-13448460
Thanks LB but I still think they are two different cars, the channeled fenderless one and the "Green Weenie". Pat
This one belongs on Facebook’s “old gassers” page. Over there they believe that if it is jacked up and has a Moon tank hanging way out front it is a gasser. Oh!, 10 spoke front wheels are mandatory as well [emoji12] Sent from my iPad using H.A.M.B.
It may have A/G on the quarter panel but once again it lacks the fenders required to race as a gasser. Just another case of a builder not understanding what was required for the various classes back in the day Sent from my iPad using H.A.M.B.
You want to see a website that has Gassers.... Check George Klass Remembers...It will take you a week to get thru all the drag race cars on that site...
Fender's, Hood, Roof, an finished interior is the True Gasser class... Clearly it Need's to be repeatedly brought up/ refreshed
Ok guys I found an old 31 model a hemi hotrod,guy says it has history from racing in the 60s in Pennsylvania, I'm not sure what these cars go for but I really like it,can anyone help me with a value,would be much appreciated!it's all steel!
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