GASSER MUST HAVES and cant haves?

Maybe not a major concern, but unsprung weight comes into play too.

 

Good point Larry, I hadn't thought about it that way.

 

Thanks for the heads up.
What I was thinking wss to cut a monoleaf in two and use both halves on one side of the axle to help carry the load.

MELTDOWN DRAGS
JULY 18-20 2014
www.meltdowndrags.com

 

How would a suspension like this ride and handle on a Model A street car?

 

Posies sells quarter elliptic springs (and says Bobby Alloway uses them). I don't think the "drag strip" market is his major marketing group, so I'm gonna assume they work ok on the street.

 

I put these on my car and it helped alot on the launch, calmed it down alot. Still wheelies but under alot more control

 

Dirty Dave ---that set up you showed works just like the others that have been pictured only it bolts on rather than weld on, works fine...

 

This is a floater system we built and use on a 55 Chev, it rotates on the housing and pivots below, it eliminates all spring bind.

 

I thought it might be a luxury for them.

 

I'm sure it was. Not many guys had the money to run aftermarket disc brakes. I'm sure the vast percentage ran stock drum brakes all around.

 

I agree with you there.....maybe "lots of guys" ran them in AA/GS where they were warranted for slowing down a ridiculously fast top end charge,and every ounce of weight they could shed was precious,but most stuff I have seen on sportsman level,blue collar SBC/4-speed type cars was a little less aerospace,and a little more grocery getter.

Scott


Posted using two Dixie cups and a medium length piece of string.

 

Those are identical to what a friend of my family fab'd up for the leaf link rear suspension in my '56 Chevy, that was the first tech article I ever did.
A few years ago he made another set for my Widow Wagon gasser, also for a tech article.
Who makes them?

-Brad

 

Hi Brad. Jeg's sells them. Jegster 40603 Housing Floater Kit. I made the ones on my 55 Chevy. I made spacers that go between the bottom plate and top so that it is able to slide back and forth on the spring( and the center hole in bottom plate is elongated). This way, between pivoting and sliding, there is no bind at all.

 

You are right Scott

I had 33 Willys front brakes and Pontiac rears and after 3 runs in a row for class I had to use both feet on the brake petal to get her stopped

Ah ya those were the days of real Gassers

Plus all the steel parts were cut out with a cutting torch and deburred on a 6" bench grinder

Twern't no lasers - water jet cutters or Nc stuff , just Eye Ball Eng.

T.L.A.R That looks about right !!!!!!!!!

G Don

 

Hi Don!
I'm getting ready to buy some more parts to get my front end mocked up right after Christmas,but I have a judgement call to make,and you might be just the guy to help me decide:

I'm having a tough time deciding between:

1: Lincoln drum brakes with drilled backing plates and drilled,split wishbones

OR......
2: Wilwood discs with calipers bead blasted to knock the shine off em,and chromed hairpin radius rods (I would prefer actual Airheart calipers,but not sure if any decent,useable parts are still out there and not priced out of reach....Wilwoods might have to do for safety's sake)

It seems to me that most of the higher level,Altered Coupes and cars of that type were pretty much finished with split 'bones by around '62-'63 or so.I really like the look of both,but I'm kind of shooting for a real solid 1965 timeframe for my car.

My question is,if a guy was building my coupe in '65,with the blown hemi stroker and HydroStick,would it have likely been built with drums and split wishbones,or Hairpins and discs...?

I'm kinda sitting the fence on this one.
You were there,what are your thoughts on this Don...?

Scott


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I'm looking to identify this Altered Class Coupe.

Body Make and Year?

Anyone know who built it?

How about what state it may have been from?

 

mopar 33 or 34---cool car...

 

Judging by the tall,narrow quarter windows,I'd say that has to be a 33-34 Mopar,but beyond that I can't tell you much more...
It looks like a cool old race car though.
Did it belong to a relative or something?

Scott


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Thank You, I couldn't be for certain on the make.

 

Thank You.
I'm guessing this photo was taken in the mid-50's or so. Not a relatives car (although I wish I had it) but one that I've been drawn to for years and have considered building something similar to.

 

Here's the Tabasco article from Hot Rod. Looks like it had a 4 link set up with the top bars going forward and the bottom bars to the rear.
.

 

Hi Scott

A true short story for you, the last engine I built in 86' was a blown small block for a 32' 5 window

I wanted to build him a Lucas timed injected one but he just had to have a 6-71, I told him how a roots blown engine has a flat power curve and when you hit that petal you better be ready

He said he could deal with that, for 2 yrs the converter was slipping and that saved him, then in went a new loc up trans so now he was getting all the 580 hp and 540 lbs of torque

Well one day going home he gassed her up and it came around on him in a heartbeat, wound up hitting several parked cars and fence post and wiped out his $80,000 hot
rod

It was a pro built by Mago's and won best paint & interior at the Oakland Roadster show in 86'

It had way too much motor for such a small car, and I think you are looking at the same kinda deal

If I was in your shoe's I would get a bigger car for that blown hemi like a Willys or put a small block in your A bone

You are going to have a real handful with the package you are planning

---------------------------

When I started building my 37' in 61' everything cost a bunch of bucks and I was making 1.95 an hr, so for me a Hilborn injector was more important than Airheart brakes as I knew it would stop with the drum brakes at 115 mph

Those guys Blown guys started out in the same boat as most were just working guys too as they used 50' Olds fastbacks etc, then started to go faster then better parts came to the market and better cars to handle the speed & power

Everybody thinks of SWC and Maz's cars and those two guys had deep pockets and could buy the latest stuff, and all the rest were judged by what the did

Give your package a lot of thought cause you don't want to be wearing that thing around your neck !!!!!!!!!!

G Don

P.S.

With the good parts today your stroker Hemi will most likely make more power than those guys had back in 65', and they were going 145mph in those bigger cars and even they here a handfull

 

That same thought had actually crossed my mind at one point Don,but my ego wouldn't let my brain talk any sense into me at the time.
After giving it a little more thought,I'm pretty sure I'm gonna tame my combo down a bit with slightly less boost than I had been planning,a bit more conservative cam,and just an overall taming of the package in general to make it more drivable,and less like a 4 wheeled murder weapon.
I think a good solid 600hp should be more than enough to get this thing up on its back wheels on the launch,and still reliable enough to hold together for a few seasons without a major rebuild.

Am I still being a bit of a goon with the horsepower level...?I always had that 700-750hp number in my mind,but I think you're right;in a 2500lb short wheelbase car that might end up being a bit squirrelly...

Scott


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And sometimes the first time it comes around on you, might be the last time! You don't always get lucky, or really have any skill involved in stopping it. If it gets away and wrecks the first time you stab it, you might be wishing it was detuned a little!

 

Also Don,I had looked at doing a sbc for my A at one point,but I just can't shake loose of the Hemi idea....I've wanted one since I was a little kid.You build a couple model cars with those funny lookin valve covers that say "Firepower",and next thing you know,it's become a life long obsession....

Scott


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71BB427:
We had a little episode last weekend in a new 444hp Boss 302 Mustang that scared my Wife pretty bad....
When the back end came around a bit she started screaming uncontrollably,and it freaked me out so bad that I looked over to make sure she wasn't being stabbed in the face with a red hot poker or something...
When I looked back at the road it was too late to save it,so instead of trying to steer into it and stay on the throttle,I gave it one last quick stab of the throttle,and chopped the wheel the other direction to get it to complete the spin,then clutch in,easy on the brakes,and stopped it in the other lane,facing back the direction we had just come from,just as gentle as anything.
If a big,3200 lb 444hp car with a low center of gravity and good chassis will snap around like that,I can just imaging how snaky a 2500lb,750hp,high center of gravity,sleazy greasy old chassis'd car like my A would react...

Everything in me still wants to build a fire breathing motor,but in the interest of common sense and self preservation,I think I'll probably ease up on the cam and the boost,and just let the good heads and cubic inches work their magic at a hp level that will be useable in that little tin can A of mine...

Scott


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When I first got the bugs out of my Austin, I decided I needed to do a test run before heading to the track. My little 327 is only around 400 hp, so I figured with the full manual TH350, and 3.73 posi it would be controllable, even with 89" wheelbase.
I headed up to an industrial area that's unused at night, and figured I'd try a couple launches. First launch went straight as an arrow, until I hit 2nd. When I did the 1-2 shift the car snapped sideways so quickly all I could do was jump out of the throttle and turn the wheel. It immediately came back, and so quickly it was almost worse than the first end change!
I tried a couple more shots, and found if I let up as I shifted it stayed pretty straight. Eventually I discovered the problem was the M/T Sportsman rear tires not hooking up well, and making it go sideways under hard shifts. The cure was sticky tires, and it goes straight with ease. My longer wheelbase Falcon, with much more HP goes so straight I feel like I'm on a Sunday cruise.

 

Just got on the HAMB. Building my 64' Nova and my buddy's say I suck. Any help?


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My new project is kinda like that....altered wheelbase early Chevy II with a blown 427. I'm paying a lot of attention to this thread to try to figure out how to build everything.

My 55 has a blown 454 in it, and it's very mild mannered...hence the need to build a lighter car

 

Stranded:
Use the search function to find some Chevy II builds on here and take lots of notes on the slick fabrication and awesome period correct construction done by some of these guys....Most guys on here are real craftsmen,and humble and approachable.
There are also some complete douchebags,but as long as you're not completely fragile emotionally,that won't bother you.
Don't be afraid to pm somebody if you like his car and want to know more about it...most guys love to talk about theirshitandhow they built it!

Scott


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