Gassers with the 4x4 stance...

I've seen the threads where guys said they didn't like the new gassers being built because they looked like 4x4's and none of them looked like that back in the day. So I thought I'd post this. It does look like a damn 4x4. But it's the authentic old drag stance that the car ran back then. The wheels and tires have been changed to protect the innocent. Otherwise it's all 1969.

 

how does it go Gawd Dang Yall Look at That

 

The shackles in the rear,are NOT gasser style. Gassers HAVE to have the rear wheelwells cut oversize to fit wide slicks("radiused",not TUBBED. The front end can use a straight axle,OR use ball joint spacers,with A arms. Sparky

 

"NONE OF THEM LOOKED THAT WAY" ? I hope someone will post some of the Rod & Custom "HIGHBOY OF THE MONTH" winners from about 1969 ...
302

 

Many of them were that high. It used to be "how high can ya get it" back in the day.

I distinctly remember two cars from the neighborhood in the very late '60's. One was a '66 Catalina. It had leaf suspension both front and back. Man, it was tall! Then there was a white '68 Charger with leafs front and back too, it had all main leafs in the rear. Very tough looking!

That was the style, "hang 'em high!!". Funny, they never seemed to look like 4x4's back then. The very first jacked 4x4 I ever saw was not until 1977.

Joel

 

I agree about the front ends but I'm not so sure about the rears. What would you call this one if not a gasser? Maybe there is another name I'm not familiar with. I've never heard that HAVE to have radiused wheelwell thing before...

 

Nuff Said,.........

 

The Spy Machine is cool! AND not radiused. So is it not a gasser?
I want to be perfectly clear that I dig these cars...high, low, radiused, not, whatever. Not trying to start any debates...but I wouldn't mind seeing more of these up high versions and a definitive answer to the radius question if there is one.

 

I'm sorry. but your wrong on this one.

 

That's explanation sounds alot like what my pops would say. If he was to see this here picture, he would not call it gasser. He never did, it always refered to it as a street machine. He did have some gasser parts, 4spd, big olds rear split front fender tilt front and candy. He never dragged raced it, it was all about the look. This was his first attempt way back in the early 70's and kept that way until the mid 80's. It took a few tries to get to ride somewhat decent all by trail and error. It still had the stock frame and used the stock steering box so when he dropped it back down you wouldn't have ever known it was ski-jacker at one time.

 

Hey Harms Way! Thanks for the pictures! Man I love that '56 Chevy! Gary 4T950 Chevy Guy

 

Many of the old gassers were waaaay up there. They were high enough that they didn't HAVE to cut out the wheelwells for slicks. I've always loved them all, low, medium, high, and any bodystyle usually works for me!

 

The 'Spy Machine' according to the way it is lettered is a C/Altered.. Gassers were allowed a 10% engine setback and Altereds 25%. Gassers could run in the Altered class with a minor change to make them illegal in the Gas class but an Altered with more than 10% setback could never run in a Gas class (this was often done if the Altered class was softer than the Gas class)
Jacked up or radiused wheelwells do not make or not make a car a gasser.
Raised front ends were used to aid in weight transfer for traction with the height limited to 24" at the crank centerline. Radiused wheelwells were only for tire clearance and/or ease of changing tires.

CC

 

I gotta pull this pic out again!



I can't help it!

Joel

 

Let me know if these start to bore you,..........

 

A few more.....

 

Sorry, but by the late 60's as the speeds increased and tire quality (traction) improved the Gassers not only became 'tubbed' but also dropped the noses down for more stability.

 

Peter Pan...your pictures rock!

 

I thought jalopy's post was a joke. I hope it was a joke.

 

Harms Way And ProEnfo - gassers except for that spy machine. Peter Pan - not gassers. Unclescooby, I think that Fairlane was influenced more by early Funny Cars than gassers. My opinion, probably ain't worth much.

 

That Ford from the first post is cool. Although it looks like it never had any real power in it -Is that ladder bar front mount welded to a floor brace?

 

That was just a stock 390 4v and four speed in that car so I don't think it did much besides look wild. I just dug it for that reason. I'll settle for the gassers and "axled cars" descriptions.

 

GASSERMADNESS.com is agood site to check out for gasser history and info.

 

These hi-jacker sudo gassers were set up more for the street and much like todays 24" rim equipped caprices, it was all about how high you could get it.

To me this represents the late 60's/ eary 70's "STREET FREAKS" that Car Craft and HotRod where showing. Not gassers.

Does not make them uncool, just not a true gasser in my opinion.

 

...

 

This wouldn't be the first time I was wrong, but IMO, the reason for the nose high stance was weight transfer, the weight was supposed to shift to the drive axle and load the slicks. I believe that racers found out that the suspenssion would wind up and then unload at about 60', causing the tires to spin and lose traction.

I've never understood the street faux gasser deal. It strikes me like carring a plastic pistol around, you LOOK badass, but if you meet a real pistolero, you ain't got anything. And also, during the Gasser days, the only cars that sat high in the rear were guys who didn't want to cut their bodywork. Weight transfer theory again.

chili

On the player this morning: Sonia dada

 

What I was meaning ,was just because some kid in a mustang put 10" shackles in the rear,the car WAS NOT a gasser. The radiused wheelwell thing ,was not a rule,but they certianly looked better,than the 4x4 look. No offence TINGLER Sparky

 

Bet that thing is easy to change the oil.

 

There is NOTHING new in rodding...most hot rod "looks" are inspired by race cars. Jalopies/Bonneville, gassers/"street freaks", Pro Stock/Pro Street, modern Touring Sedan/Pro Touring.

Why'd they take the fenders off a T/A/'32? Because the Bonneville and drag strip guys lost them to make the cars lighter/more aero. It transferred to the street.

Guys had to take the hubcaps off when they raced the family sedan...viola, "painted steelies" was then a "look" because guys just left them off between weekends.

Unless we're racing the car regularly, if we're going for a "built engine/competition look" no matter what "period" we're trying to be correct for, we're all posers. Get over it. Enjoy the look of the cars, or don't. But freakin' overanalyzing a "Look" is about the dumbest thing a bunch of hot rodders can bench race about. It's like a bunch of girls talking about shoes that are "so last week."

-Brad