Is there too many Gassers or not Enough

Interior, stance just looked right. I followed Mike Marinoff around back in the day. He won his share, and his car wasn't sky high. I build from memory too. Sometimes the memory's better than other times.

 

somebody say gasser?

 

ok dude quit talkin in the third person. I kinda get this vibe that you one of those faux guys runnin around in some failed abortion with a rusted out muffler that you call straight pipes. If you wana build it build it but for the love of Christ the last thing that the world needs is another turd that makes lil ricers think that they are "fast". just my .02 thanks for the vent

 

I needed that laught this early in the morning, chili phil....Thanks..Littleman...socks in their pants ha ha ha, thats classic..

 

There were classes for reasons. Not everyone could afford an A/gas worthy car, but still raced in B,C, and so on. I'm picturing a moron in the stands at the strip in 1964 yelling "POSER" at every car that went down the track in less that full race gear. BTW, the gasser class was a fully functional, street legal, wipers, lights and everything class until 62-63, and even then a full interior was required. What is this "poser" car that you're talking about? I have never seen a stock motored gasser. Or, should a case of old bumper stickers that say "The older I get, the faster I was" be shipped to California?

 

Yes if anyone has read the bible on gasser's will find out how many classes their really were and stock to custom interiors a must...........Its too bad the fans do not come to the track as they did in the old days...When I get around to building one, it will not be a Chihuahua on wheels thou, but really it is all about what one is trying to acheive or what their personal standard is...or their vision , who cares what others think, beat your own drum, if not you will lose in the end.......Littleman...everyone should build a gasser racecar, they are another part of the root to hotrodding, atleast for me

 

The gasser years were very dynamic. Changes came fast.
My favorite year was 1965 (No, I wasn't even born... I'm just going by the books)

By that time most of the top A gassers were doing match races and were deep into the 9's. By this time, most of them didn't have working lights, etc. They were all out race cars but still referred to a gassers by most fans.

 

Gassers ( gas classes) started in the 50's as street sedans that were driven to the track. Very boring in their early incarnations. So, it can be "your" interpretation of what you build. Gasser "style" of course can be nose up, period wheel/tire combo, etc. But, i agree it should "run". But, if it's to have fun on the street and you don't care to race it, why spend the money/time to make it fast. Make it sound good at the very least, don't race (and lose) to a fucking Kia Sport and rock it. I see lots of multi carbed Hemi-Olds-Caddy powered 1800 pound stripped Model A's that couldn't pull the skin off rice pudding and noone gives them any shit.

 

I see lots of multi carbed Hemi-Olds-Caddy powered 1800 pound stripped Model A's that couldn't pull the skin off rice pudding and noone gives them any shit. quote by Grouch...
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Maybe because they do it all wrong in California !!.....these days..he hee...all in fun..............Littleman..........come on Groucho...me and you @ the next Hamb drags.....It will give me a goal to shoot for and I do not care who wins...it would just be a kool pic to take.......Littleman

 

You callin' me out? I'm an old street racer who plays dirty. LOL. I'd say yes to the race, but without seeing your car i'll start with asking for a tenth on the "tree" for every 100 pounds your car is lighter than mine (i'll guess 1000lbs, but any track should have a scale). Where's the HAMB drags? What about Mooneyes Xmas party? It's at a drag strip this year for the first time. Should be a LOT of traditional Hot Rods racing for sure! I plan to have the good motor/4-speed in it and tuned/debugged by then.

 

HAHAHAHA! That's funny shit man!
This is turning out to be a great thread. Good info AND humor!

I'm SLOWLY collecting parts for the "gasser" I have in the BACK of my MIND.

 

Haaahahahahaha!
That statement rules.

 

Yes sir I am.........Just havin sum fun, my car is far from drag race worthy, I have a long way to go..It does run and stop, but with much fab. left to do..But I would like to have it track tested and worthy by Hamb drags next year.........My car is going to be alot heavier than you think, its kinda like a tank........Out east and mid west way I have seen next to no, fully functional 6x2 anything runnin real good at the strips or at Gasser type weekends out this way....just not alot of guys and gals willing to torture themselves with the set up...........As of yet. My Model A truck runs good but its a purpose built street hotrod, never really built for the abuse it has seen, but holds it own..As far as street gassers go, just have to build them your way with the creature comforts you desire, along with good brakes and its handling sorted out.......Littleman

 

Would that be 'P' class???

 

Its healthy to laugh..and every once in awhile, laugh at yourself.......it will keep you grounded........Littleman

 

Disco Dale here says he wants to run the street, too.....perfectly acceptable to have a street/strip gasser, many were circa 1964. My point is, since he's a guy looking for opinions, and wants to get into a gasser-type car and go from there, why piss on his Wheaties with a bunch of "be the fastest or don't build it" comments. He may drop a mild 413 mill in it and have a ball at the track, then get the bug to go faster, buy better motor, steeper gears, etc. There's no point in shooting him down before he even gets started. Besides, if FAST was our ONLY focus, we wouldn't be driving these things in the first place. A lot of our "traditional" cars are pretty limited in modern technology. I'd much rather see Dale fix up his Mopar and join us, than to crap on his dream and have him go buy a late model with a bottle of nitrous in the trunk and watch him beat most of us at the track. Speed is important, they are the most fun to watch, but how fast was your FIRST car, really.

 

You're absolutely right Kev. But you're also agreeing with what I've been saying too. A stock 413 or 440 will have enough balls to be a respectable gasser, and a well mannered street driver too. What would be kinda lame would be to have all the full race goodies and a stock flat 6 under the hood. You don't need to spend a fortune to make some big power. Hell, you can score a 70's eldorado for 1000 bucks and have enough torque to turn the earth on it's axis, same with a big imperial. just like nosing and decking are a fundamental part of any kustom build, upgrading or souping up the drivetrain is a key element of a gasser build

 

If the Desire is their, then it will happen....and it will ultimately take the shape he envisions.....and we will have another hotrod prowlin the streets, making it that much harder for the goverment to stop us from exercising this hobby......Littleman

 

The early gas classes weren't "very boring" in the 50s. Perhaps the progress in performance since then might make it seem so, if you weren't there. But it was damn exciting back then.

If you don't want to build the motor to back up the window markings, leave the markings off the window. The only thing worse than a six cylinder car marked A/G, is a fenderless car, altered wheelbase car, or a roadster marked as a "Gasser". Well, maybe an A/GS without a rollbar...

In the 50s, it was a matter of pride when you were able to cruise through the drive-in with the class on your window, because that meant you had won your class. If you lost, your window was wiped by track officials at the timing shack before you came back on the return road. Yeah, there were guys who would leave the track after losing and then write the class back on.

They were losers.

And there were guys who didn't race, but would write on their windows before going to a strange area, to impress people.

They were poseurs.

It's fun to see a car with E/G on the window shame a car with A/G on the window. It tells a lot about the guy with A/G on his window.

If you want to put writing on your car to show how bad it is, then make it that bad. Otherwise, leave the writing off. All "gassers" (God, I'm starting to hate that term) weren't lettered. And those that were were race cars.


Mutt

 

Actually Mutt is basically right with the exception that in the beginning all Altereds were roadsters. The Altered class was born from the Gas roadster class sometime around the end of the fifites or the beginning of the '60s.

Altered evolved into a class that allowed coupe bodies then in about the mid to late '60s it became piopular to buy an old rail that was no longer competitive in a digger class and hand a cut down sedan body on the back.

Then about '68 the NHRA went into a major rule changeing, Gassers were limited to wheelbases that were 98" and longer and Altereds received a max wheelbase I think 115" but I may be mistaken on the max wheelbase for altereds.

The longer minumum wheel base for gassers pretty much did away with the fiatt/simca based gassers.

Funny thing about Altered class these days an Altered '49 or newer is required to run fenders.

Right on Sam. With a B/RB it don't take much to make an 11 second car out of about any old hooptie. Hell you can make somewhere in the neighborhhood of 500 ponies with over the counter MOPAR parts. of course its not a cheap mill to build even stock.

Dale,
I was makeing referance to your intro and saying that you are a drunk. We already gots us a drunk disco queen. You just managed to choose the wrong description of yourself. Nuthin personal

When it comes to gasser my friend a little goes a long ways in weight transfer and styleing. It really doesn't have to look like a mud bogger with slicks to compete or be period correct.

Oh I think I know where there is a running 413 and tranny for about a grand and closer to you than it is to me. Even a stock or basically stock413 should carry you into the 12s if you lighten things up a bit. And it would fit well for an early '60s vibe.

 

Well, I like this thread.....Disco Dale, if you didn't write like you drove a (insert any fart can car) and start with the YO, people would take you more seriously.....lots of great comments. Best comment is it is your car, build it how you see fit. Want it cheap, make it cheap. Want it bad ass, spend the cash. Nostalgia is the in thing. Vintage drag cars, hot rods, customs, rat rods, gassers, lots of folks want in, its the craze. If you want to build it for riding on the craze wave, sell it and keep suckin the NOS. If this is to become a way of life, get in the garage and start banging. Send the progress pics and ask your questions.

 

How many of you guys passing judgement actually drive a gasser in any form?

Chili Phil has called mine a straight up fake in the past.

....which is interesting because in its current state, it is much faster than stock. I'll not go into the details, but every upgrade I've made on it is a speed part. Its closer to a gasser than it was when I got it....

I've read about gassers running 289's in the past...which mine has (for now).


I guess I should just tuck tail and hide under my bed.
Fuck all that.

If I want to build a gasser, I'll do it in spite of lack of money or what people say.

It does get on my nerves when the "goldchainers" of the gasser world sneer and scoff at low buck street driven "Poser Gassers".

Mostly it gets on my nerves because its ridiculous. Its ridiculous like a goldchainer sneering at a traditional rod.



Its been said before and I'll say it again. If I was worried about being the fastest, I'd buy a new car and kick all your asses.


This whole fake vs. real is just stupid as shit.


EVERY gasser is outdated now. The last time I was at the local track, the fastest car there that night was a '01 or '02 (I'm guessing) Mercury 4 door something or other (looked like a cop car). The thing was silent. It would fly by like it was not turned on.

Oh yeah, I don't know what it was because I didn't give one shit about it.
It might as well have been a Honda for all I care.

and thats why I built my car.

 

Amen, Tingler!

 

Thats J.C.Sizemore in his Alabama based "Golden Rod" and the track appears to be Phenix City Alabamas drag strip. This car later in it's life became a chopped top altered wheel base match racer.

 

Make it a gasser. Gasser's are like horse power. To much is never enough.

 

Anything to do with speed is like chasin' the dragon.
No one that I know has ever gone fast enough, often enough or in the perfect ride. There is always a bigger high just around the bend.



Its like the Ol' Man always told me, if you break it with a 4bbl than build it with two fours, if it breaks again huff it, if it breaks again inject it . . .

You start out light and it just keeps building, every trip takes a bit more to satisfy.
Its Brown Sugar for the soul bro.

 

Hey dudes I belive in miracles...

First of all, sorry bout stirring up the pot. Yes Dale man wants to go fast, and I have not got a motor yet. That 413 sounds like what Doctor Funk ordered.

Littleman:
Dale likes your posts, and I really like your ride its like a hot whore with a frozen condom. I would like see that lil sucker boogie.

Randazzo:
Dude, Dale loves your Ford, and I remember the Rod n Custom article on your 301 Willys. I hear ya bro, I swear to god I do.

Porkster:
Man dont sweat the petty things,just pet the sweaty things....I like a few beers here and there thats all. I know what you meant, respect. Just remember the names Dale, not Perfect. And the Rome wasnt built in a day.

Thanks for your opinions, the Dale man is going to build it gasser, the best damn job I can do. I was just making sure how not build the mud bogger kind. Although.........ah nevermind.

OH BTW, Dale is free to type any way he chooses, this is America as you well know. So Dale will not change cuase someone dont like it, alhtough I will drop the rap.

Dale will keep you posted. Ill pull some pics up too, but right now she not purdy.

Dont funk with my heart

 

Keep up the FUNK Dale.
I hear ya.
I'm diggin' the lyrics!
Entertaining, especially the responses from the 'squares'.
HaHaHa!

 

Hey Dale,
Not to purdy is cool. All rods start at the startin place.

Personally when it comes to goin' fast it seems like there is always a MOPAR in the works on the bean ranch. They are always way out of my budget, so I usually fore go finess, but there is no reason in the world why you can't make it look nice. Your old hooptie should have good lines to start with and a little paint goes a long way to cover up the ugly.

Anyway like I said before its like Brown Sugar friend. Actually in my case as long as its been its more like black tar.