History So when did the gasser noses drop down

I started going to the drag strip in the late 60's and I remember the front ends of the g***ers to be down to a normal height. About what year did the noses of g***ers start dropping back down?

 

Probably about the time they invented tires that worked, and some guys started to understand the physics of launching a car.

That would be around the late 60s. Not everyone caught on right away.

 

Are you just curious, or are you building something new? Getting ready to go racing are you?

 

First off, the term "g***er" was related to the fuel used. Straight axles (or nose high as you'd call it), low front ends and whether or not you ran a front bumper were all a matter of choice, not necessarilly a "g***er" rule.

I think Squirrel describes it best.

 

Probably got their highest from 63-65, started dropping from there. But they weren't all tall and solid axled even then. That's what was great, not everything was cookie cutter.

 

Mid to late 1960's because they finally made race slicks that hooked up.
Most nose up's were very ill handling cars anyway.

 

when they started going fast enough that it got scary with the nose high in the air!

When you get a nose-high car into the 9's, the room starts to move just a bit.

 

When Ohio George switched from a Willys to a Mustang it all changed...and went downhill from there. Front ends and the rest of it. He struck the nail in the coffin of the glorious G***er Era. His Mustang signaled the end of the old ways.

 

and Fred Hurst right along with George. Damn Ohio guys

 

Yeah but we've doubled the speed since then and after all, isn't that what it's all about.

 

about 1/2 track

 

now that is a topic for debate!

the g***ers evolved into early funny cars. So in that respect, yes, it was all about the speed.

but fast forward forty years later and the g***ers are expected to look like they did "in the day".

I feel they are fun to watch, and race, if they are running at similar speeds to the speeds of the mid-60's. In this respect, it is all about the show.

speed vs. show. That is the debate.

 

Speed IS the show.

 

Well Bob I'm going to partially disagree with ya'.

Most of these guys running "original" or recreated g***ers are running "old looking" engines with high tech internals. My point is that I don't care if it's a 1962 Pontiac Super Duty or one of the many S&S cars, these cars are running a hell of a lot faster than they were back in the day.

So it's not just a show.

 

So, I love G***er style Street cars......For me, it's about the show and the look. Nobody ever slams the Custom crowd for low and slow...Who cares? We like what we like boys....if you want to judge tastes, we'll be here all day....get on with what you like.....I still can't get over the school of weak minds that dictates what you and I "should and shouldn't" like....Seriously?

 

No. But people will stand in line to talk **** about a pro-street camaro that runs 14's (or slower)

 

Ha Ha Ha!

Ain't that the truth.

There's a guy out by me with a '66 Nova custom 2 door wagon with a blower motor in it. Everybody oooo's and ahhhh's over it.... it's a freakin' dog! Goes down the 1/8th mile in 10.2.

 

I thought the outlaw/matchrace FXs evolved into FunnyCars and they came from the Super Stockers.

But I'll agree that FunnyCars killed the appeal of the G***ers. They had a similar look to the average fan off the street and were a lot faster and put on a better (faster/noiser) show.

It looks to me that the evolution of G***ers into modern racecars would be Pro Mods.

And there is a pretty big debate on what G***ers should be today. Not many of the different g***er ***ociations come anywhere close to agreeing about what it's all about.

 

I suggested that the g***ers evolved into funny cars because both George and Fred morphed their Willys into early funny cars. The mustang and the barracuda

 

I have a 48 Austin A40 2-door that I need to start doing something with. Having it stuck in storage for 36 years is probably long enough. It's time for it to come out and see the light.

 

Actually George (Montgomery) and Fred (Hurst) are two of the G***er racers that never raced a Funnycar (that I can remember). Lots of others (SWC, Mazmanian, John Lombardo, etc.) did switch cl***es to the more popular and "easier to book matchrace" cl*** of Funnycar. I think George switched to the Mustang body for his G***er because Ford was a sponsor and wanted something that folks identified with in the showroom. But it still met the rules for G***ers, not Funnycar.


If I were gonna build an Austin, I think I'd look at the Herrera car and the Oddy car as examples and I don't think either one of them was particularly tall.

 

^ ^ ^ Ain't that the freakin' truth Larry! ^ ^ ^

Here are a couple of pictures of Jim Oddy's Austin...

 

10.2 in the 1/8th !?!? what kind of motor is it, a lawn mower motor ??

 

I really can't remember if it is a big block or a small block but I do know it's a slo-block!

 

I remember the front end high of the top stock cl***es,the cl***ic 62 Chevy 409 stance. I believe the thinking then was better to have the front end high for weight transfer than wait for the inertia of launch to lift the front.
The g***ers seemed to lift the front end on acceleration ,not so much just sitting there? Today it might be more stylistic than practical. Like jacked up in the *** 70's stuff.
I 've driven O/T Lifted Jeeps on the street.You have to use caution.....Caution takes the fun out of a 500 HP car........

 

I bought my 33 Willys AI race weight gl*** body on a Ch***is Works round tube and independent front suspension ch***is with a 9" Ford with 4 link rear on Weld Draglites with the intention of racing Gas cl***. It's been certified for 8.5 seconds and runs 10.7's at 127 while foot braking on pump gas. There are some venues where I cannot race in Gas because it does not have a straight axle, or the wheels aren't period correct. To the average person, it looks like a g***er, but is it???? I'm thinking of naming it "The Imposter."

 

1967 with the Malco Bros g***er.

Actually George started dropping the Willys down prior to that and was using the FoMoCo wind tunnel to make it handle better on the big end and the powers to be told him that if he was sponsored my Ford that he should be driving a ford but the mustang is the best example of a g***er being down and dirty that I always remember.

Damn phartman beat me to it.

 

It was all about weight transfer, found better ways of hooking up. Looked good then, looks good today.

 

The funny thing is no one realized (in the early days) that if you start with the front end up, then no more weight transfer is gonna happen.....

I noticed that since I put full height front springs in my 55, vs the cut down ones it had, that it doesn't hook worth a ****.

 

One other thing. I don't think many of the "imports" (Anglia, Austin, etc.) were built with the sky high stance of the ****omery style 33 Willys or SWC style 40 Willys. Look at some of the early (64/65) Anglias and they weren't way up in the air. Stuff that comes to mind are Johnny Loper's Little Hoss, Shores & Hess Critter and a little later Kohler Bros. King Kong.

BTW, my car (avatar) was built in 65 and this is the way it always set. It used all stock front suspension with split wishbones.