What does it take to make a gasser engine?

Thanks for the positive thoughts guys. A/GS cars did in fact run on gasoline, without question. AA/GS cars, ran on fuel, that was the distinction of being a AA competitor. Guys like the Hill Brother's, Red Baron and Jack "the Bear" Coonrod both ran AA/GS and I assure you, they ran Nitro. You could have exchanged the bodies on the AA Gassers with a AA/FA like the Winged Express, and virtually had the same car. Every year here at National Trails and this weekend is an example, because Super Chevy is here this weekend. All the advertisements and I'll quote, "come out and see the Nitro Coups", it's total bull shit, because those are the old fuel coupes that are now running Alky.

Shoe

 

AHotRod, your Willy's is the shit! It gives me goose bumps just looking at it.
Shoe, great info. 5:13's, a stick and a 292, how high did you rev that thing? Sounds like a fun ride!

 

mike L. - you gonne make that wagon into a gasser, or make it a cruiser? the 57 is a tantalizing purchase, but id be a damn fool to get another project

shoe - pro mod is probably the only modern class i like. if iam correct, they seem to be engineered like funny cars, go the almost same speeds, but run different induction/fuel/displacements/power additives than the funny car class, which seems to be more strict...

 

Rocket88, the 292 was an over bored 283 horse 283 that had been blueprinted and ballanced. It ran respectable 12:90s in 1965 when it was the F/S National Record Holder. The car was named the "Bad Bananna" and we ran it at the old Niagra Dragway when it was sanctioned by both NHRA & NASCAR, now don't tell me NASCAR never sanctioned a Drag Strip. Does any body remember when Richard Petty had the fatal accident, making a 1/4 Mile pass in his Hemi Cuda? The Bananna was maxed at about 7500 RPM going through the lights, 098 cams were mechanical but they had limits. I can remember seeing E/G 55 chevys, 292 powered, going through at 10,500, aluminum flywheels, 6:86 gears and Crane roller cams! I cut my teeth at Niagra and one of the kings of the hill back then was a local boy that ran a little shop called GORDEN Automotive, I remember the guy having a Austin A-40, AA/GSupercharged and then put the drivetrain in a Opel Cadet.........today the same guy builds Pro Mod engines and his name is Jimmy Oddy. In the Webster's, you'll find Jim Oddy under the definition of Gasser! Pro Mods equal, Funny Car wearing an old suit, either blown on gas or normally asperated on the bottle. You have to be insane like Scotty Cannon to drive one. I'm going to edit this by saying; I called a couple of guys I know who worked on the Shores & Hess, Little Critter, and the King Kong AA/GS Anglias, Although Jeg Senior did run a blown Austin A-40 along with Bob Riffel of the once Rod Shop, here in Columbus, they were of the lower gas class. The guys tell me this, " my tours in Nam must have warped my fucking mind" or meeting the infamous Jesse James at Indy last Sunday, made me relapse.........non of the Gas cars ran Nitro, the AA guys were classified as such, because of the Elephant motors and plastic, weigh nothing, bodies! So, although I have made myself look like a pompous ass on the "Information Highway", it's more important to me, to pass on the little bit I know, to the young HAMBers with some degree of correctness. Save the disclaimer my dear friend, your 100% correct. Oh yea, the guys at Jeg's that were with me in this era, also ask me if I had lost it! Have a good evening.........tomorrow will be a better day!



Shoe

 

John C. I can assure you that no one thinks your a pomus ass , I'm nearly on a 5000 grand red line (near 50 )myself and love that these cars are coming back , It really brings back a time I've sorely missed,A lot of my memories are admittedly of a local track + magazine type, with owning/racing some 7 or so ex gassers in my career/hobby , VERY good info you gave there -Thanks
9- I'd love to sell you that car ,but I understand the distances and moneys involved, It will most like be put to pasture for now- I HAVE to have this place cleaned up b4 winter, b4 I bring in the 56, Its still up in the air about style, It may go a gasser resto OR HollyWood Knights-Turks Pie Wagon (semi clone-NOT a FAKE), in either case -a street only/expo car, they won't let me run here as an correct car and go as fast as I can, so screw em, I'll run the local 8th mile unsponsored track w NO BS rules.Beyond common sense safety ones. If I had to choose a current class I gues it would be the progas, it seems there are still some old timers + old cars there.

 

I remember the
gassers as running on gas in the 60's, it didn't matter whether you ran a flattie in "D" gas or a 392 in "A" gas, a SBC in "C" gas. The designator changed to a "double" when you added a blower. As in "A" class changed to "AA" by adding a blower. The classes were decided on by lb/ci.
AA/GS was the fastest and quickest. You could run injection in any class, some ran carburetors. All on gas.
NOW virtually any so called "gas" car runs on Alcohol.If they don't they won't win. I don't have a clue why the "gas" cars run alky but they do. I never saw a "gas" car run anything but gas, back when.
BTW, at this site there is a photo album on the old G/S cars plus resto's www.nitrogeezers.com Also go to www.gassermadness.com and look around. Say "Hi" to Byron (site owner)

 

I've had thoughts of building a street/gasser style using my '29 Model A sedan body, channeled heavy (not chopped) over a Model A frame, either suicide front end or straight axle...this is the best part, using a 235 straight 6 and 3 speed. Zommies would be the coolest with a couple 3 carbs. Would this turn some heads or is it just a bad idea?

 

haha shoe, aint no way in hell you look like a pompus ass. the info provided by you, Mike L and others is from the source, better than a magazine anyday. it seems like gassers ran the gamut when it came to timeslips, what were they? 12sec-8sec? or if my memory of other posts is correct , so long as it is rolling pump gas and is of a certain weight + engine combo, its a gasser? hypothetical situation... if i wanted to roll 10's with a 35 p/u, 500ci cad motor 92 octane, weighing about 2500-2600 pnds with me in it... what class gasser would that be?

Mike L..- youre right, lots of rules in order to race, even after all the bs you gotta go through, and all the money spent, one slip and youre out on the first run! guess thats part of the challenge eh? been thinking about your 57 eventhough i wont be able to work on it until my current projects are finished..i have one spot in the garage open up in central california. ill have to look over the finances... if its doable, we will be doing business

this thread, sams 10sec buildup as well as the other drag car buildups before the HAMB drags is fun readin. i dig the customs and hotrod cruisers, but id like to build my car to pump the adrenaline and to mellow out on a nice day.

 

I totally agree with everyone. It's so awesome to sit here and listen to (read) everything all the OLD guys have to say.
It's like sittin and listening to my gramps tell all his war stories before he died..... It's a period I've always been interested in, and I'm way too young to know what's up with that stuff. And you guys are right, it blows the hell outta anything you'll find in a magazine!

LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE OLD GUYS!!!

 

For those interested ... I posted a few pages from the 1964 NHRA rulebook regarding gas class rules. Enjoy! WWS
Pages 8-9
Pages 10-11
Pages 12-13
Pages 20-21
Pages 22-23
Pages 24-25
Pages 26-27
Pages 28-29

My Gasser!!

 

WWS, I dig your car man, but I can't read a word of the book.

Paul

 

9 -hope we can work it out,it has definate possilblity's
WWS , Kool! I get about 30 emails a week looking for that very info. I only go back to 70 in my info.
everybody- I just posted a pile of "gasser" related parts on my web site/group for anyone looking for some stuff.not posted are the 3 rear ends 74 Dart 8 3.4, 55 pont wgn and 2 3:55 chevy rears ,Link in my profile. web page
I put it in here.

 

Having provided some accurate and some not so accurate information relative to the "Gasser Wars", I'll post or at least attempt to, a picture of my current ride. I've had this car for 15 years and when I hauled it out of the hills of West Virginia, it sat 21 inches higher in the front and had a wide chevy rear end sticking out beyond the fenders. Had I known then, what I know now, I may have left it alone. It's definitely a sleeper; 355 inch small block, Comp Cam, .477 .480, headers, RPM Performer heads, Harland Sharp roller rockers, chrome moly push rods, steel crank, dart rods, forged flat top pistons, Mallory mechanical Unilite, dual quads, 500 CFM Edelbrock performers, Vintage Edelbrock finned valve covers and Moon side breathers, one of Dennis O'Brien (Truckers) finned aluminum air cleaners, 2500 stall Hole Shot converter, ladder bars and a 3:55 8'
posi. This car runs extreamly strong and goes streight as a string. So, this is what an X Gasser guy does to kill time and I did it in a two gar garage with the help af some great friends!

Shoe

 

whitewallslick,man that car is bitchin !
thats what im shootin for with my 57 FORD wagon.
how did you do the front framrails ?o.e. or rect.tube?
do you have any construction pics?