[BMM]

Hello all.

If one were to build a "gasser", what would be the important considerations?

I suppose a huge consideration would be the strength of the chassis...How are the front ends usually mocked up? Simply lifted & strengthened facotry front ends, or was running totally custom setups up front popular?

Other helpful advise? Thanks.

[OneMoreTime]

Originally Posted by BMM

Hello all.

If one were to build a "gasser", what would be the important considerations?

I suppose a huge consideration would be the strength of the chassis...How are the front ends usually mocked up? Simply lifted & strengthened facotry front ends, or was running totally custom setups up front popular?

Other helpful advise? Thanks.

Actually the chassis were strong enough and any bracing was handled by diagonals from the cowl hoop to the frame horns..Back in the day we just found a suitable front axle and spindles and rolled it under there and figured out how to mount it up to our particular car..

Sam

[techinspector1]

Yep, there weren't any kits. It was every man for himself. Gassers had the nose-up attitude because we didn't have sticky tires like we have today, so we jacked up the front of the car with a tube or forged solid axle and semi-elliptical springs so we could create weight transfer to the rear of the car to try to hook up the crummy rubber we had to use.

In my opinion, if you jack the front up with a straight axle and radius the rear wheel wells, you'll be well on your way to having the look.

[OneMoreTime]

Main thing is going to be getting the alignment right so it runs straight..gets exciting to have a car that is squirrely..And not of the good kind.

Sam

[BMM]

By radiusing the rear tires, you mean move them forward a bit?

My girlfriend has been getting more and more into drag racing, and wants to look into getting a vehicle going.

Were typical 'gassers' fully stripped inside and ou, as much as possible?

[Youngster]

Need more in put...do you want to build something ti run at the strip o n the street? Nostalgic or current? Youngster.

[OneMoreTime]

Originally Posted by BMM

By radiusing the rear tires, you mean move them forward a bit?

My girlfriend has been getting more and more into drag racing, and wants to look into getting a vehicle going.

Were typical 'gassers' fully stripped inside and ou, as much as possible?

Radius the rear wheels by marking a circle big enough to clear the rear tires and cut the fender out to that circle..we did not have the wide tires in those days so that is what we did..

Anything not needed is not there..all that a lot of them had was a tach an oil pressure gauge and water temp..Speedo they will hand you a time slip at the track..

inner fender panels are taken out,,hood inner bracing goes away..we leave the rear bumper and inner trunk lid braces as those help with some weight where we need it..Windshield yes..plastic panels in the rest of the windows rivet those in..

Engine setback was 10% max..narrow front tires and wheels..H'mm what else..???

Any way Get a Rule Book!!

then start building we have to have certain safety features built into the cars these days and I would hate to see you sent home because you did not read the rule book..

As far as a streeter..build the gasser first and then put the minimal stuff in it to be legal for the street..Just go find some kind of ole POS body and frame as a gasser can be anything..Just something that does not weigh a whole lot if you can..

Back in the day as far as paint and things it just had to look good from the spectator seats..

Then you and your girl friend go have fun..

Sam

[BMM]

Now I am excited.

That era and style seems much more pure than alot of racing today.

Now...off to find a 56 nomad I can use

[techinspector1]

A '56 Nomad does not qualify as a POS.

Posted by Sam:
"Back in the day as far as paint and things it just had to look good from the spectator seats."

In the crowd I ran with, it was grey primer.

[Glennk]

Well, back in the day I had 2 gassers, a 40 willys that I ran until the late 60's and a 71 Vega that I ran until the mid 70's. The interior in both of them was aluminum plate, 6 and 8 point roll bars. both had 6" dropped tube front axels and coil over shocks w/ radius bars and panhard bar....Willys had an injected 468" big block, ran-9.70S The Vega had 350" Crower injected sbc It ran 10.40's. I don't know what more I can tell you If you have any questions just ask.............GlennK

[Chevrolet4x4s]

Got any pics of them Glenn?

You may want to find a wrecked solid axle leaf spring truck (4wd ok) to see if you can scavangs the brackets and spring hangers off of.
Shane

[Glennk]

I have pics of the Willys posted on Gasser madness.com. It is a red willys sponsered by Van Senus auto parts...I don't know how to post pics on here or I would.......GlennK