GASSERS.!.At Dover —–Photos/Stories /Historys

[masoParticipant]

My thoughts on Gas Coupes and Sedans.

I loved them.

The original rules on them and also Street Roadsters as I remember was that they had to be equipped with all the stuff necessary for street usage like headlights, tail lights, passenger seat and stuff. They had to start under their own power ( starter motor and battery ) and at least have collector pipes on the outlet of the exhaust system. Also, they had to return to the pits under their own power. ‘Nuther words, they were to be ostensibly “Street Machines”… You could and often did install an engine that was not the one made for that car and the only way to cover for that in the rule book was to require that the engine’s forward most spark plug falls within 10% of the car’s wheelbase as measured from the front end spindle and the centerline of the rear axel. ( that is where Blake and MacWilliams got into trouble and had to run in the Altered class eh…?! ) You had to love that class because it represented all that was creative and exciting, not to mention affordable about Hot Rodding in those glorious but tentative times. These things were half junk yard and half speed shop…!

The problem with the Gas classes was that if you just wanted to install a radical but street drivable valve train or a set of high compression pistons or do something like that onto your real street car then you had to duke it out with the big boys, but then they came up with the “Modified Production” class late in the game but that is a subject for another day.

Guys like George Montgomery and Doug Cook soon started to push the limits of what was originally intended by having a Gas Class. Their cars were just not “streetable” anymore. But the real breakthrough came in about 1962 or 1963 when a company in California called B&M Hydromatics came up with a reworked Oldsmobile hydraulic transmission that could actually hold the power of a blower driven, large displacement, high compression ( ‘nuther words non- streetable ) racing engine. And so, the original spirit of the Gas Coupe was somewhat compromised, but it didn’t matter, the fans and the racers loved them. It is good that the Modified Production class came into being at that time just to leave a place for that type of racer.

The B&M Hydromatic was the turning point in the evolution of the Gas Coupe. The first ones that B&M made could only be bolted up to Oldsmobile engine blocks and that is why Montgomery, Cook and Hugh Tucker all ran Oldsmobile engines at first. Eventually there was a bellhousing for other engines including the hemi. That is the point in time when the Gas Coupe came into its “Glory”… and you had to love it. Paul’s “Locomotive” is a perfect example of it.

Another interesting footnote into Gas Coupe history was at Bakersfield when Junior Thompson in his ’41 Studebaker Coupe pulled off the world’s first wheelstand in a full bodied car… and he didn’t even know it…!

I see a lot of people today who are setting up street rods that they drive to look like gas coupes. That is an indication to me they remember these cars with a lot of affection and I can understand that. We loved it…!

My thoughts for what they’re worth… on Gas Coupes, I hope you like it…!

[dinoKeymaster]

right on maso !

[masoParticipant]

quote Grover Dragct:

just got a call from les m bobby jr just won in fla …4.38..at 313mph

Oh…!!!

That’s BIG…!

That’s going to dominate the forum for weeks to come… I know it…!

[don-kauer]

Great post Maso……..Gassers at Dover is a great forum filler…..I’m having great time with this..Sometimes I would run Gas just to be in the Gasser pits……..Also so glad to see Lagana Jr. doing well after Bobby had his ups and downs all these years…He really deserved to win much more…………He taught the kids well…………………………Don Kauer………

[john-sachs-srParticipant]

Can’t for the life of me remember who was driving my ’38 Chev. 😕 That’s me spotting it.It could have been my wife(She ran it at Roosevelt Raceway Drags).Says she doesn’t remember either. ❓
Anyway,it was a shame,that mildly modified street cars took so long to get their own classes.
The evolution for the gassers worked out,as they evolved into what is today’s “Floppers”.
I remember Chuck Finders trying to put together match races,where we were to run nitro in the AA/GS cars. 😈 That’s when I decided to quit running the short wheelbase “squrriels”. 🙄 Went to bikes.
John

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[dinoKeymaster]

FRED’s And Lagana’s Champion Auto What A pair!

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[pauljbayarinas]

🙂 i loved the GASSERS i think it all came to an end when ford told OHIO GEORGE to use a ford body if he was to use the cammer thats why people loved S.W.C. because they held out so long with the olds then the chrysler power before changing to a mustang body also and yes thats when FUNNY CARS STARTED still cant beat a short wheelbase WILLY OR ANGLIA TOOK ME 50 YEARS TO GET ONE now its NOSTALGIA LITHUANIAN LOCOMOTIVE 😎 THANKS FOR THE COMPLIMENT MASO 🙂

[dinoKeymaster]

Alright Dover Dudes …Name the Owner -Driver

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[dinoKeymaster]

Yes He did Run At Dover…..

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[patinaParticipant]

quote dinotheweirdo:

Yes He did Run At Dover…..

Dino are you referring to Jack Merkel ? He did run at Dover with his own 39 Willys coupe it was black and ran B/GS. This yellow one is Ray Kobels C/G Sponsored by JM. It is the same yellow coupe that is in this thread running a 55 Chevy. Ray towed that Willys back from California where he lived for awhile and drove the Willys stocker to work daily.

Pat

[vbobParticipant]

HEY
/GAS

‘V’

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[dinoKeymaster]

Right Maso …I did find the Black Merkal willys shot but it’s a little scratchie…so i’m working on cleaning it up.

[tomblakeParticipant]

Maso’s quote…….You could and often did install an engine that was not the one made for that car and the only way to cover for that in the rule book was to require that the engine’s forward most spark plug falls within 10% of the car’s wheelbase as measured from the front end spindle and the centerline of the rear axel. ( that is where Blake and MacWilliams got into trouble and had to run in the Altered class eh…?! ) You had to love that class because it represented all that was creative and exciting, not to mention affordable about Hot Rodding in those glorious but tentative times. These things were half junk yard and half speed shop…!

Bill reminded me that we also ran the gas class with the 37 Ford. Don’t remember if no one measured or if we were actually within the gas tech limits. Look close at the picture and you can see the A/G on the window. Maybe this is one for the cheater thread. 🙄

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[masoParticipant]

quote TomBlake:

Bill reminded me that we also ran the gas class with the 37 Ford. Don’t remember if no one measured or if we were actually within the gas tech limits. Look close at the picture and you can see the A/G on the window. Maybe this is one for the cheater thread. 🙄

I see. I beg your pardon. I thought that you had told me that the engine was out of the 10% wheelbase/spark plug limit. My bad. Either way, that car is essentially a Gas Coupe in concept even if that spark plug is a little too close to the rear axel.

[pauljbayarinas]

🙁 K.S. PITTMAN has died also one of the greats from years gone by 🙁

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