I wanna build a gasser out of the AMT re-issue '49 Ford Coupe. I plan on using the front end from the Lindberg Lil' Red Wagon kit. I see a lot of builders like the rear half of the '55-'57 Chevy gasser kits. What could I use? I wanna try and keep the tires tucked in just a little on the rear. There isn't much wheel well space.
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'49 Ford Gasser help
Started by JMD904, Feb 03 2013 04:46 PM
3 replies to this topic
#1
JMD904
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Posted 03 February 2013 - 04:46 PM
#2
Ace-Garageguy
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Posted 04 February 2013 - 05:55 AM
In the real world, a gasser would most likely run a Ford 9", a Chevy '12 bolt', or a later '50s Olds/Pontiac rear. Some cars ran pickup-truck rear ends. So any of these would be appropriate if you're going for accuracy, and they're easy to find in kits. The Ford 9", available from 1957 onwards, is found in all of the Revell '32 Ford kits. Just cut off the airbags and mount it to the springs in the '49 Ford and you're set.
To get the wheels inside the fenders, do it like real. Axles are / were routinely narrowed to fit real cars, and the perches for the springs get cut loose and repositioned to fit as required. Sometimes, new spring hangers get fabricated to fit different springs to the chassis. There's no, one-right-way to build a gasser.
Cars with smaller engines, or no supercharger could run narrow slicks that would fit your wheel wells. The rear springs you already have can be used for a gasser (as can the stock rear-end, if you don't worry too much about it blowing up if it were real), but you'll need to raise it, and you'll need some kind of traction bars (depending on the period and class the car represents).
Do a google image search for "gasser rear suspension" to see various optional arrangements.
Edited by Ace-Garageguy, 04 February 2013 - 11:10 AM.
#3
JMD904
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Posted 04 February 2013 - 08:08 AM
I just tested out a '48 F-1 axle and leaf springs from the Monogram kit, prefect!
#4
Ace-Garageguy
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Posted 04 February 2013 - 11:03 AM
Sounds like a good chioce. I THINK the Ford F1s used a Dana 41 rear end (also '49 Merc, I believe), fair selection of ratios, but not as strong as a Dana 44 ('50 F1 truck) which looks like it but has flattened sides on the rear cover.
In 1:1 it should have the same wheel bolt pattern as the shoebox too, which could be helpful if building a drag car, cheap.
Edited by Ace-Garageguy, 04 February 2013 - 11:12 AM.
