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Early '60s, NHRA Legal C/Gas Supercharged Gasser


traditional

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I've seen too many models of "gassers', over the years, that wouldn't have passed tech inspection in the day since they're more like 'run what ya brung' racers, so I'm just completing this '55 Chevy gasser using the NHRA rule books (from ''62/'63/64) for guidance. The body is originally from a Revell 1/25 American Graffiti 'snap kit' that had only an opening hood. I've cut open the doors and trunk, built up a 4-71 GMC supercharged Chevy small-block, fabricated an aluminum floor and trunk interior, brass and aluminum straight front axle (with steering), set back the engine the legal 10%, cut open the front fenders to become a one-piece flip front end, simple tuck-n-roll basic upholstery, legal lightweight front seats, raised the front of the roof area (disproportionately low from Revell), and fabricated a myriad of brackets and details to complete the model. Paint is custom mixed basecoat/clearcoat darkish orange and the wheels are from the Revell Orange Crate (rear) and Round2 Willys pickup gasser (front). The car sits relatively level and the height is the legal maximum of the rocker panels being no higher than the center of the rear hubs. The legal 150 lb maximum battery is mounted in the trunk for rear weight bias, and the 301" Chevy engine is mounted no higher than the two ft ground to crankshaft center.

 

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Edited by traditional
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Oh baby...I like this a lot.

I'm one of the pedantic mean old SOBs who think if something's gonna be tagged as a "gasser" (not gasser-style or gasser-esque or gasser-like or gasser-inspired), it damm well ought to be a historically-accurate class-legal scale model of a gasser...at least as far as the major identifiers of stance, crank-centerline height and 10% allowable engine setback go.

I have nothing against anyone who wants to build the other "gasser-influenced" stuff (though I think the way-nose-high look is idiotic) but please don't call them "gassers".

Rant over.

Love your model, the extra effort you put in to make it right, and especially those firewall-clearing custom headers and cleanly-fabricated front suspension.   :)

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Question: It looks to me like you built your firewall and door jambs out of high-density foam. Correct, or is this something else?

I've used a lot of various foams for aircraft structural and tooling prototype work, and your material here looks very familiar.

Yes,Bill, I used 'Renshape' foam resin...I have lots of chunks of it left over from my Industrial design days. It's relatively easily formed (filed and sanded) and very durable. The grade that I use is very dense and can easily be painted without bubbles or gaps.

 

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