Gasser kits that didn't start out as Gasser kits

[Greg Myers]

Kits of late that didn't start out as gasser kits and a few others

[Ace-Garageguy]

      

[Snake45]

Before I can play, I gotta know the rules. Exactly what makes a kit or a particular issue a "gasser" or "NOT a gasser"? 

Tube or beam front axle?

Fuel injectors or a blower? 

Box art? 

Technically, you take the front bumper off something--say a '55-'57 Chevy--and it got kicked up into the Gas class, because everything "lesser" had to run the factory bumpers. 

Edited July 29, 2018 by Snake45

[Force]

To run in the Gas class back in the day the rules was quite hard, the car had to be close to street legal with upholstery, lights, starter, four wheel brakes and all, a gasser also had to have stock wheelbase and minimum wheelbase of 92 inches, a maximum engine setback of 10%, the crank centerline not over 24 inches from the ground, the total body hight could not be reduced by more that 4 inches, anything changed more than that it's an Altered and not a Gasser.
So cars most today call Gassers are in fact Altereds as they are changed too much to fit within the Gasser rules, so just because you use a straight tube or beam front axle and jack the front up in the air doesn't automatically make the car a Gasser, Altereds and many other race cars also had the front up high to get a better weight transfer to the rear, this was not necessary when the wrinkle wall slicks came into use as they were a lot better than the recapped tires used before that.
There was nothing in the rules that required original engines for the car in the Gas class, you could use whatever engine setup you liked as long as it ran on gasoline, and there were a pounds per cubic inch weight break rule.

 

Edited July 29, 2018 by Force

[Vince Nemanic]

All of the AMT altered wheelbase funny cars ('63 Tempest, '65 Nova, '58 Edsel, etc.) could be included since they started out as annuals.

[Greg Myers]

12 hours ago, Snake45 said:

Before I can play, I gotta know the rules. Exactly what makes a kit or a particular issue a "gasser" or "NOT a gasser"? 

Tube or beam front axle?

Fuel injectors or a blower? 

Box art? 

Technically, you take the front bumper off something--say a '55-'57 Chevy--and it got kicked up into the Gas class, because everything "lesser" had to run the factory bumpers. 

You're trying to hard. Just look at the examples.

[Snake45]

1 hour ago, Vince Nemanic said:

All of the AMT altered wheelbase funny cars ('63 Tempest, '65 Nova, '58 Edsel, etc.) could be included since they started out as annuals.

Yes, but the altered wheelbases automatically take them out of the "gasser" category. 

[Snake45]

1 hour ago, Greg Myers said:

You're trying to hard. Just look at the examples.

I did, without much clarification. I don't believe any new "gasser" parts were added to the AMT '49 or '57 Fords (or the '56), just new box art emphasized the gassy version. 

But here's one example that should fit: I believe Revell's '57 Chevy initially came without the solid axle front end. I think that was first seen in their '57 Nomad, and then that part showed up in the hardtops, too. Am I right about any or all of that? 

AMT's '55 Nomad doesn't fit, because it always had the straight-up gasser parts from the first issue. But one could make a strong case for their '55 Bel Air, which was initially issued without the Nomad's gasser parts, and later issued with them as a "street machine" version. 

Edited July 29, 2018 by Snake45

[Greg Myers]

Yes indeed. Good example.

[Snake45]

How about the MPC '57 Corvette? It started life as stocker with MANY building versions, including slicks and blown SBC for gassiness. Later on they did a full-on gasser version with flip front end that shared many parts with the original but couldn't be built stock (and, truth to tell, can hardly be built at all). Would that count? 

Or maybe AMT '63 Corvette. I don't think the original annuals had many if any gassy parts, but over the years it got a blown engine, mags, big slicks, moon tanks, and so forth. That would probably qualify. 

Edited July 29, 2018 by Snake45

[Greg Myers]

I think what I'm after here are kits, many newly released, that seem to hype the "Gasser" thing ( here again, THEIR ideas) on the new box art as to the fact that it's a "Gasser" kit when in all reality it's just a reissue of the same old kit with the possibilities of some "Gasser" like parts to build the box art kit.

Many of these kits have some good high performance parts to achieve this end.

[Southern Fried]

ANYTHING....pre- '65 is "Game".....

[Vince Nemanic]

Snake, if you look At the H.A.M.B and other websites or magazines, it seems tht the majority of the members/readers consider anything with a straight axle as a gasser. That is the definition that I was using.

Of course, you are right (and I agree with you), but also consider that people build models and 1:1s out of cars that have altered wheelbases and refer to these as "gassers".  Furthermore, gas class cars such as the later Opel GTs, Montgomery's Multi Maverick and Fred Hurst's Barracuda were more closely related to a Logghe funny car or Grumpy's Vega than they were to the SWC Willys. So the "gasser" term is open to many interpretations.

[Mark]

4 hours ago, Snake45 said:

I did, without much clarification. I don't believe any new "gasser" parts were added to the AMT '49 or '57 Fords (or the '56), just new box art emphasized the gassy version. 

But here's one example that should fit: I believe Revell's '57 Chevy initially came without the solid axle front end. I think that was first seen in their '57 Nomad, and then that part showed up in the hardtops, too. Am I right about any or all of that? 

AMT's '55 Nomad doesn't fit, because it always had the straight-up gasser parts from the first issue. But one could make a strong case for their '55 Bel Air, which was initially issued without the Nomad's gasser parts, and later issued with them as a "street machine" version. 

Correct: the first-issue Revell '57 Chevy did not include the raised front end.  That was added around 1968, along with the blower setup.  The blower derives from the Parts Pack engine, which replaced the original one for whatever reason.  If you have a post-'68 issue, look at the parts tree with the majority of the unplated engine parts...you can plainly see the Parts Pack tree.  Revell changed the hinges for the hood, doors, and trunk lid too.  Ironically, they took the roll bar out.  But they kept the same Tom Daniel box art (the only kit he did for Revell back then), they just revised the side panels to show the parts that were in the box. 

The '56 Ford kit hasn't changed much over the years.  The first issue had that drag version in the box art, though with the custom front end and a roll bar that was never in the kit.  

The early issue AMT '57 Ford kits don't have the incorrect injector setup, wide rear wheels, or headers that the Flashback issue has.  AMT put the drag version in when they took out the Stylizing parts.  

The AMT '40 Fords had drag versions included from day one.  The headers and wheels got changed in both kits over the years however. 

[Force]

 

15 minutes ago, Vince Nemanic said:

Snake, if you look At the H.A.M.B and other websites or magazines, it seems tht the majority of the members/readers consider anything with a straight axle as a gasser. That is the definition that I was using.

Of course, you are right (and I agree with you), but also consider that people build models and 1:1s out of cars that have altered wheelbases and refer to these as "gassers".  Furthermore, gas class cars such as the later Opel GTs, Montgomery's Multi Maverick and Fred Hurst's Barracuda were more closely related to a Logghe funny car or Grumpy's Vega than they were to the SWC Willys. So the "gasser" term is open to many interpretations.

I personally think the "gasser" term is used recklessly nowadays thrown around on this and that...as I said in my earlier post, just because the car has a straight axle and the front up in the air doesn't automatically mean it's a gasser...yes gassers had that but so did many other race cars at the time.
For me a gasser is a race car that could fit within the gas class rules from the period, nothing else.

[High octane]

Back-in-the-day say in the 50's and early 60's gassers were street driven hot rods that were raced at the drag strips on the weekends. They had to be street legal and the class was called Gas Coupes & Sedans. That means NO convertibles or sports cars. They were allowed certain modifications and alterations however they had to run the stock fenders with or without the running boards. They were raised in the front of the car to transfer the weight upon launching the car. They could have headers or exhaust dumps as long as they had mufflers for street driving. I believe they could remove the rear seats, however there must be a passenger seat in the front. Today, the gassers rules are quite different and many people call any car with a raised front end a gasser which is not true and the term "gasser" is used very loosely.

[Oldcarfan27]

6 hours ago, Snake45 said:

....I don't believe any new "gasser" parts were added to the AMT '49 or '57 Fords (or the '56), just new box art emphasized the gassy version. 

I'm feeling a  bit "gassy" myself!

[Snake45]

14 minutes ago, Oldcarfan27 said:

I'm feeling a  bit "gassy" myself!

I feel your pain. 

[Deuces]

I started a thread on the hamb about Falcons done up "gasser" style.... Check it out when you guys get a break.... Plenty of cool pictures on there....

[afx]

41 minutes ago, Deuces said:

I started a thread on the hamb about Falcons done up "gasser" style.... Check it out when you guys get a break.... Plenty of cool pictures on there....

Please post the link here.

 

[Deuces]

Sorry! I don't know how to post links....

 

[Force]

Easy, just mark the complete url in the address field in your browser, copy and paste it here directly...or klick at the chain link button in the tool field above the message box (fourth from the left between the underline button and the image button) and paste it there and click "insert into post"...either way it will work.

Edited July 30, 2018 by Force

[Bainford]

Just as a raised front, straight tube axel does not necessarily mean a car is a gasser, neither does a gasser have to have a raised front end. Many, especially the early cars used a more stock type geometry.

[Greg Myers]

Interestingly enough, this thread doesn't have anything to do with WHAT a "Gasser" is.

What I am presenting to you are current kits and possibly some older kits that were initially issued simply as kits with varying build possibilities, maybe 3 in 1 kits maybe not.

At any rate the latest reissues have been presented as "Gassers" whether or not they are truly "Gassers" or not. And this isn't the point.

The point being, the kits have some "Gasser" type parts enabling them to be presented as "Gassers" with the manufactures taking advantage of this and reissuing the kits as "Gassers" when in fact they are really just a reissue of some great old kits with new box art touting the "Gasser" image.

I'm not faulting them on this, a great marketing ploy really, just wondering how many other kits have been marketed this way?

[Greg Myers]

While we're on the subject, were one of these Revell Tri Fives the first "Gasser" Kit, or was it their Stone, Woods & Cook '41 Willys ?

Or did I miss the mark altogether and it was something else?