'39 Chevy revamp.

[customline]

Not an original idea but I liked it and well.....I love gassers using pre-war cars. Street gassers are popular these days so....throw a set of tags on it and voila! Here's what I'm starting with (below) and I welcome your comments and suggestions. I have a fair supply of parts and plenty of Evergreen.  Here we go......

[customline]

Spent the afternoon going through my wheel and tire stash and the best I could find was these but the mags are a matching set and I figure a street-legal gasser should wear chrome all around. I stole some stuff from the '68 Dart kit that could work here. Engine will likely be the original 427 but would need a clean-up and upgrading. I'll need a good set of fender well headers too. There is another choice but a hemi in a stove bolt would make the Chevy guys cringe. I'm OK with it though, it's easier to wire ?. I expect to do a flip nose with side panels added and sinking the headlights into the fenders a bit. See below. Tell me what you think.

[Olskoolrodder]

Looking forward to seeing this

[Zippi]

Love the Gassers.  Find yourself a straight axle (watch the 24" height limit from the center of the crank) for up front and get some wheely bars out the back.  

[customline]

33 minutes ago, Zippi said:

Love the Gassers.  Find yourself a straight axle (watch the 24" height limit from the center of the crank) for up front and get some wheely bars out the back.  

Yeah, that would mean I need to check my other gasser on the shelf ?.  I'm a bit ignorant on the rules. That's why I'm here! Thanks for the help,  Zippy!  These two are probably a little too high. The Olds for sure ?. 

The original chevy axle would probably suffice but I may fab one from aluminum for a better look. I'm going to do this build with what's in the house. I'll play around with the chassis today and figure something out. An inch off the deck. What about set-back? There's a limit on that too, I think. The rules changed from time to time, and NHRA rules differ from AHRA, right?  I know it's too complicated for me. I would need to decide on what time period my gasser was in at the time it was built. Then what sanctioning body, what sub-class, etc.  A snapshot in time . Can I use Av-gas?

[customline]

Yup....the Olds won't pass tech inspection. I'm disqualified ?

The Mopar is a tad over....I think I can get away with it ? ; I'll let some air out of the front tires.

The Chevy will be in compliance ?

Edited December 13, 2021 by customline

[Jantrix]

I've done a gasser on this one using the inline 6 from the Monogram 53 Chevy. Turned out pretty nice.  I look forward to setting this come together. 

[Andrew McD]

Engine setback for the NHRA gasser class was 10% of the wheelbase with the setback measurement being from the front axle line to the center of the engine’s forward most spark plug hole.  

Edited December 13, 2021 by Andrew McD
Spelling

[Andrew McD]

1 hour ago, Jantrix said:

I've done a gasser on this one using the inline 6 from the Monogram 53 Chevy. Turned out pretty nice.  I look forward to setting this come together. 

I’ve always had a weird affection for the less powerful gasser class running inline 6’s and such.  You could put a multi carb Chevrolet 6 cylinder in her…….but I have a feeling that isn’t likely?.  Regardless of your approach I will enjoy watching this one.

[customline]

Rob, that's a great idea. I have one or two of those stove bolts in baggies somewhere. I did the 53 as a custom with a Caddy engine. There's also the one from a 37 too. Hmmmm. What class would it run in?  I was moving toward the hemi, I just tried to disassemble the original rat motor and I don't think I can use it. There should be one in the 41 pickup. If I go with a six, I won't have to make wheelie bars or put a parachute on the back. ? anyway, I have it broken down as far as I can and the next step is paint removal. The chassis was brush painted ? with testers gloss black. I'm thinking brake fluid.

 

Andrew, thanks for your input, the math alone is too much for my 70 year old brain on a good day ?. The engine goes in front of the firewall and behind the radiator. I was joking when asking about the set-back. LOL! Who's gonna know? But I appreciate your interest always and I am going to consider the 6, seriously. 

 

Edited December 13, 2021 by customline

[customline]

Found this one. I'm  liking this idea. It's quirky ?

 

Edited December 13, 2021 by customline
Duplicate photo, my bad

[Jantrix]

4 hours ago, customline said:

Rob, that's a great idea. I have one or two of those stove bolts in baggies somewhere. I did the 53 as a custom with a Caddy engine.

I used the Monogram inline because like the '39, it is 1/24 scale. It also comes with some slick performance parts, like a header and a multi carb intake. It fits in the '39 really easily too.

[customline]

I found the AMT 51 Chevy stovebolt in the AMT 53 'Vette box, where I put it years ago. Scale-wise, it's not so far off that I can't be forgiven . I found some pix on the net of Fisher head applications with Hilborn injection and it's a VERY cool look. I will build up this engine and decide to use it (or not ) based upon how well it turns out. See below

[customline]

After exploring the possibilities, I no longer think I can use the stove bolt for this application.  I don't have a transmission for it and I'm not sure I can mount it easily. So I'm sixing the six. Moving on to a 409 from the AMT '65 convertible and trying to fit an intake system worthy of a gasser with limited choices. Later.?

Edited December 15, 2021 by customline
Taking it down for irrelevance

[bisc63]

The Monogram/Revell 1/24 '65 'vette is my go-to for a nice 1/24 BBC engine (396), and is pretty common, and available in stock or street machine dressing.

[customline]

Thanks for that, Rusty. I'm going through some kits, looking for the right engine for this reclamation project. The original BBC (that sounds wrong ) is messed up so I'm trying to find something better. The aforementioned stove bolt 6 would be really neat but I just don't have a proper trans. I may use it in a rat-rod though. I'll see if I can find that 65 'vette kit on ebay. 

 

[customline]

Wet sanded body with 400 and made a discovery; I have no recollection of painting it red before the black but there it is.? . The rest went into the purple pond. It's slower but a bit easier. Still playing around with engines.  I'll get the body ready for primer in the meanttime. Thanks for your interest ?

[customline]

Morning update:

Decided after all to try the stove bolt 6 thing again. I have the AMT '51 version without a transmission and the '37 version with integral transmission and head. I decapitated the '37 block and grafted the optional Fisher head. I set up the Hilborn injection with trumpets, and drilledsome holes where needed. I have a question about the header supplied with the '51 kit; what is it? It has an all-over texture that resembles cast iron. Is that right? ? shouldn't it be emulating steel tube? Is it some sort of ancient speed equipment? Help me out, please. Somebody must have run into this before. I don't have a clue on a finish for it. Thanks for your interest.

[Mr. Metallic]

Glad you're going with the 6. i love drag cars with "alternative" engine se ups (as opposed the the standard SBC/BBC and Hemi's)

[customline]

1 hour ago, Mr. Metallic said:

Glad you're going with the 6. i love drag cars with "alternative" engine se ups (as opposed the the standard SBC/BBC and Hemi's)

Thanks for the encouragement. Keeping it all Chevy seemed like the right thing to do ?. Any ideas about the funky header? 

[Mr. Metallic]

57 minutes ago, customline said:

Thanks for the encouragement. Keeping it all Chevy seemed like the right thing to do ?. Any ideas about the funky header? 

 I wouldn't read too much into the textured headers simulating a cast iron item. Either sand it smooth to simulate steel, or leave it textured to simulate a heat resistant paint treatment (white). If it was me I'd do the former. Those are straight pipes, so it's drag car ready. Have fun

[customline]

Thanks for the advice Mr. M, sanding them smooth enough to look like steel tube would be a chore for me but I'll give it a shot ?. Besides, I already drilled the ends out ?

Edited December 16, 2021 by customline

[customline]

Bad news....the stove bolt won't work for me unless I remove part of the left front fender to allow the injector stacks to be used at full length. I wanted to use the Fisher head conversion with injection setup for a gasser build but I just don't think I can make it look good unless I go totally shade tree. I considered chopping it but thought a re-shape of that odd roofline would be time better spent. Besides, a high-sprung, nose-in-the-clouds gasser with a chopped top makes no sense to me (yet they exist. ) Anyway, I started on the roof. Maybe I can figure out the engine thing.yes, that's the roof from the AMT  '36 Ford kit. Bondo to follow.

[espo]

I like the changes to the shape of the roof. I'm not an expert on these cars but something about the roof shape just never looked right to me. What roof are you using??  Shorter stacks on the injectors may work depending on how they look to you. 

[customline]

3 hours ago, espo said:

I like the changes to the shape of the roof. I'm not an expert on these cars but something about the roof shape just never looked right to me. What roof are you using??  Shorter stacks on the injectors may work depending on how they look to you. 

That's the top portion of the un-chopped option from the AMT '36 kit. It's flatter than the section I removed from the '39. I think the reason for the odd shape may have been to accommodate the jump seat rider. I decided to lower the engine and it will clear as is. The plan is to create a flip nose and that way the whole engine can be exposed and eliminating the running boards and fabbing sides for the hood will give it a dedicated gasser look. I don't have a clever name yet but it will probably be self-deprecating ? owing to the engine choice. Thanks for your interest, David. I'm always open to suggestions and this build is the product of that.