We’ve all known that gassers have been around drag racing since the beginning and they were mostly raced on gas, blown or injected or some with a tunnel ram and carbs, but the idea of a gasser resides in the head of the builder.
The Tribute to Gassers, held at the Automotive Driving Museum, showed many different gassers, coupes and sedans from real restored period race cars to high-dollar “never was” cars, still making for awesome eye candy on a Saturday morning.
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Promoter Robert Rey had expected nearly five-dozen entries, but the cars that showed up were a solid representative collection and covered the spectrum of the legendary class. Most cars needed to be studied like a fine painting and a couple or them was a head shaking, “WTF were they thinking?”
For purists, there were a few straight axle Factory Experimental-type Super/Stockers and most troubling was this faux GTO “gasser” with EFI and a slip on injector cover complete with rubber hoses and a barrel valve – made to look like tall stacks. What? On the positive side, the radiator support was autographed by Jim Wangers, the Godfather of the GTO.
Jim Steven’s B/Street Roadster, was one of the toughest west coast Modified Eliminator cars of the 70’s. The high winding, four speed, Ford-powered roadster pick-up was a killer car, taking plenty of win lights, I saw him do it.
Two more real racecars, originally built in Germany, were the H/Gas “Lightning Bug” VW’s campaigned by the Schley Brothers, no straight axles or blowers, but plenty quick hot rods with their share of wins… and they still race them!
There were also a few cars that were absolutely not gassers, more like rack and pinion, street cruisers that got parked in the side parking lot, but the hardest of the hard core were parked side by side around the El Segundo museum.
By far, my choice for Best of Show is the “Strip Tripper” owned by longtime straight axle enthusiast Paul Soliz. Back in history, his ’41 Willys pick-up gasser was originally campaigned in the B/Gas class and Paul managed to save the awesome, multi layered lace and lacquer paint job. With cracks and chips from years of racing it is a stunning resto of a real gasser, leaving the paint for us all to appreciate.
Late in the morning there was a gasser roundtable with the likes of Isky himself; Ed Iskendarian, Bones Balogh and Jim Kirby.
The show rocked with it’s own gasser fire up and a miniature nitro Cacklefest from the Thomas Pritchard & Harrison “Beaver Hunter” fuel altered.
Through August 10, there are still four great examples of gassers parked with all of the museum drivers on the showroom floor, but you can’t ride in those hot rods. You’ll have to wait for the next Tribute to Gassers; you won’t want to miss it.
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I’m building an all steel 41 Willy’s,with a 6-71 and modern 4 port Hilborn 354 hemi. I’ll be there next year. let me know when and where. Jim [email protected]