New trend!!!

[Chiefdan]

Originally Posted by ChevyRacefan

Meh, the dragg'n ass look is a fad, no different than the Gasser, Jack it to the sky and make that brick even worse Aero drag. Or the high jackers in the rear.
Seems many forget the fads their generation if not them ,themselves took part in that were just as stupid. none of it was safe, or legal. The dragg'n ass truck fad isn't my thing, but I see it for what it is, it is no different than the gasser look that made an aero brick even worse, the highjacker rear that killed handling and braking, the pro street cars that died as soon at the 10.5" racers made them look stupid.
Every generation has "their" thing they think is cool beans. I find it sad when older folks compain , forgetting the silly fads they followed. There was ricers (posers) long before the import crowd.

Have to respectfully disagree with you here ChevyRacefan. The Gassers were not built as a fad or a look. The stance had a purpose. In the late 50's - early 60's there were no wide or soft tires and the hot rodders could get more horsepower than any tire available at the time would handle. Jacking up the front (usually a straight axle) moved more of the weight distribution to the rear of the car enhancing traction. This look stayed until the wide ovals and slicks were available in the 60's. I know it works because my Gasser would still run 12 seconds on the tires off a Camray. :metal

[ChevyRacefan]

Originally Posted by Chiefdan

Have to respectfully disagree with you here ChevyRacefan. The Gassers were not built as a fad or a look. The stance had a purpose. In the late 50's - early 60's there were no wide or soft tires and the hot rodders could get more horsepower than any tire available at the time would handle. Jacking up the front (usually a straight axle) moved more of the weight distribution to the rear of the car enhancing traction. This look stayed until the wide ovals and slicks were available in the 60's. I know it works because my Gasser would still run 12 seconds on the tires off a Camray. :metal

Wrong.
I am not talking the gasser race cars, I am talking the street cars that followed the look.
The race cars was because it was cheaper to raise it, than cut and make the tires fit the body.
The fact that we see gassers still being built, proves my point, It was a fad. a look that a generation saw as cool, and still does.
No one can claim that it makes for a better faster car.
Yet they still build them. it isn't the 60's anymore.
The gasser look is a generational fad. still seen on street cars and race cars built today. only reason is looks.
Same with the highjacker look of the 70's the prostreet look of the 80's.
Sure some cars look killer as a gasser, but it isn't because they want to go fast. They built it today because of the "look" .
The hobby is strange, put a 2 door car on a 4x4 frame and people cry WTF. jack up the rear, and put a van straight axle under the front a mile in the sky, everyone goes cool. Ladder bar rears and a solid front axle ride and handle like crap on the street. And many are only used on the street, so it is about the look. a trend, a fad. I remember the stink bug stance, they rode like a stage coach buck board in the rear, pro street any turn at over 25 mph was risking ending up in a ditch.
The dragg'n ass fad today, is same plot different movie. It makes others look at take notice. And like all the other trends before it, it handles like garbage, but turns heads.

[Stocker]

As I recall, Gassers typically had a mild lift up front to aid weight transfer rearward, for better traction off the line. I can't say how well it worked but a lot of drag racers did it back in the day, so draw your own conclusions. Less clear is how well it transferred to street use. Speaking of that -- I knew a kid back in the mid-sixties who owned a highly modified street-driven '55 Chevy. It had that Gasser stance, straight front axle, and a bored & built 409 with two 4-barrel carbs. Said he got 3 mpg (!) which was unacceptable even with gas at 2 bits a gallon. He swapped the twin carbs for a single and said his mileage doubled..... to 6 mpg. Ah, the good old days!

EDIT: I wrote this before seeing the 2 posts above.... but I'll leave it the way I wrote it.