Author Topic: What did you do on your Gasser TODAY?  (Read 23454 times)

Offline GlennLever

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What did you do on your Gasser TODAY?
« on: January 31, 2013, 09:00:57 PM »
What did you do on your Gasser TODAY?
« Last Edit: February 05, 2013, 08:57:47 PM by GlennLever »
Glenn R. Lever
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Offline bowtie40

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Re: What did you do on your Gasser TODAY?
« Reply #1 on: February 05, 2013, 03:54:24 PM »
Started on the drive shaft loops. I could have bought them, but I have a different design in mind... bowtie40.

Offline Flyingdutchmanfc

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Re: What did you do on your Gasser TODAY?
« Reply #2 on: March 10, 2013, 03:11:05 PM »
A close friend of mine is building this willys, and has been for a long while now. It is an all steel Willys except the doors, its a I think a 392 Hemi beast. Hes not computer savy so I will throw these up for him. I cant say if and when it will see the light of day but its coming along. His build is more of a Pro Street approach. Hes done some rear floor work and a few other things since I took these I will update sometime.









« Last Edit: March 10, 2013, 03:12:39 PM by Flyingdutchmanfc »
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Offline Dolmetsch

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Re: What did you do on your Gasser TODAY?
« Reply #3 on: June 04, 2014, 01:52:21 PM »
Reworked the hood I got to fit tight to the body. It was from a wreck and had been repaired with a twist. I found the worst spot along the edge. Sliced it , mounted it , tacked it a couple of spots then removed and welded it. Also installed spears to hold top of hood in place so it now attaches with a single big wingnut (Like a windup key.) I ground the welds, gave it a coat of Kitty hair for its initial filler and rough ground it. ALSO have been working on an engine project for some reason. It is an early 318 Poly. I started in porting the heads using much the same methods I did for my all out slant six head. I was surprised how far I could go and still not hit water. This reshaping is major. For some reason I have gone back to this engine. It is bored and has its new rods and pistons.(333 cubes) The heads will need to flow well as I am looking for some serious power. and relatively hi RPM (7000) To reuse an old line, "This is NOT your daddy's 318 poly."  I am being encouraged to install it in the bug gasser however we shall see.  Still very interesting working on it.  My first hot rod was powered by one of these as was the next. I have a soft spot for them.
don
« Last Edit: June 04, 2014, 01:55:18 PM by Dolmetsch »
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Offline Dolmetsch

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Re: What did you do on your Gasser TODAY?
« Reply #4 on: June 05, 2014, 07:04:35 PM »
Made and welded up an steering wheel adapter today in steel. Installed the wheel.
don
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Offline Dolmetsch

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Re: What did you do on your Gasser TODAY?
« Reply #5 on: July 02, 2014, 09:38:56 PM »
I have been working on the new steering arms with the proper ackerman for this wheelbase. I installed them today. Need one more arm for the pitman connection and the long tie rod assembly. I start on them bit by bit ten once made install them and the car will be steerable
don
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Offline Dolmetsch

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Re: What did you do on your Gasser TODAY?
« Reply #6 on: July 17, 2014, 04:12:43 AM »
If my rod ends come in today I should have the steering done today or very close. Made the linkage yesterday. Little by little it is coming along.
don
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Offline GlennLever

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Re: What did you do on your Gasser TODAY?
« Reply #7 on: July 18, 2014, 07:59:30 PM »
If my rod ends come in today I should have the steering done today or very close. Made the linkage yesterday. Little by little it is coming along.
don

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Offline Dolmetsch

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Re: What did you do on your Gasser TODAY?
« Reply #8 on: July 19, 2014, 11:15:57 AM »
You are so right Glenn.
I just poke along and it is getting done. As of today I have working steering. I limited the amount so I wont wind up on the roof in a jam.
I may rework the drag link as I am not totally pleased with it but will take the weekend to mull it over and see what I decide. However it steers.
The current plan is to finish all the front end stuff including making the lock nuts , finish cleaning up the axle assembly, then paint it and put it all back into the chassis for the last time. In the back of my mind I am mulling over the engine deal. should I build another Killer, should I use the low mileage 225 I have here with my passive supercharging setup (GM engineering experiment from 1962) or find a GN Buick turbo set up from the early GN days and make it really cook still using a carb and traditional stuff. Should be able to make some serious umgh with that set up seeing as how both the Buick V6 and the slant six were the same cubic inches back in the 60s and close today so the Turbo deal wouldn't know the difference. Have played with Turbos on Slant six before. Back in the day.  A 170 cuber and a Corvair Spyder turbo. Worked very good even though it was a very mild setup.
Here is a photo of its first pass back in the 70s.
« Last Edit: July 20, 2014, 04:34:47 AM by Dolmetsch »
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Offline Dolmetsch

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Re: What did you do on your Gasser TODAY?
« Reply #9 on: July 24, 2014, 04:26:57 AM »
Yesterday I took the pistons I am going to use on one of the engines I want to use in the VW. I had to retool the pin holes to fit the slant six pins so  brought them close with an adjustable reamer  then went to a friends automotive machine shop and used his Sunnen hone to finish the fit. Rods are now hung on the pistons. Today , if all goes well I will get the block ready for its .100" overbore. This is a test engine for this combo and so I will be building what I call a Dixie cup motor which I often do when experimenting with a new idea. Minimal expense just to test the idea. If it turns out good then a serious version (forged pistons etc) will be built. Over the years though and surpisingly we have never lost even one of our Dixie cup experimentals. Still it has proven to be a good method for flogging ideas. For example expense so far in $ including the motor and used pistons is $0. I have a stack of custom made cams for the /6 so I will pick one of them that I liked .I have a head with big valves and porting I ran for six ears so will check it over and use it. it has springs and all and is good to go after a quick check . I have three intakes to choose from and a spare set of headers that will fit in the VW. I am hoping for about 280 HP from 230+ cubes
don
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Offline Dolmetsch

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Re: What did you do on your Gasser TODAY?
« Reply #10 on: August 27, 2014, 07:04:09 PM »
Block assembly is finished except for oil pump which should be here tomorrow. A friend gave me a perfect trunk lid so I changed that. Then I radiused the rear fenders for tire clearance and for a moment I could actually see the end of the major body work. There may be hope for this project yet.
don
« Last Edit: October 07, 2014, 10:10:54 AM by Dolmetsch »
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Offline Dolmetsch

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Re: What did you do on your Gasser TODAY?
« Reply #11 on: October 07, 2014, 10:14:40 AM »
Hobbled to the shop and began reworking the distributor for the VW, I have to behave myself with this car and build it just for fun as the other one got too fast for me. I know you young lads won't understand that (yet) but I would rather slow down and have easier entry and exit then quit all together. 12s or 13s will be ok. Anyway I m back at it.
don
« Last Edit: October 07, 2014, 10:16:13 AM by Dolmetsch »
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Offline ricardo1967

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Re: What did you do on your Gasser TODAY?
« Reply #12 on: October 07, 2014, 04:12:40 PM »
Don, maybe it's just me, but I don't get it of how the VW Gasser would be any safer than the Sr. Dragster. If I think about the 'stuck throttle episode', I'm not convinced that the outcome would be much different.

Offline Dolmetsch

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Re: What did you do on your Gasser TODAY?
« Reply #13 on: October 07, 2014, 08:55:43 PM »
OK. Well first tis true a stuck throttle is a stuck throttle. What stuck it was so small it would make one sick when they discovered it and it was so preventable. I hope and pray I never  give it a chance to happen again on any car I own.
However the dragster was getting too fast for me. Why I don't know. I just felt since I put the tunnel ram and headers on I wasn't comfy  at the far end of the track. Most of my race cars ran between 116mph and 122 mph in the traps and I was always comfy with that. I still enjoyed pounding the daylights out of my 426MAX Wedge 63 Dodge. So I would just lift early, hundred feet or so out and all was well. But that alone wasn't the only problem I had. In 1990 I slipped in my shop while carrying  440 block in with a friend and landed with my back stuck into another 440 block on the floor. After several months of goofing around they discovered I had torn the intercostal joints on the left side of my back and ribcage and they now move quite a bit instead of holding the ribs snug to the spine. So I lived since then in constant discomfort.  Getting in and out of the Sr dragster was never easy for me even with the large roll cage but the last year or so it has been pure xxxx. Enough that by the time you are in a buckled up you really don't feel like bothering to run. In fact when I got in in Set 20 I knew for sure this would be my last time climbing in the car. On top of that I had developed the bad habit of riding the brake hard all the way down. The faster I went the harder I rode it. I could talk myself into putting both hands on the wheel after launch which made a huge difference in performance but then I would forget to stage up on the converter or something. I finally came to the conclusion that I am just not a good FED driver and am not likely to ever be. I am in my 65th year so I didn't feel too bad .Certainly my dad and my granddad were not doing anything like this when they were that age. The performance I achieved from this little rail and its slant six far exceeded anything I imagined when I built it so it was OK all around. In the VW gasser I sit normal. I installed a school bus seat so I can get in the passengers door and slide across to the driver side where the door bar is to protect from side hits. I knew I could never get over it going in and out so I planned ahead. It has a foot brake so I will only be on the throttle or the brake  I hope. It weighs more by about 400 to 500 lbs and has less Hp , probably only about 270hp and does not have a Frank Lupo converter so it will be a much slower car easier to enter and more comfortable to drive.  I suspect 13s or high 12s will be all it will do and I will have to be happy with that whether I like it or not. My max wedge runs around there in street trim so I know I can handle that. I have to stay safe, I have to be inside my personal comfort zone and I need a car I can get in and out of without enduring a lot of pain. I am not ready to stop racing but tis time to turn the page and this is what I am thinking and why. I had a phone call tonight from a shoe I built BB mopars for for almost 20 years. He drives a RED currently and offered to shoe the Sr dragster next year at the Shannonville track. He has driven for me  before (The car pictured below)for several years and would do a good job I am sure but I did not build the sr dragster to race competitively in Bracket racing. Nor do I any longer have an interest in competitive racing. Spent too many weekends chasing the rainbow. Bin there dun that! I built it in my retirement to explore a few old ideas I never had time to look into before and so I could have  little fun myself. It has fulfilled that role more than I ever hoped for and I would like to tie a ribbon on it right here. The VW will give me an excuse to go to the Picton track a couple of times a year just for the pure enjoyment of it. Make a couple of passes against my friend Bill's VW Chev powered gasser and sit around enjoying the company and conversation with friends I have had now up to 40 years in this sport. I really enjoy that now. I hope that helps you understand where I am coming from.
« Last Edit: October 08, 2014, 04:06:25 AM by Dolmetsch »
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Offline ricardo1967

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Re: What did you do on your Gasser TODAY?
« Reply #14 on: October 11, 2014, 06:00:19 AM »
Don,

Thanks for your note. I do understand your reasoning now. I felt intimate with the Sr. Dragster - without ever seeing it - based on your daily posts that I followed like people follow soap opera. Every night I was reading them and learning something, or having a laugh, or both. I am sorry about your back (have couple herniated discs myself).

You closed a very accomplished chapter in your drag racing life, and you're just starting a new one.

Best luck.