Gasser (car)
Encyclopedia
A gasser is a type of hot rod
originating on the dragstrip
s of the United States
in the late 1950s and continued until the early 1970s. Gassers are based on production models from the 1930s to mid 1950s, which have been stripped of extraneous weight and jacked up using a truck beam axle
to provide better weight distribution on acceleration (Beam axles are lighter than an independent front suspension as well), though a raised stock front suspension is common as well. Common weight reduction techniques include fibreglasss body panels, stripped interiors and perspex windows (sometimes colour tinted).
Being built for racing, these cars are subject to either an engine swap, tuning or both. It was very common to fit a Roots supercharger and mechanical fuel injection
, such as one from Algon, Hillborn or Crower.
With form being dictated by function, their appearance is often very top heavy and ungainly, largely due being raised higher than stock. Having their exhaust headers exiting through the fender well is a common characteristic, as it is the most direct route. Although being functional, these were often flamboyantly painted in metalflakes, pearls and candy finishes complemented by lettering in wild fonts.
The name arose because they were a gasoline
-driven class, as opposed to using methanol
or nitromethane
.
Hot rod
Hot rods are typically American cars with large engines modified for linear speed. The origin of the term "hot rod" is unclear. One explanation is that the term is a contraction of "hot roadster," meaning a roadster that was modified for speed. Another possible origin includes modifications to or...
originating on the dragstrip
Dragstrip
A dragstrip is a facility for conducting automobile and motorcycle acceleration events such as drag racing. Although a quarter mile is the best known measure for a drag track, many tracks are eighth mile tracks...
s of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the late 1950s and continued until the early 1970s. Gassers are based on production models from the 1930s to mid 1950s, which have been stripped of extraneous weight and jacked up using a truck beam axle
Beam axle
A beam axle is a suspension system, also called a solid axle, in which one set of wheels is connected laterally by a single beam or shaft...
to provide better weight distribution on acceleration (Beam axles are lighter than an independent front suspension as well), though a raised stock front suspension is common as well. Common weight reduction techniques include fibreglasss body panels, stripped interiors and perspex windows (sometimes colour tinted).
Being built for racing, these cars are subject to either an engine swap, tuning or both. It was very common to fit a Roots supercharger and mechanical fuel injection
Fuel injection
Fuel injection is a system for admitting fuel into an internal combustion engine. It has become the primary fuel delivery system used in automotive petrol engines, having almost completely replaced carburetors in the late 1980s....
, such as one from Algon, Hillborn or Crower.
With form being dictated by function, their appearance is often very top heavy and ungainly, largely due being raised higher than stock. Having their exhaust headers exiting through the fender well is a common characteristic, as it is the most direct route. Although being functional, these were often flamboyantly painted in metalflakes, pearls and candy finishes complemented by lettering in wild fonts.
The name arose because they were a gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
-driven class, as opposed to using methanol
Methanol
Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, wood alcohol, wood naphtha or wood spirits, is a chemical with the formula CH3OH . It is the simplest alcohol, and is a light, volatile, colorless, flammable liquid with a distinctive odor very similar to, but slightly sweeter than, ethanol...
or nitromethane
Nitromethane
Nitromethane is an organic compound with the chemical formula . It is the simplest organic nitro compound. It is a slightly viscous, highly polar liquid commonly used as a solvent in a variety of industrial applications such as in extractions, as a reaction medium, and as a cleaning solvent...
.