Hello from FL
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Welcome Todd! That's a beautiful '57 gasser!
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Was at the SoCal Open House in '09 (the evening before the LA Roadster Show) and hoped to see this '57 Chevy Gasser. Jimmy Shine said it had "gone home"!!! (to Flordia) :0(![]()
What a GREAT car!!! Love it!!! Got the T-Shirt to prove it!!!!
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Todd. That is almost exactly what the first street gasser looked like back in, oh, '66-'67, that I saw in my little town outside Milwaukee WI. We had a little town but man cars and motorcylcles came there from all the surounding towns to scoop the town loop, set up some races, and just have fun. Most any night there was anywhere from 10 cars to a hundred cars and motorcycles in town. I also found out that drugs were a major contributor to the hugh turn outs. I was 14 and 15 then and didn't even know about drugs yet. Anywho. A blue '57 street gasser came into town one night and parked on main street. Same color as yours. Same front end all missing except the chrome hood edge, tube front axle with hairpins, the firewall had been cut back and it was running a Dodge/Plymouth 440 built like a crossram Super Stock engine. The firewall was back even with the face of the dash but just wide enough for the engine. So the steering column and the brake pedal/clutch pedal were in stock locations. This forced the driver to have his gas pedal up on top of the trans tunnel, forcing leg/knee way up in the air. I was able to talk to the owner for a second as he came out to get in it. That is how I know about some of the changes. I asked him if that was uncomfortable with his leg up there. He said it only bothered him on long runs like out to our town (about 30 miles). But he said his biggest problem was banging gears in the four speed with his leg way up there. His words-"I'm going to a chrysler automatic, they have a lot of new stuff to make them as fast as 4 speeds". HEH, I still remember wondering how you would ever get an automatic to run with a 4 speed.
But that car was responsible for the Catalina I am building now. I've always wanted to do a gasser like that. I even bought a '57 Pontiac chaiftan back in '73-'74, did the tilt front end on it but could not afford to go any farther and ended up selling it. Would have loved to still do a '57 Pontiac into a gasser. BUT! I love your car and the looks are just perfect. Gives me great memories of back then. I forgot to say that my house was right on Main St. I had front row seats to all the cruising all the time. I should have charged for seating since there were always lots of kids sitting on our porch. Great to have you on the board and thank you for my little time travel trip. I need more pics around the car to get my fix. Almost as good as the--Way Back MAchine". Mark L
But that car was responsible for the Catalina I am building now. I've always wanted to do a gasser like that. I even bought a '57 Pontiac chaiftan back in '73-'74, did the tilt front end on it but could not afford to go any farther and ended up selling it. Would have loved to still do a '57 Pontiac into a gasser. BUT! I love your car and the looks are just perfect. Gives me great memories of back then. I forgot to say that my house was right on Main St. I had front row seats to all the cruising all the time. I should have charged for seating since there were always lots of kids sitting on our porch. Great to have you on the board and thank you for my little time travel trip. I need more pics around the car to get my fix. Almost as good as the--Way Back MAchine". Mark L
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