I went out to the car show and got this wierd idea

-

hemichuck

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2012
Messages
990
Reaction score
127
Location
Louisville Kentucky
I went out with my son to put his Viper in the Carl Casper Custom Auto show here in Louisville and as I walked around looking at some of the cars I was thinking about something I would like to build next, something kind of low budget but cool and fun to drive and this weird thought popped into my head. There are a bunch of guys that run around here in old gasser style rides and they call themselves the straight axle mafia. Since I grew up in the 60's watching a bunch of gassers and fuel altered run I like the look but its hard to find a cheap old car to hack into that style without spending a fortune to start so I got thinking, PT cruisers look old...Right? and they are a dime a dozen...right? so I was thinking a PT cruiser with the full straight axle treatment and a small block with a tunnel ram sticking out the hood. Maybe some wild graphics or flames or just some red oxide. Anybody feeling this? or do I just need to get back on my meds?
 
Get back on your meds I think. I don't think it would be very low budget.
 
I think a PT would look great with a straight axle, extra wide rear tires, a small block with a blower or a couple of high carbs and a wild metal flake paint job. It would certainly bring to mind the old Anglias, Prefects and Poplars that everyone used to convert to gassers and such back in the day. Your idea sounds good to me except for the red primer part.
 
Yup, small tires in front and fatties in the back. Instead of a tunnel ram how about Hilborns with 8 stacks.
 
Gonna be expensive(seriously money),I like it. If your willing to Fab,balls off to ya.
 
Sorry, I'm not "feelin" it. To me, gassers belong "in" the cars that fits the periods in which gassers "were."

The other thing is cost? You gonna start with a bare body? I'd think it'd be prohibitive to chop up a running PT, unless you can find one with a scattered engine.
 
yea im with ya it would be awsome but alot of fabbin ya basicly be buildin a full frame for it
 
I hope you have mad fab skills. Since its fwd and will have to move firewall back. Fab a transmission tunnel, rear suspension. Looking at major money if you have to pay someone to do it. It would look cool though.
 
I hope you have mad fab skills. Since its fwd and will have to move firewall back. Fab a transmission tunnel, rear suspension. Looking at major money if you have to pay someone to do it. It would look cool though.

No need to move the firewall, just put the engine in the back.
 
How about these for some ideas? We had a local a few years back putting a magnum into a junkyard find. How about a SRT-4 for power??
 

Attachments

  • 1131978352_mod.jpg
    57.4 KB · Views: 671
  • thCAERQKIM.jpg
    16.1 KB · Views: 694
  • thCATPXSZU.jpg
    12.5 KB · Views: 683
I say do it! Close up the rear wheel wells and put a wide rear end in it making it like a t-bucket or something.
 
PT's with blown engines are a dime a dozen around here. Apparently no one believes in changing that timing belt. You can get a great body for about $600-$800. I have seen a 440 in a PT at the Mopar nats, looked like it was meant to be there, the owner said it was easier than you would think. You would have to fabricate some type of way to mount a narrowed 8 3/4 and tubbing one would be a breeze. I have a Miller mig and we have been known to cut a car in two and reassemble it on occasion. I guess I will have to wait till one turns up cheap and figure it out. Most people would probably look at it and say WTF or why? but that's the kind of cars I like. I've owned tons of stock, hot rodded and resto modded cars and I'm getting bored. My mind keeps wandering in this direction.
 
I do like the rear engine idea, like the old wheelstanders in the 60's where you box a frame and mount one end to your rear end and the other on a pivot and the motor and trans float on the rear leafs. (like the Hemi Under Glass)
 
You can buy a 64-66 Barracuda cheap and it would be a cool straight axle car.PT Cruiser not cool!!!!
 
PT Loser Gasser? What ever you are on please do share....
 
Cant help it, I like PT's, 25 MPG with all power and leather, great stereo, seats all come out so I can haul whatever I want from 2x4's to beehives. I've owned 5 or 6 and never spent over $1500 for any of them.
 
Cant help it, I like PT's, 25 MPG with all power and leather, great stereo, seats all come out so I can haul whatever I want from 2x4's to beehives. I've owned 5 or 6 and never spent over $1500 for any of them.
you are gonna be looking at 8 at the end of it.


but as its already been discussed, this is no cheap undertaking if you end up having to shop anything out.

You want my 2 cents? buy some poor orphan brand like an AMC/Edsel/Studebaker and do that. you will put yourself WAYYYYYY further ahead if you can find some 50's iron. They already have a full frame, look cool, don't rust away too easy, and have some serious personality. Or find some AMC product and connect the subframes, get a D100 straight axle and an 8 1/4, and drop a junkyard magnum in there. There is a way to do this on a budget, but it takes patience and some major fab skills.

Do what suits you, but that's my take on it. IIRC someone on here had an old Stude they were trying to ditch that would be absolutely perfect.
 
Yeah, Beehives, I got a bunch and have hauled them in everything from my Caravan to my 2500 van and yes even in a PT cruiser.
Could be right about an orphan brand but Edsel's are something even I wont do, Studes are hard to find and expensive but I love them, I did see a gremlin for sale the other day for under a grand.
I don't shop much of anything out. We have been polishing turds and building junk for years.
 
How about making a gasser out of an old right hand drive mail jeep?
 
if a person could find a retired tube chassis daytona/laser
wouldn't be a gasser, but, would make a easier rear drive swap

We ran a 88 Daytona, on this art morrison chassis
then swapped to the Rampage

11-2-06003.jpg


Anything happens to the Rampage, got my eyes on the Caliber

230.jpg
 
-
Back
Top