By 1930, the American automotive industry was getting revved up and was on the verge of big changes. In the previous decade, many competitive automakers had risen up and many had failed. The remaining companies like Dodge, Chevrolet, and the “Big Three” — Ford, GM, and Chrysler — were working on ways to appeal to new demands and processes.
One name undoubtedly comes to mind when you think of the word daredevil: Evel Knievel. From humble beginnings to flying high across TV screens worldwide, Knievel defied death as a stunt cyclist for decades. Breaking more than bones, he also broke numerous records throughout his stellar career.
In addition to being known as a daredevil, Knievel wanted to be known as a man of his word. He put his life on the line more than once simply because he said he would, and he did not want to disappoint his fanbase or himself for not following through, even when he should have focused on his well-being. Evel Knievel proved to himself and the world time and time again that while his bones were breakable, his spirit was not.
Gasser can have a lot of meanings, from an amazingly funny joke to a person who is loud and likes attention. The automotive world has a completely different kind of gasser. We'll explore the history of gassers – which is a term for modified cars. We'll look at how the gasser came about and what makes them a part of automotive history as well as what is happening with them today.
One of the general themes of 1950's and 1960's automotive history was the desire to go fast. The question was often a matter of how to increase speed. A “gasser” involves a few modifications to an already produced vehicle. Racers would replace engines – or at least part of the engine — with one from a vehicle with a bigger, more powerful motor. These motors also ran on gasoline, which sounds very normal today, but at the time, it wasn't uncommon to run a vehicle off some form of ethanol or even nitro.
Bushcraft can be traced back to the late 1700s, but the modern movement started with Richard Harry Graves, founder of the Australian Jungle Rescue Detachment in World War II. He went on to teach at a bushcraft school and even wrote a book on the subject.
Another member of the Australian Army, Major Leslie James Hiddins, built on bushcraft with his Army Combat Survival Project. During this project, he wrote an army combat survival manual, published in 1987. The skills that form the core of bushcraft started out of need and blossomed in various military training programs. Over time, bushcraft branched out to a skillset that anyone can learn and practice.
