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Topic: Nance 1N? Email this topic to a friend | Subscribe to this TopicReport this Topic to Moderator
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brian26
January 01, 2008 at 01:06:18 PM
Joined: 12/03/2006
Posts: 7918
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This message was edited on January 01, 2008 at 01:44:00 PM by brian26

Identifying a car is like digging in the ground. You would like to have firm, moist soil to work with but most times it is either too hard, too much sand and it keeps sliding back down and you never get to the bottom, or too much water and when you are done there is quite a mess.

I know that we do a lot of mod/super talk here but it is Racing From The Past. Today I have a sprint car to understand. Recently on my radar came an old used Nance sprint car kit that came out Wichita, KS according to the guy who brought it through here. He was aware that there were serial numbers on the motorplate brace and they indicate a Feb. -13 -82. PA Martens is certain it was the 13th car built in 1982 and it was done in February. He noted you could come across other frames with #s higher than 31, making a statement that those were the order in which they were built that year.

There is quite a bit of good substance to this kit. It could be a piece of racing history(how many times have I made that claim!!!!!) The odds are a little better for this one.





brian26
January 01, 2008 at 01:18:23 PM
Joined: 12/03/2006
Posts: 7918
Reply

1981,

Times were good at Nance as Sammy had the WoO title and Herb Copeland had the Super title. Cars were selling like hotcakes out the door. Laverne Nance had finally proved once and for all he belonged at the top of the pile in his profession. He set things in motion to go another gear by continuing to do what he always had. If something on his house car didn't work, he would build another one if he had to.

The Kinser/Wolfgang/Swindell wars were in full swing and any time his sprinter got a fast time or a feature win(of which there were many), he came a little closer to selling another race car at a profit. Located in Wichita, KS he had a central location nationally and yet a good hold on the NCRA market as well. He sold a lot of supermodified/champ dirt car versions locally and to the south keeping them reasonably with in reach of any one in KS.

The sprint cars sold went to other regions for the most part since Wichita was still 100" wheelbase country. A few sprint cars stayed in Wichita.




brian26
January 01, 2008 at 01:42:21 PM
Joined: 12/03/2006
Posts: 7918
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This message was edited on January 01, 2008 at 01:47:36 PM by brian26

In the early eighties a young JD Porter got to go to the Nance Speed Equipment shrine and he still talks about it today since it made an impression. I've been there once and yes, I was impressed too. There was not one thing there that could not be done. A few things might have taken a while if they were custom jobs but still, it was a go to place.

JD was a teenage kid and he got to see the "Barn". The Barn as we called it, was where used Nance race cars were stored. It went like this(?), a new house car is built to go win races and sell race cars. If they wanted to have different combinations for the various tracks, they would have different cars. Some cars might have been bungled up a little and repaired for resale at a used price. Deep pockets wanted new sprint cars and the market was slow I would imagine for sprint cars in and around Wichita. BUT, should you want a good deal on a used fairly new sprint car, Nance would probably have one...............In this barn there were usually no more than 12 cars. Most were for Sammy, and I doubt he ever put more than 20 races on a car before he wanted a new one. Nance built I have heard up to 80 cars a year, and his most famous client, was himself.

This car was built in Feb. 82, right at the time many went to Florida to support Speedweeks. My notion is, this car has a 50% or better chance of being one of the few left 1N WoO title cars.

I'll get pictures up when I can. It's said to be in good shape from a good authority.

PS-------Were there different wheelbases on Nance sprinters in those days? Finding that one out could help determine what it was and who might have driven it.





welder
January 03, 2008 at 11:55:40 AM
Joined: 11/29/2006
Posts: 595
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Mrs. Nance still has that black # 1 sprinter, bolt on cage, it is on this site. That would be a great car to restore, not many Nance house cars around.



Sprint97
January 04, 2008 at 04:29:04 PM
Joined: 03/19/2007
Posts: 253
Reply
This message was edited on January 04, 2008 at 04:37:41 PM by Sprint97
Reply to:
Posted By: welder on January 03 2008 at 11:55:40 AM

Mrs. Nance still has that black # 1 sprinter, bolt on cage, it is on this site. That would be a great car to restore, not many Nance house cars around.



I bought a Nance Sprint car with a removal cage to restore. I bought it in Slater, Missouri from Bill Dicky. I cleaned out his garage. It had a Nance rear, Nance knock offs and was purchased from Nance as a kit. I bought it in 92 or 93. It had been converterd to a 4 bar with a kit from Nance to make the change. I called Carol Nance and he said they produced 6 sprint cars with removable cages. One was a house car, one went to Dallas, Texas and 2 were sold as kits. He did not know where the other 2 were. He also told me the first race meet for the house car was in El Centro, California and Eddie Leavitt drove it.

I restored it to the point it was ready for paint. I advertised it in Speed Sport News and sold it to someone in Swarts Creek, Michigan. The fellow sent me the money and was coming to pick it up when a man from Wichita, KS called and said he was in the area and wanted to see the car. When he saw it, he had me call the guy in Michigan and offerred him $500 more than he paid for it. The fellow never accepted. (He offerred the wrong person the $$$) The fellow from Wichita said he is an attorney & a racing fan. Many times, I wish I had returned to money to the fellow in Michigan and sold the car to the man from Wichita.

The #5 car ( T Coupe style body) I built in 1966 had a Nance rear axle & Buick brakes in it. The car is on the Luther Brewer Race Cars page on this forum. I took an engine assembly to Chet Wilson in Wichita to buid the motor for this car and stopped to see Laverne. I had visited with him a few times at races and wanted to see his shop. I told him I was building myself a new car. During the conversaation, rear brakes was mentioned. He had a set of Buick aluminum drum brakes and backing plate with rear open tube hubs. I bought the hubs & complete set of brakes. That was in February 1966.

I have pictures of the Nance car with the body installed and sitting on saw hourses! It seems that Carol said the 6 cars with removable cages had the frame tapered in an inch from rear to front. I must have mentioned it as the AJ Watson 4 bar I built from prints in 1967 was tapered rear to front. That may help.

Sorry this is sooo long. Hope you enjoy the info

Luther



welder
January 04, 2008 at 06:35:56 PM
Joined: 11/29/2006
Posts: 595
Reply
This message was edited on January 04, 2008 at 06:39:01 PM by welder
Reply to:
Posted By: Sprint97 on January 04 2008 at 04:29:04 PM

I bought a Nance Sprint car with a removal cage to restore. I bought it in Slater, Missouri from Bill Dicky. I cleaned out his garage. It had a Nance rear, Nance knock offs and was purchased from Nance as a kit. I bought it in 92 or 93. It had been converterd to a 4 bar with a kit from Nance to make the change. I called Carol Nance and he said they produced 6 sprint cars with removable cages. One was a house car, one went to Dallas, Texas and 2 were sold as kits. He did not know where the other 2 were. He also told me the first race meet for the house car was in El Centro, California and Eddie Leavitt drove it.

I restored it to the point it was ready for paint. I advertised it in Speed Sport News and sold it to someone in Swarts Creek, Michigan. The fellow sent me the money and was coming to pick it up when a man from Wichita, KS called and said he was in the area and wanted to see the car. When he saw it, he had me call the guy in Michigan and offerred him $500 more than he paid for it. The fellow never accepted. (He offerred the wrong person the $$$) The fellow from Wichita said he is an attorney & a racing fan. Many times, I wish I had returned to money to the fellow in Michigan and sold the car to the man from Wichita.

The #5 car ( T Coupe style body) I built in 1966 had a Nance rear axle & Buick brakes in it. The car is on the Luther Brewer Race Cars page on this forum. I took an engine assembly to Chet Wilson in Wichita to buid the motor for this car and stopped to see Laverne. I had visited with him a few times at races and wanted to see his shop. I told him I was building myself a new car. During the conversaation, rear brakes was mentioned. He had a set of Buick aluminum drum brakes and backing plate with rear open tube hubs. I bought the hubs & complete set of brakes. That was in February 1966.

I have pictures of the Nance car with the body installed and sitting on saw hourses! It seems that Carol said the 6 cars with removable cages had the frame tapered in an inch from rear to front. I must have mentioned it as the AJ Watson 4 bar I built from prints in 1967 was tapered rear to front. That may help.

Sorry this is sooo long. Hope you enjoy the info

Luther



Nice piece of info, do you know when those cars were built, in 1966 there were two cars built one went to Puis Selenke and the other Nance. The Selenke car know as the Parker Oil Car was going to driven by Leep something happened and Dale Reed got the ride. They took it to El Centro, Calif in 1967 and won a feature and points champ for the fair races. And I was told Nance sold the other car to someone in Texas, and it got wrecked real bad. The Parker Oil Car is restored and setting in there showroom in Wichita, Ks. Thanks




Sprint97
January 05, 2008 at 07:23:23 AM
Joined: 03/19/2007
Posts: 253
Reply
This message was edited on January 05, 2008 at 01:35:58 PM by Sprint97

I am familiar with the Puis Selenke red # 43. I saw it run several times. The last time I saw it run was at the Oklahoma City IMCA Races in October 1969. Dick Sutcliffe won the race in my car (the 8 th car I built shown on this forum & was white with red trim). Sutcliffe was 6 th qualifier & started on the pole. Dale Reed qualified faster and started in the 3 rd row. Dale got through the pack and was running us down, Dale finished 2 nd. He was running one of the Western Auto zig-zag tread tires on the right rear that the Wichita drivers made famous!

The Nance cars that had removable cages were built in 71 or 72. When I talked to Carol Nance, he said they quit making cages removable because all sanctioning bodies had approved cages. The last 2 cars I built had welded on cages for the same reason.

Luther



welder
January 05, 2008 at 02:01:14 PM
Joined: 11/29/2006
Posts: 595
Reply
This message was edited on January 05, 2008 at 09:59:11 PM by welder
Reply to:
Posted By: Sprint97 on January 05 2008 at 07:23:23 AM

I am familiar with the Puis Selenke red # 43. I saw it run several times. The last time I saw it run was at the Oklahoma City IMCA Races in October 1969. Dick Sutcliffe won the race in my car (the 8 th car I built shown on this forum & was white with red trim). Sutcliffe was 6 th qualifier & started on the pole. Dale Reed qualified faster and started in the 3 rd row. Dale got through the pack and was running us down, Dale finished 2 nd. He was running one of the Western Auto zig-zag tread tires on the right rear that the Wichita drivers made famous!

The Nance cars that had removable cages were built in 71 or 72. When I talked to Carol Nance, he said they quit making cages removable because all sanctioning bodies had approved cages. The last 2 cars I built had welded on cages for the same reason.

Luther



I remember those tires, what I heard was Puis or Dick Bloom got them from Bobby Unser. He had them made, they were Gates tires that used a real soft compound. He used them to run Pikes Peak, They only had about 6 or 8 tires so they used them to time trial & run heat races. Puis, Red Forchee, & Dick Bloom were the only ones that had them. But they did WORK. Thanks for the info on the Nance cars.



Sprint97
January 06, 2008 at 07:51:15 AM
Joined: 03/19/2007
Posts: 253
Reply
Reply to:
Posted By: welder on January 05 2008 at 02:01:14 PM

I remember those tires, what I heard was Puis or Dick Bloom got them from Bobby Unser. He had them made, they were Gates tires that used a real soft compound. He used them to run Pikes Peak, They only had about 6 or 8 tires so they used them to time trial & run heat races. Puis, Red Forchee, & Dick Bloom were the only ones that had them. But they did WORK. Thanks for the info on the Nance cars.



I think you are correct on the zig zag tires being Gates. The Western Auto tires must have been the recaps some of them run on dry slicks. They were run by the Wichita drivers also. Frankie Lies comes to mind!

Luther




tailtank
January 16, 2008 at 06:40:11 PM
Joined: 01/02/2005
Posts: 122
Reply

Enjoyed reading this post. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Nance back in 82' and I've been a fan ever since. I currently have an old Nance tailtank from the 80's time period. I have been looking (periodcally) for a Nance hood from that same time period.


Part time racefan, part time race photographer.



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