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This came from Facebook: Do you know of anyone that can give me any history on a Nance Car? It was the 8th car built in 1987 and it was the first design change that Nance made. Frame number 1-87-8A. Thanks Bruce

Warren Vincent
Cans 4 Kansas Heroes

The Nance Sprint car was built in 1987 and was the 8th car built that year. The A was the first car built of a new design by Nance. It ran in the USAC/NCRA Series. If any one can help me on finding any info on this car I would appreiciate it.

I have 1-87-1. It was the first of a three kit deal to the west coast, and was the only winged car in the trio. The other 2 landed at the Ascot/CRA area.

The NCRA didn't go to sprint cars until 1988. Now, still it could have been sold in the midwest anyway. Lots of WoO type sprint cars here already. In the case of mine, it was in LA and someone here went out and got it back.

Not sure what the design change was, but I do know the upper front framerails were bulged out in 1987 for the 'down nozzle' dash 12 Brodix heads. Many are convinced it was for a Ford engine (possibly), and others say it was for a big-block(no great market for those in 1987!).

This is what I want mine to look like, when I grow up. LOL

My observation has been that few even remembered their serial numbers. Many didn't worry about since most frames were considered throw-aways.

On the west coast the problem was getting parts for the Nances in 1987. Then when Bruce Bromme found an advantage with the Gambler chassis, the move went there on a large scale. Nance and Gambler were in a chassis war everywhere, even here.

The best way to find out , would be any colors, markings, or even any sheet metal that came with the car. SOMETIMES, a little light sanding on the body panels will give a clue for a start. Ya never know.

i don't know what design change you are talking about. i don"t know of any change in 87. the roll cage design change was in 1980..... there were some experamental ,house car's with changes but those were not serialized as production units.

Of course there were lots of changes to the aesthetics of the cars over the years. And my 2 Nance cars have serial type numbers on them. I can't imagine what the "A" stands for. I have an "A" chassis as well from June , '87- but I haven't looked to see any differences from the 1-87-1 chassis. I have them sitting side by side, and haven't noticed anything. They were both wing cars. I chose to find 2 1987 Nance chassis because of the way they looked, not the history. I am curious now.

For a while there, all I could find were 1984 (or before) and 1988 (and later) frames. I would have settled for an '85 or an '86---but I just happened to stumble across the 1-87-1 car on Oct 4, 2008. The guy told me it was a 1988--but I knew better. And the serial number on the crossbar proved it.

1981-1984 cages, are clearly different than 1985-1986 cages. The 1987 upper frame rails (bulged out) are different than the '85-'86 cars (straight), but the cages are like those two. 1985 and later cars were trying to stiffen the chassis without having any tubes above the hood. Also, Bruce Bromme was able to set the torsion tube heights he wanted, which was a help in getting him to run a Nance for a while.

1988 Nance roll cages were different than 1987- and then the 1990 cars were way different than those before. Nance was trying to do all it could to avoid going downtube on its cars. Yet they even did so in the end.

As far as downtubes are concerned, Gambler and Karl Kinser kinda dropped a bomb on most people when they introduced theirs at the end of 1986. Around November I think. Everybody else was forced to follow suit, in order to sell frames.