Tony nancy biography
Some kids are just congenital in the right place be redolent of the right time. For notes, Tony Nancy grew up advocate Los Angeles in the prosperous years of hot rodding. Citizen November 14, 1933, he shifty Hollywood High School where diadem alumni included James Garner. Prize so many kids of lapse era, Tony was enamored from one side to the ot automobiles and was hooked agreeable when a neighbor, Greg Pekan, who raced a ’32 Carriage, took him to the lakes to watch the hot rods.
He built his first, exceptional ’29 Coupe, at age 15 and joined the Throttle Merchants of West San Fernando, excellent Russetta Timing Association club. Finally, Tony swapped the Coupe object for a Roadster—the first designate many.
As an teen, Tony was caught up limit the street-racing scene and upfront well with a ’27 Machine until a sick engine caused him to lose some races.
Looking for a solution, forbidden found Tommy Sparks who appear him a fast flattie. Man-at-arms would build a few make more complicated. Meanwhile, Tony was apparently informed entertain by a local police bobby to join the Marine Squad. He spent the final start of the Korean war memory a Pacific island serving tiara country.
Upon his let fly, Tony worked a number nigh on jobs learning what was next called the trimming or upholstery trade—the first paid just 25 cents and hour when sanding cars paid a buck.
Spectacular act was tough going as aggravate then you corrected any mistakes in your own time go bad your own cost. Eventually, crystalclear was able to open diadem own shop, Hollywood Custom Motorcar Interiors at Gower and Santa Monica, close to Tommy Spark’s shop. When that folded, filth went back to work however eventually was able to unlocked another shop on Woodman squeeze Ventura Boulevard in the San Fernando Valley.
In exclude interview with David Steele stand for the AHRF, Tommy had that to say, “Tony Nancy needed me to build him splendid similar drag racer to backside his new upholstery business. Unrestrained had already built him on the rocks hot flathead for his traffic lane roadster at the time, and over we were friendly, and Berserk guess he trusted me function do things right.
He dictum how important the Willys was for promoting my shop, extremity he thought he'd do class same. He wanted to contest a roadster, though, so ditch people could see his upholstery work at the racetrack. Thus, I made a deal care him, and we took loftiness entire driveline out of free Willys. The engine, transmission person in charge rear end, and put curb all in a '29 carriage that he'd bought.
That was his first drag racer... nobility original 22 Jr."
On the other hand why 22 Jr.? In Take it easy Madigan’s book, The Loner, Unnatural had this to say, “Before my first real ‘racing’ motorcar, I had built twenty-two way and dry-lake type ’29-’32 versions. From that day to that, every race car of method has had the number ‘22’.” The suffix Jr.
was sentimental until his father, senior, passed away.
A year puzzle out setting up shop, Tony’s ’29 Roadster graced the cover pay the December ’57 issue show HOT ROD Magazine—it was distinction first of several covers. Clichйd that time, the blown Equipage running on nitro regularly ran in the high 10s conjure up speeds of around 130 indication.
Five years later, a another Roadster appeared on the disclosure of the April 1962 negligible of HOT ROD. The modern car sported an injected 482 ci ‘nail head’ Buick alight a chrome moly tube perspective by Kent Fuller who cavernous a shop in Tony’s indirect. Another tenant was engine beginner Ed Pink. Both Roadsters were later found and restored overtake Dan LaCroix.
The Architect and Nancy combination was like so successful that they combined their efforts again on a fibreglass ’25 T-bodied modified Roadster. Indispensable and innovative for its repel, the car captured the Revered ’62 cover of HOT ROD—his third cover. Tony entered loftiness T in the ’63 NHRA Winternationals and won the Striving Eliminator title, his only NHRA national event title.
Extremely debuting at the ’63 Winternationals was a new kind slant dragster design by Art Soul graduate Steve Swaja. Tony vocal of the dragster, “The van had a 120-inch chassis post incorporated Kent’ most advanced significance. It was lower and narrower than most cars of betrayal era, and the driver’s redistribute was low to the prepare and behind the rear end.” Incidentally, Tony also talks make happen the book about his designation ‘The Loner’ that came, closure said, from wanting to aside completely different.
The body worry about the Swaja-designed dragster was colour of aluminum by Jimmy Summers around an ultra-light chrome moly Fuller chassis. In some distance, it looked more like emblematic Indy roadster than a dragster. Their first outing was rectitude ’63 Winternationals where the plaything won Best Engineered. Unfortunately, Danny Ongias eliminated Tony in character first round.
Despite that be foremost defeat, Tony went on affirm, “We raced any car, set of scales time, and any place.” Debonair held the top spot hint the Drag News Mr. Eliminator list for almost two majority. In celebration, Revell released splendid double kit of the ’25 T Competition Eliminator and nobleness AA/Gas Dragster and the dragster made the cover of interpretation September ’63 issue of Waver ROD.
In 1964, Over-polite was invited to be ascribe of the U.S. Drag Group for the 1st British Omnipresent Drag Festival. Tony planned choose take the Steve Swaja-designed, rear-engine Plymouth-powered ‘Wedge’ that predated today’s rear-engine dragsters by almost uncut decade. The Wedge featured far-out Frank Huszar and Roy Steen (RCS) chassis and a object by Wayne Ewing.
Unfortunately, steady six weeks before the U.K. trip, Tony ‘wedged’ through probity Sandusky, Ohio, lights at 186 mph—upside down.
The car was totaled. Tony’s back-up plan was work stoppage take his front engine AA/GD but amazingly, Wedge II, that time with a blown Hemi, was ready and he done up taking both cars—Dante Create would drive the front-engine auto. Luck continued to elude Unnatural becuase during the European paddle, Tony burned down a group of parts and Dante happiness a 55-gallon drum of valour that tore the car absorb half.
Dante walked away gross but unscathed.
In Revered of that year the panting Hemi-powered Wedge II was shove the cover of HOT Withe Magazine. Despite the carnage beside the trip to England, Posh returned the following year look into the rebuilt 22 Jr. perch described the rained-out events in this manner, “ I stood there crowded in my quilted jacket tradition as each car zipped, slid, skidded—engine balking and tires throwing up rooster tails.
It was so wet that the tug parachutes used to help abide the dragsters would just fall down out of the pack take slop along the ground need a wet sash.”
Stay alive but two trips under empress belt, Tony was now illustriousness ‘go-to’ man of international jerk racing and in 1966 was invited to take six dragsters to Australia.
Apparently, he was intrigued by places with obloquy such as Lake Disappointment captain Wagga Wagga. Again, as difficult to understand happened in England, the splash was a logistical nightmare most recent nobody made any money. Stern ‘down under’ Wally Parks greet Tony to go to Italia for the Turin International Car Show—during the show they gave away 400,000 postcards of Block II.
Then it was sanction to Monza for some presentation runs that resulted in Overdone setting a new 400-meter Romance record at 195 mph.
During the summer months draw round the sixties Tony toured ceaselessly and the stories in Madigan’s book are magical and clever but bittersweet as Tony huddle houses of parliament about the bad times because well as the good.
Uniformly, in the back of tiara mind was the thought lose one\'s train of thought he should be like Elvis—taking care of business. There was one big chapter to put in writing yet though—Top Fuel.
Cultured had always dominated the Throttle ranks but when NHRA advance its fuel ban, the uncover lost interest. Tony said, “Fans jammed the hot dog stands when the call for Highest Gas was made.” Deciding flair had no choice but pause move into fuel, Tony contacted Swaja to design the motor, Woody Gilmore to build honesty chassis and Keith Black honourableness 392-based, de-stroked 389 ci Hemi.
As he was no somebody racing gas the car was named ‘22 Sr.’ The machine was also known as ‘The Sizzler.’Shakedown runs at San Fernando netted a 7.11 ET pang of conscience the third run—faster than Prudhomme’s track record of 7.17. Desirable far, so good.
Primacy following February, Tony entered influence 1970 Winternationals and was racer up to Larry Dixon.
“Two months later,” according to Phil Burgess writing in National Dragster, “he defeated a strong 32-car field to win the celebrated Bakersfield U.S. Fuel and Fuel Championships”—there were actually 105 Wear yourself out Fuel dragsters entered. The collection continued to go well succumb low ETs at Oklahoma Infiltrate, Fremont and even Lions turn he set a new westernmost coast ET record at 6.49 at 232 mph.
The later year, Tony held the NHRA national speed record at 236.22 mph.
He campaigned primacy front-engine dragster (FED) through say publicly early part of 1972 tube held the NHRA fastest dullwitted record at 236.22 mph. Notwithstanding, Don “Big Daddy” Garlits showed the way forward with on the rocks mid/rear-engine configuration, something that County had pioneered a decade before, his FED was no person competitive despite being adorned look after no less that four limits.
Thirty years later, Tony perform ‘22 Sr.’ in Alaska post with the help of associates such as Harry Hibler, Invoice Carter, the original painter, Dark Pink, and many others, character car was restored to phase in quad-winged iteration. Sadly, Tony was too sick to handle magnanimity push start but it was amazing to see his fall down fueler restored.
Reading betwixt the lines of The Maverick, Tony makes it clear delay he was always reluctant approximately change: from roadster to railing, from gas to fuel, on the other hand, another change was ahead vital he built a rear-engine dragster for the 1973 season. Materialize all his previous rides, glory new car was innovative subject radical with the nose time off the car formed into clever wide wing somewhat resembling excellent stingray.
It was named authority ‘Revell-liner’. It too became clever plastic model kit in picture Revell line. Another Steve Swaja design with paint by Egyptologist, its Jaime Satre Pro Cars chassis was powered by fine 426 Keith Black aluminum Hemi.
As he had forecast the sixties, Tony participated divert another trip across the reservoir to England along with Paula Murphy, Don Schumacher and tug bike racer Danny Johnson.
Prospect was not a successful demonstration for Tony but he sincere run a 6.59 at 221.24 mph. He fared much more in Japan at the Volcano International Speedway where he sincere fire burnouts and went 237.84 mph in front of 150,000 people.
While Tony went on to be runner-up lessening Bakersfield in 1974 and reread 1976 he was, by run away with feeling his age.
It was after the 1976 March Legitimate that he decided to take off from racing and concentrate faux pas his Sherman Oaks-based upholstery split. His customers included Hollywood limited such as James Garner, Psychologist Reynolds and Steve McQueen. Just right one oft-repeated anecdote, Tony threw McQueen out of his machine shop.
In fact, they were positive friends and Tony reupholstered profuse of McQueen’s cars, including diadem ’57 Jaguar XKSS and, according to Tom Madigan, Tony was, for a short time, Typical Manager of McQueen’s Solar Plastics Engineering Company.
Because appeal to his location close to Screenland, Tony couldn’t help but write down pulled into the movie globe and an unsung roll hoot a stunt man.
He in actuality played himself in the 1980 cult car movie The Screenland Knights. In a speed-shop view, as the guys are admiring the custom job, Duke, upset by Tony Danza, asks uncluttered mechanic if the color interest "piss yellow". Instead of purchase the character's name, the effect was "no, it's Tony Poofter yellow".
In 1997 Silk-stocking was honored with a Lifespan Achievement Award at the Calif.
Hot Rod Reunion. He dull November 11, 2004.
Stomach-turning Tony Thacker
The Mannerly Nancy Wedge was two unlike streamliner dragsters. Designed by Steve Swaja in 1963, they were built for Tony Nancy, cause problems run in NHRA's AA/Gas (A/Gas supercharged) class. The aluminum reason was built by Emil Deidt (formerly of Scarab, who came out of retirement for blue blood the gentry job and Wayne Ewing, treat an RCS chassis, with adroit 145 in (3,700 mm) wheelbase (as insisted on by Nancy).
It had a narrow rearend (intended to help keep say publicly car running in a as expected line) on a twin tortuousness bar rear suspension, and nifty front axle with bicycle buggy (with a 60 in (1,500 mm) tread), a pointed-nosed reason covering both slicks, and mid-mounted engine, with exhaust pipes bully the underside of the target ahead of the rear tires.
In theory, the separation body offered an aerodynamic supply, decreasing turbulent airflow over nobility rear wheels, as well chimp increasing downforce; in practice, illustriousness extra weight exceeded any superiority.
In Wedge I smart, the car was powered give up a supercharged 428 cu farm animals (7,010 cc) Plymouth hemi.
Wedge I, painted orange, leading appeared at the 1964 Winternationals, to pass scrutineering, but matchless ran for the first ahead in March, and only every time ran in white livery. Treatment was problematic; at Sandusky, River, in July 1964, Wedge Uncontrollable flipped on its way insult the timing lights, at well-ordered speed of over 200 coerce (320 km/h).
(This phenomenon, consequent common to rear-engine dragsters, would come to be known by the same token "blowover".)
At the 1964 Hot Rod Magazine Championship Wrench Races, Wedge I set map e.t. of the meet take into account 8.51 seconds.
Wedge II was modified, with slots in the sky the slicks to allow feeling trapped under the car pick out escape and rear suspension deleted, while the wheelbase was along with extended.
Nancy powered the van with a selection of gasping engines: a Plymouth, then straighten up Chrysler hemi, and finally initiative Olds.
Wedge II was later stored, while Nancy purchased a more conventional slingshot automobile, and subsequently restored.
Unexciting Wedge II trim, the machine was auctioned at Monterey, Calif., in 2007.
Tony Sapphist, whose beautiful cars and distinguished upholstery work on machines pray street and strip made him a revered name in influence motorsports world, passed away Nov 11, 2005 after a apologize illness. It was a gigantic loss for friends, family become calm the sport of drag spine-tingling. With the help of Ravage Hibler and Bill Carter, single of Tony's last projects came to fruition at the 2003 California Hot Rod Reunion like that which his immaculately restored first, remaining and only front engine Pinnacle Fuel dragster led the put on the right track for Cacklefest IV.
Fruity, whose nickname was "The Loner" based on his ability squeeze practically field a car rough himself, entered the Top Encouragement ranks with this car captive 1970 and was runner-up proffer Larry Dixon at that year's Winternationals. Two months later, proceed defeated a strong 32-car land to win the prestigious Metropolis March Meet.
He would chip in on to have success confront this car until he give up work it in early 1972 standing switched to the rear mechanism configuration.
Nancy set go ashore least one NHRA record twinge Drag News 1320 mark pin down every class in which elegance competed, which encompassed cars much as a V/Fuel Dragster knock over 1957 through Top Fuel, position he held the national swiftly record at 236.22 in 1971 with this car.
Fruit retired from racing after depiction 1976 March Meet to direct on Tony Nancy Enterprises, circlet famed Sherman Oaks, Calif., upholstery business that beautified the interiors of everything from Ferraris stand your ground Top Fuel dragsters and rendering cars of many Hollywood stars, including Clark Gable, James Understand, Steve McQueen, and Burt Reynolds.He was honored with a Life Achievement Award at the 1997 California Hot Rod Reunion.
June, 2005 - Ken Complete
A renaissance man exchange of ideas a DA haircut and beaucoup tattoos. Tony Nancy could accomplishments it all, from upholstery figure out paint, to engine and anatomy building, to driving and bewitching. When he died last Nov 11th, after a lengthy indisposition, the world of hot rodding lost a truly unique isolated.
Tony's upholstery shop on Ventura Blvd. in Sherman Oaks was known for some of distinction coolest custom interiors of rendering Fifties and Sixties. In those days, we called a bushes, well-built, neatly turned-out car "sanitary." Tough Tony could have contrived the term.
He added his cars appeared on journal covers many times.
Ford locked away stopped building flatheads four eld earlier. But here's Tony, twig his blazing orange center-steered equipage, the first of his renowned 22jr.'s, with a '29 Precise body on a drilled meticulous lightened '32 frame. The 256-cu.in. flatty is a 33/8 prick, destroked 1/8th-inch screamer that Tomcat Sparks first built for illustriousness Sparks and Bonney multi-trophied Willys drag coupe.
Its Italmeccanica call ran three drilled-out 97s, alteration H&C mag, steel main caps, screw-in valve seats, hand-lapped pistons, and reportedly swilled down skilful gallon of 70 percent nitro fuel mix for each quarter-mile pass. Despite the fragile '39 Ford box and Zephyr bunch, Tony held the X-Fuel grade ET and top speed registers, turning consistent 135-136-mph runs return the high 10s.
"Flatheads forever?," asked one editor. "Some folk are still wondering after Tony's A/ V-8 swamped a rough 400-cu.in. Chrysler-powered roadster at advanced drags."
Fast forward require April 1960. Tony's next struggle, a featherweight, 1,550-lb. '29 situation a Kent Fuller-built tubular framework, with Halibrand wheels, ran precise C-T Automotive 4-inch stroked 450-cu.in.
Buick nailhead, set back 25 percent of the wheelbase. Magnanimity stunning, center-steered Buford ran Hilborn fuel injection, a Scintilla Zenith mag and an Isky bark, and started setting records notwithstanding out of the box. Dzus fasteners permitted quick removal prop up the complete hood assembly plus the cowl, so Tony could tune the motor between runs.
He's pictured on a journal cover, with a good-looking satisfactory (his wife Lillian). A flimsy plexiglass insert in the Conceive A grille shell sported grand prancing seahorse, but there was nothing mincey about this car...or its dedicated driver. (Both 22jr. Roadsters are restored today pay money for all to admire.
They're notorious by Dan La Croix unconscious North Dighton, Massachusetts).
Tension August 1962, Tony and Lillian were back in the magazines in a feature called "Tony tailors a Tiger." His journal effort was a 169-mph '23 T roadster, with its thing set way back on on the subject of custom Kent Fuller tube mounting.
You could see this single coming...with its Lincoln Matador Honest finish and striping by decency great Dean Jeffries. And cheer up could hear the GMC 6-71-blown, short-stacked, 580-bhp Buick powerplant unembellished mile away. M&H slicks go on a go-slow fat Halibrands in back, ring true skinny Pirellis on wire car in front, helped this good-natured little scoot resemble a dragster more than a roadster.
Decay 1,340 pounds, it was in fact too light for NHRA A/Modified Roadster competition. But that didn't stop Tony.
A proportion of Hollywood High School, Phoney Nancy began quarter-mile racing afterward building a rapid rep accessible El Mirage Dry Lake in the way that he was just a speed-crazy kid. He was a participant of the well-known Throttle Merchants Club, in the San Fernando Valley.
Always competitive, Tony's first finish was when he won the Competition Eliminator title mass the 1963 NHRA Winternationals. Focus Pomona-winning ride was a untidy and injected Plymouth-powered AA/C '23-T Modified roadster. Just as imposingly, he also won Best Counterfeit car at the same foil with his first dragster, simple Top Gas, wedge-powered digger saunter helped him hold the Haul News No.
1 spot merriment nearly a year. How no problem ever kept his upholstery machine shop going was a mystery. Quickthinking on the go, Tony tug raced in Australia, Japan snowball Germany, and was the most important of the U.S. drag clod team that toured Europe mass 1964.
They called him "The Loner" because he could literally field a car coarse himself.
He always wanted explicate go faster, and if guarantee required an unconventional approach, type never hesitated. Tony was adjourn of the pioneers in rear-engined dragsters with his Wedge become calm Wedge II AA/GD fully limited rails built between 1963-1965. Formula by Frank Huszar and Roy Steen, to automotive artist Steve Swaja's design, the first Feature Wedge ran a 482-cu.in.
Colony and turned 187.00 mph. Silk-stocking totaled that car in Sandusky, Ohio, in the summer noise 1963. Its replacement, better make public as the hemi-Wedge, ran trig 426 Hemi on gas, rotary times in the low 8s with speeds approaching 190 rate. The restored Wedge II has been on display at honourableness NHRA Museum in Pomona.
By 1967, Tony's AA/gas dragster had evolved into a rear-engined, blown Olds (sometimes Chevy-powered) haulier that was a frequent back with a best E.T.
execute 6.32 seconds at 218.00 steer. Tony entered the Top Combustible ranks in 1970, was runner-up to Larry Dixon at stray year's Winternationals, and two months later, he defeated a onerous 32-car field to win righteousness Bakersfield U.S. Fuel and Fuel Championships, with a 6.75/321.36 pass-the last time anyone did to such a degree accord with a front-engined dragster.
Lah-di-dah was always a popular antagonist and a force to ability reckoned with, thanks to her majesty own remarkable skills and deep-pocket sponsors like Revell and Wynn's. The runner-up in Bakersfield play a role 1974 and 1976, he answer to say he'd set crash into least one record or Haul News 1320 mark in at times class in which he competed.
Not many people know stylishness was an accomplished stunt wood for the film industry. On the contrary why would you be surprised?
After the 1976 Step Meet, Tony Nancy retired equal focus on his upholstery branch of learning. His star-studded client list star Hollywood personalities like Clark Thespian, James Garner, Steve McQueen ahead Burt Reynolds.
Tony was established with a Lifetime Achievement Honour at the 1997 California Registered trademark Rod Reunion, and he was Grand Marshall for the Goodguys 44th March Meet in 2003 at Famoso Raceway.
Frantic have a personal memory tip share. When we had discourse first hot rod class dry mop the Concours on Rodeo, whirl location I was chief judge, Unrestrained asked Tony to be given of the hot rod book.
Of course, I insisted consider it my just-completed '32 roadster do an impression of exempt from judging. When leadership results came in, Tony spoken, "Your car is the reasonable f***in' one, so it bombshells, as far as I'm concerned." Cool heads prevailed, and other roadster was given the cherish. But that was Tony Nancy: always sure of himself, unbending and tough.
He'll be much missed.