1929 Ford 22 Jr. Tony Nancy Roadster

Tony Nancy’s flathead-powered 1929 Model A Roadster made his reputation. Its successor, this even-lighter 1929 on a Kent Fuller-built lightweight, chrome-moly tubular chassis, ran a stroked 450 cid Buick nailhead, set back 25% for optimal weight distribution. This “show and go” racer was essentially a short-wheelbase dragster with a roadster body.

There were two ways to run more quickly: with a significantly lighter car, or by adding considerably more horsepower. Tony Nancy tried both at once. Stripped for action, the Buick-powered Roadster weighed just 1,550 pounds. The nailhead engine features finned Weiand valve covers, Hilborn fuel injection, and a Scintilla Vertex magneto. The hood, firewall, floor pan, and decklid are fabricated from aluminum. The cockpit features scant instrumentation and a fiberglass bucket seat, trimmed in pleated black leather. Flush-fitting rear fender well inserts and a molded rear decklid ensured his blazing orange brick was as streamlined as possible. It set records immediately, eventually running 138 mph in the low 10-second range. Later, Mr. Nancy fitted it with a 6-71 blower and an Enderle injector and achieved 144-plus mph. Dan LaCroix found and restored both of Mr. Nancy’s 22 Jr. Model A Roadsters in the 1990s, with this car subsequently garnering multiple awards from the AACA.

If you’re looking for an exciting, historic racing hot rod, this Ford Roadster deserves your careful consideration.