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Technical NairN Flathead heads......anyone got any info ??

Discussion in 'Traditional Hot Rods' started by NorwegianV8, Aug 16, 2005.

  1. Bruce Lancaster
    Joined: Oct 9, 2001
    Posts: 21,681

    Bruce Lancaster
    Member Emeritus


    He's from Michigan, I believe, if that helps.
     
  2. scruff
    Joined: Apr 11, 2004
    Posts: 300

    scruff
    Member

    I've got a number for Harry from maybe 10 years ago;might still be good it's 313-534-5974
     
  3. Bruce Lancaster
    Joined: Oct 9, 2001
    Posts: 21,681

    Bruce Lancaster
    Member Emeritus


    313-534-5794 it is--blown '49 sent me the same number. My copy is still unfound.
    I'd say call him yourself and don't worry--half his business seems to be Scandinavian rodders and he probably speaks pidgen Norwegian by now! He's friendly and knows so much you really need to meet him. If the language really worries you., let me know and I'll call. Also, I'll see him at Carlisle and Hershey. Bruce
     
  4. NorwegianV8
    Joined: Aug 1, 2004
    Posts: 468

    NorwegianV8
    Member
    from Sem City

    called him and he had never heard of these heads :confused:

    guess they'r kind of 'obscure'.......


     
  5. Bruce Lancaster
    Joined: Oct 9, 2001
    Posts: 21,681

    Bruce Lancaster
    Member Emeritus

    "called him and he had never heard of these heads "

    OK, that shifts them from "rare" to "reallydamnrare".

    I think the roadster mentioned with the water necks is in "Traditional Hot Rods" or one of those recent books--I'll look.
    How about Seedy Bill's museum--do they have a curator or somone to call??
    And there are other mad collectors of rare flathead parts--wasn't there someone selling off a collection like that on ebay recently?
     
  6. NorwegianV8
    Joined: Aug 1, 2004
    Posts: 468

    NorwegianV8
    Member
    from Sem City

    Thanks for the help guys

    dont know anybody else to ask....so i guess i'l try Fordbarn later

    Funniest part is that a guy here in Norway aqtually came to my door and gave me a good deal on these :rolleyes:
     
  7. NorwegianV8
    Joined: Aug 1, 2004
    Posts: 468

    NorwegianV8
    Member
    from Sem City

    well found out that a good friend of mine posted this at Fordbarn
    guess whatt...........
    no reply :rolleyes:

    seems to be a dead end..........
     
  8. NorwegianV8
    Joined: Aug 1, 2004
    Posts: 468

    NorwegianV8
    Member
    from Sem City

    Bttt......one more try :confused:

    i'm shure someone out there got info on these
     
  9. Automotive Stud
    Joined: Sep 26, 2004
    Posts: 4,301

    Automotive Stud
    Member

  10. NorwegianV8
    Joined: Aug 1, 2004
    Posts: 468

    NorwegianV8
    Member
    from Sem City

  11. AV8-Rider
    Joined: Jan 31, 2002
    Posts: 909

    AV8-Rider
    Member


    A seller on eBay called "russell1932" has had shitloads of cool old speedparts for sale. A lot of rare stuff.
    May very well be a surce of information.

    .....and don't forget that we have the best encyclopedia we could want in eBay. Not only a place to trade but also a place to learn and collect info on old parts.

    Paul
     
  12. Good idea, put them up for auction with a sky high price so they don,t actually sell but maybe will give you the info you need. Maybe they are from some obscure speedway tuner .
     
  13. blown49
    Joined: Jul 25, 2004
    Posts: 2,212

    blown49
    Member Emeritus

    Joe Abbin has flow tested many flathead heads. I called him yesterday to see if he had heard of the Nairn heads. He had not heard of them but gave me a name of a guy in Arkansas that has a large collection of flathead heads. I called him but only got an answering machine. Will try again today and post any info I get. :)
     
  14. AV8-Rider
    Joined: Jan 31, 2002
    Posts: 909

    AV8-Rider
    Member


    I'm not 100% sure you got my point.
     
  15. blown49
    Joined: Jul 25, 2004
    Posts: 2,212

    blown49
    Member Emeritus

    I finally got ahold of the guy in Arkansas that Joe Abbin suggested I call; named Robert Whitehead. He apparently has one of the largest collections of flathead intakes in the country. He doesn't collect heads and had never heard of Nairn heads. He's going to Hershey this week and will get back to me if he can gain any info of the Nairn heads. :)
     
  16. gasser
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 150

    gasser
    Member

    russell1932 on Ebay is Mike Russell in Northern California, very knowledgable guy with a very large collection of Flathead stuff. I aquired a ROOF intake to match my twin plug heads off him. I will contact him to see if he has come accross them.
     
  17. NorwegianV8
    Joined: Aug 1, 2004
    Posts: 468

    NorwegianV8
    Member
    from Sem City

    Thanks for the effort guys and that you still trying.....:)
     
  18. NorwegianV8
    Joined: Aug 1, 2004
    Posts: 468

    NorwegianV8
    Member
    from Sem City

    Bttt......not giving up....yet
     
  19. AV8-Rider
    Joined: Jan 31, 2002
    Posts: 909

    AV8-Rider
    Member

    Ask an expert.


    ......you did not make them yourself ..did you?? :D:D:D

    Paul
     
  20. Bruce Lancaster
    Joined: Oct 9, 2001
    Posts: 21,681

    Bruce Lancaster
    Member Emeritus

    Thought of another source: "The Technical History of the Racing Flathead", published long ago in R&C and later the V8 times...anyone have that handy? I'll check it at home tonight--lots of oddball stuff in there.

    Soon, we will be forced to conclude that your heads do not exist.

    They bring to mind a head shown on a Model A-V8 in an old Petersen book I have--just visible where the name should have been was "God Bless this Flathead". Now, THAT needs to go into production.
     
  21. NorwegianV8
    Joined: Aug 1, 2004
    Posts: 468

    NorwegianV8
    Member
    from Sem City

    Did you find anything Bruce ?

    and Paul if their 'home made' it would be even better to find out
    But OHV Deluxe told me that he did see another set for sale at Hersey this year
     
  22. AV8-Rider
    Joined: Jan 31, 2002
    Posts: 909

    AV8-Rider
    Member

    Have you looked on the possibillity of them being some Aussie made heads?
     
  23. NorwegianV8
    Joined: Aug 1, 2004
    Posts: 468

    NorwegianV8
    Member
    from Sem City

    shure did
    no luck there either

    tryed England/Australia/Canada/Europe no luck so far

    The collectors often say they heard the name but no info
    Only one i heard of was OHV Deluxe (fellow Norwegian HAMB member) that did see a set for sale on Hersey
    belive the price was $450,00 and marked as Australian speed equipment

    but he might have been drunk.....;)
     
  24. AV8-Rider
    Joined: Jan 31, 2002
    Posts: 909

    AV8-Rider
    Member

    Didn't he buy them??
    From his posting he lookes to be collecting a lot.

    You could have been in controll of rareness here.

    Maybe they are Aussie? Did the seller at Hersey have some background for saying Aussie??
    Did he smell??
     
  25. NorwegianV8
    Joined: Aug 1, 2004
    Posts: 468

    NorwegianV8
    Member
    from Sem City

    Guess he already spent his budget ?
    and i meant that OHV might have been drunk
    or high on dreams
     
  26. Back to Thunder Alley
    Joined: Dec 1, 2011
    Posts: 80

    Back to Thunder Alley
    Member
    from Dallas, TX

    I don't know if any folks are still interested in the mystery of the Nairn heads, but I will provide the answer. Jim Nairn was my Uncle and his brother Don was my Dad. They were both a part of the early days of the Los Angeles Hot Rod scene back in the late 1930's and through the 1940's. Don became a pattern maker (did the original patterns for Hilborn fuel injections and Isky racing cams, and many other iconic engine parts). Jim became a machinist and did the machining for a full list of engine builders and racing folks for decades. He opened Nairn Machine Shop in Culver City, CA. (on what was known as Thunder Alley back in the day). As many hot rod guys did they both build their own rods from the ground up. Jim and Don combined to design and machine their own heads (which were an upgrade from the standard heads of that time) and Don made the pattern and Jim did the machine work and the name Nairn was cast onto the heads. My brother, Scott still operates Speedway Pattern in the same Nairn Machine Shop building in Culver City (Thunder Alley) that carries so much auto racing history. He also still has one of the heads that Jim made so long ago. I would suspect that there were a fairly small number of Nairn heads made in total. THAT is the story.
     
  27. Back to Thunder Alley
    Joined: Dec 1, 2011
    Posts: 80

    Back to Thunder Alley
    Member
    from Dallas, TX

    These heads were never mass produced and, in fact, the pattern itself was "borrowed" by Al Sharp, who used it to produce his famous 59A flathead.

    The original pattern was done by John Athan, originally designed to be cast using iron.

    My father was the original "Back To Thunder Alley". I am his son Jason, and it is my pleasure to try and keep his (and the Nairn family) legacy alive!
     
    harpo1313 likes this.
  28. Now how cool is that shit........The power of the HAMB!
     
    Ric Dean likes this.

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