Inliners International Forums General Discussion Hi Performance NICSON MANUFACTURING

As I've said before I have what I consider a NICSON set. 1 alumunum 15 bolt head-1 valve cover-1 long side plate-1 2x1 intake and 2 alumunum gas pedals. I would be interested in getting to know how much NICSON stuff is left. If theres any others interested please respond. Lets see how much there is and where it is. 1 OL REDNECK

Nicson made a lot of boat stuff. I had a dual carb manifold for a chevy but I traded for a McGruk for a GMC. Beater

We usually have 4 or 5 Nicsons for Chevy and 2 or 3 for GMC's. and a dual carb intake for a flathead ,

Yes , as I understand it NICSON introduced the 15 bolt head in 53 and as we know chev. changed to 18 head bolts in 54. I've been told the molds were being changed to 18 bolts when chev. introduced the V-8 in the 55's and at that time the work on the 6 cyl. head stopped. I know there was some v-8 stuff was produced but they concerntrated on mostly marine stuff after that. I have been told there were only 36 heads cast-they were cast in lots of 12 and they only ran 3 castings.I notice the head in HOT ROD was iron so I don't know how many of each were cast. Due to srinkage wouldn't it be difficult to cast both in the sane patterns? The imfo. I got was from a 74 [10 years ago] year old man who told me he was the main machinist at NICSON and did most of the work on all of them. I have his mane here somewhere' Just ran across it a month ago. When

When I find it I'll post it . Maybe some of the west coast mentors can add creditablly to my imfo. Sorry about the interuption I did hit a wrong button with 1 of the 9 fingers I don't type with! I was told these pattern burnt in a foundery fire in L.A. 1 OL REDNECK

Jalopy: Nice sellection. I have the Tillitson waterfall and the Tattersfield also. I also have a Mc GURK 3x1 thats made like the Howard 5x1 with the bolt on port runners. I would like to put it on a 261 I have on the stand now. DREAMS. 1 OL REDNECK

I have a Nicson 2 pot intake and a valve cover.

Didn't they make a side-draft intake like the corvette?

Darrell, we seem to have the same taste in speed equipment, as I have the same intake I'm planning to fit it on my Bored and Stroked 261 ....... one day motor

Nice stuff! I've seen your offerings at Hot August Nights. Hope to see you this year. It'll be warm. I remembered I had a Nicson valve cover given to me. I passed it on to a friend with a 216. He still has it. Beater

Yes Mark: Page 84 Roger Huningtons book-1951- shows a picture of it. Says it for Zenith 8810 sidedrafts. I've never seen a live one in captivity, but I have been told G.M. either copied it or g.m.s resembales Nicsons very closely. I'm sure one of the big 3 would never copy a HOT RODDER!! 1 OL REDNECK

Mark does your carbs on your Nicson manifold mount as they would on a stock manifold. Mine has the carb mounting 90 degrees from stock. All 4 mounting bolts in line front to back. In addition to the question I know Barry Weeks [WEEK END GARAGE] in Minnisota had a Nicson head the last time I talked to him. Thats 2 counted for. I seen a car in the 12 port news[40 chev. convert] I think that was running 1 on the west coast. Anyone??? 1OL REDNECK

Nice stuff! I've seen your offerings at Hot August Nights. Hope to see you this year. It'll be warm. I remembered I had a Nicson valve cover given to me. I passed it on to a friend with a 216. He still has it. Beater [/quote]


The trailer is already in Reno, we'll set up on the 3rd. and be ready to go, same vendor spaces. drop by for a refreshment, got the gas powered Margeritta maker filled up.

Hey Popper, do you have any pics of your Nicson set? I'm sure I'm not alone in saying I'd love to see it all, especially the rarer stuff like the head and side cover.

Yes I do and when 1 of my grandsons [who knows how to run this new fangled contraption] is here I will have him post them. Thanks to all for the interest in this post. I was with a pattern maker I've known for some time , last Sat. night and he looked at the side plate. He is going to make me a bid on repoping a few of the sideplates. I'm not going into production but I am interested in repoping 6 or 10. I've been in the thinking stage for a couple of years and just now getting to it. ANY ONE ELSE HAVE THAT SAME PROBLEM?? Theres always something else to do today! 1 OL REDNECK

Hi Darrell, Great topic.
I have a webshots album set up with some of the Nicson stuff I've collected over the years. Latest addition is a big port GMC side draft intake with the Zenith 8810 carbs. I used the same carbs to mock up Barry's Chevy triple side draft intake with his head and valve cover. I also included a few pics of your Nicson head that I took several years ago at one of the Midwest Inliners meetings I attended in Quad-Cities. I'll add more to the album as I dig through pictures. http://rides.webshots.com/album/577773239VWrBno?vhost=rides

Thank you!! I will still add mine latter but it will probally be after the 29th. as were going on a little vaction. Leaving end of this week'and I don,t seethe boys being here before that. OK two confirmed.... I think I remember hearing of a polished one on a 40 convert out west. ANYBODY?? I OL REDNECK

Great pictures!
That side-draft looks like it was designed as a multi-purpose, with the round flange? Drill-it-yourself to accept Linkert, Riley, Tillotson, etc.

Yes I never noticed that. Slim is the one /round carb flanges the GMC? My head does not have the letters on the port runners but I think it was camnoflauged to run circle track stock classes. It had some dull green paint on it when I got it. I was told the man I got it from found it in a barn while in oklahoma looking at old syock cars. I've had it since 93-94?? Need a powerglide valves to assemble it I guess. It appears to have beem milled quite a bit. 1 OL REDNECK

A little off subject, I have a Nicson 2 carb intake for a 41 to 51 Ford flathead six. It's been on my car for 10-12 years now. I have heard that they made a head for the same engine but I've never seen one.

Not a bit off subject.Thats great. I would like to know what all they did automobile wise. I think this was a remarkable company that has slipped thru the cracks. I did not know they made inline Ford equip. Thanks for putting this in. 1 OL REDNECK

Do you have any pictures of that? The Ford Flathead 6 is and interesting engine.
Beater

I don't have any computer ready photos (believe it or not in this computer age). I will take some this weekend and try to post them Monday

Popper,
I think is the Nicson head you've heard about. I took these pics at the Inliners Lodi, CA picnic in 2003. I don't know who owns the car but the entire ride inside and out was very clean. Hope this helps.

Found a few images to share . ,

I have several Chev and GMC Nicson Intakes. My GMC has a 2 carb intake on it now and I am restoring a 3-carb intake to put on it.

This intake originally had holes and one good size crack. I sandblasted and then mig welded it up and then touched it up with JB Weld - then re-blast to get the "as cast" look and then painted.



I had the paint matched from several original manifolds that still had good areas of original paint.





One thing I don't see mentioned here is Nicson Exhausts - here is a shot of mine. More for keeping it all Nicson than reaching for performance as I have been told that the way they are set up that they are not as good as regular headers.



The exhaust flanges were odd ball - I had to make them from scratch.




I have a Solid Model done for a GMC version of a Nicson Sideplate - Barry Weeks loaned me his Chevy version and I copied it and modified it for a GMC and made the model 3% bigger to allow for shrinkage if cast in Aluminum. I haven't had one cast yet. On the "to do" list after I switch my intake over to a 3-carb unit.

I don't think Nicson made headers for Chevy 6's

Mark50, glad you got home safely Our hour and a half chat was great fun!

I'm slowly but surely putting my Nicson two pot together with Rochester barrel carbies, and will post pictures of it and my Nicson valve cover as soon as I'm done.

Heads up for everyone - the full range of Thickstun inliner products is about to be re-released soon ........ Details to follow

, Down under or in North America??

Over on your side of the Pacific

Ken, do you think the side cover you are about to make would suit a Chev if it was trimmed down?

I am after one of these to suit my "Nicson" motor

I have pictures in a JPG file but cannot figure out how to load them in a reply.......duh

Mark - I only plan on making a GMC version. I am still working out the details on getting the casting done. Too many projects and this is down on the priority list a ways. If it turns out to go pretty smoothly, I could look at what it would take to shrink it down for a Chevy motor.

I'm back from vacation so now its back to work. Mark, I should have some idea of expence on the Chev. sideplate by the end of next week. I Have the name of a man in Ca. thats also interested. I would like to do at least 6 if it works out. They could be available finished or as cast. 1 OL REDNECK

I'm back from vacation so now its back to work. Mark, I should have some idea of expence on the Chev. sideplate by the end of next week. I Have the name of a man in Ca. thats also interested. I would like to do at least 6 if it works out. They could be available finished or as cast. 1 OL REDNECK

Jalopy,I have a 2x1 Chev. by Nicson that appears just like yours, except the carbs are turned 90 degrees.

I'm jumping around alot. I am sure 12 port Charlie Baker made the patterns to repop the Nicson exaust and I think he did a few. As I remember he sold the patterns to Phillips and they put thier name on them. This may not be right but I know the patterns were in his shop at one time and thats the story he told me. 1 OL REDNECK

I'm jumping around alot. I am sure 12 port Charlie Baker made the patterns to repop the Nicson exaust and I think he did a few. As I remember he sold the patterns to Phillips and they put thier name on them. This may not be right but I know the patterns were in his shop at one time and thats the story he told me. 1 OL REDNECK

Weren't the ones Charlie had GMC manifolds?

Thats very possable. I only remember parts about everything- not everything about parts. I was at his shop the patterns were there- was there later and thats the story he told me as I remember it. 1 OL REDNECK

Charlie Baker had patterns for GMC headers which were an exact copy of Nixons exept there was no name on them.I know this because i had the patterns made for him here in Brisbane Australia. At the time he had quotes of $8000 to $11000 to get them made locally and we were able to get them done here for $2500.Three sets were cast here before I sent the patterns over to him.Two sets were done in iron and one set in stainless.It would be interesting to know what happened to that set.I kept one set of iron ones for myself which I still have today.There may have been a problem with the original patterns as the core on the original set that Charlie sent over had been sanded down on each of the end outlets resulting in a somewhat restricted flow. After sometime I lost contact with Charlie and I beleive he has since passed away.As I have only recently rejoined Inliners I am wondering if someone can fill me in on how and when this happened?

Yes- I can,t be exact but I'm guessing it was approx. 8-9 years ago. I was at his shop about 6 mos. before he passed and he was schuled for surgery shortly and I don't remember if he passed then or shortly after. I'm sure someone on here can give a better account. I miss visiting with him. He is the one who signed me up for inliners. 1 OL REDNECK