1973 AVS Shadow Can Am DN2

History

This normally aspirated Shadow DN2 was raced by Jackie Oliver and James Hunt in 1973. It is chassis number 1A, and one of only two DN2’s constructed. The other DN2 was the turbo charged car, which unfortunately suffered setbacks in every event in which it was entered. Shadow was stretching itself thin in 1973, designing and building their new F1 cars as well as constructing their latest Can Am cars to compete against the Porsche 917’s of Mark Donohue, Hurley Haywood, and George Follmer.

Chassis 1A was the more successful of the two 1973 Shadows. It was entered by Don Nichols and Union Oil Products in all 8 of the Can Am races that season. Unfortunately, the car struggled at the start of the season with various teething problems. However as the season neared the end, the car got sorted out and became a front runner.

Jackie Oliver was the primary driver of Chassis 1A in 1973. But in mid-season rising Grand Prix driver, James Hunt, got the nod to drive the car at the Road America Can Am race. Unfortunately another niggling teething problem sidelined the car for Hunt. This time it was a fuel metering gasket failure.

Thereafter, Oliver and chassis 1A began to find their legs. At the next Can Am round, Edmonton, Oliver finished 3rd behind Donohue and Follmer. At the following event, the Monterey Castrol Can Am at Laguna Seca, Oliver drove the Shadow to second behind Donohue, but ahead of Hurley Haywood’s Porsche 917. At the final race of the season, with the Shadow running strong, Oliver had an incident on the third lap, damaging the bodywork such that he could not continue. So just when the mechanical issues were finally sorted out, an on-track incident sidelined the car in its final race of the 1973 season.

All history subsequent to the 1973 season is known documented as well. The log books go back to 1991, when the car was purchased directly from Don Nichols at Shadow.

Description

The engine is by Steve Jennings Racing Engines, done several years ago but has only been run a handful of short test sessions and 6 events. The engine has its original Lucas McKay injection, Vertex magneto, and Weaver dry sump pump.

Since 2009 the Shadow has received the following work:

4 new balanced brake rotors
Rebuilt 4 calipers
New clutch slave cylinder
Rebuilt/replaced all master cylinders
Rebuilt and balanced the roller spline rear axle assemblies
Magnafluxed the stub axles
Inspected/renewed/replated/painted all suspension arms
Replaced/repacked all wheel bearings
Refinished all 4 uprights
Replaced external starter drive seal on transmission
Re-plated miscellaneous support structures
New throttle cable
Replaced and rerouted more properly the fuel and oil lines
Rebuilt the oil cooler
Dyno checked the shocks (Penske – curves included)
Cleaned and resealed the Jongblood wheels
Custom built a muffler (looks good and really makes the car quieter with no power loss)
Inspected and resealed the dry sump pump
Replaced plug wires with the correct wire core
Rebuilt the water radiators
Replaced rear springs with correct diameter
Made a new lexan windscreen and mount
Replaced the ugly mirrors with original style
Put the correct graphics on the car
Corner weight and align

Extra parts with the car:
4 used brake rotors (could be turned)
Rear body section mold
Front body section mold
Right and left radiator outlet shroud molds with one new part, each side
Extra right door (there are only six total parts to the body)
One right and one left wheel nut
Some special tools I made
1+ set spark plugs
Spare new master cylinders
Spare rebuilt clutch master cylinder
Rear springs and perches
Custom Car cover
Several Crew Shirts

The Shadow is complete with one set of original wheels, and an additional set of reproduction wheels made by Jongbloed, plus one extra front.

Chassis Number: 1A