The Roaring Season

Steve Holmes wrote:Chad, did you race your Monza at this event?

For those of you who haven't seen it, I highly recommend visiting this website: http://www.scharch.org/Cars/My_Monza/Racing_Monzas/Monza-DeKon_Chassis.htm

It covers all the known histories on all the DeKon Monza's, the body phases etc, plus the other Monza chassis' built by other companies. Its a very impressive website. Makes for really interesting reading.

Hello Steve,

I did not race my Monza at this event. The motor needs to be freshened.

The white and green DeKon Monza, #24 in Craig and Scott's pics, is DeKon 1004. This car was only in the paddock to be moved from one transporter to another. It was not an entrant for the 2011 Monterey Motorsports Reunion.

DeKon 1003 was in attendance. Here's a good shot from Supercars.net:

http://www.supercars.net/gallery/119513/2701/1006506.jpg

The concept that John Bishop came up with and sold to GM was really clever when you think about it. Surely the Monza, built by DeKon and the various others companies for IMSA, must have been the first turn-key race car designed to allow privateers (granted, with deep pockets) to go racing without having to build their own car from scratch, or purchase last years race car off a pro team.

It was a bit easier in the early days of the Trans-Am for privateers, because they could pick up an old or wrecked Camaro or Mustang and bend and weld some exhaust tube for a roll cage, add some race bits, and go racing. But IMSA was more specialised than the Trans-Am had been, and so this wasn't quite so easy, even though many guys still did just this.

The Can-Am and F5000 had companies that specialised in building customer chassis'. You buy the chassi, drop your Chevy in the back, and go racing. The majority of fields were made up of these cars, but the Trans-Am never really had this that I can think of, other than the small number of Mustangs built by Shelby during 1966 and '67.

So the Chevy Monza built for IMSA was a bit of a ground breaking car in US sedan racing in many ways.

Hi Chad, still buzzing from the trip, thanks for your hospitality. Scott went mad taking photos, yeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaaa.

regards
Craig

Hello Craig,

We weren't making any effort to be hospitable... We just enjoyed the time spent with you, Scott and Dale.

All the best, and thanks for the kind words.

-Chad

Graig/Dale/Scott
Got any pics of the Green/black/orange McLaren?

Steve Holmes wrote:The concept that John Bishop came up with and sold to GM was really clever when you think about it. Surely the Monza, built by DeKon and the various others companies for IMSA, must have been the first turn-key race car designed to allow privateers (granted, with deep pockets) to go racing without having to build their own car from scratch, or purchase last years race car off a pro team.

It was a bit easier in the early days of the Trans-Am for privateers, because they could pick up an old or wrecked Camaro or Mustang and bend and weld some exhaust tube for a roll cage, add some race bits, and go racing. But IMSA was more specialised than the Trans-Am had been, and so this wasn't quite so easy, even though many guys still did just this.

The Can-Am and F5000 had companies that specialised in building customer chassis'. You buy the chassi, drop your Chevy in the back, and go racing. The majority of fields were made up of these cars, but the Trans-Am never really had this that I can think of, other than the small number of Mustangs built by Shelby during 1966 and '67.

So the Chevy Monza built for IMSA was a bit of a ground breaking car in US sedan racing in many ways.

Got some more photos and history on the Green and White Dekon No.1004 if you want it Steve.

Im up for Monterey next thursday(16th) like a really need it at the moment but its 50 years of Cobra and they have 40 Trans Am cars entered so will be a huge event, the best event i done prior was the 100 years of Ford in 03 and this ones looking to be as good, will try to get plenty of pics. If the green/white Dekons there(which im sure it will be) i'll snap a few more pics.

Dale M

Rod Grimwood wrote:Got some more photos and history on the Green and White Dekon No.1004 if you want it Steve.

Yes please Rod, that would be awesome!

You shall recieve, during it's original 76 racing days

Now, restored. Another one of my Lotto projects

Check the under guard