4 replies to this topic

[thunder427]

I was invited to vist a friend, of many years (Read PARTIES !!!) at his private workshop, he has an amazing ability to research old race cars histories, EG, his latest distraction is the Grant King Monza,(Which he now ownes) this car was built for a customer in the USA by Grant King, more commonly known for building 'Sprintcars',this car was then sold and shipped to a prominent New Zealand 'Racer',then sold and shipped to an Australian racing identity etc ,etc,....I'm sitting in the middle of x-amount of 'parts/frame/wheels/fibreglass panels/diffs,any way I said '**** !!!!!you should join 'TFN',there is a guy there that has to know something with regards to Monza's....come on stage 'JERRY ENTIN'...and if he's not got the 'Bases covered' there is this collection of pasionate people that share the common bond..........so Monza people .....start your keyboards....................................regards427

[David McKinney]

This was presumably the car raced by Red Dawson in NZ 1976
I don't recall what was said about its origins at the time (I paid more attention to cars that didn't have roofs), though I do recall a very spectacular barrel-roll at Manfeild

Edit: Dawson's car was Horst Kwech's IMSA mount, built at Dekron Engineering

[Catalina Park]

I think the Red Dawson car went to John Briggs and then to Mike Griffon and then to Jeff Barnes. During Barnes' ownership it got a lot of modifications by K and A Engineering.
I pit crewed on the Mong for Barnes a couple of times.

[thunder427]

To open the 'Throttle', New Zealand owner/racer was 'Art Mckee.of Crown Motor Court 'Fame'( You wanted to drive 'American Muscle' in NZ, 'Art Was the Man !!) he also succesfully campaigned a 70-1/2 Z28 Camaro that he imported from the UK,.......the Australian purchaser was ,John Pollard,( 'the Dairy farmer' !!) always had 'top end' equipment but didn't always get the same race results.............local Melbourne Monza constructors were,Bob Jane,'Bob Jane Racing', under the management of Pat Purcell (inc.Ron Harrop in that mix!!) Graeme Whincup ( Jamie's Uncle and Mentor!! ), "Dazzling' Darrel Sydel who shipped his version to the USA/LA for an 'Ozzie'/USA Challenge,the Whincup / Sydel Monza's were both created by John Reardon of Melbourne,out of the Whincup's race shop ('AAR' All Australian Racers) ,Reardon, I believe has worked for Williams F1 Team for a number of years now( perhaps 25plus years !!)not that he writes home much !!!!..................regards427

[maoricar]

Slightly OT, ...BUT, Chevrolet's Monza was possibly one of the most unsuitable platforms for a race car, in stock form.
Whilst on an extended holiday in the US, in early 1977 I purchased a late 1975 Monza, with the California "High Altitude" 350 V8 option. This engine was a seriously tight fit, one had to move the A-6 air cond. compressor to access two of the front spark plugs.
Fairly rapid in a straight line, it couldn't corner and you only got ONE stop from 80mph ( or so ) before rapid brake fade set in.
A somewhat flexible unibody and stock 13" wheels and miniscule front brake rotors no doubt contributed to these challenges.
After some days of frantic work, installing heavier adjustable front and rear shocks and a custom made 'A' class tow hitch that reinforced the structure clear up toward the doors, along with an additional trans cooler and de-smogging..the car was as ready as it ever could be to tow an 18' caravan to the East coast and back, including three ascents over the Rockies, although the electric brakes on the caravan were almost the only means of eventual retardation..

Typically with US GM products of that era, it always started, never leaked oil, all the electrics worked, in fact NOTHING broke over that 45,000 and one year trek.

Having installing a set of (1976) Spyder decals and spoiler, I shipped it out of Long Beach, back to NZ, drove it around for maybe a month...........then swapped it for a house in Kingsland, Auckland- (at THAT time, NOT a particularly great deal)

If one was to circuit race a Monza, I would guess that the ONLY original parts might have been the emblems!

Nev