Monza dirt car.

[Tom Birky]

Got paint on my current project so I couldn't help playing around with my next idea. I've wanted to do this particular car for awhile, but couldn't figure out the body and didn't want to scratch build the entire thing. I was at a show a couple of weeks ago and saw a built Vega funny car. I started studying the body and ended up bringing the kit home. I sort of could see the beginning of a Monza towne coupe in that Vega wagon. I did a little mock up with a file card and I believe the rear sheet metal will be easy with sheet plastic.  Here's my humble start. Thx for looking.  Tb

[David Bogard]

That Sanger car has crossed my mind a time or two in the past also Tom. It was a dog but it was different looking. Since a Vega and a Monza were the same car for several years on a few of their models (especially front end and side panels), I was gong to go with a Vega notchback from Bandit Resins and simply build in the rear sail panel windows.

[Brian Conn]

  Looks like your off to a fine start with this one....will definitely be a one of a kind.
   So how did this Smaller Monza Towne Coupe compare to the Camaro or Olds Cutlass Salon that he ran from that same time?  He brought the Olds Cutlass Salon #97 to the big Fall race here in Topeka back in 1979 and I am positive he showed up here after that race with a Camaro in 1980.  Any particulars about the Monza that you recall?  suspension...chassis...  that kind of stuff     
   Looking forward to seeing what you are able to do with this one.

[john2]

   Cool mockup, there, Tom.  Never thought of doing that.

Keep it going.

[David Bogard]

Sanger was starting to drop off around this time, as did several of the "old guard" who refused to run the new jig chassis cars and persisted in building their own stuff. In fact, except for once in 1985, Sanger never made the field in for World 100 after 1978 or '79. Still, he was a legend in his short time.

[Tom Birky]

I don't remember him setting the world on fire with this car, but it looked way cool! Bob Dixon asked Ed about the Monza. According to Ed, Camaro bumpers were getting very scarce and expensive, on the other hand Vega bumpers were plentiful, hence the body switch. Was there more to it than that? Maybe. But despite it's modest success, everyone around Iowa remembers the 'Sanger Monza', (or Vega...there were many debates about that).

Tb

[David Bogard]

Tom- He ran a Howe nose piece on the car most of it's life and that picture you have posted first is a very early one of that car. (in fact I had never seen the car without the Howe nose until that photo!) Did Sanger ever drive an Olds Cutlass?

[Tom Birky]

The yellow nose was on the car it's first night out, I'm thinking it was the Miller 100, that being the reason all the cars were lined up on the front straight for driver introductions. I'm guessing it was fragile and didn't last very long. I don't remember him ever in a cutlass. Curt Hansen did, as you know, and a little later Verlin Eaker drove one. Bob D might know a little more about it.

[David Bogard]

Tom- I was trying to remember what Brian might have been talking about in his comment above. Other than Curt Hansen or Verlin Eaker I am not aware of any traveling guys from Iowa with the Olds. Peoria had one that Dan Bennet drove (owned by Dick Coon) but he wouldn't have been over in Kansas.

[BobD]

Tom saw 'a vision'....and is making it a reality! Off to a great start!  I can't imagine how many pieces of sheet styrene I would go through trying to form those body panels.

I'm 99.9% sure Ed Sanger never drove a Cutlass (not one of his own for certain). Pictured here are Curt Hansen's Cutlass from 1979 owned by Vince Fiala.  Not sure of the year Verlin Eaker drove the #21 - and just got to wondering if it might be the same car as Hansen's, maybe a year or two later. Tom might know this.
1979d by RD Dix, on Flickr
verlin2 by RD Dix, on Flickr

[Brian Conn]

....Here's what I got

First, here is the b/w picture that appeared in the program for the 1979 Snow Fly Jamboree here in Topeka at the fairgrounds.


Second, here is a color picture taken in the pits during the Snow Fly Jamboree.




  Another view of the 2nd Monza picture of Tom's 

[David Bogard]

First off, those are amazing photos of the mystery Olds. I don't know who's car that was but I know it wasn't the Curt Hansen/Verlin Eaker Olds. Bob is right, that car was owned by Vince Fiala (and was built by Darrel Krewson). Hansen drove it as part of a two car deal that Fiala had and Curt had some success. (Fiala was big on having two cars- think Mike Niffenegger and Duane Steffe for instance) Then Eaker drove the Olds at special event races the next year or so and Verlin did really well with it.

This #97 Olds is a different car and although that number was used by Dickie Schiltz but I don't recall him ever driving an Olds. It seems clear that Sanger came over to Topeka to race but I just don't have a handle on who's Olds that is. Very interesting Brian!

[BobD]

Wow Brian - never heard or saw anything about Sanger driving that Cutlass!  Musta' been a one-off deal. Do you know whose car that was? As David mentioned, pretty sure not a Schiltz car.

[john2]

   Looks like a pretty simple way to build a tire rack on that hauler. 

[Tom Birky]

I'm  guessing it's from Ontario Canada. I don't know the driver, but the sponsor is from Thunder Bay. Ed used to race up into Minnesota and Canada. The car itself has a few Sanger trademarks that would date it around early 80's Im guessing he built the car and may have raced it for his customer?

Tb