Feb 25 update: Ed Sanger Monza

[Tom Birky]

I've been wanting to build this one for quite awhile and finally figured out how I want to go about it. Sanger ran this Monza bodied car around 1980 I think. The AMT Vega funny car will provide the basis for this build. An AMT nascar chassis with some Ron Coon parts thrown in will be used underneath. I started some initial cutting on the body to start figuring out where it needs to sit. Thx for looking!

Feb. 25 UPDATE: Rear axle installed. Cage and bracing coming along. Also finally got passenger side body work roughed in. Thx for looking!

[TarheelRick]

Going to be fun watching this one come together.  You definitely have your job cut out for you.  Bring on those updates.

[Tom Birky]

Small update to the AMT nascar chassis. Cut away rear clip and added Ron Coon Resins rear clip and glued Ron Coon quick change to truck arms. Glued small stubs to notch on truck arms for lower shock mounts. Custom Dirtcars coilover springs fit just right. They're upside down in the pic, I'll correct that for final assembly. For the front I ground out the spring buckets to make room for coil over shocks. I removed material from the lower a arm to make it look more like dirt track parts. Still have to make a shock mount on the a arm. Last pic is very rough body surgery for initial mock up.

[TarheelRick]

Any updates? Like what I am seeing.

[Tom Birky]

Some more body work. Added b pillars, cut the a pillars and pulled the front of the roof down a little. Mocked up rear quarter with file card. I think I may need to make the rear just a bit longer. Comments and suggestions welcome as I try to hone in on the shape of this thing. I know the doors arent curved like the real car, and I likely won't go to that length but who knows?  Thx for looking.  Tom

[Brian Conn]

..................Comments and suggestions welcome as I try to hone in on the shape of this thing.......  Tom

  Tom, this has worked for me in the past as far as getting these smaller bodied cars to look right.
    It looks like your headed in the right direction with the body ahead of the rear axle, including the roof.  For the remaining body behind the "C" pillars do this....

Find or otherwise create a flat/level plane from the center of the rear axle rearward...if you measure at an angle ,your dimensions will be off.  Hopefully you have a set of digital calipers or something that can measure in Millimeters going on the theory that 1 mm is equal to 1" in 1:25 ......measure back 40mm from the center of the rear axle and make a mark.  The 40mm mark is simply a starting point for determining if its too long or too short or just right....for me 40mm back from the center of the rear axle has been pretty much spot on ('79 Mustang, '78 MustangII Late Model builds as examples) for 108" w/b leaf spring cars like Ed Sanger's

  The fallowing is from my Fad Fiberglass stock car body catalog from 1980....this is reference to the 1980 Mustang which is pretty much the same size as the Monza your working on.....
"....front end was extended 9" leaving the wheel wells in the quaterpanle in stock location."  The extended portion was the body(fenders) between the engine fire wall and the back side of the front wheel wells, including lengthening the hood.   

[Tom Birky]

Thx for the good jnfo Brian. I did lengthen it a little.

[Tom Birky]

A little more body work done. Grille, headlights and hood scoop blended in. Lowered the front of the roof a little and made a new A pillar. Also reworked the C pillar about 3 times. I think I finally have it where I want it. Now I just have to duplicate everything to the passenger side.

[Brian Conn]

....Comparing where your at with body , presently, and the pictures of the 1:1 car I would say you have replicated it quite nicely.