GM Dealer-sold IMSA Monza

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Re: GM Dealer-sold IMSA Monza

Postby monzaaddict » Wed Apr 19, 2017 1:03 am

I came across this thread again. I don't think the car was originally built for congressman ken gray but it was in his museum at one point. I believe this is the same car that was on the cover of one of the ho7 registry newsletters. I talked to ( can't remember the guys name who wrote the registry) and he told me the owner of the car at the time thought it was a banshee by briggs chevrolet. It was yellow at the time ( you can see yellow paint under the red).

I would think that the only shop that had access to the imsa panels that early (1974) would have been Dekon Engineering in Libertyville Illinois.
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Re: GM Dealer-sold IMSA Monza

Postby stage169 » Thu Apr 20, 2017 1:28 pm

Interesting!
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Re: GM Dealer-sold IMSA Monza

Postby hammerdown7 » Fri Jun 16, 2017 8:24 am

NOS parts with GM part numbers, posted by monzaaddict in Craigslist area, https://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/pts/6153150486.html

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Re: GM Dealer-sold IMSA Monza

Postby stage169 » Fri Jun 16, 2017 9:44 am

Wow!
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Re: GM Dealer-sold IMSA Monza

Postby monzaaddict » Fri Jun 16, 2017 3:07 pm

pretty sure this is the car now
al gloddeck's 1975 chevrolet monza ( scroll to 15th picture)
https://www.musiccityaaca.club/member-s-rides
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Re: GM Dealer-sold IMSA Monza

Postby monzaaddict » Fri Jun 16, 2017 3:38 pm

here is some info on the bob birchmeier who owned diversified glass products

http://www.cruisenewsonline.com/1955Che ... ature.html

"1969, when Bob started a fiberglass manufacturing business named Diversified Glass Products. He also got married to his wife, Sonja, to whom he is still happily married. Now being self employed and married his cars took a back seat, though he was still very heavy into custom work through his business. They built all of the bodies for the IROC race cars from the start of the series to the end. From that recognition they got the job to do the Indy car bodies for Penske and Patrick Racing for years. Then it was on to GM Motorsports, for which they built all the wide body parts for all Corvette, Camaro, Trans Am, Monza, Buick, Pontiac, Chevy, Oldsmobile and Fiero teams. They also did GTP cars for Corvette and Jaguar Group 44, Can Am bodies for Hobart Racing, and many pace cars for PPG. Plus there were show cars for GM, and some movie cars including the Knight Rider, Batmobile, Bat boat and the Duck. There were many one-off show cars for Carl Casper, and one that won the Detroit Ridler Award."

retired in florida

Bob Birchmeier
Active New Port Richey, FL — President for Aristida Homeowners' Association, Inc.
Mailing Address
5837 TROUBLE CREEK ROAD
NEW PORT RICHEY, FL 34652

http://search.sunbiz.org/Inquiry/Corpor ... atType=PDF

here is the email for the guy a few pages back that owned the dgp fiero and knows bob Rborecky@Roadrunner.com
Last edited by monzaaddict on Fri Jun 16, 2017 3:54 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: GM Dealer-sold IMSA Monza

Postby hammerdown7 » Fri Jun 16, 2017 3:43 pm

Great find, thanks.

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Re: GM Dealer-sold IMSA Monza

Postby monzaaddict » Mon Nov 05, 2018 12:05 pm

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Re: GM Dealer-sold IMSA Monza

Postby IMSA75AL » Wed Feb 12, 2020 7:51 pm

The posted pic is my Monza after a restomod sort of change. The car (Lucy) was originally a 262 V8 with a Powerglide auto. A 355 V8 and four speed manual from a donor ‘75 have been installed along with a positraction rear with 3.42 gears. The interior has also been upgraded to Alcantara seat inserts and headliner, soundproofing added and new carpet. Wheel lugs have been upgraded to five bolt and the brakes upgraded partially as well. A fiberglass Corvette style hood has been added and the car was stripped to bare metal as some of the body panels were separating from the metal and rust was beginning to form. It was truly a much larger project than I expected. All the work was done by a local shop outside of Nashville. One guy at the shop dubbed it the Monster Monza in part because it has a racing cam and electric cutouts. I’ll try to post a video if I can figure out how!

As far as it’s history I was able to find out that the sales manager at the selling dealer outside Chicago “had a connection at Chevrolet in Detroit” and the trail went dead from there. There is no record of the IMSA panels being ordered in any of GM’s records of which I have a copy. Best guess is the conversion was done at one Chevy’s suppliers or possibly in Chevy’s prototype shop. In any event I like that there’s something of a mystery as how Lucy came to be!
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Re: GM Dealer-sold IMSA Monza

Postby monzaaddict » Wed Feb 12, 2020 11:07 pm

IMSA76AL - do you have an email address you can be reached at. I know your car was the 63rd car built - likely first hour of production. It had to be for someone important. Was there info with the car mentioning the car/panels being shipped to Libertyville Illinois? Also one of the previos owners said it looked like Johnny Carson's signature on owners manual or some paperwork. do you know anything about that. Do you know if Jay Kline (Steve Kline is the son) Chevrolet ordered the car in Minneapolis. My email is monzaaddict@lycos.com
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Re: GM Dealer-sold IMSA Monza

Postby stage169 » Wed Mar 11, 2020 11:14 am

Did you guys get a chance to email?
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Re: GM Dealer-sold IMSA Monza

Postby monzaaddict » Thu Mar 12, 2020 1:53 am

no
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Re: GM Dealer-sold IMSA Monza

Postby monzaaddict » Thu Mar 12, 2020 5:00 am

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Re: GM Dealer-sold IMSA Monza

Postby hammerdown7 » Thu Mar 12, 2020 9:37 am

Thanks for the update link. Worse thing I've done car-wise is taking my IMSA bodied autocrosser apart 30 or so years ago.

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Re: GM Dealer-sold IMSA Monza

Postby stage169 » Sat Mar 14, 2020 10:29 am

Monzaaddict you got mail!
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