Car Spotlight>>imsa Dekon Chevy Monza

When I was born back in 1984 I took my first ride home from the hospital in the back seat of my parents' Chevrolet Monza.

Somehow, I don't think that Monza was anything like the one you see here.

I spotted this 1977 Dekon Budweiser Monza at the Sonoma Historics over the weekend and thought you guys might want to take a closer look at this machine from the glory days of the IMSA series.

This particular car was campaigned from 1977 to 1981, competing against the likes of the Porsche 935, the Corvette, and the BMWs of the day. It's powered by a 550hp small block V8 and weighs just 2,300 lbs.

Outside of the roofline, there isn't much resemblance to the Monza that brought me home. Have a look at those rear hips!

The front fenders are nearly as wide as the rears, with original center lock racing wheels barely tucked in.

The rear spoiler is equally outrageous.

A view of the cockpit with its hand-made aluminum dash and shifter for the Ford Toploader trans. No room for a baby seat in there!

If you think the car looks crazy standing still, you have to see it on the track.

So, what kind of car did you come home from the hospital in?

-Mike Garrett

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1

chevy s10 and is just me or is this the american interpretation of bosozoku

2

This car is pretty wild, especially when you see it chasing down Porsche 935's. Vintage Motorsports did a full feature on it awhile back, check it out if this car piques your interest people!



Nice spot Mike.

3

Just goes to show that any car can be made to look good, when properly riced out.

4

I was at the Sonoma Historics this weekend and I wondered about this car. Great shots.

5

phew.. quite a site to behold, i'd like to know what it sounds like and see under the bonnet! - it certainly looks like it puts down some decent times.. Thanks

6

1982 Honda Prelude.



Yawn.

7

an Opel Calibra, on a cold january the second.

8

My first car was an '80 Chevy Monza that I bought for $25.

I had all kinds of fantasies about it being something like this, but sadly it was never to be.



I've still got a soft spot for them, especially since most people have never heard of the car before.

9

Cool. I still think Glenn Bunch's IMSA Dodge Challenger is the best U.S. car to run in IMSA, but thats just me.

10

got a video of this thing?

11

:o haha i came home in a monza too! back in brazil! <3

12

mclaren f1 brought my mom to the hospital. porsche 959 brought me back. then my dad sold them both to buy a honda civic 4 door.

13

I was brought home in a Yugo, exactly 22 years and 364 days ago. Dad sold the yugo and bought mk2. golf the next day. Got to love being born in yugoslavia.

14

My parents made me walk home...

15

1966 Volkswagen Beetle, Bahama Blue. I had a high school friend who had two Monzas, one with the "Iron Duke" 4-cyl., and one with a V6. Last year, another old friend bought an original, unrestored and very mint Monza Spyder with the small-block V8 and all the graphics.

16

Hm, Ford Top Loader gearbox in a Chevy? Gotta love the simplistic livery.

17

I love the Dekon cars. They were freaking awesome looking versions of such horrible cars. haha. This car is raced a lot still (think the owner has a ton of other really awesome iron too). Hopefully more old Dekon cars will be restored and raced.

18

Yes! One of my fav race cars ever!

19

BMW E21, only 1.6 though

20

love love love this

21

could you please stop using those 19th century units such as lbs

22

Great shots of a beautiful piece of history. I've always loved Monzas' and this has to be one of the most track oriented ones i've seen, and to top it off a beer company livery.. oh and i rode home in a simple yet classy 85 jetta

23

BMW 2002

24

I have a 1977 Monza that was raced in SCCA GT-1 from 1978 thru 1984. It has Dekon body minus the large wing. It's a blast to drive at Road America! Great Pics!

25

I was also born in 1984 and was brought home in a 77 Buick Skyhawk! The brand engineered clone of the Monza. It was red too. I always wished my parents kept that car so that one day I could turn it into a project. Now I really really really want one so I can turn it into an IMSA spec track car. Thanks for sharing this. This means a lot to me!

26

My first ride home was in an 80-something Mazda 626. I think it started my love for Mazdas.



I had a ride in a road-going Chevy Monza once. Wheeziest rust-bucket I've ever sat in. I love seeing turds get polished into race cars though, and the IMSA saw a lot of cool polished turds (i.e. Monza, Oldsmobile Acheiva, etc.)



@professor: Ain't no car more 'Muriken than a V-8 Chevy Monza race car, and ain't no unit of measurement more 'Muriken than the pound. We don't use no weenie "kee-low-grams" here! ;-)

27

Mom's bitchin' third gen Camaro.



Yes. Mom's.

28

I came home in a Red Volvo 870 Turbo.

29

I hope you guys have been enjoying the action from the 2011 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Here's one more batch of scenes from this brilliant gathering, starting above with the radical looking #70 Porsche 935 K3 putting its turbo muscle to use

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