Monza resurfaces

While

Allan Moffat’s Chev Monza is back in its country of origin, the USA, another DeKon Monza that raced in Australia still resides here. In fact, for the first time in two decades this car is for sale.

This is reportedly DeKon Monza chassis #1001 (the ex-Moffat car is #1005) raced in Australia by a long list of drivers. As the chassis designation suggests, #1001 was the first of the Horst Kwech- and Lee Dykstra-built machines, debuted in Kwech’s hands at Road Atlanta in ‘75. That first ever event for the DeKon Monza series of cars didn’t go to plan, with Kwech crashing out of the lead after tangling with lapped traffic.

Once repaired it was purchased by American Maurice Carter. The Monza was soon brought to the antipodes by New Zealander Red Dawson who, in 1976, had a massive crash in the car. The rebuilt machine was then raced successfully by John Briggs, runner-up to Tony Edmondson’s Alfa-Chev in the 1981 Australian Sports Sedan Championship. According to the online DeKon Monza register, it was sold to Mike Griffin in 1981 and then, two years later, to Jeff Barnes.

Barnes held on to it for 15 years, during which time it was extensively rebuilt by K&A Engineering, before ownership passed to fellow New South Welshman Scott Carpenter.

Soon after issue #86 hit newsstands, Scott’s sister, Alli, sent us the image you see below of the car today, taken on the NSW Central Coast.

“My brother, Scott, and I were going to give her a makeover [but] over the last few years life’s curveballs got in the way and then earlier in 2015 my brother passed unexpectedly before we could do this,” Alli Carpenter writes.

“I was holding on to her as it was a part of my brother, but I have accepted that I will not be doing the project alone so am looking for expressions of interest from collectors and/or drivers who appreciate this beauty and her iconic [status] in motor racing. “She is eagerly awaiting a restoration.” Alli has “Jeff Barnes’ handwritten book with everything you need to know about this car from discs, clutch, and engine. Absolutely everything you can think of when replacing parts/ repairing/restoring including where it raced. I have the last three log books (from 1980 to present), windscreens, extra rims, tyres, doors, guards/flares, and other bits and pieces.”

To find out more, contact Alli via email at crowcallcommunications@hotmail.com