<VV> VVD, V87, I44: Monza Jr's Big Brother

[James P. Rice]

All:  Tried to post the below and some photos but files were to big.  This
is the text of a story I did  for the CORSA Communique back in June 2008.
And my original note about the ride Bill's daughter sent him.     

Bill:  The car pictured is a mini-Monza SS.  It was smaller than the real
car, but bigger than the Monza SS Junior, which was a go-kart.  Chevy gave a
bunch of the away at auto-shows.  Dave Newell did a 2 part article on them a
short time ago in the Communique.  Plus a earlier one some years ago. 

The following month there was a photo of another such amusement ride from a
Chicago member.  Many years ago, we were at the Children's Museum in
Indianapolis with one or more of our grandkids.  There was another of these
cars near the carousel.   (You know what's wrong with children's museums?
To many kids around  for us "adults" to play!  Opps!  Sorry!) 

I don't know if the SCCCA still has the class, but once upon a time they had
a class for what amounted to large go-carts with full body work, slick tires
and 500 or 600cc engines in the back.  I've mused more than once about
mating one of thus chassis with the Monza SS amusement park body and taking
it to a CORSA convention's autocross.  I'd have to get some braver than me
to drive it! 

Historically Yours,

		James Rice


For information of what a Monza Jr is, take a look at the cover and
accompanying article by Dave Newell in the Feb '98 Communique.  He tells us
some stories about the late Larry Shinoda of GM Design Studios.  Basically
the Monza Jr is a go-kart with a miniature Monza SS body.  The Monza SS
being a one of the Corvair based show cars from the early 60's.  It is the
middle sibling with the Monza GT and Astro I.  All three came out of
Chevrolet R&D before being rebodied by Larry Shinoda in Bill Mitchell's
Design Studios at the GM Tech Center.  Jim Musser discussed them at the
Detroit Convention's CPF session, which was transcribed in the Feb
Communique.      

This story began about two and a half decades ago (now over 3 decades ago!)
we took our young daughters to the Peoria (IL.) County Fair during the last
week of July.  There I saw, on one of the kiddie rides, a metal-flaked car
which was a dead ringer for the small Monza SS show car.  I didn't think
much of it at the time, but later wish I had.  With the advent of the
Internet, I have occasionally looked for companies who do amusement part
rides, hoping to stumble a ride or car body I saw many years before as a
product offering.  Never did find anything.  

Last Labor Day weekend, "stumbled on to" became operational.  The small town
where our oldest daughter lives has a "Fall Festival".  (I don't know why,
just because they can I suppose!)  While wondering thru the park where it's
held with our grandson, I noticed a familiar shape under a trap on one of
the rides.  Since no one was around to ask permission, this being mid
Saturday morning before the place came to life, I entered the ride and
pulled the tarp back.  And immediately went the block back to our daughter's
home to get my camera, much to the protest of my five-year-old grandson. 

After explaining why this was important to his "Papa James", we returned and
took the photos.  I also noted, and retained via the camera, the info on two
tags attached to the body.   This was a low priority, but I eventually did
get around to again hitting the 'net, only to find nothing for either
company.  So a few weeks ago, I asked our daughter if she could give me a
name and phone number of someone who was involved with the festival so I
could talk to them.  She asked why and I explained.  She smiled, as only a
daughter can who has a really good answer for her father, opened her address
book and gave me the name and phone number of the owner of the rides.  Seems
she and our son-in-law are active enough in town to be part of the group
responsible for the festivities.  How cool is that?!  

I called the owner of the rides, who gave me the number of the company he
gets some of his rides from.  After playing a couple rounds of telephone
tag, I eventually talked to Kevin Dalton of Dalton Kid Ride Rebuilders, Inc
in Foley MO.    As installed on a ride, their "sports car" has a plywood
"chassis" and fixed axles turned to the radius of the ride's platform.
Kevin said he bought the business from the original manufacture, now long
out of business.  He had no knowledge about the original creation of the
"sports car".  (Wonder if the were 'Vair people?)  Since he is not a car
person, and thought it was a Corvette knock-off, I explained the history.  I
also told him not to feel bad about not knowing, because in 2004, after the
Lexington KY CORSA Convention, I went to the National Corvette Museum in
Bowling Green and they had one of the Monza Jr. go-carts on display as a
Corvette.  I sent them documentation to correct their historical error.
Never got a thank you note back.  Imagine that!  

Kevin has used "sports cars" available for about $600, and molds to create
entirely new bodies, which cost more.  I did not take any measurements of
the body at the park, or ask Kevin for them.  My estimation is the body is
about half way between the Monza SS Jr. go-cart chassis and the real car,
which only had a wheelbase of 88 inches, and was 164.5 inches long and 63.5
inches wide.   That's about the size of a Mazda Miata.      

As a bit of Corvair trivia and/or history, I thought some of you with excess
creative urges might like to know about the opportunity to create a new toy.
If interested, you can contact Kevin at: 

DALTON KID RIDE REBUILDERS, INC
1690 Hwy Y, Foley, MO 63347
BUSINESS: 636-668-8233 / 800-325-8661
FAX: 636-566-6570
E-MAIL: dalton-kid-ride at daltonrides.com

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   1. Re: Monza GT Amusement Park Vehicle? (Danny Davis)


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Message: 1
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 2020 09:00:17 -0700
From: Danny Davis <corsa180gt at gmail.com>
To: "Bill H." <gojoe283 at yahoo.com>
Cc: Virtual Vairs <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Subject: Re: <VV> Monza GT Amusement Park Vehicle?
Message-ID:

Not Monza GT - it's a knock off of the Monza Jr.  go kart body.  Take a look
at this thread on Corvair Center:
http://corvaircenter.com/phorum/read.php?1,286123,page=1

The second page has more info on the original karts and their origins.
Great Fun!

 Danny Davis
Graham    WA
 206-643-6718

************************************************

On Tue, Aug 25, 2020 at 5:52 AM Bill H. via VirtualVairs <
virtualvairs at corvair.org> wrote:

Good Evening All:
My daughter posted a picture of my grandson on what looks like a Monza GT
car at an amusement park.
Can anyone verify that it's what I think it is?  I got all excited when I
told my kids about it!
Thanks...Bill Hershkowitz  66 Monza Sport Sedan

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