UPDATE: I took the Montego up to Arden, NC yesterday and had ex-Banjo employees, Boscoe Lowe and Jack Donahue check it out. It is definitely a Banjo Mathews car. And as David Ifft had previously told me, the same style car and chassis that Pearson used to win the '76 Daytona 500. At this time Banjo was using Holman-Moody rear steer front clips. Then usually if the car was going to be a FoMoCo they used a '65-later Ford frame from the firewall back. If it was going to be a GM they used a Monte Carlo frame. They also used '67 Ford Fairlane floor pans and rear wheel housing tubs. The fabrication of the roll cage in some areas is unique to Banjo cars and confirmed to be correct. The car I have has all the above. From what we could tell, the chassis is unmodified with the exception of the front sway bar and motor mounts. This car may have been in the process of being rebodied and wasn't completely finished. I say that because the hood I have is just the outside skin. Jack told me thay gutted them and then braced them with square tubing as they do today. The rear deck lids were left stock. Also, my wheel well openings are not enlarged as was done for NASCAR at that time. So, I guess I have a small part of racing history. Wish I could trace the origin of the car back somemore. If not, I guess it would make a good Roger Penske #2 Cam II Fuels sponsored Merc, driven by Bobby Allison replication.
UPDATE: I took the Montego up to Arden, NC yesterday and had ex-Banjo employees, Boscoe Lowe and Jack Donahue check it out. It is definitely a Banjo Mathews car. And as David Ifft had previously told me, the same style car and chassis that Pearson used to win the '76 Daytona 500. At this time Banjo was using Holman-Moody rear steer front clips. Then usually if the car was going to be a FoMoCo they used a '65-later Ford frame from the firewall back. If it was going to be a GM they used a Monte Carlo frame. They also used '67 Ford Fairlane floor pans and rear wheel housing tubs. The fabrication of the roll cage in some areas is unique to Banjo cars and confirmed to be correct. The car I have has all the above. From what we could tell, the chassis is unmodified with the exception of the front sway bar and motor mounts. This car may have been in the process of being rebodied and wasn't completely finished. I say that because the hood I have is just the outside skin. Jack told me they were gutted and then braced with square tubing as they do today. The rear deck lids were left stock. Also, my wheel well openings are not enlarged as was done for NASCAR at that time. So, I guess I have a small part of racing history. Wish I could trace the origin of the car back somemore. If not, I guess it would make a good Roger Penske Cam 2 Fuels sponsored Merc, driven by Bobby Allison replication.
The 61 Impala was built as a vintage stockcar in about 2004 inWaterloo Iowa by Bruce Harbarts. This car ran with the Nostalgia Stockcar Club of Iowa based in Eastern Iowa and was run approx.1 season, then set until the fall of 2008 and was sold to a guy from Chicago to run vintage with . I believe the car is still in Chicago. JC Page 64 Photo # 1263
Here's Bosco Lowe in Keith Simmons' ARCA car in the early 80s: Couldn't find any of Jack Donohue, but if he's the same one I remember, he was from Canada and entered a gold #7 Laguna at Daytona at least once. Good to hear you've got some more info on the car.
I was talking to a friend tonight who's a bit of a walking NASCAR encyclopedia and I related your story about your car. I read your posts to him and when I got to the part about red paint on the frame and in the trunk, he immediately said "Sounds like a Penske Cam 2 car". He also said that he heard Buddy Baker interviewed on Sirius radio a couple weeks ago and during that interview, Buddy said that until the late 70s or early 80s, NASCAR required all cars to have a factory serial number to prove that the car was built from an actual Detroit piece, not hand fabricated like they are now. He suggested that you try to find a serial number of VIN on the car, then try contacting Penske's organization to see if they have any record of the car in being in their stable. I would have suggested contacting Don Miller at Penske, who I believe was there from the beginning of the NASCAR operation but I read in Hemmings Muscle Machines that he is retired. Maybe you might still find a helpful person there willing to do a little research for you. Wouldn't it be a kick in the pants that you weren't recreating a Cam 2 Merc but actually restoring one? Keep us posted!
Number 12 is Jim Dyke - Track Hartford appears to be same day as the Howe 39 and Benson 21 shots. Love to see more!
View attachment 877852 This is for Bigjohn. I don't know were it is or what year, help me out Indybigjohn. I bought this off of ebay.
David, not sure of the year, but probably 66 or 67. From the guard rail, that looks like Salem or Dayton, and from the utility pole sitting where it is I think it's Dayton. Just across the flagstand and toward turn 4 a little. That's my little brother, Bob, beside the car.
Thanks for that information . I'll ask the ex-Banjo employees about bactory VIN #s. They mentioned that Banjo put numbers on the front clips, but it began in the later part of the '70s. The Banjo folks also told me that it became common to rebody a Ford framed car with a GM body and a GM framed car with a FoMoCo body. All Banjo cars used truck arm rear suspension. The first cars to use this were the Junior Johnson Monte Carlos that Bobby Allison drove in the early '70s. Jack Donahue told me Junior came up with the idea and had Banjo build it. I remember the cars, red and gold, sponsored by Coke. Allison was real successful in these cars. When Penske stopped running the Mercs, he sold all his "stuff" to Bill Elliot. The early pics of Bill show him in Mercurys. We'll do some more research and see where it goes. Thanks.
First two were taken by Mike Dunn, the second one is from Armin Krueger. http://stores.ebay.com/Greenfield-Gallery
Found an old post card of Winston West driver Ray Elder in the Olympia Dodge. The Winston West guys you used to go to the 1/2 mile dirt at Ascot at least once a year in the 70's would love to see some pics of that if anybody has got any.
Hey mnut29 look earlier in the thread starting around page 84. I posted quite a few pictures from Ascot Park,San Gabriel and Riverside. Allstarracing
The Ford No. 4 is the Barney Barnhart car I've had a couple of photos on here of. It was a former Lorenzen ride, still had the baby blue interior. A lot of good drivers were in it, including Curtis Turner, mostly in ARCA. John Marcum always seemed to call Barney when he had a hired gun coming in and wanted a good ride for him.
Thanks for sharing the photo of this side of Herb's Plymouth, I had been looking for a reference picture to make the decals for my model car build, but couldn't find one! Turns out I guessed wrong on which way the 5 went! Oh well!!
love these old grear drive on the holleys.. i had them on wild 55 and one came loose and over reved lost some bits....
More Info on Freedom Hall Louisville Ky. Event http://www.kyfairexpo.org/pdfs/Hot Rod Motor Mania January 2010.pdf
sm66p, looked at my old milwaukee programs and that is the nomber that bay used.called the shop and he was out to lunch.
The Jalopy Journal
