1957 Monsterati Special

The first Monsterati was constructed from a very tight budget by Bill Janowski, who was attending SMU at the time, pursuing a degree in engineering. Being just a freshman in college, he lacked the means to construct a serious racing machine; instead, he focused on building a 'special.' Near the close of 1953, he purchased a 1939 Ford chassis and began work on the project, which would take several years to complete. Work was done during his spare time, and he was assisted by Bob Gast. Once completed, the car was clothed in an attractive fiberglass and aluminum body shell, albeit not very aerodynamic. The car was completed in mid-1956 and brought to its first race the following. Power came from a Mercury flathead engine, which would later be switched in favor of a Chevrolet V8 unit. Drum brakes were placed on all four corners, the chassis had a wheelbase of 100 inches and a length of 132 inches, and the gearbox was a Ford three-speed unit. Many of the other mechanical components were courtesy of Ford, mostly from the 1939 donor car.

The car was used as a road car and as a racing machine. It was used in SCCA competition, which, after one race, he had qualified for a national SCCA license. The rules were more relaxed for SCCA competition in the 1950s. During the national competition, challenging such marques as Ferrari, Maserati, Mercedes, and Shelby, and battling for position against more experienced and polished drivers, proved to be a challenge. The car was raced in hillclimbs, but it continued to find itself chasing the competition. More power was needed. The popular choice at the time was the small-block Chevrolet unit. With the assistance of three two-barrel carburetors and a four-speed Chevrolet transmission transplanted from a Corvette, the Monsterati was again ready to race.

The new engine and other mechanical changes proved to be the solution needed to run at the front of the pack. It began setting the fastest times at hillclimbs, such as at the Louisiana Hilltop Raceway, where it ran the course three times, each time besting its previous lap record.

The car was sold in the early 1960s, and its resume in racing was continued by the subsequent owners. As the years progressed, engines and mechanical components were constantly changed. Improvements, which were sometimes very detrimental, were made to the car. One such change was to the aluminum, where one of its owners had used a cutting torch on the delicate metal.

During the 1980s, Janowski began searching for his car. It took a few years, but it was located in Texas. Janowski was able to purchase the car and began a frame-up restoration. When completed, the car entered in historic competition. The car is currently in the care of Bill Janowski and is a frequent competitor in historic competition events.