Season
Anthony Balsamo
Willowbrook, IL
The Muntz was to be my oldest brother John’s first car he was 15 in 1978. Our neighbor was moving out of state and sold the car to my father. I was 5 and can still remember the Wheelhorse tractor pulling it down the driveway. The Muntz only drove once with its 331 Hemi - up and down the driveway with no brakes. It turned out to be too big of an undertaking at that time so many VWs and hot rods came and went over the years, but the Muntz remained. Sadly, my brother passed away about 8 years ago and at that time my father asked me and my two other brothers to finish the Muntz. We replaced any rusted metal - pretty much everything from about middle of the doors down. For the complex radius pieces, we were blessed with the expert work of Pavletic Metal Shaping. The 331 Hemi had a cracked block, so a 392 and Monster transmission were sourced. All the chrome was sent out and glass redone. The interior is being done to exactly recreate the original. Soon, it will be back at the house for final assembly, wiring, drive shaft, and exhaust. If you find yourself in Downers Grove just a handful of exits from the start of Route 66, we could always use a hand!
