I would like to hear more about everyone's cars? Why they chose the model Monte they did, what did it start as, what do you want the completed project to be? Is it a daily driver, show car or just something we spend a lot of money on? I'm very open to what people want to do to there cars, but I do get a bit offended when people tell me what I should of done as far as looks and appearance. I did it as I wanted to.
I'll start: I bought my first Monte back in 1978 and loved it. Traded it off for a 82 Ford Escort, because gas prices were rising and my wife was driving more miles. Back in 2005 I convinced my wife that I wanted to find another Monte Carlo like my first. Through an Ebay connection, the dream started to come together. I found a similar Monte in South Carolina that had low miles and was in great shape. I purchased sight unseen and had a transport company deliver the car to me here in Minnesota. I drove the car as it was for a little over a year. During this time I had ideas where I wanted to go with it. A mild SBC 350 was replacing the 305, new paint and Landau top were also in the years ahead. The finished product included all the mentioned plus new carpet, tires, wheels. During the fall of 2008 it was pretty mush the way I had it planned to end up. I forgot to mention back in 2002 we purchased a new Monte Carlo SS. So we are currently a two Monte family.
Honestly, I couldn't tell you how or why (or even when--- but I was very young-- 5-6 maybe) it was that I got bit by the "Monte Carlo" bug. My parents old nieghbors had a '73 S series Monte (which I own now for the tiny sum of $75 BTW...). There was just something about the lines of that car that left such a lasting impression. Much more "flair" than even a Tri-Five Chevy or '59 Caddy in my mind. Those curves just flow so well. Anyway...
Fast forward to right after I got my D.L. (at age 18 so I could pay my own insurance and not raise dads...), and my dad found me an '80 Monte Landau with a V6. The price was $1500 until the day I went to go pay for it. Apparently, the guy had taken it out of the garage, washed it up, and left it outside for the night. A storm came along, and a "lucky" lightening bolt struck the tree right next to it. A limb about 20 feet up came down on the roof right above the passenger side door line. Broke the window, and left the roof line about 2 inches lower. The price also went to $500, and I went on to own my first Monte. It was Silver with the vinyl front half done in Burgundy to match the interior. I had almost a solid month of polishing and getting the mechanicals in order before I dropped the registration fee in the mail. Sadly, I was "rewarded" later that same day with an oil pump failure and a seized engine. To this day, I've never had that car over 55 mph. Drove it once after that with a fresh 350 (that later was sold to a couple buddys for their '80 Monte...) before the trans case exploded and destroyed everything behind it. Not much enjoyment from that car-- even though some day I may desire to try it again....
From there, I went on to a Maroon (repainted red) '79 that was a former street racer's special. It currently can be seen as my avatar car at Hotrodders.com. This was the car I was supposed to use to "escort" my new bride away from the church in. That was the plan until my dad used Limburger cheese to decorate the seat covers and the exhaust manifolds. Yes, I did get over it, and we do still talk. However, I no longer own that car. Wisconsin is not kind to G-Body cars, and this was no exception.
One other thing that is not kind to G-Body cars is youth, and that youthfulness brings me to my '78, which I proudly refer to as the "Major Pain" (my avatar car on here). I had owned this car for 2 days before I met my now wife. The stories abound with this car (which is sort of odd since I only drove it for 10 months in a 13 month span of time...), and the one I'll share for now is the one that ends with how it got it's nickname.
Once I started dating Dawn (my wife...), her dad got me a job in the boiler house of the private Lutheran H.S. in Prairie du Chein, Wi, working the 11 to 7 because it fit well with going to the Vo-Tech school I was attending. My first full shift on my own was a 3 to 11, and I wanted to be well on time or even slightly early to make a good impression on the other guys. (Sidenote-- As a young man, I had a very heavy right foot and routinely saw near triple digit speeds "just because I had the cars to do it"-- a fact I'm not that proud of anymore). Anyway, I had left my folks house, went to town for gas, and then "let er rip" on the way to work. The cop who wrote the ticket figured that I had been doing somewhere between 95 and a buck fifteen when my tie rod broke.
I was able to walk away, and after changing 4 of the 5 blown tires (yep, took out the spare in the trunk too) and replacing the tie rod, I was able to drive the car home too. I was ticketed for too fast for conditions and lost 3 points too. The next day, we (dad and myself) hammered the trunk lid back down and I went out for another cruise. I made it about 20 feet before I had to stop--too scared to go again. Dad told me, "If you don't get in and drive that thing like always, you might as well cut your damn drivers liscense up because you'll never drive again." He was right, somehow dads always are. The day after that, I had to explain to the guys at the tech school what happened, and one of them proceeded to call my car the General Lee. I told him something along the lines of, "No, this thing is a Major Pain in the arse...", and the nickname came to be. Ahh, for the good old days again.
Later on, I bought yet another '79 for parts for my Maroon '79, then came my current parts car '78. Along the way, I had a Buick Regal I picked up for the frame, and sold the engine/trans for more than I paid for the whole car. Once I got the current parts car, that frame from the regal went out the door.
Now, onto the plans for the "Major Pain". I plan on running the same 305 that came in him, backed with the full on race prep trans (it doesn't have the full manual valve body--yet...), running to the 3.73 geared rear end. The frame will be powder coated black, and I'm shooting to go back to the factory Gold/ Camel interior he rolled out the factory with. I hope to do most all the work myself, just so I can say I did it my way. And I agree totally with what you said about being respectful of other's work. If I didn't, I wouldn't have what I have now.
Thats what I love about cars and their owners, hearing the stories behind them.
I am registered on another Monte forum, but unless you want to drop the car 2"-3" you don't fit their idea of a great looking car. When I was growing up, a lifted car was what was cool, and that was the look I was going for. From the low riders to the touring look, I appreciate the time and effort the owners put into their cars to make them their own. The only thing that I have not really cared for is the cars running the 24's, but it is not mine, so if that's what they want, more power to them.
I'd like to lower the front on mine just a bit, just to get the "right look" for me (your's nails the stance I'm looking for perfectly), but I really have more pressing issues than that right now with it. There'll be time for the "final tweaks" later. IMHO, anything over a 19 just looks silly on a Monte unless it is tastefully done. Jacking the car to the stars and then riding on 30's is fine if it trips the owner's trigger, but the owners have to be responsible in setting up the car's new handling and stopping abilities too. Sadly, I have yet to see one done that way.
Got my first monte back in the 80's. A 1972 with bucket seats, console, and stock 350. she was parked at a mechanics shop for sale. she was bright yellow with bucket seats and glasspacks. I had never seen anything like it before and i had to have it. My father wired me the money. $800.00 . I drove her for 3 years.I have agoraphobia so my range was limited but in her I went for miles and miles out of my normal range. She finally started coming apart as i did not have the knowledge or money for her up keep. When I turned 40 5 years ago my husband asked me for another child. We have 2 sons 1 is 21 and one is 15. I was going through my mid-life crisis and I told him we could have another child if he was going to take it to work with him. I wanted my own car. I asked my oldest son to walk to the store to get a trading post as we were looking for a VW. My son brought home the wrong paper but I thought that I would give it a shot. The first ad in the paper was for a 71 monte with a awesome engine but no interior for $3500. I asked my husband to give the guy a call and ask could he stop by and see it as i could not go into the other county. He did and called me and ask me what to look for. I told him to especially check the floor, trunk pans and frame. And to take alot of pictures with the digital camera. He did and brought the pictures home for me to look at on my pc. She looked awesome and i fell in love. Hubby was not as impressed. He is a ford guy. So the next day hubby talked to the guy again and told him that we could only afford $3000.00 The guy said that he had just brought it 5 days ago for his wife but that she did not like the size. So he said yes. She came home on the back of a roll back with no brakes and a cinder block for a front seat. I immediately re-connected the vacumn for the brakes and fired her up. It was awesome. Hubby took her out the drive way so that he could make sure the tranny was okay and he said that she needed work but that he was also in love with it. The paint looked beautiful but was covered in biker stickers. I pulled one of the stickers off and it peeled the paint to the metal with it. I then installed 2 bucket seats. new shocks. tranny shift kit, new motor mounts, new reverse neutral safety switch, and new tires. Then i started on the body. IT had a vinyl top that looked original with what felt like crunchies under it. Ripped that off and cut all the studs off for it. I then went into the interior and pulled everything out. Changed my heater core and painted the interior to a color more my liking. When i pulled out what was left of the back seat i found the original build sheet in the springs. I also replaced the carpet. Now I am patching the body where i have removed all of the trim. And she is going through another paint job. I tried doing it with the gun a compressor but too hard and expensive. The color I wanted it to look it a semi-gloss black. I am painting the windsheild trim, handles, and grill black. I want the car too look really mean. And that is where I am at now.
-- Edited by jyardgirl on Sunday 29th of March 2009 01:20:00 PM
-- Edited by jyardgirl on Sunday 29th of March 2009 01:24:04 PM
My story is on my website: http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/mcstory.html
List of cars I've owned:
1979 Monte Carlo Landau (first car, still have) 1988 Monte Carlo LS (no longer have) 1997 Corsica/"malibu" (no longer have) 1976 Monte Carlo Landau (still have)
2000 mc LS (no longer have) 1981 Monte Carlo SC (still have, was parents' car) 1972 Monte Carlo (still have) 1987 Monte Carlo LS/CL (still have; daily driver)
I chose the 86 SS because, when I was in High school 82-86, the SS's were the hot car! I loved them ever since, And since I graduated in 86 it was a no brainer. The 01 was different, I just wanted to find a solid 6th gen, and this one was siting on a dealer's lot for 6 months, they finally dropped the price into my range, so I grabbed it.
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There is No Such thing as Too Many Montes!
Member of The Motley Cruisers Car Club, Ny Monte Carlo Club, WickedMontes.com and The Monte Carlo City Revival
