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I found the Monte Carlo to be too overstyled like the big Fords and GM cars, they all lost the subtelty they had in 73
Yep. I think it was starting in 1976 that they added the verticle sqaure headlights... my 77' was like that. I like the 73-74 models, but I think the taillights changed on the 75's. Not as appealing as the 74's.
Just thought I'd revive this thread. I was walking back to my office during lunch, and I went by one of the parking garages when I saw this classic beauty, a 1971 or 1972 Monte Carlo, looks like it just rolled out of the factory, and it even has the original wheels. I'm also thankful my cell phone has a camera in it.
That's a very nice Monte Carlo. GM got it right the first time around; they never did after '72. All bloated crap!
The 73-77 Monte Carlo, Cutlass, Chevelle, Malibu, Grand Prix, Regal, LeMans, Can AM are all A body cars and share the same chassis and suspension parts.
I will just share some of my opinions on things that were said in different posts on this thread. Someone had said that you can fit a big block in the A bodies and they were 100% correct. As the person stated, make sure that you change the springs and shocks if you are putting a big block in it.
As far as transmissions go; it depends on what you are looking to do with the car. If you are going to be driving mostly on the streets, do not go with a Powerglide. They are used often in drag racing since you do not need the third gear but for driving around on the street they are junk.
I would also not go with an overdrive transmission as I have seen someone suggest. The reason for this is due to the fact that I had a 1987 IROC-Z which I had done a lot of work to (355 engine, large cam with a Hypertech chip matched to it, larger injectors, 11:1 compression, etc.) and used to race at a quarter mile track. These are not very strong transmissions and I actually blew mine three times. They also work on vacuum when switching into overdrive so any time I planted my foot to the floor and kept it there I would have to lift my foot up at 85 mph and slam the pedal down again to get it into overdrive. If this did not have to be done I would have been quicker in the quarter mile (I was in the mid 14 second range with having to do this). I have heard that they now sell a kit for this but I have not had the car for quite some time now and never looked into it.
I would personally go with the TH 400 if possible. They are larger and heavier than the TH 350 but they will definitely handle abuse better. At the same time,, if you are not looking to drag race or beat on the car while driving you should do well with a TH 350. I have had a TH 350 in a 1971 Nova with a 350 engine as well as in a 1977 Nova with a 305 engine and never had a problem with either. I had a TH400 in a 1987 pick up with a 454 and in a 1985 Cutlass with a Pontiac 400 engine and never had a problem with those either.
My suggestion for deciding on what engine and transmission to go with is to be guided by your budget, driving preferences (drag racing or cruising around town) and common sense to help guide you. If you are going to be using it mostly for driving around on streets you should do fine with a strong 350 engine and a TH 350 transmission. You can still make a 350 plenty strong and the performance parts are cheaper than those for a big block. Also, do not forget to look into how easy or hard it is to get things like motor mounts or transmission mounts for your swap. When I put the Pontiac 400 in my Cutlass I found out nobody made engine mounts for the swap so I had to do some homework and wound up using mounts from a 1976 Grand Prix which I had to weld into the frame on my Cutlass. This should not be a problem since there are mid 70's A bodies which came with 454 engines but make sure they are not hard to get. Also, find out if you can just bolt the TH400 to the same transmission crossmember as the TH350. I do not remember this being a problem for me but it is good to find these things out before you start the swap and then go "OH S--T!" while in the middle of doing it.
there was any difference between a similar year's (talking 73-77 model years) Monte Carlo and a 2 door Buick Regal in terms of ride, handling, engineering, comfort, etc or were they basically the same? We had a 75 Regal and I always wondered if we basically were riding around in a Monte Carlo with Buick emblems and trim
on the superseventies.com site who kept personal journals from 1973-1979 (fascinating stuff) and in 1979 he bought a used 73 Monte Carlo. he showed a pic of it red with a white top, really nice. unfortunately I think in his journal entry he mentioned how it started to give him trouble.
there was any difference between a similar year's (talking 73-77 model years) Monte Carlo and a 2 door Buick Regal in terms of ride, handling, engineering, comfort, etc or were they basically the same? We had a 75 Regal and I always wondered if we basically were riding around in a Monte Carlo with Buick emblems and trim
For the most part they would be the same. Some models would have larger sway bars, posi rears, stiffer springs etc. This is why some models have a better riding feel than others. It all depended on how they were ordered. I had a 1973 Cutlass 442 that I parted out. In 1973 and up the "442" package had absolutely nothing to do with performance and was just a trim and suspension package.
Just thought I'd revive this thread. I was walking back to my office during lunch, and I went by one of the parking garages when I saw this classic beauty, a 1971 or 1972 Monte Carlo, looks like it just rolled out of the factory, and it even has the original wheels. I'm also thankful my cell phone has a camera in it.
That pic is actually a 1970 Monte Carlo. '71 has a different grille and the lamps in the bumper are square, '72 has the lamps in the grille.
Did you know that the '70-'72 Montes were based off of the Cadillac El Dorado, but utilized the Chevelle platform? I didn't until i saw a segment on TV about the making of the Monte Carlo SS 454. Now I know why I saw traces of a Cadillac on the first Monte's.
Also learned Monte Carlos were designed to compete with Ford's T bird and Pontiac's grand Prix.
1976 was when the Monte Carlos got the stacked head lamps. 1973 was the last year for Monte Carlos to have the license plate on the rear bumper.
I wouldn't call a powerglide a junk trans for the street, but yes they do suffer from not having much of a take off gear.
that when a Chevy model from the late 60's was idling the tranny made a whirring/whining noise. However from about 70/71 I noticed this was no longer. Any ideas? Was this the 283 V8?
That pic is actually a 1970 Monte Carlo. '71 has a different grille and the lamps in the bumper are square, '72 has the lamps in the grille.
Did you know that the '70-'72 Montes were based off of the Cadillac El Dorado, but utilized the Chevelle platform? I didn't until i saw a segment on TV about the making of the Monte Carlo SS 454. Now I know why I saw traces of a Cadillac on the first Monte's.
Also learned Monte Carlos were designed to compete with Ford's T bird and Pontiac's grand Prix.
1976 was when the Monte Carlos got the stacked head lamps. 1973 was the last year for Monte Carlos to have the license plate on the rear bumper.
I wouldn't call a powerglide a junk trans for the street, but yes they do suffer from not having much of a take off gear.
The 1970 through 1972 Monte Carlo and Grand Prix are not on the same chassis as the Chevelle, LeMans, Cutlass, etc.. I was parting out a 1971 Grand Prix at the same time I was parting out a 1971 LeMans Sport. The Grand Prix chassis is longer. The 1968 through 1972 LeMans, Chevelle, Cutlass, etc. are "A" body cars and the 1970 through 1972 Monte Carlo and Grand Prix were actually considered "G" body cars which were actually modified "A" body frames where the chassis was made longer between the firewall and the front. I know you can swap the rears in these cars as a bolt in but I am not sure if the front suspension and brakes can be swapped or not.
Another car often mistaken as being an "A" body is the 1968-1972 Chevrolet Nova which is actually an "X" body and does not share components with the "A" bodies.
That pic is actually a 1970 Monte Carlo. '71 has a different grille and the lamps in the bumper are square, '72 has the lamps in the grille.
Did you know that the '70-'72 Montes were based off of the Cadillac El Dorado, but utilized the Chevelle platform? I didn't until i saw a segment on TV about the making of the Monte Carlo SS 454. Now I know why I saw traces of a Cadillac on the first Monte's.
Also learned Monte Carlos were designed to compete with Ford's T bird and Pontiac's grand Prix.
1976 was when the Monte Carlos got the stacked head lamps. 1973 was the last year for Monte Carlos to have the license plate on the rear bumper.
I wouldn't call a powerglide a junk trans for the street, but yes they do suffer from not having much of a take off gear.
The 1966-1975 Eldorado was actually a GM "E" body which shared the same chassis as the Buick Riviera and Oldsmobile Toronado.
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would you say
