What another monte?

[Jim Rockford]

Yup ,add 1 more monte ss to the list here ,bought this thing a couple of weeks ago and plan is to swap a 96 LT1 in it and make it handle like its on rails ,
Did the fender replacement the other week ,when i do the engine replacement i'm gonna redo the whole front end so the crappy primer job is just temporary.
OLD
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/05/P1020339-1.jpg
New fender..
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/05/P1020369-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/05/P1020370-1.jpg
and now painted sandable primer and cleared to keep the water out.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/05/P1020373-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/05/P1020377-1.jpg


LT 1 comming out of the donor vehicle
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif
What a PITA that was..lol

[GBodyGMachine]

And another hatch mark to the G-Body chart. We are taking over.

JEff

[formula98]

Looks like fun! What are the plans for the suspension?

[Jim Rockford]

still working on that ,but more than likly tubuler arms ,constant rate springs ,b body brake upgrade and i'm gonna try and use the rear disk setup off this camaro.

[McssGmachine]

Welcome to the site!

[Jim Rockford]

thanks

[Jim Rockford]

well got the harnesses out and started thinning out the harness for the fans ,and got the parts shell for sale on ebay ,i'm gonna pull the rear disk off and see if i can use em on the monte ,seeing how they both have a 7.5 rear end.

[796spdbu]

The rear axles are both 7.5 but the 96 camaro has the square bolt pattern an the housing ends(where the brackets bolt up) and the monte has the wierd three bolt deal that is taller than the camaro.I think some one one the board has figured this out but im not sure where it is posted...I know you can do a search but im not sure what to look under( camaro -g-body swap,etc.)Hope this saves you a little time.

[Bill Howell]

Welcome to protouring, I love my Gbody.

[trapin]

Jim Rockford??!! Shouldn't you be driving a gold '77 Firebird Esprit?

[Bill Howell]

Jim Rockford??!! Shouldn't you be driving a gold '77 Firebird Esprit?

I was thinking the same thing, but since he is new, I didn't say it...hehe

Do you know James Garner Jim?

[Jim Rockford]

yea ,we're drinking buddies..lmao

[Damn True]

Welcome to our new member:

http://weber.ucsd.edu/~vcrawfor/RockAnsw.html
http://weber.ucsd.edu/~vcrawfor/RockfordTheme.au
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/05/rockford_yellow_pages-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

[Jim Rockford]

LMAO ...Thanks guys

[Jim Rockford]

well little more progress,took the LT1 harness apart and thinned it out ,got rid of all the ABS crap and just have the signal wires from the pcm to turn the fans on and off with the factoy relays, engine harness can pretty much stay the same.
before...
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/06/P1020398-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/06/P1020399-1.jpg
After
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/06/P1020401-1.jpg

[John S]

Welcome to aother Monte SS owner. Good luck with the build and keep us posted.

[Jim Rockford]

ohh and I took a pressure washer the other day and did a strip delete off the side..lol ,it was really bringing me down everytime Ilooked at it.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/06/P1020402-1.jpg

[Bandit]

Cool--love those Montes!

[Jim Rockford]

got the old engine out (It's for sale BTW) and got the frame and firewall all cleaned up ,so now its on to rebuilding the suspention.
BEFORE
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/06/P1020424-1.jpg
AFTER
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/06/P1020425-1.jpg

and some close up shots of the frame
front springs still have the tags on em ..lol
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/06/P1020426-1.jpg
car spent 90%of its life in navada ,so its really clean .
gonna make a great LT1 swap canidate.

[Samckitt]

Another Monte made the way the factory should have done it. :-)

[6.0 86 mcss]

nice monte I love mcss with 6.0 (lq4) 4l80e combo pm if you need any help.

[Jim Rockford]

lol how well did that 4l80E fit..?

[trapin]

Thanks for the links, True. One of the greatest theme songs of all time.

[Jim Rockford]

little more progress this week
ordered a ton of stuff so it should keep me busy for a bit .
Got my headers
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/09/P1020559-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/09/P1020561-1.jpg
and some g body.com lower control arms and new bilstien shocks all around
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/09/P1020560-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/09/P1020562-1.jpg
and i got some prothain body mounts for later and i had some help from a little friend today ..lol
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/09/P1020564-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/09/P1020563-1.jpg
Imagine my suprise when i was out there in flip flops and seen him .Also got my NGK plugs and taylor wires and added the front accesories back on ,still have to get the pressure line from a caprice for the power steering.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/09/P1020558-1.jpg

[Smock67]

Wow you've made some awesome progress. It's looking great so far.

[y5e06]

Progress looks great!
What headers are those? look more like a mid-length than a full length.
Are you planning on keepting the stock spindles and running taller upper & lower ball joints? 12" or 13" brake conversions?
I've got a bone stock '87 SS thats been sitting in storage for the last few years, this build has me wondering why the hell that is...

[Jim Rockford]

Thanks Y5e06,yea they are mid length hookers ,i got em cause i wasn't real sure how long tubes would work out alignment wise with this jegster crossmember ,I have been talking with a guy on monte ss forums about his swap and just getting some pointers from him.worst part is the wiring,far as the spindles ,not sure yet ,prolly gonna do the global west tubulers and b body spindles for 12 inch brakes later on.
start modding that monte ,i don't think there gonna bring much in the comming years.

[Jim Rockford]

ok got alot done this week seeing as how I'm unemployed,good thing I bought the parts before hand , got the body mounts swapped out ,they where horrible
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/09/P1020579-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/09/P1020575-1.jpg
once I replaced em and torqued em down ,the body sat about 1/2 inch higher.lol
then I rebuilt the door hinges ,got the camaro harness all intergrated with the monte harness
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/09/P1020578-1.jpg
used the pig tails from both cars to avoid any cutting of either harness
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/09/P1020585-1.jpg
added a autometer oil pressure gauge ,to replace the crappy dash one ,installed my TCI deep tranny pan ,replaced all the shocks with bilstiens,and got the front end all wrapped up except for the sway bar
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/09/P1020571-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/09/P1020560-1.jpg
and tried out my GTA wheels and adapters ,looks like its gonna be just right
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/09/P1020589-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/09/P1020584-1.jpg
Wiring on the pass fender ,the loom in front there goes down to the firewall and I used the old firewall plug cause the camaro one was too small
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/09/P1020574-1.jpg
then the loom for the computer wraps behind the recever dryer assy
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/09/P1020588-1.jpg
looks almost like it was made for the monte..lol

[Bill Howell]

Damn, no one else is going to mention the SNAKE????
What is the story there?

[Jim Rockford]

lol that is a black racer ,I was just out there one morning taking some pics and went to take some underneith and just about ran right up on him..lol he did seem to enjoyt having his pic taken till I ran him out of the garage with a stick.

[Jim Rockford]

well I am at another job now ,I work at a small powdercoating shop that does some restoration work on the side ,so I can powder coat anything I want for free..lol but here is the wheels I'm thinking of powdercoating with silver mesh.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/10/P1020608-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/10/P1020629-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/10/P1020639-1.jpg

And I got the rad installed and the wiring done ,and the relay box for the ecm power and camaro fans installed on the pass fender.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/10/P1020606-1.jpg

[HectorM52]

Did you ever figure out the rear brakes?

[Jim Rockford]

just gonna run drums for now . I'll deal with disc brakes later ,just want to get it running and driving ,I have almost sold it twice..lol

[Jim Rockford]

Did some work on it this morning ,added oil ,filled the transmission and she fired right up .Just the computer shuts it down due to the anti theft still being in the computer ,having it reprogrammed will take care of that. Had a steady 55psi of oil pressure useing the installed autometer oil pressure gauge ,not the stock one

[Jim Rockford]

got a driveshaft made and the f body accelerator cable worked perfect ,just have to bend the pedel back a little to take up some slack in the cable. also painted the nose and fender ,but its not a good match .a little too silver and to much flake .but i'll be painting the whole car later this comming summer.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/12/P1020738-1.jpg


https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/12/P1020744-1.jpg