1985 Monte Carlo SS - Black Hole

[lachowich]

I'm a long time lurker but I finally have my project at a point where I feel its fair to share it. I'll attach a few pictures, please disregard the terrible stripe put on it by the previous owner. Also, included my list of modifications made and planned. The car is a 1985 Monte Carlo SS Hardtop.


1985 MONTE CARLO SS

COMPLETED UNDERHOOD & DRIVETRAIN
-GM Performance Parts ZZ383 Crate motor 425 hp 475 ft/lbs torque
-March Performance Billet Aluminum Serpentine Pulley conversion with A/C
-Converted to Sanden A/C Compressor
-Two Piece Aluminum Chevrolet Valve Covers in satin black with red lettering
-Chevrolet Air cleaner in satin black with red lettering
-Edelbrock Performer RPM Manifold (Polished)
-Edelbrock 650 cfm carb
-Replaced fuel lines with stainless with A/N fittings (bare polished)
-Billet aluminum fuel filter & polished stainless hard line to the carb
-Billet aluminum throttle return spring setup
-Performance built 700-R4 trans with shift kit
-Hurst Roll Control
-140 amp Alternator with chrome housing
-Custom transmission cross member
-Custom sized driveshaft
-True dual exhaust


COMPLETED INTERIOR
-New seat foams on front bucket seats
-Fully reupholstered bucket seats and rear bench in Oxblood Maroon
-Replaced all interior speakers with high end Alpine
-Replaced head unit with Alpine CD changer
-Upholstered rear packing shelf
-New Upper door panels
-Replaced worn electric window & lock switches
-Replaced door pull straps & end caps
-New Carpet



COMPLETED SUSPENSION
-Replaced front lower A-Frames with Tubular Chrome-Moly (UMI)
-Replaced front upper A-Frames with Tubular Chrome-Moly with aluminum shafts (Speedway)
-Converted coilsprings to QA1 12 way Adjustable coil-over shocks (adjustable ride height)
-Billet steel tie-rod adjusters
-Rebuilt all steering components
-SSBC aluminum 2 piston brake calipers
-Stainless steel brake flex lines to front calipers



COMPLETED BODY
-Patched floor & wheel wells
-Replaced all seam sealer
-Painted floor, trunk & wheel well with POR-15
-Purchased rear passenger quarter panel (used)
-Purchased new front fascia
-Purchased new front hood emblem



PLANNED BODY MODIFICATIONS
-Shave Antenna & Replace with internal style above rear view mirror
-Shave All door locks & Handles, replace with 90lb actuators
-Shave Driprails
-Flush mount quarter windows
-Flush mount existing front windshield and rear window (if feasible)
-Replace side marker lights with flush mount style lenses with LEDs
-Shave License plate lamps and replace with lighted license plate bolts
-Fabricate panel behind rear license plate for flush mount gas cap
-Replace all incandescent lights with LED bulbs
-Smoke finish side marker & tail lights with black tinted clearcoat
-Fabricated front Inner Wheel wells attached with quarter turn fasteners
-Fabricated rear firewall behind back seat
-Stainless steel hood bumpers/adjusters
-Black powdercoat hood hinges / latches / etc
-Replace factory external vents on cowl with black aluminum mesh
-Replace door jamb vents with black aluminum mesh
-Shave factory door jamb wiring loom holes
-Replace factory door jamb wiring looms with stainless steel/billet looms
-Stainless steel door strikers
-Change rear license plate flip down to self-locking 91-96 Caprice style
-Replace Fisher Logos on scuff plates with SS logo
-Fabricate closeout panels to cover factory gaps between core support and body attached with quarter turn fasteners
-Move all wiper fluid resevoir and radiator overflow under fabricated closeout panels
-Fabricate smaller A/c / Heater Box
-Replace A/C & Heater firewall fittings with Billet Aluminum A/N fitting style panel
-Smooth firewall where possible
-Paint entire car in Chrylser Brilliant Black Chrystal Pearl
-Have all Monte Carlo SS decals on body replaced with Oxblood Maroon lettering painted on



PLANNED INTERIOR & ELECTRICAL MODIFICATIONS
-Upholster trunk
-Theater style dimming interior lighting and Accessory power retention (Dakota Digital)
-Military Spec electrical quick disconnects on firewall and rear firewall
-Sound deadener on door panels, trunk and interior floor and package shelf



PLANNED UNDERHOOD PERFORMANCE MODIFICATIONS
-Replace mechanical engine fan with high cfm electric
-High performance aluminum water pump
-Electric fuel pump
-MSD Distributor & Ignition box
-Road Race style oil pan



PLANNED SUSPENSION AND CHASSIS
-Adjustable outer tie-rods
-Complete boxing of frame & fill in unnecessary holes
-Fabricate driveshaft safety loop
-Add additional brace to front braces to triangulate
-Additional brace behind rear seat
-Additional tubular brace at rear of frame
-Polyurethane sway bar links & Mounts
-Polyurethane body mounts
-Helwig adjustable Pro-touring style rear sway bar
-UMI Performance adjustable rear upper and lower control arms with Roto-Joints
-UMI Performance rear frame braces
-QA1 adjustable ball-joints (upper & lower)
-Hydroboost brake booster
-Convert to rear disc brakes
-QA1 12 way adjustable rear coil-over shocks (adjustable ride height)
-Replace all brake lines with stainless steel
-Replace all A/C & Heater Lines with stainless steel with A/N fittings
-Replace 3.73 10 bolt posi Rear-end with 3.73 12 bolt posi

[montessaj]

Cool Monte! Glad to see more of us on PT.

[cornfed]

Good golly. Subscribed. :smoke:

[lachowich]

I gotta say its gonna be a long term project... This is the first car I'm going to be keeping for myself and the single biggest project I've ever taken on. The unknowns still really are the style and size of wheel to run... I dont want them to be the most expensive thing on the car or to overpower the look of the car.

[Small Block LSX]

Welcome. I just bought my Monte and pick it up on the 26th. Less than a week to go!

[jackfrost]

cool car! actually, I don't the stripe looks too bad.

[lachowich]

I'm searching really hard right now for a second decent frame in Northern Ontario or Upper Michigan so I can just really build up my frame and then switch the body over. The frame I have under my car right now is PERFECT but I don't have the room to store the body seperately anywhere. This has been a bit of a backyard build since I lost my storage a while back. Losing storage has helped me to get back to work on the car though so its a bit of a mixed blessing. I know have storage for the complete car but I think the girl would lose her mind if it was just a body sitting in her garage instead of a complete car. If anyone knows of any reasonably priced complete cars or frames anywhere in Northern Ontario or Michigan I'd appreciate the info. Any 1983 to 1988 GM G-Body would work.

[CruizinKev]

looking good! nice project!

[amanzo00]

«hi there, «i have the same setup but «i seem to have clearance issues with bump to bump steer lock and the caliper banjo bolt riding right where the flex line bracket is with the SSBC calipers.

«do you have any photos with the calipers installed that you can send me to [email protected] and showing lock to lock steering. «how did your torsion bar end links line up, mine seem to push too far back.

«thanks,
Armando



I'm a long time lurker but I finally have my project at a point where I feel its fair to share it. I'll attach a few pictures, please disregard the terrible stripe put on it by the previous owner. Also, included my list of modifications made and planned. The car is a 1985 Monte Carlo SS Hardtop.


1985 MONTE CARLO SS

COMPLETED UNDERHOOD & DRIVETRAIN
-GM Performance Parts ZZ383 Crate motor 425 hp 475 ft/lbs torque
-March Performance Billet Aluminum Serpentine Pulley conversion with A/C
-Converted to Sanden A/C Compressor
-Two Piece Aluminum Chevrolet Valve Covers in satin black with red lettering
-Chevrolet Air cleaner in satin black with red lettering
-Edelbrock Performer RPM Manifold (Polished)
-Edelbrock 650 cfm carb
-Replaced fuel lines with stainless with A/N fittings (bare polished)
-Billet aluminum fuel filter & polished stainless hard line to the carb
-Billet aluminum throttle return spring setup
-Performance built 700-R4 trans with shift kit
-Hurst Roll Control
-140 amp Alternator with chrome housing
-Custom transmission cross member
-Custom sized driveshaft
-True dual exhaust


COMPLETED INTERIOR
-New seat foams on front bucket seats
-Fully reupholstered bucket seats and rear bench in Oxblood Maroon
-Replaced all interior speakers with high end Alpine
-Replaced head unit with Alpine CD changer
-Upholstered rear packing shelf
-New Upper door panels
-Replaced worn electric window & lock switches
-Replaced door pull straps & end caps
-New Carpet



COMPLETED SUSPENSION
-Replaced front lower A-Frames with Tubular Chrome-Moly (UMI)
-Replaced front upper A-Frames with Tubular Chrome-Moly with aluminum shafts (Speedway)
-Converted coilsprings to QA1 12 way Adjustable coil-over shocks (adjustable ride height)
-Billet steel tie-rod adjusters
-Rebuilt all steering components
-SSBC aluminum 2 piston brake calipers
-Stainless steel brake flex lines to front calipers



COMPLETED BODY
-Patched floor & wheel wells
-Replaced all seam sealer
-Painted floor, trunk & wheel well with POR-15
-Purchased rear passenger quarter panel (used)
-Purchased new front fascia
-Purchased new front hood emblem



PLANNED BODY MODIFICATIONS
-Shave Antenna & Replace with internal style above rear view mirror
-Shave All door locks & Handles, replace with 90lb actuators
-Shave Driprails
-Flush mount quarter windows
-Flush mount existing front windshield and rear window (if feasible)
-Replace side marker lights with flush mount style lenses with LEDs
-Shave License plate lamps and replace with lighted license plate bolts
-Fabricate panel behind rear license plate for flush mount gas cap
-Replace all incandescent lights with LED bulbs
-Smoke finish side marker & tail lights with black tinted clearcoat
-Fabricated front Inner Wheel wells attached with quarter turn fasteners
-Fabricated rear firewall behind back seat
-Stainless steel hood bumpers/adjusters
-Black powdercoat hood hinges / latches / etc
-Replace factory external vents on cowl with black aluminum mesh
-Replace door jamb vents with black aluminum mesh
-Shave factory door jamb wiring loom holes
-Replace factory door jamb wiring looms with stainless steel/billet looms
-Stainless steel door strikers
-Change rear license plate flip down to self-locking 91-96 Caprice style
-Replace Fisher Logos on scuff plates with SS logo
-Fabricate closeout panels to cover factory gaps between core support and body attached with quarter turn fasteners
-Move all wiper fluid resevoir and radiator overflow under fabricated closeout panels
-Fabricate smaller A/c / Heater Box
-Replace A/C & Heater firewall fittings with Billet Aluminum A/N fitting style panel
-Smooth firewall where possible
-Paint entire car in Chrylser Brilliant Black Chrystal Pearl
-Have all Monte Carlo SS decals on body replaced with Oxblood Maroon lettering painted on



PLANNED INTERIOR & ELECTRICAL MODIFICATIONS
-Upholster trunk
-Theater style dimming interior lighting and Accessory power retention (Dakota Digital)
-Military Spec electrical quick disconnects on firewall and rear firewall
-Sound deadener on door panels, trunk and interior floor and package shelf



PLANNED UNDERHOOD PERFORMANCE MODIFICATIONS
-Replace mechanical engine fan with high cfm electric
-High performance aluminum water pump
-Electric fuel pump
-MSD Distributor & Ignition box
-Road Race style oil pan



PLANNED SUSPENSION AND CHASSIS
-Adjustable outer tie-rods
-Complete boxing of frame & fill in unnecessary holes
-Fabricate driveshaft safety loop
-Add additional brace to front braces to triangulate
-Additional brace behind rear seat
-Additional tubular brace at rear of frame
-Polyurethane sway bar links & Mounts
-Polyurethane body mounts
-Helwig adjustable Pro-touring style rear sway bar
-UMI Performance adjustable rear upper and lower control arms with Roto-Joints
-UMI Performance rear frame braces
-QA1 adjustable ball-joints (upper & lower)
-Hydroboost brake booster
-Convert to rear disc brakes
-QA1 12 way adjustable rear coil-over shocks (adjustable ride height)
-Replace all brake lines with stainless steel
-Replace all A/C & Heater Lines with stainless steel with A/N fittings
-Replace 3.73 10 bolt posi Rear-end with 3.73 12 bolt posi

[instro84]

nice car