Enter your username:
Do you want to login or register?
  • Forgot your password?

    Login / Register



    Page 1 of 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 LastLast
    Results 1 to 20 of 108
    1. #1
      Join Date
      Jan 2010
      Location
      Elk River, MN
      Posts
      676

      1984 Monte SC - Bringing Bertha Back *PIC HEAVY*

      Hi all, another young gun here, I live in Elk River, MN, and I'm 23 years old. I've been lurking, reading, posting a little bit here, but haven't had my project car out to work on in some time. This weekend began my journey, so here goes...

      I finally pulled my 1984 Monte Carlo out of storage, where it had lived for 5 years while I went to college and started my adult life. I feel bad for neglecting it that long, but the reality is I couldn't afford to do anything with it, and it would have been worse off had I been driving it for that period of time. I bought this car at 15 years old and did what I could afford to do while in high school, then parked it when I moved away to college. But, I'm now a home-owner with my garage almost ready for the car, and can afford to do things right, so this winter begins the re-birth of Bertha. When I had it in high school, I couldn't afford to do it up PT style, so like a genius I just sky-jacked the back end with station wagon springs, and put some fat 15x10's out back with 15x7's in front. As you can imagine, it's a pretty scary ride, stupid kids.....

      I don't remember why I named it Bertha, but it was chosen during a night out with friends over a few brews, so who knows how that came about....

      I apologize for not posting pictures just yet, I will tonight. I have pictures, but they're on my camera and I can't upload them until I'm back to my house on my own computer. Until then, here are the current specs, and I'll lay out a bit of what my plans/goals are for the winter.

      Current -
      1984 Chevy Monte Carlo SC - Non-SS car, but came with a 5.0 V8 and a bucket/console interior, with a vinyl top. It's pretty unique, I love the combination but it was a horrid-driving car from the factory. Came from Missouri, so rust is pretty minimal, frame and doors are fantastic. I have absolutely no intentions on making an SS conversion, though I do plan to clean-up the non-SS nose a bit.
      - 5.7L Vortec - Stock cam, stock heads, junkyard motor. Edelbrock RPM Air-Gap intake with Demon 650 carb, stock exhaust manifolds from the 1978 350 I previously had in it. Runs great and makes good power on the cheap with the original cam.
      - Unlimited Products Fiberglass hood with 2-1/2" cowl - Fits like garbage but looks pretty good, was all I could afford when I repainted the car in high school.
      - Vinyl top removed, trim studs smoothed
      - Chrome rocker trim removed, trim studs smoothed
      - Fender antenna removed - hole glassed and smoothed
      - Front fender marker lights removed, holes glassed and smoothed
      - Hood ornament (actually on header panel) removed and hole smoothed
      - Dual exhaust - 2" by a local muffler shop with glasspacks, it's junk now, so it will be replaced
      - New paint - I spent a lot of time on this a year after I got the car, it's Black with Hugger Orange rally stripes, done in Dupont Chromabase and Chromaclear, still holding up great, though it needs some attention in problem areas due to bodywork issues.

      Plans -
      - SC&C Stage II Plus kit for the front end
      - Eibach Springs
      - Bilstein shocks
      - F-Body sway bar front, sway bar in rear if needed (have these)
      - Moser 28-spline axles with a more current F-Body 7-5/8 Posi center
      - S-10 Blazer spindles with unitized hub bearings (have all of this)
      - C5 Corvette Brakes all around, fronts on Kore3 brackets (have all of this) Braided SS hoses as well
      - BMW 540i Type 37 wheels (17x8, 5x120) on custom billet dual-hubcentric adapters from http://www.motorsport-tech.com/ (have all of this)
      - New exhaust including headers and 3" exhaust with X-Pipe, Flowmaster mufflers most likely
      - Electric Cooling fans on thermostat and toggle switch, as it has a clutch fan currently
      - Spohn Del-Sphere Trailing Arms
      - Spohn LCA's (possibly, depends on budget)
      - New tie rods, drag link, etc, basically all new steering components to tighten up the front end
      - New gauges - Not sure exactly what I'll do here but I'll probably end up with the Tach and Speedo in original locations with oil pressure, and the remaining gauges in a pillar pod.
      - New hood (possibly) as part of touching up the bodywork where it's needed. It's not a show-car paintjob, but it looks pretty good, better than most people would know to critique.
      - Spitzkraft Black HID conversion - Spendy, but huge for driveability, the stock headlights on these things are horrid.

      That pretty much sums it up, I'll add the starting pictures to show it's current condition tonight, and cover anything I missed in this intro post once I've re-read it again and reviewed the pictures. I'm on a limited budget, but I'm having a good time with it, making the car into what I wanted when I bought it. To me, it's a lot of fun doing it on a tight budget, because I've spent so much time planning and sourcing every part of the build, that the end product can't help but to be a part of me. That being said, one of the reasons I want to go through this project now, is to prepare for a 1967-68 Camaro build on a more-longterm basis.

      Thanks for reading, I hope you all enjoy my build,

      Matt

      Photochopped Stance, though it still has more rake in it than what I'm planning. Will have the front end a smidge higher than this.

    2. #2
      Join Date
      Mar 2006
      Location
      California City Ca.
      Posts
      398
      welcome back and nice build you gonna have there mister. show us some teaser pics you know how visual we are.

      Dale Hayes
      87 turbo t
      turbonetics t60, pet stock location intercooler, ride tech coilovers, rjc exhaust, 60lb injectors with tt chip, ported heads and intake, ported tb, baer brakes, roh 17 inch wheels....now need to finish paint and get it put back together.


    3. #3
      Join Date
      Jan 2010
      Location
      Elk River, MN
      Posts
      676
      Pictures, captions to come.

      Here's the car, fresh into the shop. I had the grungy S-10 wheels on it because I sold my American Racing wheels in college to keep me from leaving it hillbilly-style ;)


      Much better without the flash on.


      VERY Dirty, we'll worry about that later.




      Interior shot, dash is apart to sort some wiring for the digital Speedo and Autometer Tach, had some issues with them when it was parked.


      Bad picture, but you can see my flat black paint is flaking from the taillight trim, should have sanded it better before. Will media blast it this time with Al Oxide.




      Trunk is VERY solid, pardon the rusty exhaust...


      Underside of deck lid, stickers left intact from factory when I painted it.


      A little attention is needed here, the filler must not have been sealed good enough, and it's cracking a bit.


      I used plastic molding when the vinyl top was removed as the studs weren't there for non-vinyl window trim.


      Yummy. Ugliest wheels ever made. Maybe not quite, but I couldn't get them off of the car fast enough.


      Crusty. Check out the tiny sway bar.


      Shifter cable replaced before storage, but need to find a new retainer clip for it, shifter works terrible currently.


      Station Wagon springs and the rusty rearend cover. This could all use a good cleaning and coat of paint, winter project.




      Stock fuel tank, still solid and clean. Will likely replace straps and give it a quick coat of paint to clean up the look.


      Spare tire well. Solid, not mangled, somewhat tempted to leave it alone if a spare to clear the Vette brakes will fit in it.


      New used parts. Corvette calipers, brake pads, S-10 spindle, wheel adapters, F-body swaybar with frame stiffener. Spare BMW wheel.


      Couple of my new used wheels. Still not sure what color these will be, but they're a little beat up, so they'll get powdercoated regardless.


      Nice, check out the dirt/mud build-up on the upper A-arm. Surely left from some juvenile trip down a field-road with a girlfriend at the time.


      A better view, nasty.

    4. #4
      Join Date
      Jan 2010
      Location
      Elk River, MN
      Posts
      676
      First fit of one of the new wheels, great feeling, and the backspacing worked out perfect, despite ordering the adaptors based only on my memory of how the old wheels fit.


      Great fit, tires are scabs I bought for checking clearances and rolling it around on, they still have some life in them so when it's done they'll remain on for shaking it down.


      The engine (sans air cleaner) before cleanup and new plug wires.


      Stance is horrible, but the wheels look good.


      Check out the nasty underside of this hood. The extra glass near the hinges was my doing, but you can see why I'm unhappy with the rest of it. Even for a race-only hood it's pretty shoddy.


      Another view of motor, air cleaner on and plug wires replaced, but they fit like garbage so they'll get swapped again.




      Backspacing is perfect, I think I can fit another inch of wheel in back without rubbing the frame.


      The next few pics are of an S-10 spindle with C5 brakes installed. The adaptor is from Kore3, and it fit perfectly, couldn't have asked for a better design, all the bolts are the perfect length too so I'm pleased as can be. These aren't going on the car until I get my new ball joints, springs, and shocks, so they'll all go in at the same time.




      I'll keep the speed sensor intact, to feed the digital speedometer without having to tie into the trans speed sensor. It will also allow me to run a racing 4-speed manual without a speed sensor if I choose to go that route. It also means gearing doesn't affect the speedometer calibration, which is pretty cool.




      My brother's 1981 Firebird. Was sitting next to mine in storage. Needs some work too but he's basically getting it on the road and driveable before he really decides what he's going to do on it. Same drivetrain as mine at the moment.
















      Getting a bath, much better!


      Dried off, better yet.

    5. #5
      Join Date
      Jan 2010
      Location
      Elk River, MN
      Posts
      676
      Quote Originally Posted by instro84 View Post
      welcome back and nice build you gonna have there mister. show us some teaser pics you know how visual we are.

      Is that enough pics to tease ya? ;)

      These cover one night and the next morning's worth of work, from getting it into the shop from storage, slapping the new wheels on to check fit, and giving it a good bath before I get started.

      -matt

    6. #6
      Join Date
      Jan 2010
      Location
      Elk River, MN
      Posts
      676




      Skull lock knobs, very classy. Some of the things I did back then still confuse me...








      All clean outside, getting parked until next weekend.










      Rust in the corner of the driver's side door. Will be an easy fix, but basically it was caused by my poor skills in welding a hole shut from the factory chrome trim.


      Driver's quarter, looks good.

    7. #7
      Join Date
      Jul 2008
      Location
      ohio
      Posts
      1,135
      Country Flag: United States
      looks alot better cleaned......lol. looks like a whole new car. i like the wheels i think you may need to lower a bit tho
      keep the wheels a spinning and the Beavers a grinning(burt reynolds-smokey and the bandit)

    8. #8
      Join Date
      Jan 2010
      Location
      Elk River, MN
      Posts
      676
      Quote Originally Posted by craigs73 View Post
      looks alot better cleaned......lol. looks like a whole new car. i like the wheels i think you may need to lower a bit tho
      Lowering is definitely on the list, looks like one of those damn donks right now ;)

      Basically all I'm doing at the moment is prepping it to bring it to my garage for the winter. The shop shown is my folks' place and its about 70 miles North of me, so a bit hard to get up there to work on it all the time.

      -matt

    9. #9
      Join Date
      Mar 2009
      Location
      overseas
      Posts
      3,433
      Country Flag: United States
      wow nice project! good to see another monte carlo lover over here! good luck with her!!!
      Kevin S. (overseas in Germany)
      1963 Chevrolet Impala 2d ht Coupe

      www.CruznArt.com
      CRUZN - Automotive Artworks

    10. #10
      Join Date
      Jun 2010
      Location
      Woodbury, MN
      Posts
      53
      Looks like you have a good starting point! I have my 1987 going and am just working on other things at the moment.

      I had a cancer scare and the bills piled in. Pay off that crap and then I can focus on the car more. Will be easier to work on the car in the winter to cure the boredom.

      Nice to see another MC from MN!

    11. #11
      Join Date
      Mar 2010
      Location
      AZ
      Posts
      801
      Country Flag: United States
      Wow, bertha was a dirty, dirty girl. Looks good though, and I do rather like the wheels, hrm...
      Robert R.
      1988 S10 blazer 5.0L SBC 700R4 body off build.
      1991 S10 Blazer 4.3L too low daily.
      1975 Cutlass Salon currenlty 350/th350
      Stupidity should be painful.

    12. #12
      Join Date
      Oct 2009
      Location
      Copperas Cove, TX
      Posts
      325
      This Monte is sick. I'm glad you decided to keep the SC front end on it. The car is going to be sick. Whats the second red bar with the flat pieces on it next to the sway bar in your pics?
      Andy McCatherine

      1982 Monte Carlo SS (clone)

    13. #13
      Join Date
      Jan 2010
      Location
      Elk River, MN
      Posts
      676

    14. #14
      Join Date
      Jan 2010
      Location
      Elk River, MN
      Posts
      676
      Quote Originally Posted by montessaj View Post
      This Monte is sick. I'm glad you decided to keep the SC front end on it. The car is going to be sick. Whats the second red bar with the flat pieces on it next to the sway bar in your pics?
      Thanks bud, I'm really excited to finally get underway with it! I've been mentally building this for some time, despite the car being stuck in a dirt-floor prison. Taking tools to it is almost more than I can take. I've spent the last couple years working on a 69 Corvette Vintage Racer, several rare Devin roadsters, a one-off Kellison, and numerous Asphalt Super Late Models, but this one trumps them all . . . because it's mine.

      As for that red bar, I don't know the technical name for it, but basically it's a frame horn stiffener that bolts in with the sway bar bushings. I believe it came on the F-body from the factory, and it seems to line up on my car, so I'm sure I'll run it, as well as some form of triangulated stiffeners like what the factory used on a number of cars.

      Thanks again guys, can't wait to see your projects done as well, they've helped me keep my sanity in not working on my own project.

      -matt

    15. #15
      Join Date
      Jan 2010
      Location
      Elk River, MN
      Posts
      676

    16. #16
      Join Date
      Jan 2010
      Location
      Elk River, MN
      Posts
      676

    17. #17
      Join Date
      Jan 2010
      Location
      Elk River, MN
      Posts
      676

    18. #18
      Join Date
      Jan 2010
      Location
      Elk River, MN
      Posts
      676
      * duplicate post

      Sorry for all these, I had a computer issue this morning and it went crazy when I hit 'Post'. If a mod could delete these extra posts it'd be much appreciated.

      Thanks!

      -matt

    19. #19
      Join Date
      Mar 2010
      Location
      Richmond, CA
      Posts
      108
      nice monte man i have a gbody as well. at the moment no build thread here but hit up the link in my cig to see my cutlass if you want

      83 Cutlass 96 LT1, 52mm TB, Electric WP,TH350, Hotchkis sways front/rear poly bushings 8.5 10 bolt 3.73's posi, boxed adjust rear arms, dual cat-back exhaust 2.5" x-pipe 40series
      http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2540200

    20. #20
      Join Date
      Jul 2005
      Location
      Eastern Virginia
      Posts
      3,960
      Country Flag: United States
      Looks good. Are you planning on picking apples with it? Lower it some. LOL
      Scot
      86 Monte SS


    Page 1 of 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 LastLast




    Advertise on Pro-Touring.com