I believe that there is a thread on MonteSS.com from a member there, that was able to relocate some of the wiring and plumbing on his Monte. There are photos in the thread, and it shows a big difference in the appearance of the engine bay, without getting rid of anything. If you're looking to improve the performance of the car, and you already have a 350 engine in it, I'd try to get a more free flowing exhaust system on it. That way, whatever improvements you make on the intake side will work better. I'm not sure that you can remove some of the original emission controls, and keep the original CCC carb, without running into problems. If you upgrade the exhaust system and keep the CCC carb, you'll need to retain the O2 sensor in the exhaust system.
Years ago, GM sold an engine upgrade kit for the mid '80s Camaros & Firebirds, through the Performance Parts catalog, that included a high output 350 engine, and other matching components, but kept full emission compatibility, and I believe it was 50 State legal. Part of the kit was a pair of secondary metering rods for the original Qjet carb, that allowed for better performance at wide open throttle, while keeping reasonable fuel economy at part throttle. This kit has been discontinued from GM for some time now, but I'm wondering if swapping the metering rods in your Qjet might acheive the gains that you're looking for?
Keep in mind that the Monte SS was never really designed as an economy car. If you're looking for dramatic improvements, then you might be wise to consider a fuel injection engine swap, as others have suggested. Good luck.
