1983 Big Block Monte Slow Build (Lowered Expectations)

[Supercharged111]

I got this car from my dad.

The majority of the build is done, but it needs some serious cleaning up and I suppose more pics taken. It has the GenV 454/TH400 from his old motorhome with a baby Comp 256 cam. It also has a 9" rear with upper and lower heim jointed arms, aftermarket front upper and lower tubular arms, unknown springs, and 4 blown out shocks. The interior is beautiful, looks like carpet and headliner were replaced. Has an aftermarket gauge cluster and a ratchet shifter. Now the bad is that the doors both need new handles and tumblers and reassembled, the HVAC box is all torn apart, the brake lines up front are a fatality waiting to happen, and every inch of wiring is a disaster. Plan is to clean all that up, learn to tune the QJ, and get overdrive into the thing either a 4L80 or a T56 I have in the corner. For the time being, it sits in my hangar as I have a lot of work to do on my Camaro this winter.

 

[Supercharged111]

One issue that's been driving me nuts is the hockey pucks under the seat mounts. Are these Monte Carlo seats? Or was he trying to lean the seat?

Here's what the seats look like.

Now that I'm looking at my own pics, I wonder if the seat bases aren't on the wrong sides. . .

 

[565bbchevy]

It looks like the previous owner was a leaner.

 

[Supercharged111]

Here's what awaits me under the hood. On the plus side, the power train seems healthy.

I do like this gauge cluster.

Steering wheel install needs to be addressed.

Here's a washed out shot capturing the ratchet shifter that's half bolted down.

 

[Supercharged111]

It looks like the previous owner was a leaner.

It was my dad, he had a head injury and wasn't all there. In some ways it looks like he went out of his way to do things wrong.

 

[565bbchevy]

It was my dad, he had a head injury and wasn't all there. In some ways it looks like he went out of his way to do things wrong.

Maybe it wasn't a comfortable driving position for him in the factory position, one reason I like installing power bases on my seats for both sides.

 

[TURNA]

That was a bench seat car.

He used the pucks as spacers to mount the seats along with a nut and bolt through the floor board.

 

[Supercharged111]

That was a bench seat car.

He used the pucks as spacers to mount the seats along with a nut and bolt through the floor board.

OK, this would explain why it's spaced only on the right side. He didn't bother with the rear though so the seat rocks. A simple fix like many other things.

On second thought, was it a split bench car or a full bench? It would make more sense to me if these were split bench mounts since the inner mounts would have sat up on the trans tunnel.

 

[Supercharged111]

I've been poking around at what I could do for better brakes up front and it looks like the start is a Blazer swap. The road racer in me wants to go a smidge farther while keeping it cheap, so I'm thinking these spindles with some junkyard hubs, rotors, calipers if I find one that got freshened up right before it's demise.

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A lot of that stuff can be found dirt cheap with zero rust in these CO junkyards. Long term would be bigger rims and C5 brakes, but I think the Blazer stuff would be a good stepping stone as the car wears 15s right now with pretty fresh rubber and this would not only give me a drop while maintaining good geometry, but also get rid of more 36 year old crusty stuff up front. Now I'm not too sure what the spring combo is, but the car has a good stance but rides like a boat. I seem to recall the springs not looking 36 years old, so hopefully I can find a part number. I think with a 2" spindle drop I'll be tucking the fronts which is a little too low, so I'm suspecting there may already be some soft drop springs on there already.

Anyone wanna come get to work on this thing so I don't have to wait for my own time to free up? Restomod is sounding cooler and cooler by the minute.

 

[fleming442]

The Blazer drop spindles work very well. 2 things to note: 1 the track width in the front increases slightly (3/8" per side), and 2, the caliper bolts will hit the upper control arm at full lock (just grind the lip for clearance). Otherwise, you'll lose brakes while trying to park it.
Put a stiff spring in (Moog 5660 or higher), and some decent shocks; I have KYB Excel G's.