1985 Monte SS parts car

[eocoolj]

Hey all, so I was browsing craigslist today and found a guy who is parting out an '85 Monte SS. I own a '79 Monte was a 267. I realize there are many cosmetic differences between a 3rd gen and 4th gen monte, but under the skin they are basically the same car. I am exchanging emails with him, and trying to figure what parts I would want. I was wondering if you all could give me some ideas for parts I might want. The things I am thinking about now are:

Stereo/Cassette head unit + plastic faceplate
Interior trim pieces, depending on what color they are.
Instrument cluster (tachometer + oil pressure/temperature/voltage set)
4 speed overdrive transmission if car has reasonably low miles
4 barrel q-jet carb + intake

I dont know that I really want to get into a transmission swap, but would that transmission be a direct swap with the turbo-200 in my car?

What else would I want to take if it is cheap? Is there anything rare enough that its worth buying even if he wants alot for it?

Thanks

 

[Blake442]

A 200-4R will take a little more work to swap in.

You'll need a new crossmember, and extention for the crossmember, a TV cable, a controller for the lock-up torque converter, as well as some other odds and ends.

Grab the sway bars if they aren't already gone, maybe the springs if you feel ambitious.

If your car is a bench, the buckets and console would make a nice addition as well.

 

[clean8485]

The radio should fit, not sure about the faceplate. The instrument panel in the '79 is not the same as the '85. If you're going to get the tach & gauge cluster, you may need some of the wiring and sending units in order to allow the cluster to work. The intake may be useful, but the carb probably won't work, as it was made to work with a computer controlled engine. The suspension parts will be useful. If you want to swap any parts which hold the wheels on, keep in mind that the wheel studs on the '85 are metric, and the wheel studs on your '79 have SAE threads.

 

[eocoolj]

Blake, my car is a bench car, but I am a big fan of bench seats, so I won't be swapping those. Are the sway bars going to significantly tighten up my handling?

Clean8485, how is the instrument cluster different between a '79 and an '85? From the looks of them, they are exactly the same, right down to the font. Also, I'm sure swapping gauges in is something monte guys do pretty often, do you know if there is a write-up anywhere on doing it?

I've always been a little unclear on how the computer controlled q-jet works Where is the computer located? Does it significantly improve mileage or power? Is it something that you can easily retrofit to an older car? Is the carb capable of functioning without the computer?

 

[clean8485]

I'm not saying that the instrument CLUSTER is different, I'm saying that the instrument PANEL is different. The cluster should swap over. As I said before, you're probably going to need some of the wiring and the sending units to allow the cluster to work normally.
As far as the CCC carb is concerned, its probably not worth the effort to try to get it to work on your '79. There is a computer behind the kick panel below the instrument panel on the passenger side. There are a number of sensors and some wiring that connects all of the components together. You're probably better off to try to improve the performance and fuel economy of your '79 using non-computer related parts.

 

[DRIVEN]

3.73 posi?

 

[eocoolj]

I'm not saying that the instrument CLUSTER is different, I'm saying that the instrument PANEL is different. The cluster should swap over. As I said before, you're probably going to need some of the wiring and the sending units to allow the cluster to work normally.

I'm not sure I'm understanding the difference between the instrument panel and cluster. Is the panel the kind of blueish piece of plastic behind the gauges, as seen in this picture? I've been taking a look at this thread, which makes it sound very do-able. Am I going to need to run new wires through the firewall?

 

[clean8485]

The instrument PANEL is the entire panel that runs from the driver's side to the passenger's side of the car, just below the windsheild. It contains the HVAC controls, glove box, instrument CLUSTER, and HVAC ductwork & vents. The instrument CLUSTER is the housing that is directly in front of the driver, which contains the instruments, indicator lights, headlight switch, and in the case of your '79, the wiper/washer switch.
If you're looking for info on performing the tach & gauges swap, if you search this site, there should be at least one thread that can help you. If not, then check out MonteCarloSS.com-you should find the info you need there. Good luck.