78 monte carlo build...

[78montepython]

...so it begins.

the weather is changing.. getn nicer. the birds are back... chirping in the morning. And i dont have to look out the window and daydream anymore... :shock:

This is my 1978 chevy monte carlo. i payed 450 for it. had no engine or trans when i got it. it did have a few things i liked to go with it, but the body was worth it. shortly after i found a 350 engine from the salvage for 150 bucks. it came out of seized 88 monte. i was told by a freind of mine(that works there) it ran but was smoking. I'll get back to that later. I always wanted a 350 on a stick. my buddy had a 4 door malibu with 305 on a 3 speed. damn thing was a rocket take off wise. really glued me to the seat. SO in my travels i found a 4 speed saginaw for 100 bucks. I have snce found out that a muncie is more of the performance transmission, but the sag will do as i am learning and am banking on me tearing something up.

 

[78montepython]

The guy i bought the sag from shot me a bell housing for good luck as he could tell i was lost. He even told me to call him if i had any questions.I tried to talk like i knew something....it took him 3 questions to see through that. 😳
The car came with headers, manifolds, and some other misc stuff.
the motor had a clutch on there but it was burnt up good( guess thats why it got seized....cuz it got caught lol), but i can use the flywheel. just have to get it cleaned up

at this point i was very lost. I started bothering everyone. all the salvage yards, all the autoparts places. anybody who said anthing about a car, or took my bait( ....yea i am putting together a 78 monte...)And i started buying stuff.

 

[78montepython]

I dont plan on running an numbers or duke=ing it out with any hondas. I really just want some balls to my car. I also dont plan on entering any car shows or shuttn down the block when i come through. Just want my whip sitn nice and clean. while looking for parts( i was looking for everything else 2) on craigslist, i found a pair of forte 22's for 400 bucks. I planned on getn 24's, but with all i was learning i had to do,and 400 bucks....shiiit...plans changed. i planned on getn spacers to put the rim right at the fender. ends up they wer the wrong bolt pattern and i needed adapters.
it worked out just fine.

 

[viera]

nice! a 78 monty on a 4 speed thats pretty sweet 8)

 

[RegalBegal]

Nice project. Building it is half the fun!

 

[78montepython]

got a couple nice days in so i started stripping the body
next day it snowed. days after that got rain. gotta love that ohio weather.

 

[78montepython]

thanks fellas. it has been an exiting last few days for me. i made a lot of ground on the engine. the engine i got for 150 bucks may very well be from a 76 or 75 vette. I started off tryna figure out what cam i could step up to without changing carbs or anything. problem is i was looking for a simple answer to a complicated answer. so people gave me formulas to calculate my lift and such, but i wasnt listening. now, here is how arrogantly ignorant i am= when they wer telln me the formulas, i was thinkn" this guy doesnt know what he is talkn bout". NO I didnt know what what i was asking, nor could i comprehend what he was telling me. So on behalf of all of the new boots in the world that has ever asked a vet for advise and blew them off i apologize!!!!

back at home as i searched google and smoked up my ports. i started remembering what they told me and i went back and forth with numbers off of my block (i found out gm3970010 is as specific as saying stuff) . I found the 1 i needed on the block on the passenger side on the top corner. v0622chc. according to my research it was made in flint, MI on the 22 of june.
and the chc means its a 350 for 75 and 76 vette. or for a full size 1980 chevy. now..i say its from a vette because it is said by most that the gm3970010 was last used in 79. out of multiple(multiple) postings it was only said once that it went to 1980. so if u know different let me down easy. either way its a 2bolt main. i have read stories that go either way on that.

I got the motor tore down except the crank and pistons.

i started paintn but this blue aint as dark as i thought it would be. its very close to the f word but i wasnt raised like that

 

[JBreu]

Good luck with the monte...............My first G-Body was a '79. Man I miss that car🙁

 

[78montepython]

my brother had a 84 2 tone green with green int. we lived and almost died in that car. t-tops. man ....so much booty :wink:

i think i might end up going with black for now because i cant come up with a paint scheme that compliments the 78 lines.
i started back on the engine

 

[78montepython]

I sprayed everytrhing. my momma coulda got a coat this day.

thats wer im at now. I found out my edelbrock is a 600(1405) so now i gotta figure what ima do bout the cam. so far i have seen that this engine does about 205 hp and i wanna get to 350 or 400. so we'll see how it goes. thanks for lookn and anything you can tell me will be greatly appreciated.

god bless