I bought my 1986 Monte Carlo Luxury Sport from the original owner, a legit little old lady, in 1998 with 84k on the clock for $1400 (I think... Might've been $1200, might've been $1600, it was 20 years ago lol!). It had a 305 (with a healthy dose of blow by) and 200-4R. Was pretty nice with the CL interior, factory gauges, and aftermarket sunroof. Previous owner had also installed air shocks & a small receiver hitch. The air shocks promptly went to a buddy with a Chevelle and the hitch went in the scrap bin (had I been cognizant of the weak frame I would've left it on). My previous MC was an '81 that had a turbo V6 that scattered and I transplanted a 350 from my wrecked '71 El Camino. That swap was a b*tch switching out the frame mounts. I was excited to have a factory V8 car knowing the swap would be easier.
I drove the '86 for a couple of weeks until on the way to work I smoke bombed everyone. Popped the hood when I got there & the dipstick was 2" above the tube. Not wanting to spend the money on a tow, I smoke bombed everyone on the way home.
In went the 350 with TH350 and I drove it for a few months until I spun a bearing. I was young & poor so I was trying to figure out what I was going to do for an engine. I came across an ad for a "built 400 complete with all the goodies" for $600. I went & looked at it & liked what I saw. 10.5:1 compression, Weiand Stealth intake 750 Carter AFB, cam was an off brand with .509" lift int/exh and 300 duration, camel hump heads with a ton of work and Manley 2.02/1.60 valves. Dude had it in his square body truck & barely had it broken in and "didn't like the fuel economy" so he replaced it with a built 305 that got similar fuel economy and was selling the 400 because he didn't want to swap back. I offered $500, he took it, and I ran home with it before he could change his mind.
Made the swap and holy sh*t what a difference over the very mild 350! Even with the 2.41 one wheelie peely I could rip the face off of some moderately quick cars. Drove it like that for about a year & got an old Civic as a commuter car. Since it was no longer my daily driver I started to tinker with it more. I modified the gauge cluster to install an Auto Meter speedo & tach. Took the TH350 to a buddy who can build a trans in his sleep because it was getting a bit soft and asked for a mild-moderate shift. He also gave me a rebuilt "high stall converter" which turned out to be a Vega converter... That lasted a few hundred miles until it started to whine loudly & the trans fluid was black with glitter. The converter grenaded behind that engine. Took the trans & converter back to my buddy who rebuilt the trans under warranty and I went & bought a Hughes converter. Told him the shifts were still too mild and asked him to go a tad more aggressive. I watched him put it together and knew it was going to be way more than a tad more aggressive... Must've been his F-U for having to warranty a trans because of his bullshit converter he gave me.
Put the car back together and went on a maiden voyage. Yep, she was slamming into gear alright. Wooded it getting onto the freeway barking the gears on the on ramp, then a couple of minutes later the car suddenly shook violently at 60 mph then the rear tires locked up and I skidded to the shoulder. That was August 2001, the last time I drove it.
The hard shifts knocked the pinion bearing out of the race & the violent shaking was the pinion flopping around loose. The locked up tires was the pinion gear digging into the ring gear.
Over the next few years I started to do a few more things to it. I replaced the rusty headers with coated Hooker headers. Installed a new Torque Tech dual exhaust system. Was debating what to do about the rear axle when Strange came out with the S60 so I ordered up one with 3.73 gears, Detroit locker, and Wilwood discs. Well if I was doing that, may as well install a Hotchkis adjustable control arm kit, so I did. May as well order the Hotchkis sway bar kit while I'm at it. If I'm doing that I may as well put Eibach Pro Kit springs in it. And may as well get the PST front end rebuild kit. I always wanted a cowl hood so I ordered a Goodmark steel 2" cowl hood. May as well upgrade the carb so I got a 750 Speed Demon. May as well convert it to floor shift with a B&M shifter. New carpet kit might be nice. Need line lock for some nice smokey burnouts. The car already had jounce bars but I was able to find an F41 bar in the junkyard as well as a slightly loose but otherwise great shape floor shift steering column (that was years ago when they were more plentiful!).
Well, life happens, and the project stalled out. I've moved twice since I last drove it and it got to go for a tow truck ride both times. It's spent most of the last 16-1/2 years on jack stands. A few of the aforementioned parts made it in the car in that timeframe, but most didn't.
I'm planning to sell my house and move again so there's a renewed effort to "finish" the car. I had honestly fallen out of love with it, and the initial idea was to merely get it drivable and sell it. But nights & weekends in the garage wrenching on it brought back memories of wrenching on it & my other "hot rods" back in my youth, as well as all of my buddies' "hot rods" too. Also, the dreams of what I wanted to do with the car have been coming back. So rather than just "get it drivable" I've decided to install ALL of the accumulated parts on it. I also just dropped some coin on even more parts (2WD S10 Blazer knuckles/hubs/calipers/rotors, B-Body master cylinder & dual diaphragm booster, and a few other misc goodies). Plus, the 40 year old me has more money & desire to "do it right" than the 20 year old me, so the build will be going on a more positive path than it would have previously.
I started it & ran it a few times in the past few weeks. My neighbor who has seen it in the garage with the garage door open came over and sported a woodie listening to that lumpety cam. A few good revs so the 2 chamber Flowmasters could sing and I sported a woodie too.
Whether I end up keeping it or selling it once it's done... The jury's still out on that one. In the meantime I'll be pecking away at it and chronicling it here. As well as stalking the rest of the forum for wisdom on a few things that I may get stuck on. And I'll certainly be sharing any wisdom of my own that I can.
Below are some pictures of it from it's "driver days" as well as some "current status" pictures. Now that you know most of its life story, please enjoy!
My 205/50-15s up front to give it "rake" lol. Oh what a youngster does... Those Cragar SSTs came on my '71 El Camino when I bought it and went on my '81 Monte then onto this.
The 400 with the rusty headers I had bought from Super Shop's going out of business sale that originally resided in the '81.
Frying off one of the stock tires. Damn I wish I would've washed the car first so the front wheels would've been shiny!
This was about the point in time the cabin had completely filled with tire smoke thanks to me not closing the sunroof...
Its current living situation... Goodmark cowl hood on but still in black e-coat.
New MSD distributor, new plug wires, new polished aluminum valve covers, and 750 Speed Demon installed.
The Auto Meter gauges I worked into the factory gauge cluster. The number of miles on the odometer is how many miles I put on it from rebuilt trans (1st time) to scattered 2.41 10-bolt.
Ultimate dream was to eventually put a supercharged LS engine with 600+ hp and figured this Strange S60 would do the trick.
Strange sold me on the Wilwoods. Well dammit now that means a front brake upgrade just to keep up with the rears... That was a bigger leap in rear brakes than I should've taken. Oh well.
Peek-a-boo at the Eibach springs, Hotchkis control arm kit, and spotless exhaust.
I drove the '86 for a couple of weeks until on the way to work I smoke bombed everyone. Popped the hood when I got there & the dipstick was 2" above the tube. Not wanting to spend the money on a tow, I smoke bombed everyone on the way home.
In went the 350 with TH350 and I drove it for a few months until I spun a bearing. I was young & poor so I was trying to figure out what I was going to do for an engine. I came across an ad for a "built 400 complete with all the goodies" for $600. I went & looked at it & liked what I saw. 10.5:1 compression, Weiand Stealth intake 750 Carter AFB, cam was an off brand with .509" lift int/exh and 300 duration, camel hump heads with a ton of work and Manley 2.02/1.60 valves. Dude had it in his square body truck & barely had it broken in and "didn't like the fuel economy" so he replaced it with a built 305 that got similar fuel economy and was selling the 400 because he didn't want to swap back. I offered $500, he took it, and I ran home with it before he could change his mind.
Made the swap and holy sh*t what a difference over the very mild 350! Even with the 2.41 one wheelie peely I could rip the face off of some moderately quick cars. Drove it like that for about a year & got an old Civic as a commuter car. Since it was no longer my daily driver I started to tinker with it more. I modified the gauge cluster to install an Auto Meter speedo & tach. Took the TH350 to a buddy who can build a trans in his sleep because it was getting a bit soft and asked for a mild-moderate shift. He also gave me a rebuilt "high stall converter" which turned out to be a Vega converter... That lasted a few hundred miles until it started to whine loudly & the trans fluid was black with glitter. The converter grenaded behind that engine. Took the trans & converter back to my buddy who rebuilt the trans under warranty and I went & bought a Hughes converter. Told him the shifts were still too mild and asked him to go a tad more aggressive. I watched him put it together and knew it was going to be way more than a tad more aggressive... Must've been his F-U for having to warranty a trans because of his bullshit converter he gave me.
Put the car back together and went on a maiden voyage. Yep, she was slamming into gear alright. Wooded it getting onto the freeway barking the gears on the on ramp, then a couple of minutes later the car suddenly shook violently at 60 mph then the rear tires locked up and I skidded to the shoulder. That was August 2001, the last time I drove it.
The hard shifts knocked the pinion bearing out of the race & the violent shaking was the pinion flopping around loose. The locked up tires was the pinion gear digging into the ring gear.
Over the next few years I started to do a few more things to it. I replaced the rusty headers with coated Hooker headers. Installed a new Torque Tech dual exhaust system. Was debating what to do about the rear axle when Strange came out with the S60 so I ordered up one with 3.73 gears, Detroit locker, and Wilwood discs. Well if I was doing that, may as well install a Hotchkis adjustable control arm kit, so I did. May as well order the Hotchkis sway bar kit while I'm at it. If I'm doing that I may as well put Eibach Pro Kit springs in it. And may as well get the PST front end rebuild kit. I always wanted a cowl hood so I ordered a Goodmark steel 2" cowl hood. May as well upgrade the carb so I got a 750 Speed Demon. May as well convert it to floor shift with a B&M shifter. New carpet kit might be nice. Need line lock for some nice smokey burnouts. The car already had jounce bars but I was able to find an F41 bar in the junkyard as well as a slightly loose but otherwise great shape floor shift steering column (that was years ago when they were more plentiful!).
Well, life happens, and the project stalled out. I've moved twice since I last drove it and it got to go for a tow truck ride both times. It's spent most of the last 16-1/2 years on jack stands. A few of the aforementioned parts made it in the car in that timeframe, but most didn't.
I'm planning to sell my house and move again so there's a renewed effort to "finish" the car. I had honestly fallen out of love with it, and the initial idea was to merely get it drivable and sell it. But nights & weekends in the garage wrenching on it brought back memories of wrenching on it & my other "hot rods" back in my youth, as well as all of my buddies' "hot rods" too. Also, the dreams of what I wanted to do with the car have been coming back. So rather than just "get it drivable" I've decided to install ALL of the accumulated parts on it. I also just dropped some coin on even more parts (2WD S10 Blazer knuckles/hubs/calipers/rotors, B-Body master cylinder & dual diaphragm booster, and a few other misc goodies). Plus, the 40 year old me has more money & desire to "do it right" than the 20 year old me, so the build will be going on a more positive path than it would have previously.
I started it & ran it a few times in the past few weeks. My neighbor who has seen it in the garage with the garage door open came over and sported a woodie listening to that lumpety cam. A few good revs so the 2 chamber Flowmasters could sing and I sported a woodie too.
Whether I end up keeping it or selling it once it's done... The jury's still out on that one. In the meantime I'll be pecking away at it and chronicling it here. As well as stalking the rest of the forum for wisdom on a few things that I may get stuck on. And I'll certainly be sharing any wisdom of my own that I can.
Below are some pictures of it from it's "driver days" as well as some "current status" pictures. Now that you know most of its life story, please enjoy!
My 205/50-15s up front to give it "rake" lol. Oh what a youngster does... Those Cragar SSTs came on my '71 El Camino when I bought it and went on my '81 Monte then onto this.
Frying off one of the stock tires. Damn I wish I would've washed the car first so the front wheels would've been shiny!
Ultimate dream was to eventually put a supercharged LS engine with 600+ hp and figured this Strange S60 would do the trick.
