Monte Carlo or 442

[84MonteCarla]

To whom it may concern,

I have been chipping away at my LT1/T56 swap into my 84 Monte Carlo LX for about a year now. The car is pretty clean (good silver paint job, nice maroon rag top, all original interior parts, good glass etc.) but has some rust (rusted out bottom of doors, rusted driver rear seat floor board, rusted out left frame rail). I have an SS kit that I have been meaning to swap on it and it will look really nice.

My perdicatment, is that I found a real clean 85 442 for sale. I've always wanted one since I am a proud owner of a
#s matching 71 Cutlass SX (Triple Black 455cu from the factory). The 442 would look amazing next to my 71 and it (obviously) has the 8.5" 3.73 rear, F41 suspension, and T-tops. My Monte has none of this (7.5" rear, no suspension and no T-tops). Black with silver trim. It has the same rear frame rail rust, but it sounds cleaner overall. By the time I upgrade my Monte with a differntial and SS trim, I will be over $1K deep in upgrades that could go towards the Olds. Only issue is that it has a Chevy 350.

My plot is to buy this car, swap the motor and trans over to the Monte, continue the LT1/T56 swap in the 442 and try and recoup most of my losses selling the Monte with a ripper 350 in it. I haven't got anything on the Monte that can't be swapped over, I know that it is only a trim package, the Monte will perform every bit as good as the 442, but I really would like to have a straight up Olds fleet in the next 10 years. Am I crazy? If I take a $1-1.5K loss, does it seem worth it? Am I evil for swapping over a GM motor/trans into a 85 olds? Or am I reviving it by swapping out the Chevy 350 for a badass GM transplant?

Please give me your honest opinion (good or bad) and I will let you know what I think after I drive it on Saturday. Thanks Dudes!

-Derek

 

[bawazir]

Yes

 

[84MonteCarla]

Haha! Yes, I am crazy or yes do it?

 

[stomis]

I say get the 442. I happen to like the cutlass' better than monte ss' but theyre all great cars

And personally bah at all the dont put a chevy plant in a buick or olds garbage. Theyre all GM

 

[dogsht]

Well I say save the 442 as it already has a sbc in it so no loss in that regard. I don't know that I would put an LT1 in bad arse territory but its an improvement over the sbc1 especially for a street car. Somebody is always standing in line to buy another chevy so it should not be hard to sell the monte off for reasonable money.

 

[bawazir]

Haha! Yes, I am crazy or yes do it?

Your are not Crazy, Yes do it 8)

 

[85Supreme]

i would say get the 442, no offense to MC peeps but i feel like monte carlos are a dime a dozen, and a nice 442 would go great with the 71

 

[kornball426]

Oh hell yeah... 442 any day over a non SS Monte. Just depends on whether the price is right... I see G body 442's from time to time on craigslist, but apparently people think they're worth their weight in gold. I'd buy one if the price was right, only thing better would be a H/O with the lightning stick shifters. 8)

If it were an SS Monte to begin with, I'd stick with it... Just because I personally think the Monte SS is the best looking G body.

 

[gbodydude]

build the 442.

 

[84MonteCarla]

Damn. Unanimous decision.

I really hope the 442 is as clean as the guy claims, then I'd be rolling in one again instead of staring at my garage queen.

Hopefully, pics will be soon to follow!