The pods differ between the round gauges and sweep speedometer. The MCSS bezel will accommodate the wiper switch if you cut it out where marked on the backside. Or find an 81 bezel from a round gauge car
Researching G-body Cars
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The pods differ between the round gauges and sweep speedometer. The MCSS bezel will accommodate the wiper switch if you cut it out where marked on the backside. Or find an 81 bezel from a round gauge car
My pod is a round gauge unit but I'll probably go with Dakota Digitals set up when the time comes. Thanks...
The aluminum and the steel radiator supports will interchange. I do not know if will work in your Monte Carlo. The headlight areas may need some modding on the aluminum one
I installed a 86' Monte SS complete dash into my 78' Monte. I had a parts car so I did the dash and entire wiring harness. Everything bolted right up. I swapped the entire interior as I wasn't a fan of the bright red interior mine came with. Everything was fairly simple. I did have to move some of the door panel clips a bit, and had to re-use the upper 1/4 panel as 78's had the recessed window and 86' had the flush 1/4 window. I also had to go with an aftermarket speedo. I changed to a 5 speed manual Tremec and a 3.73 8.5' rear so there were no correct transmission gears to get speed correct. Good luck.
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Everything I've seen is the body panels will bolt up the same, the differences are relatively minute, I still don't get the headlight opening size thing either, the wiring or anything should fit either way. One thing I have noticed is when people swap core supports they often state it's too short by 1/2" or 1" and almost always because the front end is suspended while they work on it, not realizing how much the frame sags. I wonder how many people who've swapped supports have washers or spacers that don't need them.
Think your survey ought to begin at 78. That is when the G-Bodies were first introduced.
The biggest immediate difference is the physical size of the A vs the smaller G's. By 1977 the Monte, for example, was an under powered luxo barge. Almost nothing cosmetic crosses the border from one generation to the next. Engines/transmissions are almost always an exception. Do gotta agree with 64Nailhead here to a certain degree as well but think the major reason for the shift in designator is that, starting in 78, almost all the fasteners holding the car together were converted to metric. The motors and t-missions were still fractional until you got to the motor and t-mount bolts and nuts at which point metric took over. Transmission mounts are totally screwy as the bolts to hold the biscuit to the case are fractional and the bolt from the biscuit to the crossmember is metric. Total PITA.
Other than that, if you skinned a G-Body down to the bare cabin, they don't vary much internally from one make to another.
Nick
The biggest immediate difference is the physical size of the A vs the smaller G's. By 1977 the Monte, for example, was an under powered luxo barge. Almost nothing cosmetic crosses the border from one generation to the next. Engines/transmissions are almost always an exception. Do gotta agree with 64Nailhead here to a certain degree as well but think the major reason for the shift in designator is that, starting in 78, almost all the fasteners holding the car together were converted to metric. The motors and t-missions were still fractional until you got to the motor and t-mount bolts and nuts at which point metric took over. Transmission mounts are totally screwy as the bolts to hold the biscuit to the case are fractional and the bolt from the biscuit to the crossmember is metric. Total PITA.
Other than that, if you skinned a G-Body down to the bare cabin, they don't vary much internally from one make to another.
Nick
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GM changed the designation in '82 when they introduced the new FWD "A" platform.
Tommy
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