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This time, will definitely be without a Monte, mine is currently a shell in the back of the shop while I catalog what I have vs what I need. But, hopefully a couple years or so and I will be driving it up! If I do head up it will just be for the 24th and a quick up and back sort of trip. Say hello, look at some cars, walk the swap meet and head home.

I'm still 50/50 on making it to this, I want to for various reasons, but just not yet sure if the schedule will work out for it.

Unlikely I'll be buying anything this time, if I head up it'll be more of a fact finding trip than anything else. Now, once I've gotten through all the various parts in different locations and know what I have vs what I need, that'll be a different story.

That's a good idea, I was thinking though that for now at least, I am going to leave the glass in those doors. Should keep them pretty safe and less chance of them getting broken. Not much progress at the moment (still) but found out the other day that somewhere all the fuel lines and brake lines have been purchased, so I just need to pick those up and can get them installed. The transmission is fully rebuilt, similar situation to the fuel and brake lines, I just need to locate it and pick it up. There may be other things at this point, I know there are 6 plastic totes of parts at my in-laws. Sad news though, I found out that a complete dash got thrown away at some point. I have a pair of dash's without any gauges in them, just of course, the one I really needed somehow ended up getting tossed. 50/50 on heading up to Carlisle GM Nationals in a couple weeks, was just up there for Ford Nationals for the weekend but debating a day trip for GM. Mostly to take a look at complete cars, but may scout around the swap meet a little as well. (Hoping my membership updates to paid member soon).

I went through a bunch of it at the weekend, there are likely pieces I will ultimately sell (I don't know that I have anywhere to store them) but some of the smaller pieces I will ultimately keep. For sure, it's unlikely I will sell anything until the car is complete. Unlikely I will keep everything though, for example, including the 2 I have on the car, I have 8 taillights, while keeping a pair of them makes sense, keeping 3 spare sets might be a little overkill Which leads me to a question... 4 of the doors have glass in them, given that I cannot wind the window up is there a way to remove the glass? One pair of doors has electric windows, ideally I want to get everything out of that door to use in mine. I was not sure if the inner skin could be unbolted from the outer in order to access everything in there.

Not much by way of actual progress happening, but starting to catalog what parts I have, which appears to be several things more than I need.... 4 doors (I already have 2 on the car) 4 dashes Looks like 8 taillights multiple sets of chrome trim. So, looks like this weekend will be sorting out what I need and what I don't, the doors for example have glass and I believe one set has power windows, so I need to remove those pieces. My thinking is that I can try to eventually sell some of the things I don't need in order to fund the things that I do. Progress, but not, but sort of.

Thanks for the replies, I'm planning to keep the car mostly stock. About the only real upgrade I can think of would be a stereo (likely 1-2 amplifiers) and fuel injection. Also good to know about opgi not being a highly recommended source.

I'm hoping to pick up a wiring harness for me car here fairly soon, but to be honest, am struggling with which to buy. I've seen some as low as $250 all the way up to over $1,500. I'm looking for one that is basically going to cover everything, or at least 90% of what would be standard on the car. Pretty sure mine had AC, so I'll want to include wiring for that, even if I don't put the AC back in right away, I'd want the wiring there in case it does eventually go in. Having said all that, is this a good harness? https://www.opgi.com/ignition-electrical/electrical-wiring/american-autowire-classic-update-wiring-harness/wiring-harness-kit-american-autowire-classic-update-1970-72-monte-carlo-m240171.html It looks like it covers everything, but I'm really not sure. If there's something cheaper, great, especially with the cost of everything these days. Thanks.

No worries, to be honest I was looking at mine and thinking it's not low? haha.... thanks, the shop / garage is great, if only COVID had not made it cost way over budget, it would be perfect!! I like your ride height, but on some of these older cars I think they look better a little taller. Is it level front to rear? just too high for what you really want?

To be honest, I have no idea what springs are on there. I'll take a look underneath later today and see if there are any markings or part numbers visible.

Maybe for now I will skip the trunk, it's certainly the easiest to go back to at a later date if needed. I am not worried about getting foil backed material into the doors, sound deadening is one of the pieces I am not concerned about my ability! My daily driver has fully deadened doors that I did a couple years back, they feel like solid rock. I think you are both right, it makes sense to wait. Maybe I just need to get on and order some sound deadening to start with that. Not much to clean or paint at the moment, although there is some of the old headliner to remove, so that might be the ticket for now. Different subject, anyone know what this bar is? It does not appear factory but is welded just behind the drivers door: Red line is the back of the drivers door, arrow pointing to the front of the car.

The Mustang has been taking up my time lately (rear end swap and all the suspension as well as other little bits and pieces) but I want to do something with the Monte Carlo. Some annoying medical expenses have meant I cannot buy any new parts, but I still want to do something. Having said that, I have a steering column here for it. Is it possible to install that now? Will it be a problem if I install that now when the time comes to put the engine back in? Or is it good to go with putting it in. Sounds stupid, but I want to do something to at least feel like I am making progress. If anyone has an answer to the sound deadening question above as well, that would be great.

Thinking about sound deadening, while I don't want to go crazy with it, I at least want a reasonable amount done - thinking floor, firewall, doors, trunk and maybe roof, does 100sq ft of material sound like it should cover the majority of that? Looking at using liquid deadener from somewhere like Second Skin (used their products in my Volvo, nice quality stuff). A 5 gallon bucket is about $400 and covers 100sq ft, Not looking for the car to be dead silent, just not excessively loud when it comes to road noise either.

Yeah, in my mind I was thinking fuel and brake lines before engine / trans, since that way there is nothing in the way at all, I can stand in the engine bay etc. Just typed it out backwards!!

Well, my garage is finally at the point that I could move the car up here... The garage door is scheduled for install sometime in late October, for now I put the Monte on dollies and turned it sideways behind the Mustang. Going to pick up some sound deadening soon and start that on the Monte Carlo, then will pick up a wiring harness to get that in. After that I will likely try to get the engine and trans back in, then fuel / brake lines and so on. So, not much in the way of progress, but at least now it is in my posession.

Heading up to Carlisle is not a bad idea at all, I've been up there the last 2 years for Ford Nationals, but it makes perfect sense to check out the swap meet for GM parts in June. I'll have to see about heading up for that, the Ford swap meets are huge and I imagine the GM one equally so. Will just need to make sure I at least get some idea of what I need before heading up.

That's not a bad idea, getting the engine running will feel like a huge milestone. Although at the moment, I have no seats, worn or otherwise!! Is this a good harness to get the majority of things up and running - https://www.opgi.com/ignition-electrical/electrical-wiring/american-autowire-classic-update-wiring-harness/wiring-harness-kit-american-autowire-classic-update-1970-72-monte-carlo-m240171.html I forget if the car came with AC or not, will have to determine whether it did. I want to say yes, just can't remember right now for certain. I should grab a picture of the garage that it will eventually end up in (hopefully, with a 65 Mustang that is currently in need of everything thanks to the previous owner letting it sit and rot for 20 years).

About 9 years ago now my father in law bought this 71 Monte Carlo, running and driving, but in need of restoration. As time has passed and he gets closer to retirement, he's lost interest, wants to put his spare income towards retirement and so the car is now coming to me in order to finish it and get it back on the road. First though, I have a garage / workshop that needs to be built (it's about halfway done at the moment, stupid COVID + the insane cost of materials are slowing it down massively). I can't find pictures of the car when we first picked it up, although I know I have a bunch, as well as various pictures through the tear down of it. Here's where it sits currently, in need of blowing the dust off... The bodywork and frame are all done, suspension and brakes done, transmission rebuilt, engine rebuilt (mostly). So looking at it I don't think it will take a huge amount to get it back on the road, I believe a bunch of the trim is in a barn nearby, but I need to determine what there is. I think to get it on the road I need: Interior Wiring Exhaust Drive shaft Lights Bumpers, trim, grill Finish the engine - It's a 350, likely going to go with a fuel injected set up. Maybe I am missing something, I think that is the bulk of it though. I'm torn on whether to add a vinyl top, I wanted to add one, but someone mentioned that they can be problematic with regards to rust, which I'd like to avoid. It'll likely be kept garaged and not driven in the rain, so maybe it's a moot point, but still something to think about. The goal is to simply have it finished as a nice car to cruise around in, not worried about originality or performance, just want it to be back on the road where it should be. Once I get it here and start to work on it, I am sure I will have a ton of questions, likely beginning with what should I do first... I'm thinking either get the engine and transmission complete and in, or wiring harness. One of those, then get the exterior complete, before finally working on the interior. So, hopefully, in the not too distant future this will be back on the road.