Dans '70 Z20

Damn. Us restored guys are shaking in our boots. Gonna be a head turner. Dan

FYI if needed. Wiring harness are available complete from here. Ordered my front harness from them. Perfect in regards to color, lengths, connections, clips etc. M & H Electric. http://www.wiringharness.com Dan

Willie, Ordered my new front wiring harness from M & H Electric. http://www.wiringharness.com Came perfect colors, length clips etc. Plug and play. Makes things very easy. Dan

Joe. Just got back to checking in on the progress. Everything is coming together nicely. Now that I see the painted valve covers they look great. Looking like you will definitely be out and about with her next year. Take a deep breathe ..... your in the home stretch. Everything from this point forward is rewarding bc it starts to look more and more like a car than a pile of parts that need to be restored. Looking good! Dan

Sure you got a lil more pep going to the 3:55's. Perfect all around gear. Dan

There is a guy Larry here with a 1971 SS454 in Cortez silver that makes the hockey sticks out of stainless. He is a machinist and does a great job on them. I actually added a set to my 1970 SS. Thought it needed a lil brightwork in the rear and wanted to add the “SS” emblem which was not on 70 SS’s. Have two tail light surrounds in case I ever decide to go back. Dan

I say go with what you want. A simple valve cover change is no biggie. Maybe start with painted and then see where you end up when putting together final details. Then decide if a little dress up is needed. After all, it’s your car .... make it what you want to a point. Resto-mods are now pulling in good money too. I kept all my numbers matching stuff not currently in use, restored them, powder coated them, bubble wrapped them and then put into storage. This way the option is always there to go back. I love watching the progress. Great to see everything coming together. Dan

Nice job! Really nice work there. I like the few upgrades while keeping a somewhat stock appearance. It’s always great when you are at the end of a restoration and appreciate all the hard work that went into it. ....... and realize you need a well deserved break. LOL Dan

Myself and Steve Levanti (Monteman1971) use this set up. Will need some of the extra metal trimmed off the rear wheel lip. Basically just trimmed back to the edge of chrome wheel opening trim in most cases. Running Front 17x8 w 4" bs Tires: 255/50/17 -27.09h 10.43w Rear 17x9,5 w 5.5" bs Tires: 275/50/17 -27.87h. 11.18w Trick is you can really only have 4" of rim front of center on our cars without rubbing. These sizes are about as wide as you can go for rims/tires. If you want to run an !8' set up use the same width/backspacing on rims ........... but choose tires that are no larger than the ones listed above in height and width. Good Luck

They’re different. That’s always a good thing. Wasn’t sure at first, but kinda like em. Anything billet looks great on our cars to play off all the chrome. Also when running stock brakes you do not want a wheel that shows off your brakes. A rim with less opening between spokes or solid like yours works well. Now you can change the personality in 20 minutes to prevent yourself from getting bored. Dan

Hey Mike. Welcome back. Life took over a bit for me too. Think I got her out three times lastnyear. Just returned back to the boards with a few other LI guys. Dan

Steve, Eveyone spending the money to restore these cars ultimately wants what they want in the end. Its called “artistic license”. Stock is nice & respected but not what I was looking for either. My SS454 is a complete numbers matching car, 3 build sheets etc. However, as you did, I made it mine. I built the car as a memory of my dad based on a comment he made to his oncologist before passing. It was regarding a triple black Monte I had in college and the work I did on it. I switched the color on this one to black so it reminds me of my dad every time I get in it. I modified the entire driveline but I also wanted a car that handled well. My car now sports a full top of the line pro-touring suspension from control arms, springs, body braces, Curry billet four link, Hellwig Swaybars and a complete set of Vari-shock doubles. Also added a Glasstek cowl hood, aluminum intake, headers, Hidden shift light in A/C vent, Shiftworks shifter detent and some power options etc. All of the original parts to my car that were removed blasted, powder coated and are now put away. Original Hood is also away for safe keeping. I doubt I will ever go back to stock, but I have everything to make it a full numbers matching concourse car down to matching carburetor, intake, water pump & starter should anyone have the desire in the future. We have to make these cars ours. Many have stories similar to mine as to what led us back to these cars. Modifications only reduce the price for purists. However, many a modified car can also pull in top dollar if done tastefully. We all remember the record price Steve sold his 402-4spd for. All of this has no impact on me since I have no intention of ever selling her. Make it yours. Just add options exactly as the factory would have and modify in good taste. Ultimately, your face deserves the smile. Screw the nay sayers and non-qualified spectator judges. Smiling Dan. LOL

Steve, My shocks are finding a new home in this one! Man, as others have said, what a clean rust free car to start with. This one was a great find. Dan

All I can say is go hydraulic roller if at all possible. We have seen way to many cam failures here with flat tappets due to the removal of zinc in commercial oils. Steve threw a rod through the side of his oil pan after very few miles. Close call on a numbers matching motor. The zinc is what provides great lubrication on metal to metal contact. You used to be able to get the diesel oils (still had zinc) but they have also removed the zinc now. Zinc was found to destroy catalytic converters, hence the removal. Since all new cars are hydraulic rollers, no problem right. Play it safe and spend a lil extra, or wait a lil longer, and go hydraulic roller. You will avoid flat tappet failure and a short term forced rebuild. Most engine builders still recommend using Racing Oils (that have Zinc, bc for racing/off road use only they can still have it) or to add zinc additive ...... even if your running a hydraulic roller. I have a Crower dual duration cam in mine and very happy with it. But mine is a big block. I am sure they have similar available for a small block. Just my two cents. Dan

Steve did some custom work removing door handles, body seams (all over) on his 1971 Restoration (Long Gone but local). But he kept the wheel opening moldings and the 10 pc molding set. I feel both are needed. The 10 piece set frames the car and the wheel opening moldings are needed on our cars I feel. Without them our cars are flat at the wheel opening and have no lip. I will attach Steves website. The Custom car is under "1971 Restoration" on his site. Many pics as to how he accomplished it all. May be worth taking a look at his other restorations to appreciate the work he does. http://www.monteman.com Dan

I had my hood made by Glasstek. They make both styles. Cowl to the front of the hood or set back. I did not want a 2" or 4" cowl for my car (too racy) and with our long hoods the lower stock height scoop of a 69 camaro just looked too small. Plus, the scoop is designed after a 69 Camaro hood and has that double raised centerline. I like glasstek faint single line like our cars have originally. So I purchased their flat hood and their 6" cowl scoop. Then they grafted on their 6" cowl scoop cut down to my specs. I wanted it cut down to 2 3/4" and the set back from front of hood as I desired (can't remember set back). I also had them cap off the underside of scoop (which they did with the same piece that was cut out to install cowl scoop) which was done very cleanly. This way I could make it functional by cutting a hole for air cleaner. They did a great job. Dan

Try M&H Electric or Lectric limited. They reproduce all the wiring harnesses for our cars. Exact matches including colors clips etc. all in the correct positions on harness. Dan

Yep. Legendary is making the cloth covers now. I was very happy with the vinyl full interior set I received from Legendary Auto Interiors. Dan

Legendary Auto Interiors now makes the cloth also. Dan

Paul’s Chrome in PA does very high end quality show chroming. But I am going to warn you, he does charge a pretty penny for his work. The Chroming guys in NY are not able to use zinc in their chroming process due to environmental impact laws in NY. It makes the finished product less durable from what I understand. We send our stuff out of state. May want to insure if you are sending it out of state if the same laws impact that state. Dan

Stop with the pictures! LOL. Having 13 years of flashbacks! 7 years of parts collecting/ 6 years of restoration. All I can say is I hope you are younger than I was when me and Steve(last post) dug into mine. Let’s just say I am happy it’s been done for 2 years. I will never be able to afford another car restored to this level, and will never have the energy for another full restoration. Regarding the bank visit. Use sandpaper to make your fingerprints none readable. Haven’t caught me yet!! LOL Great job on all I have seen thus far. Let’s hope you don’t run out of money, patience or energy. I was dedicated and pushed through bc it was being restored as a memory of my Dad. A little easier when there is meaning behind your efforts. Keep up the good work. Many of the Long Island guys will be attending Carlisle. Look forward to meeting all the new members and reconnect with those we have not seen since last year. Dan

Looks great! I have been looking for a place for a cup holder. In console compartment is awkward because then you have toleave it open and can’t lean on it. Between your legs ,,,,, well you know what happens. LOL Looks like a great option. They should make a lighter weight one without allt the weight of cushioning and vinyl. DAn

Goofed. Realized this topic was “front shocks” so I listed NOS rears I have available in a separate thread. Dan

My Monte updates are: - Pro Systems carb rebuild to my engines current specs. (installed yesterday. Car running and responding better than ever) - Vari-Shock Double adjustable shocks all four corners Correcting stance. Was a little off left to right. - Set of Nitto NT555 G2's. Need something with more modern tread design and more sticky. Not thinking I need slicks at 500hp. They are available in the taller 17" sizes identical to the NT450's I have now. (27.1"h front/ 27.8"h rear) Dan

Well since this day she has gotten a lot of love. Motor and tranny both went to bed over last 12 months. Mike has had the 4L80 done overkill, installed a 650hp 434 small block 2 months ago and having a 4000# triple plate 9" converter installed as we speak and getting tranny mount to tuck up nicely above frame rather than below. Motor has the swapped firing order. Sounds real nice and goes like a raped ape. You will all see her in June. Dan