Steve70Carlo

If you replace the front springs and shocks, do you think it will even out? May just be a slightly lower spring set. I personally like the way a first gen looks when sitting just a bit lower than stock.

Glen, That color looks really good on your Monte. Steve

Replaced the header gaskets today.

Nice pic!

Installed the new headlight adjusters in the monte. Also, I have a small exhaust leak coming from the header gasket so I pulled the header and took a look at the gasket to check what type I need to order. Square port it was.

Thanks for the tips guys. I think this winter I will try those out.

I have a reverse manual valve body in my TH400. I think about changing it over to a full automatic from time to time but it's really not an inconvienace to me as my Monte is a bucket console car.shifts are firm but not unbearable. If you shift alittle early on the street when cruising it helps make it a softer gear change. I think my stall is 3500.

You say you stored the Monte in a friends barn for a winter? Did you have any issues with mice or anything getting into the car over the winter? I have a tiny garage that just fits my Monte but my in laws live close and have a huge dome that looks like an airplane hanger but it's in a rural area so I'm kinda worried that if I store it there, then I would have issues with mice. I'd like to have the garage for my snow blower this year as it has been kept all the way at the back of my property in a shed. Any ideas on how to deter mice from nesting in the Monte over the winter? Don't really want to use moth balls as they tend to leave an odor.

Holy smokes thats a deep trans pan!

This morning I left the house at 7 in the Monte and drove up to a local tire shop. The front tires were pretty old and starting to crack so I thought it was time to change them. Got the new tires put on and then just went for a drive. It was an awesome fall morning and with the perfect temperature outside at around 60 degrees and the beautiful fall foliage, I just kept driving until I realized that I had been out for 6 hours just cruising mountain backroads. I even saw a green 72 Monte for sale at an old car lot. I stopped but there wasn't a price on it anywhere. Pretty cool to see another Monte though. I guess I will keep taking the Monte out on decent days until the first snow. Then no more til spring.

You guys inspired me to get back to work on the monte. Today I pulled the car out of the garage, wiped it down, popped on the new window cranks and took it out for a short drive. One thing that has been bothering me for a while was the headlight beam adjustment. So I tried to adjust the headlights this evening and found out that the adjusters are broken. So I decided to order headlight adjusters. I also am chasing "rattles" in the car and found that a lot of the rattling is coming from the doors. So I ordered door lock rod clips, door lock rod insulators and door lock "ferrules" (the small chrome trim ring that the door lock comes through. Seems like a lot but they're all small items so it didn't break the bank!

I got home from a rough day at work so I pulled the Monte out of the garage and cleaned up some of the moulding around the windshield. It was a good stress releaver.

What do you guys think about just going with an open rear? I really like having a posi but the way I think about it, is that I'm not racing anymore. Just throwing out some ideas.

The overdrive option is something that I have never really considered. Now that I'm looking at it, it seems like one of the best choices, since I am trying to make the car more drivable on the street.

Mike, That sounds tempting. I am currently in need of a freshened up TH400 and I am planning on attending Carlisle. Would you happen to have his number?

On the subject of quieting the car down a bit, which mufflers do you guys think I should look at? I heard that Magnaflow has nice mufflers, but there are so many different series that I'm not sure which would work.

That's an option that I haven't really thought about yet. Thanks for the input!

Thanks for all the input so far guys. I'm finding that this could get pretty costly. I built the car about ten years ago and my tastes have changed since then. Back then, I wanted a race car in street clothes, and now I'm looking for more of a cruiser. I removed all heat and ac components, changed the steering to manual steering and installed a super loud exhaust. Just trying to decide which would be a better option at this point. I definitely don't have the cash to do a total revamp of the car.

Thanks Guys, Mike- So if I were to look at a 3.08 gear ratio, which series would I need? I'm mechanically inclined but have never changed gears before. Is this something that I could do myself?

Hey Guys, I've had my 70 FOR 16 years. Currently I am running a .030 over 454 with a mild cam, a full manual valve body 400 Turbo trans with a 3200 stall and 4.10 posi. Its been that way for about 10 years and I want to have a more street-friendly car. Two questions: A.) Can't I just switch out the converter for something like a 2200 stall or less without having the entire trans redone? B.) What kind of gears would work with the 12 bolt I have? I see a bunch of different options on web sites and am not sure what to get. I would like to go with a 2.73 or 3.08. This is just a shot in the dark, but if anyone would have these parts (converter or gears), I would be interested in buying those. Thanks for any help! Steve