New member/Saying hello

[jneff24]

Hello all!

My name's Jamal, very new to the group, but I'm glad I found you all. I'm a kid born in 81', so most of the cars that I'm familiar with when I could finally drive have been foreign. But I've got a love for the 70/71 Monte Carlo's and want make it my next car. First, I need to do my research, as I know nothing about car repairs/maintenance outside of driving like a bat out of hell and being very friendly with my neighborhood mechanic. Few things I need help with:

*Finance it? Or save up and buy it? I don't know repairs myself, so I can't build from scratch or put in the work myself(I know, cue the jokes).

*70 or 71? I've read the differences are only cosmetic and not performance -based (square lights vs round, hood attachment, etc).

*I'm at a disadvantage living in Chicago, we get what, 5 good months of great weather? Outside of that, I'm storing it in a garage, right? Don't want rust on it(and don't want to buy locally, right?)

*The 350(?) engines are not as powerful as the ever-mighty 454 option, but of course they offer higher performance. Is it worth it to pay extra for the better motor? 

*In the pictures of the Monte's that I've seen, the suspension has been raised. Can anyone speak to that? I like that it sits a bit higher and that it makes the car stand out and the tires pop. 

*Am I right in thinking of contacting a professional to view the car with me, to make sure the VIN matches the paperwork, original seals, etc? 

*Will I get the same power buying an automatic? My stick-skills are iffy, at best

*Any suggestion on a who offers financing for classic cars and the best options for insurance? 

 

I know I'm asking a lot, and I'm not putting in work on the car, which could be considered sacrilege. But this is THE car that I want, and I want to make sure that I go about it in the correct way. Any advice you can offer to a first-time classic car buyer would be greatly appreciated.  

 

Thanks for you time everyone, glad to be here!

J

 

[Canuck]

Welcome Jamal!

Financing a classic car can be difficult as most lenders aren't interested in doing this for old cars. You are better off to save for it.

For the most part there are just cosmetic changes between 70-72 Monte Carlos. The horsepower did get reduced over time a little but that should not stop you from buying a clean 72 Monte. I've owned all three years and enjoyed them all.

Clearly storing in the garage is best where possible.

As for engines, the price of the vehicle goes up if it has a factory big block. There's nothing wrong with a nice small block 350 car.

These cars actually sat pretty tall when new. Many original Montes now sit low since the springs don't hold the car up as well as they used to. Other people purposely lower them. My 70 Monte sits up tall at stock height. Of course, there's also the trend for some people to raise the car up even higher than stock to fit 20+ inch rims under it.

There are businesses that inspect classic cars for people and provide a report. You could have a mechanic inspect it up on a hoist looking for mechanical issues as well as rust.

Most Monte Carlos are automatic. If you come across a 4-speed Monte they are rare and desirable but can be pricey.

In your case since you are not going to be doing work yourself is to find a solid car with minimal issues. You will pay more for it initially but it will save you in the long run. A nice solid well maintained low mile car can be affordable and not cost you too much to keep it running. I got my 70 Monte in 1996 with 47,000 miles and really have not had to put much into it mechanically over the years (now at 128,000 miles). I've had this car all over Western US/Canada on road trips and works great.

Be aware of original vinyl tops as they can be covering some surprise rust issues. It is difficult to find a zero rust car unless it was extremely well cared for or fully restored. Also depending on your budget the car may have some typical rust that will need to be dealt with at some point.

There's nothing wrong with having a mechanic maintain the car rather than yourself. I do some stuff myself but I have my limits where I send it to the mechanic.

 

[jneff24]

Aaron, I can't tell you how much I appreciate you taking the time out to answer my questions line-by-line. Thank you for the knowledge, and if you're ever headed to Chicago I'll give you recommendations and return the favor.

 

Thanks,

-J

[MC1of80]

Welcome Jamal! 

Aaron gave you some well thought out answers. I agree with his suggestions. Good luck on your search. 

[jneff24]

My man! Thank you Thomas for adding your thoughts and sharing the love, great to have good peeps in this forum! Hope all is well and you're staying healthy in Staten!

Have a NY slice for me,

J

[Canuck]

3 hours ago, jneff24 said:

Aaron, I can't tell you how much I appreciate you taking the time out to answer my questions line-by-line. Thank you for the knowledge, and if you're ever headed to Chicago I'll give you recommendations and return the favor.

 

Thanks,

-J

Before I knew it, my lunch break was over, LOL

[willie]

Welcome J!!!!!    Good Luck with your search. All I can add is look into I think it is J C Taylor they used to hold notes for classics, not sure if they still do. 

[jneff24]

Thanks for the advice Willie!