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1970 Monte Carlo in Alaska


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Hey guys, I’m all the way up here in Alaska and picked up a 1970 Monte Carlo yesterday. It’s fairly clean, some rust, but overall a great car. It came with no power train, but appears to have been hot rodded in the past with evidence of a small block having been installed last. It also has a 12 bolt rear axle that appears to be factory. I have a 454 and a TH400 that I’m planning on dropping in. 
 

I have a few questions about the car:

• Is there a way to determine what engine this car had from the factory from the VIN or Trim Tag?

 

• I thought that the 12 bolt was only available on factory big block cars? This one doesn’t appear to have had SS badging. No idea if a build sheet is present. 
 

• Does the crossmember move to a different set of frame holes with the TH400, or did those use a different crossmember? 
 

Also, pictures!

5-DE87248-7-B6-A-4194-A274-6-D253-BE151-

7-FD269-C6-EB26-4749-8-FD3-9067-ED402-E2
 

15455129-8-F54-47-CD-B3-F1-0-B4-FFB49-FB

 

68-C29511-8017-49-F3-A06-F-215-E76-ED7-B
 

1-AA08-B83-2-C6-F-40-D1-A726-0-F70-E1609

80513398-B2-CE-416-E-9841-5-D92-B440-A92

01-F02-CAA-7736-4-A74-A3-C2-41-B6-C24249

5-C1-F2-C7-B-ACB5-4916-AAD8-8-BAAA60-D97

C864-CA95-DDF5-4-E19-AE5-A-BDF870-B9-EBA

CD0-CE261-50-E8-41-EE-9-E86-1751-ECC15-B

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Welcome to the club Nick! You've found the best place on the internet for first gen Monte Carlos.

We have a VIN tag decoding page here on the sight, look on the menus. This will take you to the resource page, with decoding, etc.:

https://www.firstgenmc.com/forums/index.php?/resources/resourcespage/

A build sheet would go a long way towards determining if the 12 bolt came with the car. They are sometimes behind the rear seat, or on top of the gas tank, depending where the car was made. There is also a code stamped on the right side (passenger) of the axle tube, facing the front. Get that & we can de-code it as well.

None of your pictures loaded either, but we've been having issues with that lately. 

EDIT: Let me play around a bit, see if I can get them working...

OK, I at least got the links working, so we can see the pics.

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Welcome Nick!

The engine was not in the vin of a Monte until 72. So for 70-71, like Joe said, the build sheet would tell you. 

The small block and big block frame mounts are the same on the Monte. So swapping engines is easy as far as that goes. If you have the fan shroud, that could give you an idea of the engine that was installed. Also the big block cars used a bolt on steering shaft where the shaft meets the rag joint at the steering box. A small block has the flange pressed on. 

The cross member is the same for the 350 and 400 automatics. You will have to line it up with the according holes already in the frame. 

The 12 bolt was standard behind all big block Montes but did come with 4bbl 350s and 400s most of the time. 

When I clicked on the link of the pics, they came up. Not a bad start at all. Just some fyi, your 70 has a 71 grille. 

  

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Nice start to a project. Trim tag indicates a California built car ( 5th week of June) so a build sheet is a definite possibility. You can look for an air level valve above the passenger upper control arm. A lot of people leave them on. Pictures of the engine compartment may help us help you. 

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2 hours ago, jft69z said:

Welcome to the club Nick! You've found the best place on the internet for first gen Monte Carlos.

We have a VIN tag decoding page here on the sight, look on the menus. This will take you to the resource page, with decoding, etc.:

https://www.firstgenmc.com/forums/index.php?/resources/resourcespage/

A build sheet would go a long way towards determining if the 12 bolt came with the car. They are sometimes behind the rear seat, or on top of the gas tank, depending where the car was made. There is also a code stamped on the right side (passenger) of the axle tube, facing the front. Get that & we can de-code it as well.

None of your pictures loaded either, but we've been having issues with that lately. If you can't figure it out, send them to me at  jft69z - at - hotmail - dot - com 

EDIT: Let me play around a bit, see if I can get them working...

OK, I at least got the links working, so we can see the pics.

Thanks! Not sure why the pictures didn’t work, must be some forum setting not allowing outside hosting. 
 

I’ll take a look at the trim tag decoder. I do know that it’s a California built car. I’ll attempt to find the code on the axle as well. 
 

1 hour ago, MC1of80 said:

Welcome Nick!

The engine was not in the vin of a Monte until 72. So for 70-71, like Joe said, the build sheet would tell you. 

The small block and big block frame mounts are the same on the Monte. So swapping engines is easy as far as that goes. If you have the fan shroud, that could give you an idea of the engine that was installed. Also the big block cars used a bolt on steering shaft where the shaft meets the rag joint at the steering box. A small block has the flange pressed on. 

The cross member is the same for the 350 and 400 automatics. You will have to line it up with the according holes already in the frame. 

The 12 bolt was standard behind all big block Montes but did come with 4bbl 350s and 400s most of the time. 

When I clicked on the link of the pics, they came up. Not a bad start at all. Just some fyi, your 70 has a 71 grille. 

  

Awesome, that’s great to hear on the trans crossmember. I have a set of Energy Suspension motor and trans mounts on the way, luckily the motor mounts are still in place. I do have a fan shroud in the trunk, I’ll get a picture and possibly a part number from it. Good catch on the ‘71 grille, I noticed that on the way home yesterday. 600 mile round trip for this one! 
 

1 hour ago, Dtret said:

Nice start to a project. Trim tag indicates a California built car ( 5th week of June) so a build sheet is a definite possibility. You can look for an air level valve above the passenger upper control arm. A lot of people leave them on. Pictures of the engine compartment may help us help you. 

I took a look and didn’t see one, but here’s a few pictures of the engine bay, steering joint, and passenger control arm area. 
 

8657-B3-CE-2496-4-F23-A2-EA-4-D9-E623-BA

C1082-DAA-6-D33-4150-A92-E-B278-D17-C25-

 

CFF2-CA83-74-B3-4838-BBF0-A0-FBD146-E67-

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All indications look to say it’s a small block car. But you can make that big block look right at home in there. That wiring harness looks like it could pose an issue though. But don’t worry about it. It can all be fixed. Good bones and another saved Monte. 

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Good to know. I’m not too worried about what it used to be, like all my other cars, I buy them to enjoy. The 12 bolt was a nice unknown bonus though! I paid $1500 for the car with a clean title, the 454 was $800, and the TH400 was free, plus $100 for the motor/trans mounts. I’m under $2500 into having a Big Block ‘70 Monte right now. What’s not to love about that? 😁

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Thanks!

Checking out the 454 today. Seller claims it’s a motorhome engine with 60k. Looking at the outside I doubted that, but after seeing some of the internals I’m glad to say it looks like it’s as advertised. I’m not going to be attempting to tilt the Earth off it’s axis with this engine, so the peanut port heads will stay, but I will probably throw a halfway decent cam in and an aluminum intake, as well as headers. The Monte has a dual exhaust system that looks new and is already set up for headers. It probably a little on the small side, but for an already handicapped 454 it should be acceptable. 
 

95-DD51-C8-F339-4-C81-B22-E-A134-A1-B208

This cam is so pathetic that the lobe is barely noticeable, LOL. 

BD038691-9-EA4-4601-9386-C7054110-B171.j
 

I also cut open the filter and took a look in there. Oil was dirty, but only just a few small specs scattered on the pleats. Great sign! 
 

5-F38-FB9-F-EF29-46-DD-A4-B5-6-D071-E373


099846-DE-4538-428-A-98-BC-D201-F4182-A4

 

I also popped the oil pan off. Cast crank, but 4 bolt mains! 
 

2-BA9833-F-6390-4-ACF-8197-02-FB983-CF11
 

This is a small issue I’ll have to contend with, a small piece broken off the starter mount. I’m going to pick up some cast-specific wire to repair it, and run a 3-bolt mini starter to utilize all three bolt holes. 
 

FBDDD7-DF-1-A80-4-FBF-B1-B8-20-AE3442127

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Looks like a good starting point. Keep sending the pics as you progress. By the way you seem to be the only first gen Monte fan other than me in the state that I've heard from.

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Thanks guys! Should end up being a fun low buck build. 
 

15 hours ago, kpcsgasp said:

Looks like a good starting point. Keep sending the pics as you progress. By the way you seem to be the only first gen Monte fan other than me in the state that I've heard from.

I’m surprised to see another Alaskan up here. What part of the state are you in? I’m split between Anchorage and Willow, but pulled this car out of Fairbanks. I used to work for a guy that we built another big block Monte, and had it painted a really dark purple. Looked almost black, but in the sunlight the color came out, it was a beautiful car. I haven’t seen it since he sold it. 

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I'm in the Anchorage area. I've had my Monte for a little over a year. it's about 90% complete. just some electric problems. I've taken it to a few car shows this year so maybe you've seen it. 

Fair#1.jpg

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Nice, that’s a beautiful car! I haven’t been able to hit any of the shows this year unfortunately. I did have an off-white ‘68 Chevelle that was an unrestored survivor car out at the Bear Paw and Park Strip a few years back, and I daily drive a ‘91 C1500 “350SS” in two tone blue if you’ve seen that running around. 
 

I was so busy all weekend that I barely had time to unload it from the trailer. Here she is with the rest of the stable. There’s a ‘57 Chevy hiding behind the Suburban. The Squarebody in the garage is LS swapped. Fun times! 
 

6920-D593-BA0-D-4-E76-A942-D30-EC8-B2-A9
 

The mounts showed up early! I snagged these off eBay new in the box for $100! I actually had everything bought before I even had the car. 
 

483-D6-B99-5694-4723-832-F-621-D9437-C48

DAD6-F68-C-A1-DD-4-ADD-BE8-F-12268-BF492

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Welcome, Nick!  

Love the plate on the pickup. Does it reference it’s stance or is it a nod to a less than flattering nickname?  

Because if it’s the latter, I’ll be sending Dennis and Joe matching plates for their cars. “BUSTOUT” in their respective states were already claimed. 

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4 hours ago, Glen said:

Welcome, Nick!  

Love the plate on the pickup. Does it reference it’s stance or is it a nod to a less than flattering nickname?  

Because if it’s the latter, I’ll be sending Dennis and Joe matching plates for their cars. “BUSTOUT” in their respective states were already claimed. 

If that's the case, we'll order you up a plate that says "TRBLMKR'...

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Sort of both. I’m sure you can tell from the picture that I’m the most loved person in the neighborhood! It’s actually a throwback to when I built this stepside a few years ago:

D0-BDDFCF-27-B4-43-DA-A7-FE-7-EE6-A7-FE6

 

I’ve also had ‘H8PVMT’ on the off-road truck, ‘SCRWLS’, and the original ‘WLWBLY’ (WillowBilly) plate that was supposedly featured in the paper on the other lowered Squarebody I owned about a decade ago. I had a ‘68 Suicide Lincoln I wanted to get ‘6FTNDR’ for, but I sold the car to a friend before it was finished. I still should get that plate on something! 

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