Pickle

[Tonka Man]

I've got quite a bit done this summer on the '71 project car I affectionally call "Pickle".  The list includes:

- Powder coating the stock rims the new lime green color

- New Cooper Cobra tires

- New gas tank, starter & battery

- Complete brake overhaul on all four corners

- New idler arm

- New Harmonic balancer and flywheel (engine has 400 SB HB & flywheel instead of 350 SB ones)

- New Timing chain & front seal

- New fluids in everything

 

I should have it ready to license and insure in a few weeks.  I'll do a good cleaning inside and out and then I'm just going to drive it this way for awhile.  Maybe next year I will finish the body work and get it painted, a new top installed and the seats reupholstered.

[Tonka Man]

I plan on painting it the '71 factory lime green or as close to as possible (to match the rims) with a black top.  The car is originally Cottonwood Green with a green top and green interior.  I'm going to keep the interior 100% stock other than new carpet and getting the seats reupholstered in factory cloth.  The headliner, dash pad, dash and door panels are in excellent shape (albeit dirty).

 

This car I found on Barn Find says it is Cottonwood Green but I'm thinking it is it the Lime Green.  In any case, my final car will look very similar to this with a complete stock look.  The only thing I will change at this point is the package shelf under the back window.  I will create a wood laminated piece with the Monte Carlo script on it like my 1970.  It will be something with black stain and it will match the top.

[Wd71MC]

Wish you the best with your project. It will look extremely nice can’t wait for pics.

[Vaughn]

What a great car to drive and restore at the same time.

[Tonka Man]

SHE'S ALIVE!!!!! 

I put plates on the Pickle today, gas in the new gas tank (thanks Summit) and drove her home.  She purrs right along which is pretty amazing considering that she sat under a tree since 1995!

I've only pressure washed her. Now that she is home and I can drive her, I'll work on getting the black sap off the paint and do a deep cleaning on the interior.  Then I'll just drive here while I finish my 1950 Packard (you can see it in the background) and get my other '71 into the shop to get it ready to run and drive.  Then it will be time for new interiors and new paint for all three!

I was very excited today.  I have not driven my high school 1970 Monte since probably 2002 so it was really good to be in a first gen Monte again.  Low and slow for cruising!  So many memories from my '70.  My wife and I dated in that car, it was our DD until our first two kids were in grade school, it was my high school hot rod and it is a bit of a family legend.  Pickle hearkens back to that car for sure.

[Dtret]

Nice. 👍 

[willie]

Very Cool!!!

[Tonka Man]

I've put about 100 miles on it this week on some shorter runs.  I just did a 50 miler and she ran smooth and fine.  I have forgotten how comfortable these cars are!  I'm really enjoying it.

Time to do some interior work and more cleaning inside.  New seats this winter and maybe paint and vinyl top next year!

[Tonka Man]

I pulled the seats this weekend and found the build sheet under the rear seat as well as all kinds of gum wrappers and other paraphernalia.  One mouse nest behind the back of the back seat.

I did find two little treasures - a Mork and Mindy trading card from 1979 and a Country Kitchen restaurant token.

I had a auto detailer come and shampoo the carpet and do a thorough cleaning on the inside.  Pretty good results!

Ordered new beauty rings for the wheels today.

Everything I do is an improvement!  Slow but steady to finish the project!

[willie]

Nathan it must be like Christmas for you!!!  You should be jumping up and down!!!!   We all wish for a build sheet!!!   Congrats!!!!!

[Tonka Man]

I'm having a blast getting this green Monte rolling again!  I've been waiting for 30+ years to have the time and resources to devote to my car projects and it is worth the wait!

I'm really surprised how good of shape this build sheet is in.  The car was sitting under a tree since 1995 and the back window leaked.  Also, there was that mice nest in the seat back.  The paper is relatively clean and in good shape!

Pretty cool.

[willie]

Very Nice, where did you find it under the seat or under the rug?

[Tonka Man]

Under the back seat.  There was a thick rectangular fabric thing above the steel frame and below the spring/cushion part.  Looks like a sound deadening material.  The build sheet was between that piece and the underside of the cushion.

There is one under the front seat between the cushion and the spring but it is not all there.  Probably part of it became mice nesting material.

[willie]

Yes i understand!  I had one of my cars had it in the back seat under the springs and the mice ate all of it but where it was tucked under the spring. i also had one in the bucket seat spring but they didn't eat that one, don't know why but glad!!  Lol      Glad you got yours in great shape!!

[Glen]

That’s an awesome find.  And in pristine shape to boot.  Congrats on the discovery! I’ve explained the history and significance of build sheets to a handful of friends who are “car people” but yet never heard of them. They’re amazed how everything was optional and not just rolled into “convenience packages”.  They can’t believe the SS option was a mere $420/$480 more until they’re reminded that was a decent chunk of cheddar 50+ years ago. 

[Tonka Man]

Our climate in the Big Horn Basin in Wyoming is really dry.  We average 8 inches of precipitation a year on average.  As long as stuff is out of the direct sunlight, it usually lasts a long time.  Dashes and the backs of the back seat take a beating if left outside.  Sheet metal is typically in good shape.

Thanks for all the help.  I'll snap pictures of all the VIN tags on my cars and post them.

[cny first gen 71]

12 hours ago, Tonka Man said:

I'm having a blast getting this green Monte rolling again!  I've been waiting for 30+ years to have the time and resources to devote to my car projects and it is worth the wait!

I'm really surprised how good of shape this build sheet is in.  The car was sitting under a tree since 1995 and the back window leaked.  Also, there was that mice nest in the seat back.  The paper is relatively clean and in good shape!

Pretty cool.

Very nice find, yours was built less than a month after mine same plant. Where was it shipped to? Mine went to long Beach ca. where it spent around 9 years or so. After that I don't know but definitely didn't see much snow if any.

[Marks71]

That’s the cleanest one I’ve seen. The ones I’ve found were always between the cushion and the spring, which leaves those snake like stains.

[Tonka Man]

I've enjoyed driving the Pickle this fall.  I've probably put 250 miles on it the last few weeks.  Every time I drive it, I find some more things to work on.

I ordered a new set of beauty rings and they should be here soon.  I also have a fresh 350 with a 4 barrel and HEI that I'm going to swap out as well as a fresh transmission and radiator.  Once those are installed, I can recharge the AC and then all the mechanicals on this car should be fresh and gone through.   Then I'll get the seats redone and start on the body.

Actually the upholstery and paint will probably be after I get one of my other Montes going.  I'm going to put the engine/transmission out of this car into that one and do all the brakes etc... on it.  That will be a winter project.  I hope to have both running and driving by next spring.

[Marks71]

Just curious, do either of your Montes have matching numbers?

[Tonka Man]

No, I'm afraid the only thing that matches on all three cars is the body tag.  I think that is original to all three cars.  The Pickle is probably the most original but it has a newer 350 in it.  I checked the block number and it is a 76 - 82 version.  It was originally painted blue so that is what made me curious about that.

The '70 I bought this summer has no drive train and my original '70 has had about three drive trains in it since I've owned it.  I probably put 150,000 to 200,000 on that car!

[Tonka Man]

Rob Peters has helped me decode the body tags on all three cars.  I read on the decoding webpage that if cars are from the Flint, MI plant, that they usually did not have the build sheet in them.  This seems to be the case with my two 1970 Astro Blue cars.  My Cottonwood Green car is from the California plant and that is the car I found that build sheet in.

[Dtret]

My 70 SS is Flint built and, of course, no build sheet but luckily I have the original drivetrain, with the numbers, so I’m good. You may want to look at the numbers on yours to verify. 

[Tonka Man]

I haven't done any updates on the Pickle recently.  I have been driving it and it leaks like a sieve even after installing a new transmission filter and tightening the bolts on the oil pan.  I have a fresh engine/transmission that I was going to put in the blue one but I decided, what the heck.  Let's put it in the Pickle and rebuild the old engine in Pickle for the blue one.

I pulled it in the shop last week and I've been working every spare minute on it.  Here are some shots of the project.

[Tonka Man]

Of course the going in process is longer than coming out.  I'm taking time to clean up as much of the old grease and grime as I can; giving the engine bay a quick rattle can upgrade in satin black; painting bolt heads and other brackets as needed etc...

It feels really good.  I have not done this type of work on my cars since the mid 1990's so it is great to see that my mechanical skills are still there.  I'm slower at age 55 than I used to be and I think a little more patient.