1971 Monte Carlo for sale. They say a 402, not sure.

[bassdb]

Hello all,

I love first-generation Monte Carlo's; I saw this one for sale.  It says it is a 402, but the VIN does not display engine info or the Body tag.  I had to call for the VIN because I could not read the picture of the VIN.  It is 138571L163178

 

It looks like the car has been repainted. According to the cowl tag, it was originally 'Classic Copper'.

 

 

This is the URL for more pictures.

 

https://www.maplemotors.com/inventory/5380/detail.php

 

Thanks

 

 

 

[cny first gen 71]

You won't get engine size from vin if that's what your asking.  Car looks pretty nice but hard to say. Look it over and see if it's what you want, need or desire.  We're always here for questions. Colors do get changed over the years hopefully body work if any was done properly. It's always good to get a professional look at it to make sure.

[Canuck]

If you want to verify the engine is for that car you will need to look at the stamping on the block. If there is a build sheet or Protectoplate you can verify the type of engine it was born with. If you go to the Resources section of this web site you will find decoders for the engine, transmission, body tag, etc.

[Chris shipley]

10 minutes ago, Canuck said:

If you want to verify the engine is for that car you will need to look at the stamping on the block. If there is a build sheet or Protectoplate you can verify the type of engine it was born with. If you go to the Resources section of this web site you will find decoders for the engine, transmission, body tag, etc.

Nice looking monte!!!

[Dtret]

Interesting car. Wouldn’t be my choice but I’m an original type of guy. A lot of nice mods though but it looks like it needs a little more work. Obviously the body was redone at some point and I agree that it needs to be looked at hard. 

[willie]

Welcome Dave!!!   Great club here!      Nice looking Monte!!!   Like others said you cant tell engine size on a 71 from the Vin.     But the first thing to check would be the numbers on the engine and tranny and match it to the Vin. Then you know if they are original. Then go from there!!!

[Scott S.]

Nice looking car..... But where's the gun sight ????  

With all the work that appears to have been done, I'd think the owner should have found and paperwork and have it somewhere. 

Still, a noce car. 

[Marks71]

It’s got some curb appeal for sure. Definitely will need some work. Headliner, missing heater/defrost controls, and check that back window from the inside for water damage/rust. 

[Tonka Man]

I would check the age of the tires.  If I remember correctly, on a recent episode of Vice Grip Garage, Derek was going to put a couple of those Futura on a car.  He only had two and he was not able to purchase two more because they were no longer in business.  I think they have been out of business for awhile so it is possible those tires are new (as in unused) but not new (as in time).  Worth a check.

Price seems right.

[DragCat]

Lots a good advice, if its close check it out, test drive, and see if the juice is worth the squeeze 

[overdrive]

I saw the Maple Motors YouTube video a couple of days ago. That car needs a lot of work. The paint has a lot of poor body work coming through. You can probably find better for less money. The motor doesn't sound good. Could maybe be an exhaust leak, but maybe not. 

Dan

[Whons]

I'd take overdrive's advice knowing he's seen it. Cars always look better in pictures. And take my advice , ALWAYS check the car out yourself. Never hire an inspection company. I learned a hard lesson a couple years ago.

[Dtret]

I disagree with that. The inspector will and can only do so much but it’s better to have a professional opinion on a car before you travel somewhere to potentially make the purchase. I do agree that, the ultimate decision is yours and you need to look at it. The person buying the car knows what they want, the inspector just see a car. 

[willie]

I would definitely take Dans opinion!!  However Wayne and Dennis also have good points!!   Depending on how far away the car is at the time!! 

[overdrive]

Maple Motors does a pretty good job of pointing out the bad in all of their videos. This one has a lot to point out. It's bad. 

Dan

[Whons]

I only say that because I got burned bad by an inspection company. I hired the Lemon Squad to look at a 70 out in Iowa. the car had everything I was looking for at the time. It had a 350 with a 700R4 transmission, headers, factory AC, air ride suspension. The inspector lied on the report, said he road tested it but never did. As soon as it came off the trailer I went up my driveway and NO BRAKES! after I fixed the brakes. Went for the first ride and the transmission wouldn't even shift. It had a camshaft that was way to aggressive. The only thing that was true about the car ,it was perfect cosmetically ,no rust ever ,paint was perfect, body was straight. Long story short. I ended up buying a 71 with only 40,000 miles only 2 miles from my house. It ran great, body and paint were straight. No rust ever, and I got it for a very low price. I transfered tons of parts from the 70 to the 71, and a friend that restores cars for a living found me a buyer for the 70 that just wanted that gen. Monte that was solid and didn't care about the engine and transmission. I lucked out but still lost some money. That's why I will always have to see a car myself before buying, and I am a perfectionist type of person. So everyone be careful of an inspection company unless you know them personally.

[420ponies]

They could have done much better on that Monte from Maple Motors. They do pick out the flaws so you do know what you are getting. You can call them and they will video anything you want to look at on any car. I've seen some very nice cars ,and some very TLC cars from them in the last 5yrs I have been looking at their site. I stopped watching the video after he pointed out the quarter panel and the trunk holes, loose steering, drifting of the car while driving, and that engine noise drove me crazy (think it's an rocker arm adjustment). The bottom looked good as far as rust. I'd keep looking if I was to buy another. The '70 on facebook someone posted, now that is nice, and a 4spd too boot!!

[Dtret]

2 hours ago, Whons said:

I only say that because I got burned bad by an inspection company. I hired the Lemon Squad to look at a 70 out in Iowa. the car had everything I was looking for at the time. It had a 350 with a 700R4 transmission, headers, factory AC, air ride suspension. The inspector lied on the report, said he road tested it but never did. As soon as it came off the trailer I went up my driveway and NO BRAKES! after I fixed the brakes. Went for the first ride and the transmission wouldn't even shift. It had a camshaft that was way to aggressive. The only thing that was true about the car ,it was perfect cosmetically ,no rust ever ,paint was perfect, body was straight. Long story short. I ended up buying a 71 with only 40,000 miles only 2 miles from my house. It ran great, body and paint were straight. No rust ever, and I got it for a very low price. I transfered tons of parts from the 70 to the 71, and a friend that restores cars for a living found me a buyer for the 70 that just wanted that gen. Monte that was solid and didn't care about the engine and transmission. I lucked out but still lost some money. That's why I will always have to see a car myself before buying, and I am a perfectionist type of person. So everyone be careful of an inspection company unless you know them personally.

I knew your story and that sux. But I’m glad you’re happy with what you’ve got now. But remember that all inspectors aren’t the same. There’s always one bad apple in the bag. Your luck seems to be like mine so I always expect the worst. lol. 

[Whons]

Yeah 

[Marks71]

When I see deep cracks like that the first thing I think of is body filler. And when they are down that low on the body it’s  probably over rust. I would move on on that one. There’s a reason a dealer is asking what appears to be a low price.

[Scott S.]

Had a similar experience buying Montelishi....... Fortunately the dealership was straight up and honest about what they were selling me. 

[bob 71]

im sure we all could pick it apart. the really scary point for me was the oil pressure so low. looks like a gen 5 big block. motor noise sounds scary. way over priced. 

[Glen]

Not to rub it in, but I had the opposite experience with the service I hired to inspect and appraise my ‘70.  

Granted I did do my homework (read TONS of reviews, checked with the BBB and talked at length to the dude who was gonna hop on a plane from LA to Livermore CA).  He even forwarded me a few of his past inspection files to review and I felt pretty confident in his abilities. 

He did a thorough 2.5-3 hour inspection of the car which included over 200 photos, a video and a test drive with the seller. He also confirmed the presence of the Build Sheet,
P-O-P, various documents establishing past ownership and registration as well as that the original intake, carb, distributor, shock protector plates, radio etc. were in the trunk.  In a nutshell, he was an invaluable insurance policy.

All in all I believe I paid +/- $1500 for his plane ticket, rental car and professional services which included a detailed report. Money well spent… I’d have been happy to hear that the car was a clone or a salvage or a rust bucket and be out that $1500 rather than buying it based on pictures and arranging transport for another $1200 after talking to the seller (which as it turned out, was a great, legit dude… even for a Californian 🤣😂

For anyone interested, the service is called IAAA - the International Automobile Appraisers Association.  They have people all over the country, here’s their link:

https://auto-appraisers.com/

17 hours ago, Dtret said:

I knew your story and that sux. But I’m glad you’re happy with what you’ve got now. But remember that all inspectors aren’t the same. There’s always one bad apple in the bag. Your luck seems to be like mine so I always expect the worst. lol. 

 

[bassdb]

Thank you to all for your help and advice