MonteCarlo MonteCarlo "SS396"
I found this hearty but somewhat weather beaten survivor the other day parked just beyond the line of hip gentrification:
A 1979 Chevrolet Monte Carlo in patchy Spray can black and light gray two-tone. This is the forgotten middle chapter of Monte Carlo between the severely overweight yacht of '73-'77 and the hugely successful slightly refined '81-'88 generation that followed. This body style lasted just 3 short years, only 2 of which had the one big square headlight on either side as opposed to quads.
This was the first detail that caught my eye and it let me know who we're dealing with; we've got a badge fanatic on our hands! Some people just keep adding additional nameplates and stickers making dubious claims to their rides for unknown reasons. This is how you end up with a MonteCarloMonteCarlo.
Looks like a 1969 Chevelle SS396 badge made it's way to the side panel too before falling victim to the satin black spray paint treatment.
The trunk was given a decent approximation of the classic Chevelle SS stripes, and looks a little shinier than the front overall. Maybe the hood was replaced at some point with a different color and the spray paint was a sad attempt at matching the back? The Rally wheels also confirm that the owner just wants a Chevelle. Poor Monte just couldn't find an owner to love it for what it is!
In profile we can see how the squared roof/swooping fenders actually translated well in the downsizing from the 800lb heavier Monte Carlo from 2 years earlier; both cars look very much the same but in reality couldn't be more different. Unlike the ungainly downsizing of the Ford Thunderbird I would say this design is a success.
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