The forgotten Monte Carlo

THE FORGOTTEN MONTE CARLO

I was a block from the shop one recent morning when I saw this beauty idling in front of a deli:

This is a 1978 Chevrolet Monte Carlo in some sort of Black Cherry (I couldn't find an exact match for GM in 1978). This was a very short-lived generation of Monte, built for only 3 years; '78-'80. 

I love this forward leaning facade in its simplicity. There was originally a stand-up hood ornament on this ride but to me it looks better without it. That V shape on the hood mimics the prow of a ship like the much bigger '73-'77 Monte. This generation weighed 800lbs less than its predecessor and is a full 15" shorter. That one big square headlight on each side is a vast improvement over the stacked square headlights of the '77.

Two out of the Big 3 automakers had transitional years between the largess of the '70s and the more compact '80s (Chrysler decided not to participate and their enormous dinosaurs almost sank the company in the process). Ford had a particularly awkward Thunderbird for 2 years based on the Fox body Fairmont. Chevy did a much better job with this Monte. It has many of the hallmarks of the huge ride it replaced but doesn't look like an incapable afterthought. Indeed with some noticeable changes this body continued on through the late '80s.

The owner of this ride was standing next to it and was enthusiastic when I asked if I could snap a few pics. He confirmed that it had the original 305 V8 under the hood. The base engine was a 231 V6 borrowed from Buick. You could get a manual transmission for your Monte Carlo for the first time in several years in '78. A 3 speed was the base offering (listed as standard equipment with the V6) and a 4 speed was optional with the 305.

There were a couple of odd drivetrain choices which are now pretty scarce. One was a diesel 350 V8 built by the Oldsmobile division. The ultimate rarity for this generation Monte is the 1980-only Turbo Monte Carlo that used Buick's 231 V6. Finding one now would be pretty astonishing as it was a single year model without the support of a large ad campaign like the turbo Buicks. 

This ride is immaculate. I was actually offered a free '78 Monte back in high school. It was light brown with 1 purple door and it had no reverse. I was close to accepting it but due to an embarrassment of riches I passed it up (in those days free cars that ran were fairly common and running wrecks that cost less than $500 were all over the place). I did like the body style and still do.

Well that's where I'll leave this swoopy Chevy. The owner was rightfully proud of his ride and said it came from the midwest originally. Finding a rust free example is getting tougher by the year. If you encountered one of these for sale relatively cheap it would be a great purchase as everything that can wear out on this ride is available today. If you do buy one you can put a little distance between you and the crowd. 

Cool car the color of Grape flavored Big League Chew

NURPLE

I was riding my bike out to a friends house in Bed Stuy when I encountered this little crumpet:

This is a 1965 Dodge Dart GT in a terrible aftermarket purple. While Mopar became famous shortly after this was built for its outrageous colors (including the very purple Plum Crazy) there was nothing even close to this in '65. If you're going for Plum Crazy this is simply too warm and saturated; a little less red and a cooler blue next time when mixing please.

Pinpointing the year on these cars is really simple as the front changed every year. In '64 the grill was even shorter than the headlights when compared to this ride while in '66 the headlights fit right inside the grill.

I love Darts of really any vintage but this era is particularly cool. The styling is somewhat bonkers with that rear quarter window shape, three portholes behind the front wheel, and overall tub shape to the body. 

Incidentally if this car was ordered with a vinyl roof it would be on the front 3/4 of the top only; that sail panel retained the body color wrapping over the rear. My '72 Duster and '74 Dart Sport both had the same treatment but it started here.

To give some perspective I'd like to point out that this was a compact car in '65. The brochure points out that "Ladies love 'em. Easy to drive and park. Inside? Almost kiddie proof." Take that, gender equality! 

Whoever parked this thing probably decided on the color. I want to call automotive protective services and try to adopt it.

These lozenge shaped taillights are new for '65. They would remain for 1 more year before a major restyling in '67.

You've gotta love this hyper-stylized GT emblem! Not only that but the T is red, white, and blue! Go Team America!

Inside is totally awesome in my opinion. The GT comes with a full compliment of gauges all concave and square. The speedometer is offset because Mopar designers are free thinkers. It sports the optional radio and floor-mounted shifter with console. In the years leading up to this one the automatic transmission was operated by pushbutton! As odd as it sounds they proved totally reliable. The only other car company I can think of offhand that had a pushbutton trans was the Edsel of 1958. Unbelievably the Edsel buttons were located in the center of the steering wheel! Imagine hitting the horn on your new Edsel because somebody cut you off and unwittingly throwing your car into reverse in the process! That only lasted 1 year of course.

The front fender was replaced with a non-GT unit because it's missing its rectangular porthole on this side. That little Mopar Pentastar emblem was only on the passenger side fender so that people walking by it on the sidewalk would notice it! Strange but true.

Whoever replaced the fender had the good sense to keep the GT-specific trim from the top. These pieces are about as impossible to find as any car part so if you're looking to restore one make sure it has all the little GT minutiae.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the Fratzog! Yes that triangular shaped logo was what the Dodge division used from 1962-1981 (the Pentastar was for any of the Mopar division; Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth, etc). The name is nonsensical but was coined by the folks at Dodge so it stuck. 

Well we'll just leave this little cruiser where I found it; 5 solid feet from the curb. Darts are really fun cars and totally capable for daily use in modern traffic. At worst it has one of the most legendary motors of all time; the Slant 6. At best it has a very peppy 273 V8 that has plenty of get up and go for such a light car. Regardless the handling and fuel economy are both surprisingly good and I would recommend them to anyone looking for a usable classic.