1985 Monte Carlo SS

**1fastcamarosss11** · 08-24-2010, 04:27 AM

Originally Posted by pajeff02

The good news is it has a fairly asthmatic 305, so little chance of tearing it up. This will simply be a pleasure driver and will not likely see any track duty.

they do make a stroker kit for it, to make it 335.

**pajeff02** · 08-24-2010, 06:46 AM

Originally Posted by 1fastcamarosss11

they do make a stroker kit for it, to make it 335.

We're building a stroker for our Olds W-31 -- turning the 350 into a 377. The Monte will stay essentially stock. May upgrade to poly suspension bushings and a high flow cat and Magnaflows. Other than that, this will be a driver that we don't have to be super concerned about if it gets dinged or chipped. Well, at least until we get it painted.

**Firebirdjones** · 08-24-2010, 07:48 AM

Originally Posted by 1fastcamarosss11

they do make a stroker kit for it, to make it 335.

Haha, ya I'm shocked they do, or even sell many. Most people don't want to fool with a performance build on a 3.670 bore diameter.

**Firebirdjones** · 08-24-2010, 07:52 AM

Originally Posted by pajeff02

The good news is it has a fairly asthmatic 305, so little chance of tearing it up. This will simply be a pleasure driver and will not likely see any track duty.

It wouldn't have stopped me from buying one either. My father had 2 SS montes, then went to a 442 with lightening rod shifters, then a Grand National for a while, then a grand prix was his last Gbody. This was back when the cars were new or just a few years old so it's been a while. But very nice cars to drive.

I personally like the G-bodies. Getting very hard to find a clean example that hasn't been hacked on.

**Smittro** · 08-24-2010, 08:00 AM

Shame GM put such an under powered engine in those.. Would have been nicer with an under powered 350 under their hoods

imho.. But they are what they are, could always put a blower on it.

I remember when I was a kid, no matter what kind of racin' you went to, there was always @ least one Monte in the crowd..

**1fastcamarosss11** · 08-24-2010, 08:07 AM

i would love to get a grand national. just so expensive now a days. for that kind of money there are so many other choices/ options.

**pajeff02** · 08-24-2010, 08:09 AM

I looked at a nice Grand National at the same time I purchased the Monte. About a $15,000 difference in price.

**Firebirdjones** · 08-24-2010, 08:10 AM

Originally Posted by Smittro

Shame GM put such an under powered engine in those.. Would have been nicer with an under powered 350 under their hoods

imho.. But they are what they are, could always put a blower on it.

I remember when I was a kid, no matter what kind of racin' you went to, there was always @ least one Monte in the crowd..

It's the same 305 HO that was put in the 83-85 Z28 camaro's before they went tuned port.
They weren't horrible runners for what they are, but GM knew they could use improvements. Back then GM used to offer an emissions friendly 350 HO swap kit that was 50 state legal. Several mags back then did write ups on it and even did the swap in an 85 Z28 just to show it's potential and pass the sniffer. I think they got that car to go high 13's back then with basically a smogged down 350.
I doubt GM even offers it anymore though since these cars are 25+ years old.

It's the 2004R trannies in the Monte SS and the Grand Nationals that are highly sought after now.

**Firebirdjones** · 08-24-2010, 08:13 AM

Originally Posted by pajeff02

I looked at a nice Grand National at the same time I purchased the Monte. About a $15,000 difference in price.

Ya, a good clean unmollested Grand National will still fetch good coin. Short production run and an amazing running car for it's time.

**Firebirdjones** · 08-24-2010, 08:24 AM

Here ya go, a link to the factory 350 HO swap kit for any 305 HO equipped car. I was right, this has since been discontinued, but it's still interesting. They went 13.83 with it.

http://www.sallee-chevrolet.com/Chev...Conversion.cfm

**pajeff02** · 08-24-2010, 08:26 AM

Originally Posted by Firebirdjones

Here ya go, a link to the factory 350 HO swap kit for any 305 HO equipped car. I was right, this has since been discontinued, but it's still interesting. They went 13.83 with it.

http://www.sallee-chevrolet.com/Chev...Conversion.cfm

Interesting. Never knew they offered anything like this back then.

**Firebirdjones** · 08-24-2010, 08:31 AM

Originally Posted by pajeff02

Interesting. Never knew they offered anything like this back then.

I suck at googling, but I'm sure if you dig around, you can find more specific information on it as far as parts used/needed and probably the entire write up on it. Like I mentioned, there were several magazines at the time covering it.

My buddy had an 84 Z28 305 HO new back then, and we were looking into doing this on his car back then, that's why I remember it.

**Z28Thunder** · 08-24-2010, 11:07 AM

Originally Posted by pajeff02

The good news is it has a fairly asthmatic 305, so little chance of tearing it up. This will simply be a pleasure driver and will not likely see any track duty.

Sounds like a great plan. Make a car you enjoy driving, that will require little maintenance. Just change the oil from time to time. Then add gas and just drive...

**Rob** · 08-24-2010, 05:24 PM

Originally Posted by Firebirdjones

Nice find Jeff. I hate to be the one to break it to ya,,,but you bought another car with a dreaded 7.5" 10 bolt.

All the G bodies throughout the 80's got 7.5's with one exception,,,,,Only the Grand Nationals got the 8.5 inch 10 bolts.

You forgot the Olds. Buick came with 3.42 gears and Olds came with 3.73 gears. Why the Olds got the 8.5" rear is beyond me but they did.

**Firebirdjones** · 08-24-2010, 05:48 PM

Originally Posted by Rob

You forgot the Olds. Buick came with 3.42 gears and Olds came with 3.73 gears. Why the Olds got the 8.5" rear is beyond me but they did.

My father had an olds 442 with the anemic 307 olds motor and lightening rod shifters,,,cool car, but it came with a 7.5 inch 10 bolt

He bought it new.
My good friend back in Ohio also has a G body olds 442. I'm pretty sure it's got the 7.5 as well. He has owned that car since about 1990 or so. Maybe it had something to do with the production run??

I know the impalas were funny about that too in the mid to late 80's. The police packages got the 8.5 while the pedestrian versions got 7.5's. Wasn't until the introduction of the LT1 350 in the impala where the 8.5's were used accross the board in both caprice, police, SS etc..., but the baby LT1's (265 ci, remember those??) got the 7.5's.

**pajeff02** · 08-24-2010, 06:25 PM

Still working on the coolant flush and change out of all the hoses. I pulled the other block drain tonight that had a knock sensor installed in it. It kind of threw me as I didn't expect it to be in a coolant passage.

I think I mentioned that the wheel wells were pretty nasty when we bought the car. I scraped the backs out and re-coated them. The lug nuts were also pretty sad looking so I ran them on the wire wheel and shot a little semi-gloss black to clean them up. Looks much better now:

Turns out that the debil mouse that trashed the blower motor and wiring was also at work on top of the engine. All the ripped out hood matting was wadded around the right side of the carb. The little critter also decided to munch on a vacuum line for fun:

Unfortunately there are a couple of inches missing and it is cut pretty close to the 90 degree plug that attaches to a vacuum port on the carb. How do you fix this kind of line? I've always been fortunate and never had a problem with it on any of our cars. I don't think I have enough hose by the plug to splice it.

**Rob** · 08-25-2010, 03:06 AM

Originally Posted by Firebirdjones

My father had an olds 442 with the anemic 307 olds motor and lightening rod shifters,,,cool car, but it came with a 7.5 inch 10 bolt

He bought it new.
My good friend back in Ohio also has a G body olds 442. I'm pretty sure it's got the 7.5 as well. He has owned that car since about 1990 or so. Maybe it had something to do with the production run??

I know the impalas were funny about that too in the mid to late 80's. The police packages got the 8.5 while the pedestrian versions got 7.5's. Wasn't until the introduction of the LT1 350 in the impala where the 8.5's were used accross the board in both caprice, police, SS etc..., but the baby LT1's (265 ci, remember those??) got the 7.5's.

The Hurst Olds came with the 8.5". Have to dig up some info about the 442. But at least 2 years came with the 8.5".

**Too Fast** · 08-25-2010, 04:03 AM

Just found this thread, nice car. My brother surprised me on day in the summer of 1986 and brought one home, he owned about 10 years. Some good memories in that car, it had a good limited slip unit and would do nice dry pavement donuts, I thought his car had 3.73 factory? His was black as well, I've always thought they were great looking cars. I believe it was 1984, the first year, they were offered with 4-speed manuals. And I'd like to have one of those 200R4 trannies for my '68 Le Mans!

**1fastcamarosss11** · 08-25-2010, 04:16 AM

Originally Posted by Too Fast

Just found this thread, nice car. My brother surprised me on day in the summer of 1986 and brought one home, he owned about 10 years. Some good memories in that car, it had a good limited slip unit and would do nice dry pavement donuts, I thought his car had 3.73 factory? His was black as well, I've always thought they were great looking cars. I believe it was 1984, the first year, they were offered with 4-speed manuals. And I'd like to have one of those 200R4 trannies for my '68 Le Mans!

what car with a 4 speed? all montes were auto.

**Too Fast** · 08-25-2010, 04:24 AM

Pretty sure it was the '84 SS. I've had a thing for manual transmissions since before I could drive, I just like to control my vehicles that way. Super rare today, most you'd find are probably a conversion.

Rare, like a 5-speed manual was for the Pontiac GTP Grand Prix, there first year of production with the 3.4 Twin Dual Cam engine