What if Baldwin Motion had included the Monte Carlo in the Fantastic Five or Sensational Six?

[Superbird McMonte]

 Ever since I mastered and cast this L88 hood for the 1970-72 Monte Carlo, I’ve been itching to build a “what if” Baldwin Motion Monte Carlo. I know Baldwin Motion never offered to modify the Monte Carlo when they were due. I’m hoping this will follow in the spirit of a Motion type build.

The tires are from the Baldwin Motion 1971 Camaro. I cast these slotted wheels for my Baldwin Motion Phase III Corvettes.

I felt that the Buick GSX deck lid spoiler fit the Monte Carlo pretty well! I’m thinking of using the GSX chin spoiler too.

I look at it this way, if Baldwin Motion could get a Chevrolet Biscayne to do the quarter mile in 11 1/2 seconds, the Monte Carlo could’ve been done too.

 I’m going to send these pictures to Joel tonight and see what he thinks.  I’m also going to ask him if there was a reason behind excluding the Monte Carlo from the line up.

 As always questions and comments are welcome. 

 

 

Edited March 27, 2019 by Superbird McMonte

[Modlbldr]

Looks like a good idea to me and one that is believable. Go for it. 

BTW- I love the wheels. Do you offer them at all? I would love to get a set or two.

Later-

Edited March 27, 2019 by Modlbldr

[Scott8950]

i can remember my uncle having a 70 ss in the early 80s. that car was a monster, factory 454 with 4 speed. There's no doubt those cars could have been tweaked and ran high 11s or low 12s. 

Edited March 27, 2019 by Scott8950

[1972coronet]

I'm sure that if a customer ordered a Motion-prepped Monte Carlo , then it would have been built . The G-body was in its own class ; luxury with some hot engines available ( no LS-6 , nor LS-5 / 4-speed options , however . The 396 was dubbed a 400 ; it was available with a 4-speed ) .

Your 'phantom' B-M Monte should be lovely !  

[Scott8950]

17 minutes ago, 1972coronet said:

I'm sure that if a customer ordered a Motion-prepped Monte Carlo , then it would have been built . The G-body was in its own class ; luxury with some hot engines available ( no LS-6 , nor LS-5 / 4-speed options , however . The 396 was dubbed a 400 ; it was available with a 4-speed ) .

Your 'phantom' B-M Monte should be lovely !  

hmmm intresting i never knew that. i suppose at some point my uncle's car probably had an engine swap. the car was totally destroyed by a drunk driver but the engine and 4 speed we're swapped into  a 71 chevelle. it was definitely a 454 so probably an engine swap at some point.

[afx]

I think you have a BM addiction, but it's okay with me! 

[JJ Deuce]

always loved those early Monte Carlos.  Such a good looking car.

[espo]

I think it would be a great build. It would seem obvious that you have a special association with the Motion cars in general and I'm sure you would make it very real looking. When you talk to Joel I'm sure that the base price of the Monte Carlo in addition to the weight were the limiting reasons for not building one. The Monte Carlo could in fact be ordered with at least two different 396 (402) and 454 engines depending on year model. The three speed Turbo 400 transmission was the most common but the 4-speed M-20, M-21, were available also. 

[Superbird McMonte]

3 hours ago, 1972coronet said:

I'm sure that if a customer ordered a Motion-prepped Monte Carlo , then it would have been built . The G-body was in its own class ; luxury with some hot engines available ( no LS-6 , nor LS-5 / 4-speed options , however . The 396 was dubbed a 400 ; it was available with a 4-speed ) .

Your 'phantom' B-M Monte should be lovely !  

 You are correct! There are no documented LS-6 Monte Carlos or LS-5 with a 4-speed Monte Carlo.  The 396 in a Monte Carlo is actually called at 402. And it was available with a four-speed. Something like 89 of them were built.  The 400 in a Monte Carlo was a small block, and then you had the base 350. Those were the only four engines available. In the end, the First Generation Monte Carlo Club and National Monte Carlo Owners Association are waiting for someone to actually come up with documents proving an SS454 4-speed  or LS-6 car ever existed.

[Superbird McMonte]

3 hours ago, Scott8950 said:

hmmm intresting i never knew that. i suppose at some point my uncle's car probably had an engine swap. the car was totally destroyed by a drunk driver but the engine and 4 speed we're swapped into  a 71 chevelle. it was definitely a 454 so probably an engine swap at some point.

It’s an easy conversion to a 4-speed in the Monte Carlo. I did mine a few years back. It took less than a week! EVERYTHING is Chevelle except for the bracket on the frame for the Z-bar.

[Scott8950]

i remember this car was a factory 4 speed. When my dad and uncle swapped the motor and trans into the 71 malibu they cut a section of floor out of the monte carlo and used it in the malibu. i know the monte carlo was an original ss 4 speed but the 454 may have been swapped into it before my uncle bought it.

[Scott8950]

i can remember very well though that monte carlo was an absolute powerhouse. i don't think the weight difference is that much between the monte carlo and chevelle. 

Edited March 27, 2019 by Scott8950

[1972coronet]

The 1970 - 1973 Monte Carlo were based-upon the A-Body platform ( Chevelle , LeMans , et al. ) but were dubbed 'G-Body' (like the 1969 Grand Prix , which its self was a downsized model that year) . 1974 , ad seq. , were 'A-Special' or 'G-Special'  ( I've forgotten ) . I mention this only because the whole weight-versus-Chevelle topic was brought up --- the real "difference" between the A and G bodies had to do with the Monte being a "Luxury Sports Car" ( think : Lincoln LSC of the 80's) , whereas the Malibu , Chevelle , et al. , was a mid-sized family car .

Truly , the target audience for the Monte wasn't the guy who sought after an L-78 / LS-6 solid lifter vehicle , esp. since in 1969 & later the target age group for the Monte was the 35+ years old crowd ; the single guy who wanted a luxury two door with a dollop of performance .

Again , Joel and crew would slide an LS-7 / 4-speed / 5.38 gear / Hone-O-Drive / side pipes into a Monte if one so desired .

[Snake45]

Fabulous concept, and I'm sure Motion would have built such a thing if anyone had stepped up with the $$$. Drive on! 

[Bucky]

Taken from Wikipedia:

 

Optional engines included the four-barrel carbureted Turbo-Fire 350 CID small block V8, rated at 300 hp (224 kW) at 4800 rpm and 380 lb·ft (515 Nm) at 3200 rpm, the Turbo-Fire 400 (400 CID/6.5 L) with a two-barrel carburetor, rated at 265 hp (198 kW) at 4800 rpm and 400 lb·ft (542 Nm) at 3800 rpm, and the Turbo-Jet 400 (402 CID/6.6 L) with a four-barrel carburetor, rated at 330 hp (246 kW) at 4800 rpm and 410 lb·ft (515 Nm) at 3200 rpm). Note that the two Chevrolet 400 CID V8s offered this year were actually two different designs. The two-barrel carbureted Turbo-Fire 400 was a Small Block Chevrolet V8 engine, similar, but different internally, to the 350, while the Turbo-Jet 400 was a slightly enlarged version of the 396 CID big block V8 and had an actual displacement of 402 CID.

The most sporty and powerful option was the Monte Carlo SS 454 package. Priced at $420, it included a standard Turbo-Jet 454 of 454 CID (7.4 L) with a four-barrel carburetor, rated at 360 hp (269 kW)^[5] at 4800 rpm. It also included heavy-duty suspension, wider tires, "SS 454" badging, and an automatic load-leveling rear suspension. The Turbo Hydra-Matic three-speed automatic was the only transmission available for this package. The rear axle came standard with a 3.06 ratio but was available in 2.56 and 3.31, although it still cost $222 (£142) extra. Weighing only a bit more than a comparably equipped Chevelle SS 454, the Monte Carlo SS was quite a fast car, although it accounted for less than 3% of Monte Carlos sold in 1970.

A labor strike at Chevrolet's Flint, Michigan assembly plant (where most Monte Carlo production was scheduled) during the early months of the 1970 model year immediately following the car's introduction on September 18, 1969 limited overall model-year sales to 159,341; short of the projected 185,000. During those early months, Monte Carlos were in short supply, with full-scale production not happening until February 1970, leaving many would-be buyers disappointed after going to their Chevrolet dealers and finding no Monte Carlos in stock. Once full production was underway, Monte Carlos sold well and often at full list price (usually being ordered with many extra-cost options), making it a profitable model for Chevrolet and its dealership networks. SS 454s, however, did not sell so well in 1970, with only 3,823 of the 1970 Monte Carlos being the most powerful model in the range.

Popular Mechanics reported 82% of readers who bought a Monte Carlo got one for the styling, however 10.1% of readers disliked the amount of rear leg room.^[6]

 

^{Here is the link:}

^{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Monte_Carlo}

^{A friend of mine had a SS 454 Monte with the 454 and 4 speed. What a sleeper! It was gold, with black vinyl top, and bench seat.}

[Scott8950]

you should do a c10 after the monte carlo. a Baldwin motion c10 would have been nice.

[Superbird McMonte]

28 minutes ago, Scott8950 said:

you should do a c10 after the monte carlo. a Baldwin motion c10 would have been nice.

There’s a thought! A C10 Phase lll equipped tow vehicle! ?

[Scott8950]

28 minutes ago, Superbird McMonte said:

There’s a thought! A C10 Phase lll equipped tow vehicle! ?

would be a nice shelf piece.

i saw this diecast and it looks good but i think a few things could be improved on.

Edited March 28, 2019 by Scott8950

[1972coronet]

6 hours ago, Scott8950 said:

 a Baldwin motion c10 would have been nice.

I have an unbuilt 1978 C-10 ( the MPC annual --- one of my Holy Grail kits ! ) that I've been thinking of turning into a Motion-inspired build :

- 454 / TH-400 from the '70 Monte Carlo kit

- Kit's side pipes

- Steelies with hub caps

It'd be similar to the Heavy Half that Chevrolet produced in c.1978 ( C-10 with the 454 ) . I'd keep the interior in its base trim ( rubber mats ; body coloured door panels with the minimalist Custom Deluxe arm rest 'embellishment panel' ; and I'll add a shifter to the stock column along with a turn signal lever ) .

Not sure about the paint scheme yet... Likely what would've been a special order colour ( Detroit Diesel Alpine Green seems like a nice choice ) . 

[Scott8950]

i like what your thinking

[Superbird McMonte]

Lots of food for thought!

[Superbird McMonte]

On 3/27/2019 at 6:51 AM, Modlbldr said:

Looks like a good idea to me and one that is believable. Go for it. 

BTW- I love the wheels. Do you offer them at all? I would love to get a set or two.

Later-

I know I have some but I haven’t seen them since I moved. I let you know if I find them. Where’s comes to worse I’ll make another mold. I need more of them too!

[bisc63]

Go ahead and throw the bucket seats and console into that C-10!

[Modlbldr]

5 hours ago, Superbird McMonte said:

I know I have some but I haven’t seen them since I moved. I let you know if I find them. Where’s comes to worse I’ll make another mold. I need more of them too!

Please do. I'd love a set or two.

Later-

[Scott8950]

any new updates for the monte?