The Chevrolet Monza did not show up with a race image like it has today. If you’ve seen a Monza in the last twenty-five years, especially the hatchbacks, chances are solid that it has some kind of stout small-block in it and that it sounds like the kind of good time that will end when the cops show up. Dragstrip machines, road racers, a surviving throwback to the land of slot mags, N50 tires and Deep Purple in the cassette player…all fine and good. But finding a stock, unmolested Monza in any form is like hitting the lottery, and if you’ve been looking for one, today is your day.
The Monza was rooted in the Vega, the small car that Chevrolet had hoped and prayed would take on the new compact market…and went from American Sweetheart to the automotive equivalent of a starlet seconds away from a TMZ spread in short order. Originally envisioned as a four-cylinder, economy-minded looker, the Monza carried that tradition on, aping the Camaro’s styling and offering a range of four-cylinders and two V6 offerings. But there were V8 offerings available that undercut the Camaro, ranging from the 4.3L unit to the California-market 350 and the 305. Now, being real, these are late 1970s vehicles we’re talking about…they left the Lordstown factory with power ratings that would go toe-to-toe with a Chevy Sonic today. But they were small-block Chevrolets, which meant that a weekend’s worth of work would turn a Monza into a peppy little thing with scary brakes and a habit of nuking it’s rear tires to oblivion and back.
Considering that this car hasn’t even been five-lug swapped yet, we’d be quick to say that it’s one of the nicest original Monzas we’ve ever seen. Give the 305 some good reverse-engineering to wake it up some, get some useable brakes on the car, maybe do the five-lug swap (for safety) and don’t do anything else. It’s a time capsule, but one that needs to be seen and heard, not socked away and forgotten.
Originally -envisioned-, as a package to put the GM rotary engine into with higher performance and nicer features than the Vega. The whole floorpan was worked around the rotary’s driveline positioning (can be seen in ’75 models). There was a lot of enthusiasm for that motor project but realities set in, the rotary was scrapped, and only then was the too-far-along-to-cancel upmarket/GT Monza re-positioned as a sort-of economy minded Mustang II competitor. With that, anything that didn’t have a 2.3 was a pretty good car.
Some good memories with a Spyder like this. If money wasn’t an issue, and you know It always seems to be, it would be awesome to put something like a roadster shop chassis underneath it. Modern brakes and drivetrain. A/C, that’s where I would shelter in place.
A blue 305/4speed Monza Spyder almost lead me to the dark (Chevy) side when I was 15. Fortunately a blue 302/4speed Mustang II saved me from eternal damnation. That car lead me down the road to eternal gear head. A 10:1 PAW ( remember them old guys? The full page ads in Hit Rod) kit motor long tubes and a Weiand X-cellerator with a 2” spacer so the carb would go through the hood and a snorkel hood scoop that was bolted on with Allen head header bolts for easy removal for cruise nights and the drag strip. Somehow the shitty factory four speed and rear end survived. Unfortunately the car didn’t survive me running out of skill on a back road and sliding it s 1/4 panel into a tree. Ah youth
QUARANTINE ZONE.
This car is to die for.
/////////////////////////////////Great car, a lil\’ high-priced, for a Northeast car until further inspection.
No deal however is worth dying for.
No Reserve Auction… ebay sellers are finally coming to their senses…
A Spyder was a “wide body”, it either had wider body parts or add ons. Also had actual spider decals.
I had a 79 monza Spyder they weren’t wider . What your thinking of is the monza mirage. They had those boxy tacked on IMSA style fender flares .
I like this one better than the black Monza posted previously. V8 and manual trans makes me happy! I hope more of these pop up in the future so I can clear some of my inventory to make room for one.
Somebody is going to get a nice base to start with
I had a 79 monza Spyder they weren’t wider . What your thinking of is the monza mirage. They had those boxy tacked on IMSA style fender flares .
This car has been the talk of several H-Body Forums for quite a while. Based on the VIN and other details, this is not an original car. It is a very nice appearing Monza, configured to some owner’s liking in the past.
I bought my Monza Spyder new in 1977 with a 305 V-8, 4 speed and posi-traction. Back in \’77 and \’78 Dragway 42 still raced cars in classes not dial your time brackets. I raced mine 4 or 5 events per year. Most of my competition was Mustang Cobra II\’s and the occasional Mustang \”King Cobra\”. My Monza was never beat racing in it\’s factory stock class. Those Mustangs could never even come close.
I ordered my New Olds Starfire in 1978. It had the 305 w/4 Speed. Just 4 Barrel & cat removed woke it up considerably. It was never beat also. Have had Porsche’s, Corvettes, 240z’s, & Camaro’s in the 40+ years since then but that Starfire was definitely my funnest & favorite car. Still miss it.
This car is a great blank canvas for someone, or just to leave it as is. Have always loved the hatchback Monza Spyder, but then again, I’ve owned 13 different varieties of the GM H-body over the last 36 years, to include 6 Spyders. Great write up!
The last monza I had was a poorly swapped and rusted out V8 car with a dead 305. I’d like to find a clean one.