Ever seen a car that draws you in with its sheer coolness and then shocks you with its craziness? Welcome to the world of this 1971 Monte Carlo. You may be thinking that I’ve been inspired by the Roadkill guys but the reality is that I was inspired far longer ago than that. When I graduated high school in 1998 the only kid that had a big block powered car was a guy that owned a 1971 Monte Carlo with a worked 454 in it. This thing was a two ton rocket and the rest of us mere mortals with small block powered junk equipped with headers and a Holley could not hang. Short story he drove it into used car lot at a high rate of speed one night and killed the Monte along with like a dozen other innocent cars that were killed as well. It was gnarly and it sucked because the car was legend around these parts. Anyway…
It left me with a love of these early Monte Carlos and while searching them I found this thing which at first glance screamed AWESOME and then quickly went to FREAK with a bullet. Why? The stance is perfect with the fat back tires and the look is right up my alley and then I got to the engine which is a Cummins six cylinder turbo diesel. I’m not sure if the thing has been highly rodded but it sure makes lots of smoke. If it were me and I had a shot at the car I’d put it on the Banks Power diet and eliminate the smoke. Why? It is way more fun to kill big block cars cleanly without the massive cloud, right?
There is a LOT of rot in the body of this thing, especially in the “upper” part of the program. The C-pillar has big holes in it and there are other places in the car that look bad as well. The saving grace if we can call it that is the fact that there is a cage and the interior is basically stripped. In the event of a wreck the body wasn’t going to have you anyway so at least if it is caged you’ll be safer than the thing completely turning to steel dust, right?
This may be the ultimate case of a car with a cool body, a weird engine, and too much bad to overlook. Opinion?
Check the photos and then hit the eBay link to see more of the 1971 Monte Carlo –
eBay ad: 1971 Monte Carlo Powered By A Cummins Diesel
“Hey guys, I’m rolling coals in my Monte Carlo!”
What a joke.
Mad Max of Monte Carlos
I was on board until the diesel. I don’t get the diesel thing.
Ditto!!!
Here is the Monte Carlo replacement body for the Roadkill stock car project.
Lets see, 454 shitrolet getting 12 mpg with 500 ft lbs of torque OR 25 mpg Cummins with 1000 ft lbs? Seems like the I6 is the only good option for this bow tie tetanus barge
A bigger turbo and a bit of smoke screw afc tuning will clean up the smoke and make more power
I LOVE these cars. We’ve had 3 and still have a 71 SS 454 I want to do something with someday. I like the diesel angle here, but this thing has some serious issues. MY GOD that hood is terrible. I can’t get past it. And I get the ratty and patina thing, but the peeling vinyl top is like Trump’s hair. Show the Monte Carlo some respect.
That is the only time Ive seen a Cummins fit in a car and look small.
Why no mechanical fan? He had plenty of room. And that god-awful hood.