***** This is an 83..with a 3 speed auto tranny..and 175hp..Your Monte should have a 4 speed overdrive which has a lower 1st gear than this car. You likely also have the 3.73 posi..this car has no posi..your comment is irrelevant. I also have a hard time believing your 1/4 mile speed of 96...at 3500lbs that would require 240hp. With 180hp stock, maybe 90 or so.
the magazines back then tested a Z/28 with the L-69 HO 305, 5-speed and 3:73:1 gears..the best that i saw, was a 15.00 flat@ 92mph..trans-am was around 15.1..monte SS was close to that...the monte SS was under-rated at 180HP..since it had the exact same engine, ecu as the f-body's, same gears, but with a better exhaust..can't see how it lost 10HP...heard it actually had 200HP...the '88 was the most aerodynamic as well and was quicker the the hurst/olds..olds 442 and NON- intercooled grand national..hope any of this helps :)
All the comments laughing at the performance numbers kill me. Its called evolution, folks. Without this 35 year old monte, you wouldnt have your 2017 Camaro SS
That's what happens when you let clueless teenagers comment on anything. They don't realize shit actually happened BEFORE they were born, though they're mostly way to ignorant to realize that.
The comments leave me laughing for another reason. All this talk about speed, and alls these cars will be used for mainly will be commuting from school and work and back.
I remember when I was in middle school and high school this car was what everyone wanted. I graduated in '96 and the last few years of this model were still on everyones wish list to drive. Good memories.
I graduated back in 97 and I was driving the 87" Buick Regal Grand national turbo-t limited which dad gave me as a graduation gift, good old days Gosh can't believe it's been that long Rest in peace dad, and thank you for reminding me with dad and his gift to me.
The Monte Carlo SS was one of the best-looking cars of that era -- second only to the Buick Regal Grand National, which shared its platform with the Monte Carlo, Pontiac Grand Prix and Olds Cutlass Supreme.
SS Monte Carlo 442 Cutlass Buick Grand National and even a nice Pontiac Grand Prix. I can agree with that they where a awesome looking vehicle for that error menacing looking to say the least plus the fact that all three was run in NASCAR on Sundays make them appealing to people on the streets while cruising down the strip on Friday and Saturday nights. You guys remember?
does Platform mean Frame & lower chassis? That's how Im thinkin...…….. Basically they use the same roller stuff with camaro foirebird grand national etc.
@@97warlock -- Yeah, pretty much. The Chevelle, Le Mans, Cutlass and Skylark shared a platform. Same goes for the Monte Carlo & Regal (certain years) & the Ford Crown Vic, Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Car.
I have an 84, I did a driveline swap and now I have a car that goes as good as it looks. Maybe they were not as fast as we remember them in the 80s but when I go out on a cruise everyone gives me compliments on my SS, guys, gals, young, old, black, white, EVERYONE likes the car. I have never had a car that had such broad appeal, its hard not to like that.
@@2007deadeye1 Yeah Dixie is right there were companies that converted them. I saw an 87 cutlass supreme convertible once. It looks professionally done and it looked nice but it wasn't by gm.
This 83' Monte looked so good in that Wrangler blue and yellow with that big number 3 on it. It was the start of some major things are going to happen!!
Gamer All901 - me as well. I liked the next generation - but it had no V8 and it was less distinctive looking. And the last generation was a semi-disaster, IMO...looked like someone was ever-so-slightly drunk when they designed it.
My favorite is always be the Monte Carlo regular or Supersport of the 80's the areocoupe are expensive because of the window in the Rear of the car but great collectible to enthusiast of all kinds
175 horsepower may not sound like much but good for the era. A base Porsche 944 only had around 140 and cost a lot more. Beautiful car. No one makes coupes anymore everything is 4 doors.
You know, "back in the day", I wouldn't have been caught dead in a 4-door anything! Used to call them "door machines", but NOW I DON'T like 2-door cars! Man, how things have changed! LOL.
I was very lucky when I was 17 my dad helped me buy my first car. I was working at a gas station as a petroleum technician (pumping gas). He bought a ‘84 Monte Carlo in ‘87. It was not a SS. But we put on beautiful Cragar rims and nice dual exhaust from the cat back. I put in auburn posi w/3:42 gears. With the 3spd trans it was horrible on the highway. But it was a beautiful car. Love the G body from this decade. Always wished I had the SS with the 4spd and 3:73’s. I ended up putting a edelbrock carb, headers for true dual exhaust, went with the GN style exhaust to exit by the tires. Threw a Holley 850 double pumper. Yeah...way overkill but thats what I had. Best ET was 14.6 in the 1320. I added a small nos kit worth 100hp and got it down to 13.7 I think around 100mph maybe 101. I got so many compliments in high school with that car. It was the dark blue....not sure of the color code. Also installed the rear sway bar. Love the Monte Carlo SS. It was perfect for the 80’s. Listening to Van Halen, Aero Smith, Led Zeppelin, Def Lep, GNR...cruising around East Boston. Mustang 5.0L’s, IROC’s, Vettes, GN’s, Formula 350’s, Dodge Daytona’s, TBird turbo coupes....good times.
I hear ya. I bought my '84 SS in 1988. It came with a 10 bolt posi, but I switched the gears to 3.73. It did still have a 3 speed tranny, but it now had the "overdrive" feature (essentially a 4 speed). I finally got into the low 13's with many of the mods you mentioned, plus a few more. My friends and I would be at the drag strip almost every Friday night. I had my SS, my one friend had an '86 Mustang GT, another with an '87 Z28, and another friend who also had an '84 SS. Great times.
I had a 1984 Sapphire Blue Monte SS in 1988 when I was 18. They did add a posi rear and a console shifter instead of the column. When I got it, I hollowed out the cat, cut the belt on the air compressor and added a K&N open filter, which took it down to running 15 flat in the 1/4 mile. A year later, adding basic mods like a new intake, carb, headers and a few others, I was running low 13's with the 5.0 liter 305 ci engine. I only had it for 3 years, but one of my favorite cars I've ever owned.
I am the original owner of a blue 1984 Monte Carlo SS it has been swapped to a LS2 with CNC ported LS3 heads has a holley 850 HP carberator on it and many mods it has gone 10.87 at 122mph on the motor besides the wheels and tires and being lowered 2.5 inches all the way around it looks fairly stock the is no rust even in the door jams and usual places like above the door windows the frame is painted black with no rust anywhere
I remember my buddy in his 88 Monte ss trying to pass me in my '93 mustang gt. Each time he tried I'd let him get further ahead before I'd downshift to 3rd and fly past him. Ah The good ol days
One tried to race me on the interstate in my 90 GT. We got up to about 125 and his car was REALLY struggling. I finally heard a BOOM beside me as I just kept climbing (had the Mustang to 145 before) and looking ahead with my eyes on the road. I went around a curve and noticed he had disappeared and never came around that curve. He had blown his engine.
Yeah except you could make the monte faster than the mustang very easily. Race a 93 camaro or firebird as you’ll lose lol. I’m not even an American car guy but know to take old school GM over old school Ford
I owned three Montes and remember how fast it used to feel. My how times change. Now it could get smoked by a minivan in reverse with the parking brake on.
Fast today? No. Fast & cool in the 80's? Absolutely! Not sure why people run these cars down. If you were in your mid 20's in the 80's (like I was) you wanted one of these, or an IROC-Z, Mustang 5.0, etc. I bought a 305 Camaro brand new in 1987 & own a nice 87 Monte Carlo SS now. They're STILL cool. The complements I get on my SS will attest to that....
+Mike Slomski I was a teenager in the 90's and wanted one of these cars so bad. My aunt had a white 87 SS, it was such a cool car. I still love the look. I ended up getting a '88 GTA in '97, after missing out on buying an IROC. I'm glad I ended up finding the GTA, it was way cooler, and had the L98. Man I miss that car!
Yes indeed, I have an 84, the guys like it...the gals like it...the kids...the blacks...the whites...EVERYONE gives me compliments on my SS! Never got that with my Camaro, or my Regal T type. People just love them.
Thanks for posting your video! I wanted a 1983 Monte Carlo SS after I saw your show years ago. I couldn't find a '83 SS. I found and bought a 1984 Monte Carlo SS instead. Thanks for bringing back memories!
I have an 85 SS, black with grey interior. The thing that has struck me while owning it, is it’s wide appeal. I can’t buy gas without receiving random compliments. Everyone seems to like this body style. Kids know it from video games, middle aged folks all have a story from high school, and women seem to especially appreciate it. Not to mention the boat load of random Dale Earnhardt stories I hear from the older crowd.
Really liked this model. Had the same L69 V8 in my '84 Z/28. Blew it up outside of Iowa City in '84 after a flat out run for about an hour with a buddy in the front and another in the back - doing his college homework. I wrecked it so bad - the mechanic said the crankshaft came out in pieces. GM was 'nice' enough to put a new one in for me though under warranty. Anyway...I knew a guy who had an '83/'84 Monte Carlo SS...NICE car.
Had a 87 ttop ss from 2001-2009. Threw suspension and 18inch rims with tires. Never got so many compliments on a car in my life. Everyone loves this car. G body dropped with blacked out tint…. Official Panty Dropper
@@GreatBirdOfHope I couldn't agree with you more. I can just admire them from a distance. The auto industry is a horrible scam they have priced vehicles out of reach for us working class folks. It is a travesty I just saw some truck the other day priced close to $100,000. Honestly the home I grew up in and the one I live in now didn't cost as much.
Its a shame American car companies are too stupid to bring back great cars these days. Chevy needs to bring back the Monte Carlo for sure with a V-8 option and a turbo charged V-6. Ford needs to bring back the Crown Vic and Thunderbird with the Coyote V-8 and V-6 Eco Boost options and up to date technology! Chevy needs to bring back the Nova and Chevelle as well with LS7s and shit as well as the Bel Aire with a 400-500+ hp v8 and 350 hp v-6 all with updated technology and shit! Ford also needsto bring back the Maveric the Fairlane Torino and Galaxy with coyote engines V-6 eco boost or shelby engines optional. Buick needs to bring back the Grand National!
That might happen once people here get over this sick obsession with trucks, SUVs and crossovers. Those who aren't fixated on MPGs think they need them a truuuuck for some reason. Unfortunately, the idea of a high performance, sleek, and sexy coupe with a usable back seat is lost on a lot of people these days. Hopefully, people will eventually remove that stick from their ass, and start embracing cool cars again. For now though, we live in an era where boring, uptight, and frugal is fashionable.
My best friend had the last year ss and i remember buying a gas mileage 1995 dodge neon sport 5 speed to save gas in my 95 lightning...i passed him and like 5 cars ahead by 110mph....and in the lightning i was 5 cars ahead by 60..lol..but those montes look cool still
I have a diecast model of an '85 that I love. The mid-eighties G bodies were very handsome cars, and fairly quick for their time period. For me, I would have to own one with a console shifter, not column shift. Posi-traction would also be preferable. This was also somewhat of the swansong for the Rochester Quadrajet carburetor, at least in a performance setting.
2:46 A manual gear box? Naw that never did happen! I bought a brand new SS back then like this one and it was not fast! But I loved how it looked, I traded it in for a new 86 Z28 Camaro!
Emission restraints were very high on these cars as well as all 80's cars. With just a Corvette hot chip and a good exhaust, they would produce close to 300 hp &325 tq at the crank. My first Monte was an old used 83, it was slow and would get outrun by the 5.0 mustangs fairly easily. We upgraded the chip and the exhaust and we were blowing the doors off of the 5.0's. that Monte would burn the tires off in 3rd gear after the upgrades. Next we put in a 350 with a 400 crank, heads, stall and went with a manual dizzy and an 8.5 limited slip rear. Ran 7.1 in the 1/8 and 12.3 in the 1/4. That was in the late 80's.
You gotta love some of these comments. Yes, it's horsepower is rather low. That said, it still got twice the torque of your Civic. *edit* You Civic fanbois are funny!
Old 80-90 cars blow away these millennial idea of hot. Like those shitbox civic hatch. How fucking ugly can U get. Or the idiots souping up their accord 4 doors lame
And weighs 1000 more pounds. And has a solid rear axle with a 7.5" differential. G-bodies are good lookers and good cruisers, but without mods that's about it. Better to just appreciate what it is (a good looking base for engine swaps) rather than picking fights against economy cars.
Thumbs up as I used to have a white 83 before some rookie hit us and wrote it off! Luck would have it about 7 years later & I bought an 87 SS off of a ford guy. Still have this one though,thankfully. Watched video from Manitoba. Thanks
You got to put things in perspective, your 1983 econo box car and even big luxury cars like Cadillac and Lincoln would do 0-60 between 11-16 secs. So yeah compare to those cars the Monte Carlo SS is fast. Also folks keep forgetting how the so call fastest cars of the 1950s match the performance of the late 1970s and early 1980s fastest performance cars. So the 1980s American performance cars had to start over from scratch, because of the use of new technology and emission systems put on the new gen engines.
It says a lot about these dark days that a 8.5 0-60 time and a mid 16sec 1/4 mile were considered "fast". I love these cars, but a drivetrain swap is definitely needed!
My grandmother had a 1983 Monte Carlo -- but it was NOT an SS. With the L69 5.0L (305) V8 and four-barrel carb, it was a good performer (for that era). Hers also had the gauge package. It was a pale brown color with a velour mocha-colored interior, but was a very nice car. I sure wish I had a chance to get it when she passed away, but her mean old sister sold it to her son. Doh!
For what it's worth, I had a 1978 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight with a 403 V8 and 4bbl carb that would totally smoke a Monte Carlo SS in a long stretch. The big Olds was a dog in the 1/4-mile, though.
GM started putting 4 bbl. on about every V8 after about 1974... it was just good for advertising... and kept inventiory low... both the base 305" and L69 SS 305" used the same size Q-Jet 4 bbl. carb... just jetted slightly differently... all those carb.s good for over 400+ HP... My '86 Monte LS had a 305" 4 bbl. rated 165 netHP by then since they had bumped the compression ratio up slightly... but it had the weaker valve springs to help MPG... it pumped the lifters up by 5100 RPMs... The tranny shifted at a low 4,000 RPMs at WOT... but could be manually held higher... The Transmissions in the SS Montes needed 5500+ RPMs just to auto shift when floored...
It is a great looking car no doubt. One thing to remember is this: Car manufacturers have always played games with power numbers. I would hazard to guess that the real numbers are 190-195 hp and 245-250 torque since this is the same 5.0/305 the Z28 had at the time which was rated 190 hp and 240 torque for '83.
BuzzLOLOL yeah..84 owner here (was 17 in 88 monte my first car). When my gear head friends told me they had fake dual exhaust I was like...I felt like someone kicked my dog. And when I bought my new mustang in 90 I marveled at the true dual exhaust with h pipe. We take so many things for granted these days.
Even before the EPA changed the way horsepower was measured, and that was in 1971, the legendary 1970 Chevrolet LS7 Corvette 454 engine was conservatively rated at 465 hp, yet it actually developed over 500.
These cars were easily woken up and hp/tq raised to 300-380 no prob. Friend of mine got an 84 brand new and did just that. These kinds of cars are quickly becoming sought after:)
Wow, 175 hp! Exactly what my 2010 Hyundai Sonata extracted from half the displacement, while giving twice the fuel economy. I won’t even talk about my Ecoboost Mustang. How far we’ve come in nearly 40 years.
Back then the Mustang GT ruled the day. With all of ~160 HP it was the quickest American car on the road. In particular, 1982. The Vette was a turd in '82-'83 and when the '84 C4 Vette came out it took back the title. I know all too well because I ordered a fully loaded brand new GT in 1982. It was "The Boss is Back!" campaign. Two weeks after taking delivery I had the engine out and made a nice little beast out of it. Ran it in a bunch of SCCA F prepared races back then.
Actaully the Fox Body Mustang of the 80's and Early 90's was probably one of the fastest V8 american cars at the time, only the later C4 was a little bit faster, just a little bit. But the 87-93 mustang LX 5.0 with a stick was fast no joke
Any L98 powered Vette from 85-91 was a few tenths faster than the Stang and handled better too. However the stang was half the price and offered the bang for buck in spades if you weren't able to swing the payment on a Vette
I love these retro videos, if for no other reason than the fact that my new (to me) 4 banger car could curb stomp this Monkey Carlo in a straight line.
My brother had a ''87 SS.. I have never seen a Monte Carlo SS that didn't “chirp” that 2nd. gear without even trying.. everyone that I've even drove or rode in have those nice, firm shifts
I agree Steven D: My 2016 CX-5 AWD has a 2.5L with 185 HP and 186 ft/lb and will hit 60 in less than 8 seconds! If I read the stats correctly, the new Mustang GT in base format with the V-8 has north of 400 HP. The 70's and 80's were the learning curve years.
Very true. I got my license in 1987 and had an '84 SS. The good thing with these cars is that you could spend around $1k and have a car easily running the low 13's in the quarter mile.
It was pretty basic in the day. The 86-87 with the bucket seats, T-Tops, overdrive trans and additional color choices was amazing. Imagine a 6 liter LS with a 6 speed transplanted into that 😉
There were montes, cutlass supremes, malibu everywhere when I was growing up in the 80's .If I was to pick a cool car from the 80's I would pick the 442 .
In 2022 this is one of the best old muscle cars you can still find for under 10k I mean for an first muscle car great. my grandpa’s Uncle had an Monte Carlo SS on his drive way and that was like an year ago .when I when to Florida for am few days there so cheap and so many out there we all can have an cool car that can be turned into an fun daily driver or an small tire drag car all this car needs is more power engine masters got 600 hp out of that engine with like an 600 ish hp shot of n20 for 15000 k can build one of theses gems and put in an 350 small block from an c/k 1500 or put in in an ole LT1 from an c4 🤷🏽♂️ modified it with New cylinder heads, More aggressive camshaft , rpm air gap intake or Single plane intake and your choice of efi or An elder Brock carburetor or a Holley dominator double pumper carburetor or if your feeling cheeky inside of an 350 sbc get an 6th or 5th gen 454 big block Chevy from an c/k 1500 and do the same mods as the sbc 🤷🏽♂️ 🤩
I had a '87 SS. While it wasn't the fastest compared to a GN, it had a good ride and was comfortable for someone with long legs like myself. I'd love to have another one and put a LS in it to surprise some Dodge Challengers!
My first car was a 83 ss back in 2002 now im 36 i now own a 84 no rust all original 84 still working on getting it running its sat so long and a 86 thats a little ruff but all body panels are solid thats got a 350 in it and will burn the tires off of it without power braking
I owned a 1983 SS convertible - extremely rare, to say the least, and yes, you could buy it from the dealer as a convertible. By the time I got it in the mid-90s, it was pretty ragged out, and I certainly didn't think it was fast or handled well. But she was a looker. It got a ton of attention since no one had ever seen one before.
Compared to other 1983 cars , it actually held it's own . At 16 sec 1/4 mile it was comparable to a 83 Porsche 944 ,Toyota Supra , or Pontiac Trans am . Plus for a heavy American car it handled well . Cool old car imo.
Yeahh, I just checked local laws, and the trailer, mullet, and mustache mandate are still required. They might be adding a required sleeveless t-shirt check.
That's why people upgrade the engine with an ls or a super strong lt4 or lt5 engine 💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾🤜🏾🤛🏾 or any big block or old small block engine my the possibilities are endless great sleeper potential 😎😎gbody rider for life myself I'm going to do a lt4 swap on my 84 olds 2 door with t-tops💯💯💯
These were the beautiful cars of the era. Performance wise though they were lacking as all cars were. Running 16s in the quarter was as good as it got.
great car and ripe for an LT1 swap. the LT1 would be a good choice because being basically a 350 block with reverse flow cooling, aluminum heads, and 10.4:1 compression ratio its an easy swap. no modifications required, if you did an LS1 they dont exactly drop right in. i think LS1's are great but LT1's are very much underated. its a nice power, efficient, and reliable powerplant (yup opti-spark sucks but that's the only downfall and its NOT that big of a deal, not a deal breaker)
My mom was going to purchase one of these in 1985 to replace her '77 that was stolen . She never could make a good deal with Chevrolet so we ended up with a '1985 Toyota Corolla St. Cruix .
Wow I was never aware that you could get an 80's Monte Carlo SS with a bench seat and column shifter automatic, I always thought they came with bucket seats and floor shifter automatic, nonetheless the 0-60 rating times are quicker than I've expected considering there weren't very many high performance cars in that time period.
It's hilarious but I still love this car and the GN too. I actually think the Chevy is better looking. Meanwhile a BMW Six cylinder sedan would walk you in a straight line by a little and by a LOT in the curves. That's why I still drive an '88 535is. Of course they kinda *DID* cost about twice as much though. Any performance back then was hard to come by.
Swap the power robbing carburetor and ignition system from any 1972-1980's carburetor car and gain 1-3 seconds in the 1/4 mile and same with 0-60,depending on year and model of car...Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth lean burn cars went 3 seconds quicker with that change...We also did it to my Moms 85 Monte Carlo SS in 1986 and it went from running higher 15's to low 14's in the 1/4 mile...We wanted to add headers and exhaust but she said nope lol...We had our own cars and a Garage when she took it in to us for an oil change we could resist to swap the ignition and carburetor,1 hour job for huge power gains !!! People didnt know this and sufferd from slow V8 cars from those years lol..my Brothers 74 400 4bbl Road Runner ran ,id 13's in the 1/4 with a low compression 87 octane 3.23 geared car with simple ignition/carb change,also added headers !!
That's what I did to my '84 SS. Changed the gears to 3.73, installed an Edelbrock intake with a Holley 4 bbl carb, disconnected the "computer" system, Hooker Headers, and a performance cam. All said and done, I was running in the low to mid 13's. I loved it when driving on the street and a Mustang or Camaro would pull up next to me at a light and I would just smoke 'em lol.
