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$3,500 Monza: 1980 Chevrolet Monza Towne Coupe

072816 Barn Finds - 1980 Chevrolet Monza Towne Coupe - 3

This is a rare one: it’s a 1980 Chevrolet Monza Towne Coupe and it’s located in Dade City, Florida. This silver fox is listed here on eBay with a Buy It Now price of just $3,500! If you’re looking for an inexpensive entry to the collector car world, and to owning a car that will turn heads and make some heads spin wondering what the heck is that thing; this is it.

072816 Barn Finds - 1980 Chevrolet Monza Towne Coupe - 1

Isn’t this a great looking car?! $3,500? Quite often I’m surprised at the high asking prices on vehicles listed for sale, it’s more rare when I’m surprised at ridiculously low asking prices for cars, especially unusual ones like this Towne Coupe. The Towne Coupe was introduced in 1975 to compete with the perennial playground bully favorite: the Ford Mustang II. Do you see the resemblance now, at least in spirit?

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Most Monzas were hatchbacks but towards the end of the run, Chevy made a notchback coupe with a different fascia showing two round headlights instead of the usual four square headlights and a trunk instead of a hatchback; they named it the Towne Coupe. You could also get it with a landau vinyl top, Lee Iacocca would be proud. This was a fancy car, especially for a Monza, and this particular car looks like it should be in a museum, and it sort of was, in the owner’s personal collection.

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As you would expect, the interior is as perfect as the exterior is. One thing that most of us now always lament is seeing an automatic, but this was marketed as somewhat of a luxury Monza more so than a sporty model, so an automatic is fine here. I would prefer a 4-5-speed, but it wouldn’t be a deal-breaker for me. How about you? The rest of the interior is in fantastic condition, from the headliner to the back seats to the door panels and everything else.

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This car has the optional 3.8L Buick V6 engine and it looks clean and the seller says that it “runs through a newer rebuilt 3 speed automatic transmission”. They also mention that this car’s “original mileage is 118,000 and this Cabriolet runs and drives like new!” I know that some folks don’t think that any car from 1980 is worthy of being shown here, but this is one that qualifies, in my opinion. It’s very unusual, it’s rare, it’s 36 years old, it’s in superb condition, and it’s about as inexpensive as it gets. Have you ever heard of a Monza Towne Coupe? I think this is a bargain at $3,500, what do you think?

Comments

  1. Avatar Fred W.

    Has to have really been babied to look like that at 118K. Doubt there will be overwhelming interest though.

    Like 0
  2. Avatar Tirefriar

    Scotty, you make this sound like a deal if the century which IMO it really isn’t. This is a perfect librarian car (no offense) – it’s sort of boring and not very noticble. I bet people will have a hard time noticing this car, even at classic shows. The V6 is the saving grace here but beyond that there’s really nothing here that could be construed as “an entrance into classic car world”. It is priced accordingly. After all, what should it be priced at $5k? $7k? I just don’t see it nor do I see any future appreciation here… perphaps if only from retired librarians…

    Like 0
    • Avatar Paul Rieckmann

      I think lady librarians are hot! True, I would have not bought a 1980 Monza Town Coupe back in the day, there were much better cars out there at the time to buy, but this is a beautiful example of a survivor. It is also priced accordingly. I would notice this car on the street or at an old car show. It is also true that this was not the golden age of automobile manufacturing but we cannot write off or choose to ignore all vehicles built during this, or any, time period.

      Like 2
      • Avatar M. Lee

        Hi I was 17 when I first bought this car I loved it so much one night my brother stole it by pushing it out of the driveway and he and his little friends took off with it blew up the transmission pushed it back in the driveway I went to go to work the next day and it would run so after I get everything fixed my friend and I go out on a Friday night and we’re pulling out of a Wendy’s and we fall into the hole into the driveway works my frame and the part that goes to the tire that I can’t think of now but if anybody’s interested I have the full service manual for this car no more parts I love my car my little Chevy Monza no I didn’t have the heavy duty engine I just had the street plain base model but I loved it it was a cool little car

        Like 0
    • Avatar Paul Nick Bukur

      I had a one in 80 with the V8. It was most definitely a sleeper in the road.
      I use to eat up Corvettes when the pulled up next to me at 70. Then I’d wave Bye Bye.
      I can’t Do 55!!! . Off to work I go in the Silicon Valley Semiconductor Equipment Industry.

      Like 2
  3. Avatar Tony Goodner

    Great price on a rare car. Most of them were struck with tinworm. I’d be fun with a supercharged 3.8 in between the wheel wells

    Like 0
    • Avatar geebee

      Exactly what I was thinking

      Like 0
    • Avatar Tirefriar

      Yeah, that’s the ticket. Then mash the gas and watch as the rear end assembly passes you by

      Like 0
  4. Avatar Bingo

    Drop in a 350 over the weekend and now you’ve got yourself a car!! It’s really the next generation vega. I’d buy it now if I didn’t have kids in college.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Paul

      Ah dah dah…big V-8. Yeah dats cool!

      Like 0
  5. Avatar Rick

    Anyone notice there are three different sets of wheels through the photos? Still.. could be a killer sleeper, but for half the price.

    Like 0
    • Avatar GOPAR

      Photo #23 is a different car. Notice the vents on the passenger side front fender and it appears to be a hatchback.

      Like 0
  6. Avatar wuzjeepnowsaab

    My mom’s car was a bright orange Monza notchie with padded white vinyl 1/4 roof and white interior. With a 4.3 V-8

    A true love/hate relationship…Holy carp I hated driving that laughing-stock creamsicle car…and holy carp I loved that little car with the 8 cylinder.

    Like 0
  7. Avatar 68 custom

    looks good for a notch Monza, make for some turbo GN fun with that 3.8! no A/c is a deal killer in Fla though.

    Like 0
  8. Avatar Bob S

    The worst driving car my family ever owned…and I was born in the 50’s. I don’t see the point.

    Like 0
  9. Avatar RandyS

    Ah, the the original odd-fire 110 hp V6. Had one. While better than a vega engine it wasn’t really any better than the iron duke.

    Like 1
  10. Avatar Chebby

    It’s not that this is a great deal, it’s that everything else has become ridiculously overpriced. $3500 could net you an early Lexus LS400, not quite a classic but 1000x better car to use and enjoy than this tin lunchbox.

    Like 0
  11. Avatar Tony S

    My dad usually bought new GM cars when a new model came out (he worked at GM). We had a Vega GT, a Chevette Rally (I think) and a Monza Towne Coupe in 1978. That car was horrible! He almost got hit by it when the parking brake failed. The Monza we had was one of the ones that had the “Iron Duke” engine that had the bad block castings. It spent more time at the dealer than it did transporting him to and from work it seemed. When it was in the shop for the block the dealer replaced the block – yep – took the engine all apart, replaced the block, and put it all back together. Wow. After the warranty was exhausted we had it in a local repair shop (Action Auto for any Michiganders out there) to have something (who knows what) repaired. It fell off the lift onto it’s roof! (nobody hurt) I still remember vividly the service managers face when we (mom, dad, sister and I) came into the shop. He was scared and was so very apologetic until we saw it there dead on it’s back. We all started laughing and cheering – blew the guy’s mind! Memories! Miss ya dad!

    Like 2
  12. Avatar Tony S

    At the time I recall thinking the styling was attractive. Didn’t like the proportions of the Monza hatchback. And prettier than the Chevette.

    Like 0
  13. Avatar grant

    Ya I don’t get it. $3500 might be a good deal for a “collector” car but this isn’t a collector car. It’s a crappy old Monza. $3500 is not chicken scratch, someone could get a nice driver Honda for that and it would serve them well.

    Like 0
  14. Avatar Scotty Staff

    Auction update: the seller pulled the listing because the car is no longer available. Someone other than myself must have also thought that it was worth $3,500.

    Like 1
    • Avatar Tirefriar

      Not necessarily. All it means is that either he accepted an offer, maybe $3500 or maybe less, or just pulled the listing.

      Like 0
  15. Avatar John Doe

    I owned a blue 4 speed, 4 cylinder. It was a neat looking car but mechanically a real piece of junk!

    Like 0
  16. Avatar Andrew Snader

    My first car, a 4 cylinder with a 5 speed trans. Would love to have that car

    Like 1
  17. Avatar Joe

    I had a bronze with wight vial top, V8 with a 4 speed, white intra . was a great car till a tow truck hit at a light and totaled it.

    Like 0
  18. Avatar Colleen Howe

    Seriously looking for a 1980 with a 5-speed. It was the best car I’d ever owned. It was great on gas mileage and performance.

    Like 0
  19. Avatar Tyty

    I thought this is a Landau not a cabrio. My granny had a gold metallic with the 4cyl + auto. Grandpop bought it new and it had 62000 miles when sold…in 2003.

    Like 0
  20. Avatar Bob

    Had a 75 with the vega motor 127 000 miles never no trouble .I still have motor and trans tinn man got the rest

    Like 0
  21. Avatar Poncho

    This was my first car. Mine was the 1980 Town Coupe, silver with red vinyl interior. Bought it for $1200 with 51,000 miles. Put another 100,000 miles on it. Sold it for $1000 I think. I had an Alpine digital AM/FM cassette player that worked great and had aluminum slots all the way around. Did a little street racing with it. The Iron Duke always held its own against other 4 cylinders and even some 6 cylinder cars. First car I bought after getting out of college. I kept it tuned and oil changed. Tranny started slipping and leaking fluid bad so got parked. Tranny was rebuilt by a GM Tranny mechanic so that car would have done someone good for another long time if they kept the oil serviced. Kinda miss that car which is why I looked this one up. The good old days.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Stephen

      My first car too. I was 16, bought it used in 1983 with 20k miles. It was the exact color inside and out as this one. I also put an Alpine am/fm cassette in mine! Then I put on some raised white letter tires and a set of chrome spoke rims from Western Auto, and I was ready to roll to Myrtle Beach! Great Great memories!

      Like 0

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