454, Hold the SS? 1970 Chevrolet Monte Carlo

Well, this is an interesting find, courtesy of Curvette, and for more than just one reason. It’s a 1970 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, and a 454 CI V8 engine powers it – more on that attribute in a bit. It’s also a very early production example, having rolled off GM’s Baltimore assembly line in the second week of September 1969. Condition? Let’s check it out and see what’s what. Located in Mesa, Arizona, this first edition Monte is available here on eBay for a current bid of $19,100, with the reserve not yet met.

The Monte Carlo’s first edition spanned the years 1970-1972 and is, subjectively, my favorite. The Bowtie moved 159K units in the Montes’ inaugural year – not a bad start, but a bit off the planned mark due to a labor strike. A single two-door hardtop body style was spread over two trim levels, standard and Super Sport (RPO Z20 – a $420 option). The SS option was not widely selected, as there were only 3,800 produced – and it was an inconspicuous upgrade with the only indicative badging consisting of obscure SS emblems attached to the leading edge of either rocker panel. The curious thing is that the standout feature of the Z20 option was a 454 CI V8 engine – it was the only way to secure a Monte Carlo so equipped. Our subject car has that engine, but it’s missing the telltale badging. Were the outward signs removed, or is this a standard model that underwent an engine transplant? Hard to know for sure. This Chevy is being sold by “Streetside Classics“, a known entity in the classic car biz, so an available trail of provenance details is unlikely.

Anyway, the engine in question, if it’s original, would have started life as a 360 gross HP powerplant, but this car’s prime mover has been modified with an aluminum intake manifold, a replacement carburetor, an open-element air cleaner, and headers. There’s no verifiable mileage and total silence regarding operational characteristics. A Turbo-Hydramatic 400 automatic gearbox makes the rear-wheel connection, and it’s the only transmission that was offered with the big-inch engine.

The interior is nicely outfitted with black vinyl bucket seats and a center console – it all appears to be in fine nick. The steering wheel, however, is a cheesy, ubiquitous Chevy piece from the mid to late seventies, one that adorned Vegas and other models. Additionally, add-on engine monitoring gauges have been affixed to the lower edge of the dash. This is a non A/C equipped car.

As for the exterior presentation, this Monte Carlo looks great! The body is straight, the finish is deep, and there’s no indication of rust. The Chevy rally wheels could be original to this car, as they were an option in ’70, though these look “deeper” to my eye than what was factory provided. I’d suggest the finish is non-original as I can’t find a red-orange hue available in the ’70 Monte Carlo color palette.

So, what to think here? I’d like to know more about this car’s provenance, primarily due to that SS454 badging issue. Beyond that, it seems sound – these first-gen cars have come into their own as their closely related Chevelle siblings have reached extra-terrestrial pricing. As for the early build date, some will try to spin that as a selling feature; I don’t think early, late, or somewhere in between really matters. OK, that’s all I have; trust but verify, right?