This 1977 Chevrolet Monza Towne Coupe has an interesting story and it really does have just 4,844 miles on it according to the seller’s description, and no rust! It can be found here on eBay in beautiful Fort Harrison, Montana. There is no reserve and the bid price is just over $2,200 as I write this.
1977 was about halfway through the Monza’s run at Chevrolet and in 1977 the 2+2 Hatchback sold around 5,000 more units than the Towne Coupe did. I like this notchback look whether it’s a Monza or a Mustang II or AMC Hornet or whatever.
This car has an unusual history, being sold to a “wealthy older woman” in Montana and shortly after purchasing it, she because ill and put the car in storage. Her nephew got the car in her estate in 2014 with a mere 3,100 miles on it. He had a local shop do $2,000 worth of work on it to make it a safe, reliable driver and he put another 1,500 miles on it. He then sold it to a local collector and the current owner bought it from him. What a tale and it explains why this car looks so great after so many decades.
And, it’s a 4-speed manual transmission car! That “older woman” must have been pretty cool to have purchased a 4-speed car. I expected to see an automatic floor shifter in this car, I was 99% sure it would be. The seats are wicked cool and they look like new both front and rear. The seller has provided a YouTube video tour which is always nice to see.
The engine could have used a quick detailing to keep the low-mile doubters at bay, but it’s too late for that now. This is the 2.3L / 140 cubic-inch inline-four which had 84 hp and 117 ft-lb of torque and it’s still wearing the original belts and hoses from when it was born 42 years ago! The tires have been changed but the originals come with the sale. Would you keep it preserved with the 2.3L engine or slip a V6 or V8 in there?
Great condition – low mileage is probably why it still runs at all. Basically a Vega on steroids, no? Same 2.3 litre engine as in my ’74 Vega and it ate head gaskets. Hopefully by ’77 they figured out how to stop the head and block metals from eating each other. Friend had this Monza with a V8 and it was too front heavy. Leave well enough alone or try the V6 for any sense of weight and balance. 4 speed makes it interesting. GLWTA!
1977 was the last year for the 2300, so in classic GM tradition…it must be perfect.
The “Durabuilt 140” was a seriously upgraded version of the original 2300 CC Aluminum block four. (2300 cc = 140 cu, I doubt that fooled anyone) It had a revised head with better cooling and lubrication. Chevrolet also installed an adequate radiator by then. It was significantly improved, and probably a decent engine. What it could have been from day one.
Thank you.
Broke my 77 three times in 40,0000 miles. Disheartening after I ordered it equipped exactly as I wanted it. Traded it for a 79 Z28 as soon as I got it back from the last rebuild which included both the head and the block.
I had a 76 in high school just like it.. Same color and interior. My dad bought it new and passed it to me in 1980. Loved that little car.. Is this one for sale and if so how much?? Plz give me a call.
Juan Valdes at 956-245-1263
Make it interesting: put a Quad 4 or some other GM hi-po four banger in there to make it fun, but keep true to its economy roots.
All the driving pleasure of a shopping cart. Pass.
Big Len, the point is to make it better, not the same.
LNF Ecotec… probably would have to replace the trans and diff with ones out of a V8 Monza, though.
I had a high school buddy who had one of these-circa 1984. It was a beater we had dubbed “Monzilla”….good times. RIP Bobby.
Split in the dash right above the IP. Other than that, this thing is ridiculously clean.
Yes, it is. I just do not like yellow cars. Pass
I just thought of something: to put the Mustang II in perspective, imagine if this had been badged…Camaro.
Thats exactly what these were Camaro and Firebird II’s……
Finally a good barn find.
I question why he does not want buyer flying in and driving out.
I suspect mechanical problems
The belts and hoses are 42 years old.
Not necessarily. Considering it’s had 3-4 owners already, I’d bet they aren’t that old.
Seems like common sense to me. Who would want to get stuck in the middle of Montana in car that’s barely been used in 42 years? The thing is bound to have issues that will need sorted.
I’m wondering why he felt the need to obscure the vin. Don’t fly in and drive off. I won’t let you see the vin unless you buy it. He won’t take new bidders. Kinda sounds like he doesn’t want to sell it.
And why he’d be like that is weird. We’re not talking a Lamborghini here; it’s a glorified Vega.
This very small car has a rear overhang a lot longer than almost anything you can buy today! I would think that would be safer for rear seat passengers if the car gets hit in the back hard enough. These chrome bumpers look lot better & slimmer than most others of the era, while still providing good protection & decent looks!
There was no need to replace the spark plugs with such low miles.
Wonder if those inside door pulls separate from THESE doors(& corvette’s), or is it just on very heavy camaro/firebird doors?
The original ultra thin whitewalls would improve the looks of the car, but good luck finding those for < $100 – each today, radial or not, much less ones that will last more than 6 yrs w/o cracking from even just sitting.
Looks like the same seller of all those old trucks.
While I naturally doubt the 4K miles, it can’t have 104, so it’s probably legit. I bet the real reason it was never driven, the old gal couldn’t drive a stick. My ex-wife had a V8 Monza fastback, it was a miserable car.
Still has the ” unleaded fuel only ” sticker on the quarter !
Love these.
Prefer the Sunbird notch for 77 with the new Iron Duke, but the Dura Built 2.3 was much improved over the original and came from the factory with a 5 year/60,000 mile warranty.
One of GM’s under appreciated styling defforts.
Can’t miss as a grocery getter. Change the belts and hoses, and yes, put a set of whitewalls on it and enjoy. Just remember it’s not a hell of a lot of car.
I looked at the auction expecting to read lots of cranky-old-fart-says-get-off-my-lawn kinds of stuff. I don’t see that. Suggesting that driving home isn’t the best idea seems reasonable to me. Lots of sellers have similar statements about low-feedback bidders. He’s not saying he doesn’t want your business, he’s saying contact me first to confirm you’re serious. This is all pretty standard stuff, especially for auctioning a car vs selling off Grandma’s limited-edition collectible kittycat plates.
When these were new, I thought they were among the best-looking cars on the market. Not a high bar, I know. It still looks good to me now though.
Can’t tell for sure but is that a dent on the passenger door parallel to the body crease?
Yes, it is noted in the auction writeup along with damage to the front valance.
Almost bought one of these with I think 262 v8 4 speed back in 75, but second wife didn’t think it was roomy enough for the family. She was right ofcourse, between us we had 8 kids. We ended up with a Ford 8 passenger station wagon, 74 vintage. We split the sheets in 81, oh happy days.
God bless America
Back in the mid 1980’s, my high school years, I chased a skirt that had a yellow Monza coupe just like this, but with the black landau roof. To try to get her attention, my semi-developed brain told me to buy a car like hers. The logic was that this would show her I had similar taste (bad logic, but it got even worse lol).
I went & purchased a 1975 Monza hatchback, 262 v-8 & 4 speed. It was beat worse than a double scrambled egg. The engine committed suicide on me a couple days after I replaced a broken u-joint (which broke while cruising my local cruise strip…I attempted to burn some rubber @ a red light in front of a crowd of people hangin’ out, also trying to look cool lol).
I purchased an early 1970’s Impala with a 400 small block. I knew that engine would fit where the remains of the 262 were. So I and some friends threw the larger engine in the Monza. We didn’t replace the clutch, but should have because it was shot. A week or so later, when it would no longer move because of the clutch, off to the scrap heap she went…probably later than she should have gone lol.
Uh, how did you mate the small block 400 to that manual? IE, as in what did you use for a flywheel and where did you get it?
Truth be told, I don’t recall for sure. If I remember correct, we took all sorts of parts off the 262 v-8 @ swapped them onto the 400. I know we used the water pump & puppies so everything would line up properly. Keep in mind this was 1987. We were teenagers that really THOUGHT we knew what we were doing…but didn’t lol. All I know is it ran like a raped ape until the clutch went a very short time later lol.
Sold for $7500.