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Mother-Daughter Monza

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This 1976 Chevy Monza here on eBay is claimed to be a survivor that just needs some minor fine-tuning to be a reliable driver. The car was bought and used by the seller’s wife and her mother when new, and has remained in the family ever since. Bidding is light with just over a day left. 

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There’s less than 40,000 miles on this Monza, and the overall condition backs up the odometer’s claims. Hopefully, you enjoy the color cardinal red since the interior is covered in it. The automatic is a bummer, but then again, it’s likely what kept this Monza restricted to a life of grocery-getting and errand-running. It has been repainted, so any hopes for original paint can be ignored – which is truly a loss on such a low mileage car. The seller also notes that the carpets need to be re-dyed and some interior plastics “are bad,” whatever that means.

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The 4.3 V8 was an optional engine offered by Chevrolet, and at the time, the smallest V8 it sold. The 110 b.h.p. it generated will provide a leisurely driving experience, but at least it’s not saddled with the anemic single-barrel four cylinder. Despite the seller’s claims that it “runs like a watch,” the Monza needs a new fuel tank sending unit and a carb rebuild. It sounds like the transmission seals are weeping, too.

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The presence of a trailer hitch under the rear bumper makes one wonder just what exactly you could tow with a Monza. The seller has added several photos over the past few days showing the underside of the car which does have surface rust but isn’t anything atypical of a vehicle parked on a concrete surface (or occasionally driven in the snow, which can happen in Michigan). I’m not sure where I stand on this one, as the repaint leaves me conflicted as to whether this is truly a survivor. The reserve hasn’t been met – what do you think it’s worth?

Comments

  1. Avatar Jason Houston

    Very pretty car. I could be persuaded…

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  2. Avatar grant

    The bad plastics might refer to the seat belt retainers that connect to the headrests. It is clearly missing on the drivers seat and typically broke anyway. As I recall, the plastic bits in GM products of this era would oxidize into white powder as they became brittle and disintegrated.

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  3. Avatar Chebby

    A mini pickup truck with that snout would look sharp indeed. Most of these were 4-bangers, two V8’s in one day is pretty cool. Nice finds.

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  4. Avatar John M

    A high school friend bought one of these new with a V-8, and later learned that the engine had to be pulled to replace the two rear spark plugs.

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    • Avatar dave

      Owned 2-You had to jack the engine.

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  5. Avatar DRV

    Those are the hubcaps that were on my 75 Skylark and were prone to melting.

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  6. Avatar piper62j

    Nice car, nice finish.. The floor pan tells me something else.. I’d look a little deeper for bondo, panel replacement and to be honest, I question the mileage on it..

    Nice find..

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  7. Avatar pappy2d

    Why… oh why, would you leave the trailer hitch on?

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  8. Avatar Rex Kahrs Member

    You could really draw a crowd at Harbor Freight in this rig.

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  9. Avatar Dave W

    This one is exactly like the 4sp one I had that I mentioned on the last Monza
    same color and all

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  10. Avatar Van

    You know it’s still not as ugly as a fox body mustang coup

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    • Avatar grant

      I like fox body coupes….

      Like 0
  11. Avatar Steve

    A friend of my dads gave me notchback monza like this, title and all when i was in high school. It originally had a 4 cyl, auto trans and was dark blue. The engine had “gone out” and had been pulled. I had a 283 i planned to put in it, and was saving money for a th350. Since i already had a 71 el camino at the time, when a neighbor offered me $500, as i was given it, i let it go. Best return on my investment ever! I later sold the 283 to my brother for his 67 Nova. Turns out the nova blocks are different than others. Something about the oil filter pad maybe (?)

    Like 0
  12. Avatar Dave h

    Since this already has the baby V8, a 350 would just drop right in! (Ask me how I know this) Yes the 2 rear plugs on the driver side are a real PITA to change, but unbolting the motor mount on that side and judicious use of a floor jack (PLEASE put a block of wood under the unbolted motor mount before you get your hand in there!) makes it no worse than a lot of other cars Yes those are the stock wheel covers – and boy do they fall off easily on the first pothole you come to! With a 350 4bbl, it’ll melt the rear tires!

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    • Avatar dave

      Have to put a remote oil filter on if I remember?

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    • Avatar Barry T

      What sort of idiots would design a car that you have to unbolt a motor mount just to change the plugs?

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      • Avatar DW

        Engineers who were used to vastly huge engine compartments of the old days, but hadn’t ‘downsized’ their thinking when the gas ‘shortage’ of the 80s came along and they had to cram a small V8 in an even smaller car, that’s who :)

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      • Avatar DENIS

        Barry T, lots of V-8 powered mid-size cars had that problem…ever try to change plugs on a Cobra-Jet Mustang??

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  13. Avatar Bob

    Mom traded a 6.6 litre Grand Prix in for a 4 cylinder Monza like this in Beige. What was she thinking? Worst car she owned. Traded the Monza in for an 82 Accord. I learnt a lot about mfg precision when that day came.

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  14. Avatar piper62j

    Barry… Ford and GM… That’s part of the many reasons those two major companies were overwhelmed by the foreign car manufacturers.. A large percentage of the newer generations of kids buy foreign only.. They don’t want the hassle of American made poor quality… I believe they are wrong.. The big three have come a long way lately and IMHO, produce very good vehicles..
    Just sayin..

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  15. Avatar DW

    Engineers who were used to vastly large engine compartments of the old days, but hadn’t ‘downsized’ their thinking when the gas ‘shortage’ came along and they had to cram a small V8 in an even smaller car, that’s who :)

    Like 0
  16. Avatar Jay

    I owned the Pontiac version of this car… I can’t remember what it was called.

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  17. Avatar piper62j

    Firenza,,, Maybe…

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    • Avatar Vince Habel

      Pontiac was a Sunbird.

      Like 0
  18. Avatar alabee

    Firenza was the Olds. My father-in-law had a new one for about 6 weeks before he traded it in on a Maxima which he kept less than a year.

    Like 0

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