Did Chevrolet get the Monte Carlo the “most” right on the first try? By plopping the Monte Carlo’s attractive body atop the A-Body sedan’s 116-inch wheelbase, and then offering it with an optional 360-horsepower 454, Chevrolet set themselves up for great expectations. That greatness typically manifests itself in asking prices, and the first-generation Monte Carlos tend to sell for higher prices than any subsequent generations. However, this restored SS454 is being sold here on eBay with no reserve in Clermont, Florida, and the high bid currently sits at a mere $16,000. While the final bid will certainly exceed that by many thousands, how high will this sharp personal luxury car go?
The sales brochure assumes that the average SS454 buyer will be more mature than the average muscle car owner.
To the inquisitive teenage enthusiast you will say, “Yes son, there is a Monte Carlo SS.” It consists of a special package of heady
performance equipment that you can order. Beneath the longest Chevrolet hood ever, we drop in the largest Chevrolet regular production engine ever.
Although the LS5 454 didn’t have the oomph of the ultimate expression of Chevy factory-rated horsepower, the 450-horsepower LS6, it better represented the Monte Carlo’s luxury image. And it was no slouch—Motor Trend found that it accelerated to sixty in seven-seconds flat and finished the quarter-mile in 14.9 seconds at 92 miles per hour. The seller says that this clean “Tuxedo Black” Monte Carlo underwent a body-off restoration about three-and-a-half years ago, and that the 454 has matching numbers. The engine compartment looks nicely detailed, and I’ll never tire of pointing out the size of the cooling fan shroud. You could mount a drag slick on that thing.
The appropriately luxurious interior is well-equipped with bucket seats, a console, power windows, power door locks, and “ice cold” air conditioning; and most importantly, everything works. The black-on-black-on-black (paint, vinyl roof, interior) theme gives the Monte Carlo the formal look it deserves.
The undercarriage is rust-free, and you can see the SS454’s standard dual exhaust and Turbo Hydra-matic 400 transmission.
I’ve talked to countless people over the years who think that the first-generation Monte Carlo was one of the best-looking cars of the muscle car period, and it’s certainly hard to argue. Is it possible that Chevy got it exactly right out of the gate? Could this be the most desirable Monte Carlo of them all? It’s certainly in the running, and considering this example’s excellent condition, it could make a “mature” muscle car buyer very happy.
What a fabulous looking Monte, with a great write-up! Likely with a $50k rebuild, $16,600 will be a distant memory in 6 days.
And that fan shroud – I thought that Studebaker had dibs on the longest but this is ossum!
$37,800 on 2/13/26, five days to go! nice car.
Yep, up to $42600 already…lol.
I’m guessing with the sign where the license plate goes
& the frame around it that this is a 1970 Monte Carlo.
Wasn’t there an optional handling pkg that has an air leveling system out back ? Didn’t see it on the window sticker, probably better off w out. Beautiful Monte. Mandatory Hydramatic 400 autoloader w the big motor SS. Fast with class Chevy. 👍 🏁
Sticker said automatic level control
Automatic Level Control was standard equipment w/the SS package.
Well, that would be a pretty good guess, given that’s what the ad says it is.
This is a very nice example, and if I were a bettin’ man, I would say that someone is probably looking at around 30K to take it home.
Thanks All. Didn’t read the std equipment list that was included w the SS pkg… was sure it was an option…
I Ass-umed it was an option. lol.
florida doesnt require front tags and yeah its beauty
I am pretty sure the suspension Stan is refuring to was standard on the SS and I think that’s the compressor next to the A/C compressor. Had a line on one years ago and the guy I was talking to about the car his son took it out and blew the engine one weekend. Was sitting at a service station used to go by, it just disappeared, never saw it again.
A personal dream car, and what a excellent example.
Up to 22.9, should go much higher. Pretty brave without a reserve.
Fantastic car. Not many made, and this may be the nicest.
This is definitely far beyond one of those ‘cars & coffee’ vehicles. As a high-schooler entering my senior year I well remember when these hit the streets. Kudos to whoever did the restoration.
All I have to say is VERY NICE Monte Carlo here and that price it won’t last long.
I’d say 32 to 35k is where it will end up.
Nice, nice, nice.
It’s already surpassed your guesstimate, I’d think 50-60k is a more realistic number.
Nice first gen Monte. It looks classy in triple black.
Had a chance to buy one of these in the mid 80’s, it was a light green. It had the swivel captain’s seats. Another one that got away
Swivel seat were only available starting in 1973 on the Colonnade years of Monte Carlos, (and Chevelles, and Cutlasses.)
I sold a 71 SS Montecarlo in light green outside of Rochester NY , extremely nice car for 4500.00 and a kawasaki KZ 1000
Wow. Doesn’t get much better.
looks very elegant in black for sure. resto looks to be of a high caliber. needs a pair of front springs though. way too low in the front.
Sorry, Hairy, gotta disagree with you there. That’s the perfect stance for a Monte. Always loved these. A friend had one with a 300hp 350 in it, I waxed it for him once and he let us take it to cruise town with. Silver with black vinyl top, Keystones and white letters…sharp! Lots of low end…just punch it at an idle and it’d squall the tires. Those were the days!
Yet another blunder. No manual
No manual available with the 454 !
That is correct, Rob. Many folks still think the SS454 Monte Carlo could be ordered with the 4-speed, but nope, sorry! You could get a 402 big block V8 with a 4-speed though! My friend had one back in the early 1980s. We knew it was rare, and found out there were less than 600 built!!! Unfortunately he sold it many years ago.
That’s a beauty. I’ve always preferred the first gen over anything that came after.
I had a 1970 monte as my first car in the eighties. Restored and transformed to a buckets and console did every changeover to make it look like it came the factory that way. Boy I would jump on it but today’s world impossible for me.. Real nice ss im jealous!!LOL
Never knew they made an SS version. Thirteen days shy of my 70th, and I’m still learning something new every day…🤓
I’m being picky here, but no inside control driver’s side mirror? Even my ’70 Maverick had one. Think this Monte would have looked just a bit better with the sport mirrors. Otherwise a fantastic car!
You are correct… should have the toggle switch on the door panel for the mirror and it does not. Also, the power door lock switches are in the wrong locations, so whoever replaced the door panels didn’t do their homework. Which was likely done when they changed the interior from blue (per the cowl tag) to black. I love the black, but purists may disagree.
And while we’re talking booboos… tach is wrong, redline should be 5500 rpm. No pix of shock protectors – are they present? Heat stove/riser MIA (BIG $$, IF you can find one). Wrong fan shroud (it appears to be a small block shroud). Big block shrouds expensive and most need restoring. Trunk paint is wrong and there’s shoddy wiring that needs to be cleaned up.
What say the First Gen Monte fanatics?
You are absolutely correct GeePee! That tachometer was the first thing that jumped out at me as it is a small block tach. As an owner of a 71′ Monte Carlo SS 454 I am very in tuned with all the small details. You have a good eye.
I am not great at decoding the vin tag. Are we sure it was originally black with blue interior? Is everything else adding up?
@STEVEN LEMPERA…
The VIN tag will tell you nothing more that the year “0”, the plant in which it was built “B” (Baltimore) and the last six sequential numbers of units built “116518”.
Don’t forget, these numbers were assigned to specific plants. Don’t have a source in front of me, but for example: VINs 000001 thru 100000 may have been assigned to the Arlington plant, 100001 thru 150999 to Baltimore, 151000 thru 200000 to Van Nuys, etc.
The COWL tag will show month and week built (11A – November, first week), interior color (767 Blue), exterior color (19 Black) as well as the sequential Body Number (B300909 BDY- Baltimore).
As stamped, the motor was built September 17th (T0917) and the “CRN” is indeed the LS5 454. In 1971, it changed to “CPD”. It’s pertinent that the motor was built BEFORE the car was assembled. Ditto the trans (“258” is the Julian Calendar date for September 15th) which also is before the first week of November, so that’s generally a good sign.
A Build Sheet would confirm all these numbers, as well as those stamped on the differential (date, plant, shift and gear ration). A Protect-O-Plate would also confirm, VIN, motor, trans and rear end dates/info, carb, date built and original owners name and address. Some dealerships added other information to these plates, but the “meat & potatoes” would verify or debunk authenticity quickly. These two pieces of documentation are quite literally the cars birth certificate(s) and add great value to the vehicle as it’s proof of authenticity. I’m far from an expert, but I do own two fully documented First Generation SS’s
Check the First Generation Monte Carlo Club website for a very detailed explanation and examples of this. It’s a must have/know for anyone looking to invest in a car like this.
I could just kick myself… had the chance to buy a Monte SS 454 8yrs or so ago for $25k and thought that was too much at the time… ugh.
Really like this generation Monte Carlo. Needed be standard with 454 from the git-go.
The Grand Prix SJ and Cutlass SX are better picks if I had the choice of the three.
This Monte deserves a preservationist home. SS units were not that common
3,823 SS’s for 1970 to be exact. Prob safe to assume less than a third of that number exist today.
Numbers matching/original motor is huge, as is the trans (I haven’t decoded the Julian date to see if it’s age lines up as possibly original unit). How about the rear end? If all three ARE original, the other parts needed to put her back to exactly how she rolled off the line are obtainable.
Either way, potential buyers need to do their due diligence. Does seller have a Build Sheet, Protect-O-Plate and/or ORIGINAL bill of sale?
I find no faults with this classy Monte. One of my favorite years, the console is great and that 454 just wants to go. Once you open up the 4 barrel carb stop at the next fill up spot. Someone is getting a nice one!
You folks can not pick this little darlin’ all you want, but I say “damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead”. He or she isn’t presenting it as ready for a concourse car, just a nice example of a ’70 SS, and I for one agree.
“This listing was ended by the seller on Tue, Feb 17 at 9:03 AM because the item is no longer available.”
This is the fate of many of these “No Reserve” auctions that don’t meet the seller’s expectations.
How do you know that doesn’t mean “no longer available because it sold”?
Yes sold! To me. Very happy about it.
Thank you
Very pretty car, good luck!
Good luck Steve! Seriously, check out The First Generation Monte Carlo Club (FGMCC) and consider becoming a member. Without a doubt, it’s the BEST source of all things First Gen Monte. From parts, to help with any/all issues Monte, it’s a great group of fellow First Gen owners.
Congratulations Steve. Nice ride. Enjoy.
This 454 SS will look great sitting next to my super rare 71 Monte. 350 two barrel 3 on the tree. Buckets no console. Blue with white painted roof.
Yeah, that 3 on the tree is quite the rare option as it was the cheapest trans available. Bare bones transportation likely ordered by a very frugal person. Let’s see pix of the girls when your new SS arrives.
Very nice. We need to see pictures of that one.