All of GM’s intermediates would be redesigned for 1978-80, including the Monte Carlo, Chevy’s personal luxury car. They would be 700 to 800 pounds lighter and 15 inches shorter to be more fuel-efficient. Yet, they would also be more spacious for passengers and luggage. Available here on eBay from Marysville, Washington is a pair of 1979 Monte Carlos, bought new by a father and son duo. Both run and have their original drivetrains but need cosmetic attention after more than 40 years. They can be obtained for the Buy It Now price of $7,900 for the pair or interested parties can submit an offer.
Chevrolet added the Monte Carlo to its line-up in 1970, borrowing at first from both the Pontiac Grand Prix and Chevy’s own Chevelle. It would be a successful model through 2007, although the nameplate took a break between 1989-94. In the late ’70s, the more compact Monte Carlo would continue to sell well, with the 1979 edition being 14% of total Chevrolet production or about 317,000 units. The car was attractive enough for both a father and son to buy two of them in 1979, one copper/brown and the other medium blue. While we’re not sure, these cars may have stayed with both family members before being listed for sale by this dealer.
What the two cars share is that they need some cosmetic attention, at a minimum, with the blue car perhaps more so than the brown one. Both have more than 100,000 miles on their odometers, with original interiors that have ripped seats, cracked dash pads, and torn headliners. The pair also have good sheet metal, floorboards, and undercarriages. Both start, run, and drive, and stop well for their age.
Where they differ is the drivetrains selected when new. The blue car has a V8 engine (either a 267 or 305 cubic inch motor) and automatic transmission, while the brown one is a V6 (likely 200 or 231 cubic inches) with a floor-shifted manual, a rarely chosen transmission in the Monte Carlo. It would be interesting to see which auto is peppier and – given the detuning of cars of that era) – I’m thinking the brown one might have a slight advantage.
The seller offers a ton of extra photos and videos on extra links, with the blue car having a trunk full of extra parts. The video for the blue car is here, but I could not get the one for the brown car to open without an error. The link to that folder is in the eBay listing and perhaps you could test it to see if it will work for you. The third generation Monte Carlo doesn’t seem to command big bucks in the resale markets, so getting a running pair here for $3,950 each doesn’t sound too bad.
Hmm, let me guess; the brown one belonged to the dad, and the son had the blue one. I like the stick shift, so even though blue is my favorite color, I’d go w/ the brown; maybe hop up the V-6 a bit! GLWTA!! :-)
And they’re sold already! I’ve never seen a factory manual shift in that body style of Monte Carlo and it’s cool to see that.
Turn one into the car from training day and the other not for out.
According to the 1979 Monte Carlo brochure, the manual was only available with the 3.3L engine. With only 94hp and 154lb-ft of torque vs. the 4.4L V8’s 125hp/215lb-ft, the V8 was faster, no question.
Unless they put the 2.41 differential behind the V8, which would make it super lazy. The manual v6 no doubt had better gearing. It’d be interesting to see which one was faster
2.73:1 for the 3-speed, 2.29:1 or 2.73:1 for the automatic. I still don’t think that’s enough to wipe out the V8’s torque advantage. I get what you’re saying, though. I had a Ford Ranger reg. cab with a 3.0 V6, 5-speed, and 3.73 gears. At the same time, my dad had a Ranger Supercab with a 4.0 V6, automatic, and 2.73 gears. Mine was much quicker in just about any situation. Dad was not happy.
Like CCFisher said; gears make a huge difference. I could beat most automatic 4.3l s10s and Blazers with a 5 sppeed 2.2l 4cyl s10 – it had 4:10s and the 6s came with 3.42s. It had some bolts ons and a tune but without the gears, it wouldnt have been enough.
Just a word of journalistic, advice, aphostrophes do not make words plural. Monte Carlos is correct, not Monte Carlo’s.
Can I have a word with you about the wonderful world of commas? LOL
Not a Chevy guy. But personally. These were my favorite monte Carlos.
A common mistake that irritates me whenever I see it. You even see it on restaurant signage and billboards.
Man that blue one brings back some fond memories from my mother she bought a 79 in that blue. Probably the last car she bought new. She been gone 14 years this September.
You used to see so many of these around! My boss had one just like the brown one, also notice the plates. They were bought together!
I had a blue ’78 with 305 CI engine and auto trans I bought for $400, was a dog to drive, but served the purpose going to work and back and carting the kids around :)
No thanks. I always considered these cheap imitations of the original Monte. I had a friend that owned one (he called it ‘the couch’) and all I remember was the ‘chrome’ plastic strips on the bumpers fell off…just like they did on these two.
Yep, I owned a 72 MC, as well as a 84 MC SS later on. However, in between those two, I also owned a 78 model with those plastic strips in the bumper. I had to constantly press the strips back into the molded grooves, very poor design. Overall, the car drove pretty good with 305 engine. Mine was more of a luxury cruiser with velour bench seat and t-tops. They were definitely the ugly duckling years for the MC nameplate.
Note to Russ D — If we throw in that “spare” apostrophe with the Monte Carlos, this makes three items for the price of one. That’s one helluva deal!
That was a deal if I ever seen one. I had a ‘79 Monte with factory t tops, bucket seats & auto floor shift with a 305. Pretty fast little car, I loved it.
If they were bought together, that blue one hasn’t fared as well under the care of the son. It looks like the sort of beater I still see around the tote-the-note used car lots. My pop had the Buick Regal from this body style, red velour bench seat you couldn’t slide across, no AC and T-tops. An oddball car, but not as odd or cool as the brown Monte with a stick!