As if Chevy Monzas weren’t unicorns enough, seeing a 1976 Chevrolet Monza Towne Coupe is even more unicorn’y. This double dose of unicorness can be found here on Craigslist in Fossil, Oregon. The seller is asking $2,075 or best offer for this rock-solid Chevy Monza and they say that “I bought it from the original owner.. ZERO RUST.” Zero rust can’t be beat in my world. Thanks to Miguel for tracking down another interesting find!
Monza Towne Coupes don’t pass through the portals here at 1 Barn Finds Tower too often so it’s nice to see one, especially a Towne Coupe. This may not be the best photo to show off the stance of this Monza, though, it doesn’t exactly scream the legend of Autodromo Nazionale Monza. Although, the name Towne Coupe also doesn’t scream racing heritage, it sort of whimpers white shoes and houndstooth double-knit Sansabelt slacks. A padded white vinyl landau roof would have completed the look.
I’m mostly kidding about the shape and/or style of the Monza Towne Coupe, of course. I think that by now most of you know that I love unusual vehicles and vehicles from this era – this is both of those in spades. The Towne Coupe was GM’s response to the Ford Mustang II Ghia and while it may be a somewhat successful design, I think most of us can agree that good or bad, the Mustang II is much more well known today than the Towne Coupe is. That could very well be a selling point for this Monza to those of us who like to drive something that isn’t seen too often. It looks good but there’s a reason, it’s been repainted. “Brand New Dupont base coat clear coat painted the original color.”
The seller has uploaded quite a few photos and even an engine photo, so kudos to them for that. The interior looks pretty nice, how those white seats have stayed so nice and so white for over four decades I’ll never know. The back seat probably isn’t a place that I would be located in for too long, but it looks good back there. It sounds like it could use some work on the headliner and carpet: “Seats are nice dash is nice.. carpet has a hole in the driver’s side.. headliner is saggy.”
This is one clean car. The 2.3L, 140 cubic-inch inline-four looks pretty clean at least on top. The seller says that it “Runs and drives good.. new fuel pump new carb.” With around 80 hp on tap it’s nice to have a 5-speed manual behind it. Have any of you owned a Chevy Monza?
Gone in 60 seconds…..
Those look like Corvair Spyder hubcaps too, probably worth something on their own.
Omg that was my first car and I loved it. Would love to have one again. Only thing I hated was one spark plugs. Had lower engine to get to it. Love love loved my car
Saying ” Have any of you owned a Chevy Monza”, is like saying have any of you had VD? If you had owned either one you wouldn’t admit to it.
Hi, my name is Miguel, and I have owned a Monza Town Coupe.
I paid $50.00 for it and it moved and stopped.
That is all I have to say about that one.
Oh, sorry, one more thing, it was red.
Welcome to MA Miguel!
Thank you.
These don’t exist where I am, so that is a good thing.
I learned to drive in a 1976 Monza Coupe. It was white with the red padded landau roof. White interior. And, I really liked the car. My brother and I were on a double date and we had a wreck. Totaled the car, but we were OK.
There used to be a way to save Craigslist ads so that they could be viewed after the seller removed it. I think it has been used on Barn Finds before or maybe it was on that other site. It would work great with these quick sales.
BTW, I enjoy looking and reading Barn Finds so much that I got rid of the BaT many moons ago. :)
I was thinking the same thing, wondering why they stopped including a post-sale link to Craig’s List on here, so we can check them out.
Anyone can do it, not just the Barn Find Staff.
It’s easy, just paste the URL into the spot on this page, give it a nickname, and then paste the link into a post here.
http://www.craigslistadsaver.com/
I submitted this ad about a week and a half ago, so the ad was up for quite a while after submission.
I think it is more that the ads expire before thy can get onto this site.
Holy cow! I owned a twin to this car back in the 80’s, same color in and out, no engine or trans, though, and originally an auto trans. A friend of my dad’s gave it to me, title and all. THe paint wasn’t as shiny s this, but it was rust and dent free, and would probably have polished out…My uncle gave me the 4 cyl engine and trans out of a Vega (with friends like that, who needs enemies, right?) but I planned to swap a 283 and TH350 I had into it. I forget, but never got around to it, and it was gone soon enough… I was a teenager and probably horse traded it to someone and ended up with a handful of magic beans…
Yes I had a 75 great car rust got to it still have motor and trans 127000 miles
Never saw one before. I thought it was a 3/4 size Monte Carlo as nothing surprises me anymore on BF.
I have never seen one of these and would have definitely been scratching my head trying to figure it out if I saw this in the wild. Probably only a handful of these left in existence, I’m sure. That manual trans is the icing on this bizarre blue cake! I dig it.
I’ve had multiple Monzas, but I really preferred the Pontiac Sunbird coupe with the same body . Dual headlights and the tail lights were really sporty. Couple with the 231 even fire V6 in car and it had trouble keeping rubber on the ground.
FUN!
Had a 76 with four headlights. Was an original v8 car with 4 speed. Most came with auto. Put five lug all around and had a 350 roller motor in it. What a blast to drive. Was rust free when I sold it
Had a 77 or 78 Sunbird coupe. Loved it but a bad rear main seal and no $ while in college so it didn’t last long
My mother drove one of these in 76. Hers was 70’s orange with white vinyl and white interior, and with the small v8 and autobox.
I hated being seen driving that car…I’m still scarred
I had a 1st year 75 hatch back with the 262 V-8, auto, bought it in 85 with 45xxx miles, in excellent condition, wish I never sold it. It had the factory aluminum wheels, which are quite rare, and expensive. Pain to work on, but would roast a set of tires as if they were free, which they are not. Wish this one never got away, loved that car! Here’s a pic of the exact one that I had.
Had a ’78 2+2 with a factory 305. It had a bad cam, so we shoehorned in an SB400. Talk about a Sit n Spin.
Vega engine? One of the cheapest, crappiest looking things ever.
As far as Monzas go, this was the better looking one to have back in the seventies when thay came out. Wanted one with a 350 V-8 which was optional. I think the hatchback has aged a lot better over time. Make mine a hatchback with a 350 and a 5-speed.
I had a ’78 red notch-back with rear spoiler, 4 cyl, 4 spd. It was a fun little car. Teenage me wrung it out, it didn’t last long. Then I got a V8 with a 4 spd in a ’71 Vette – what a difference! But I still look at listings like this with fondness.
Looks like it’s gone already.
Residing in the aptly named Fossil OR. FYI spellcheck hates “unicorness”.
The first car I bought was a used 1980 Monza notchback. I had the option of this or a Toyota Celica hatchback with many miles and the interior panels in the hatch area with holes in it. (GM Dealer used car lot for cars heading to the auction). My Monza had 50,000 miles on it when I bought it. 151 iron duke auto car, silver with red interior. We slapped a set of aluminum slots with wide tires on the back. I always kept it tuned and serviced. Beat six cylinder Novas drag racing and any other 4 cylinders I raced (had to race what I had). Sold the car with 150,000 miles for a couple hundred less than I paid for it. Figuring the amount of time I had the car and it got me back and forth to work for years reliably, one of the best purchases I ever made.
I think this Monza and the Sunbird coupe are two of GM’s best styling efforts of the 70s, though I like the Sunbird more.
I would prefer one with the Iron Duke, even though this 2300 is the Dura Built Vega engine with all the improvements.
And true, as someone mentioned, about the back seat. I have ridden in the back seat of a Sunbird. The only cars worse for rear leg room were the Mustang II and the Gremlin.
My best friends Dad had one of these, and man was it a POS !! And that was in the early 80’s.
My spouse at the time (1980) had a brand new one like this , factory AC , AT and that lousy 4 cylinder. 20-21 mpg and pinged like crap. What a dog
Young drivers don’t know anything about pinging engines forced on them by the government.
Honey, grab my leisure suit and Members Only jacket, were goin’ to Oregon!
Had a 350 V8 1977 Monza with 140 HP. Automatic and what a dog!
I had a 1975 Monza town coupe in Canada years ago, it came with the v8 I think it was a 267 or 262 some od ball sbc, well I pulled that out and replaced it with a 350 with a cam and dual exhaust, put a shift kit in the trans…wow that car was fast and really scary, I have to admit I lost control of it a few times ha ha,
I am looking for a 1977 Chevy Monza Towne Coupes.
Please let me know if you happen to know of one…
Cheers and thank you in advance.
Sean
Sean@marketdyamite.com
I owned a 1976 Monza Towne Coupe. Bicentennial Edition. Small block 305 and manual transmission! Loved that car! I know I’ll never find another exactly like that but, I’m searching for a Monza to restore or has been restored.