1972 Monte Carlo
I’m Alex I’m from South Jersey, I was 18-21 years old (I’m 22 now) when I bought my 1972 Chevy Monte Carlo. I was a senior in highschool, I saved up my pennies working on a blueberry farm for 5 years to score a rough classic car. A $4100 running and driving Monte meant lots of rust. I’ve taken it from the original small block and have since transformed it into a junkyard big block street machine. Every part except the cam and valve springs were bought used. This was all done in my field, besides the engine swap, witch my uncle lent me the space for.
Step 1
This is not and will never be a nice car. The roof is rusting out and the floors are gone. Even a portion of the frame is eaten through. There was a fat dent that on the driver fender that I banged out with some hand tools. Instead of trying to paint it black after reaching 1/8th inch thick layer of bondo, I painted a smiley face on it
Step 2
I wanted to go faster than 18 seconds down the track so my plan was to build a junkyard 454. Out came the 350.
Step 3
I found a Gen Vi 454 out of an RV at a junkyard. The guy ends up giving me the mated transmission and loaded it with a forklift on my buddy’s f150. It wasn’t til we got home that we realized we had 900 pounds on the back of his truck with no lift or engine hoist. Me my buddy my dad and grandfather had to inch it off the truck and threw it in the dirt, and hoped the tailgate survived. Got it in my shed and started tearing it apart for a new cam+ valvesprings and so I can port the heads. Rebuilt the rest of it too.
Step 4
I didn’t have the money for a 12 bolt rear and a rebuilt th400 so I left the original th350 in. That blew within a couple miles of driving behind 475 horsepower. Had to save for another year.
Step 5
Being as I was being as cheap as possible, I was buying parts off marketplace and out of junkyards. I went through 3 use holleys before I found the one that’s base wasn’t warped. Could never get this thing to run right due to vacuum leak through the carbs.
Step 6
I found a used th375 and used 12 bolt rear on marketplace. In they went the following year. I have a picture but can’t find, of my oil pan plug that got scraped half off because the car still rode on small block springs after 454 swap. Time for big block springs.
Step 7
I have a multitude of videos I would like to share that won’t let me on this website for some reason. Please reach out to me if interested so I can send you some videos on Email. They explain the reasoning for this build.
Step 8
I finished the car in the summer of 2023. I was 21 years old. My goal for this build was to have a reliable car that’s fun to drive and beat up a little. But most importantly, I wanted to race against my grandfather in his 1980 Chevy Malibu. The week in the summer when I finished my car, our local track, Atco Dragway, closed its doors for good, completely unannounced. My heart was broken but I still manage to have my fair share of fun. I drive it like a stole it because that’s what I built it for. It took me almost 3 years to complete this build 95% by myself. It was a learning experience unlike any other, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I would sell it if the price was right though lol. Now I get to drive around in a 52 year old car and embarrass the new challengers and mustangs. Please contact me for either more information or to send you those videos. Thank you
