Matching-numbers LS3 402, frame-off restoration, original color combination, spectacular original interior, A/C, console, buckets, tilt, cruise, AM/FM stereo, and more! The nicest Monte Carlo in the world?
The SS was gone in 1972, so please don’t ask if it’s an SS, and if you’re a price guide shopper, this isn’t your car. However, if you appreciate quality above all else, this spectacular Monte Carlo will certainly talk to you. Wearing a spectacular coat of bright code 75 Cranberry Red, it looks fantastic from any angle, neatly blending a sporty demeanor with the Monte Carlo’s luxurious, upscale image. You’ll note there’s no demarcation on the cowl tag for a vinyl top, and that’s how it was delivered. This car has never been wrecked or rusty and carries 100% of its original sheetmetal from nose to tail and there are zero patches except for a tiny repair in the left rear quarter that’s completely invisible today. We have dozens of photos of the car in bare metal with the body off the frame, so you know it was a thorough job and you’ll quickly see that this is a special Monte Carlo. We’ve never seen one this nice. Most of the chrome and stainless is original, but the stainless has been buffed to a high shine and any piece of chrome that needed to be refinished was expertly chromed to show standards.
Believe it or not, the code 708 black vinyl interior with A51 bucket seats is almost entirely original. It was carefully removed during the restoration and every surface was cleaned and rejuvenated, and the carpets were replaced. The preservation is really remarkable and it’s a tribute to the exceptionally fastidious fellow who performed the restoration. The burled walnut appliques on the dash and console are still bright and crisp, the gauges are downright beautiful, and everything works, including the rather rare tachometer. Even the original AM/FM radio is still in the dash. The A/C blows cold and still uses R12 inside the system for optimum performance and the horseshoe shifter remains our favorite way to select gears with an automatic. The new carpets are protected by a set of heavy-duty rubber mats, and you’ll note that even all the interior lights are fully operational. The fully restored trunk has been refinished with correct spatter paint and fitted with a correct mat, jack assembly, and what might just be the car’s original spare tire.
You could get any of the four V8 engines in the Custom, with this bright red coupe sporting the burly LS3 402 cubic inch V8. It is the car’s original, numbers-matching engine, fully rebuilt to stock specs, and it runs extremely sell. Pump the accelerator once or twice and it fires almost instantly, then settles into an even idle without any fussiness at all. The engine bay itself is detailed for show and quite correct, from the air cleaner and its ‘402’ decal to the Chevy Orange paint, to the correct fasteners and hardware used throughout.. You’ll note it still carries all its original equipment, including the relatively rare cruise control unit. Power steering and power disc brakes are part of the package (something this big probably wouldn’t be possible without them!) and you just won’t believe how it drives. Tight. Smooth. Quiet. It’s just awesome.
The only transmission you could get behind the burly 402 was a rugged TH400 3-speed automatic, which is the right choice in a luxury coupe like this. Fully rebuilt, it shifts seamlessly when you’re going gently but with real authority when you let the big block really stretch its legs, and it makes the big coupe feel 800 pounds lighter than it is. Like everything else on the car, the underside is highly detailed and in fantastic shape with only a few signs of use since it was finished. The exhaust system is non-stock, with great-sounding Pypes stainless mufflers, and I don’t think anyone will complain about that—and it does terminate in correct oval tips under the rear bumper. There are easy-cruising 3.08 gears in the 12-bolt rear end, and it rides and handles like a flagship should. Competent, comfortable, and effortless, with just a bit of an edge. Rally wheels are just the right choice and carry recent 225/70/15 Goodyear Eagle radials.
Documentation includes a full restoration photo album and an assembly manual that you’ll find handy.
The day is surely approaching when these will be on the A-list, and if this were a Chevelle, it would easily be twice as expensive. There’s also easily twice as much as we’re asking wrapped up in the restoration, making this Monte Carlo a bargain compared to doing it yourself. Nobody ever regrets buying the best, and this bright red Chevy certainly qualifies. Call today!
For more details and photos, please visit www.HarwoodMotors.com
