The "Joker"

[Badsunbird]

I purchased this "79" Monza Hatchback/With Title off of ebay for a mere $15.50 , Yes that is correct! Not only was the price cheap, I also got it delivered for free from 325 miles away! In turn I had to pick up an atv that this gentleman had purchased for his young son, which was only about 80 miles away from where I was working at the time. A pretty fair trade I would have to say, saved him from having to drive an additional 175 miles one way and saved me from having to drive to Wyoming and pick it up.
This is where the name of this project is coming from, The "Joker", since the whole story is rather amusing to everyone that I talk to about it and how it all came about.


1979 Monza Hathback
151ci (2.5) 4 cyl.
4 speed
White
Lite Blue Interior


The interior of the car is pretty much trashed out, there is no headliner and most of the A & B pillar plastic trim pieces have rotted away. The dash is pretty much shot also, but I have extra parts already for that. Body wise the car is in pretty good condition for a 29 yr old car, the floor pan is solid and the body as well except for the LF fender, and the L rocker panel, which is repairable. Mechanically, hard to say! The engine is there and said to run, however the 4 speed transmission is gone, but the bell-housing & clutch assembly is still intact.
I'm still not quite sure what exactly I am going to do with this car at this point, I have another 4 cyl. and I have several small block & big block chevy's. The way fuel prices are these days I'd be better off keeping the 4 cyl. in it and making that run and be a little more economically friendly.
Here are a few pictures of this car, I have not done anything to this car yet. It was unloaded off of the trailer to me in this condition and this is how she sits.

[Badsunbird]

A Few More Pictures,

[patrick1151]

Wow that poor car, how someone could let it deteriorate like that I have no idea. At least they didnt crush it And what a deal you got it for.

[gt350fme]

So whats the plan? stock, or all out fast, or something in between? still thinking mpg?

[Badsunbird]

Not sure yet! Thinking about making this my drag car now and just keeping my Sunbird as a Pro-Street'r. I have lots of extra parts and engines coming out of my ears, not literally! Can't decide whether to go big block or small block, I have a 400 that would be a good canidate for this car, but I was also thinking about using that engine in my corvette. The L98 in it is pretty tired and has a small knock in the bottom end now. Has had too many 135-140 mph runs down the hiway on it, just a little hurt now!
I also have everything for a 454, 463 actually, just need one piston and a block to put it back together. Blew that engine up several years ago when I dropped a valve, busted the piston and split the #2 cylinder down the center.
And last but not least, I have a 427 with about 50 miles on it sitting in my 76 Blazer that pushes out just a little over 500 ponies that would be alot of fun in the Monza also! Too many choices to choose from and not enough time to work on everything!
First and foremost I would like to get the Sunbird put together before I start any other projects, however I think that the Corvette may have to slip in there before that happens, aside from my company pickup, the corvette in my daily driver and I have got to have a way to putt around on the weekends without putting the little Mrs. out of her vehicle!

So I guess I'm still in the "planning & decision making" phase of this little project!

[NixVegaGT]

If you're taking votes my vote is the 427 because that is a totally bitchin' engine. Great engine math and racing pedigree. You could fix the 463 for the truck then.

[spyder_xlch]

The 463 would have more low end if built right but the 427 would be just as hard to get traction in that little car. I'm with Nic on that one. And if you tell people it's a 427 they'll think you said 327 and tell you how they (or their buddy) had a 327 in a Vega and it popped the windshield out.

[Badsunbird]

The 463 was in the Blazer before, that is how I blew it up !!! The 427 is a 67 425 hp corvette motor originally, just massaged a little bit, that's all. Yea, it would be alot of fun, but it is pretty much all original and worth a heck of alot more money the way it is. I hate to take it out drag racing and blow it up!!! I've been down that road before with my old 66 SS Nova, that is exactly what happened to it !!!
The second year I had that car I tried to go big block, 454,427,396, I raced three races that year and blew three motors!!! The next year I went to a 406 and raced the same engine all year and won three events that year at Scribner, NE. Ever since then I have only used bbc's in street cars and not race cars, too damn expensive unless you have a good sponsor and alot of sources with alot of cash, not my experience, that's all !!! But Hell Yea, It would be a blast for a street car !!!!!!!!!!

[Badsunbird]

Going Into The "Moth Balls". The "Joker" is going to make the trip to the farm to join the rest of her new brethren in peaceful rest. Another project has come along and isn't near as much work, so that will take priority for now. I'll load her up on the trailer tomorrow morning and make the twenty plus mile trip. She isn't forgotten, just put to bed for now!
Besides, that will give me a little more time to round up all the parts I need for it.

[spyder_xlch]

What I don't understand is why would you sell a car for $15.50 and tow it 325 miles for free when you could have taken it to a local scrap yard alot closer and got more money for it? He must have been a true car lover. I'm glad to see it didn't get turned into Toyota body parts.

[Badsunbird]

I think he was expecting to get a heck of alot more for it than what he did. I know for a fact that he had bought it a year earlier off of ebay and paid just a little over a $100.00 for it. He ended up screwing me on the title though, so I filed a claim and got my money back!!! So actually the car was FREE !!!

Now she sits here resting in peace with my other vehichles.........,

[bill1978v8]

Cool story! That looks like my first Monza back in '87. It was the same except it was brown with tan interior. Good luck with it!!
Bill