Harry's Monza
Posted: Sun Aug 30, 2015 9:47 pmWell time has come to do something with this on again off again project! I have had a Monza since Feb'82! Fixed it up very much the way I wanted it, and someone ran into it. Totalled Sept '83! 
So I stripped off anything that was good, still didn't get rid of it until I found a replacement and that took awhile as these were hard to find here even as a newish car. Found one and my bad it was a '75 and what I thought I could swap around I couldn't. Stalled again, distractions here there and everywhere, but I did take the insurance money and went shopping at the dealer, I bought almost every emblem I could new (A few I forgot to order and a few were already discontinued already in early "84). A few more years go by and my brother is talking to a guy with an '80 Spyder, yes it's for sale and I can even swing the money! 
Now the complications this car is an '80 so Gutless Gutless V6 with 4 gear and that confounded Cable clutch! I hated driving this car! And to compound my eventual misery, the foundry he worked at had an "Emission" from their stack. So the company repaints everybody's car. but soon he notices that his 4yr. old car has "Flat Black paint three months later. 
Company will not pay for another paint job so he pops for this himself. Now a year goes by and rust blisters, paint won't stick, and he is "BUMMED" he bought this car new two years out of high school, it's his baby, so what to do, he decides to sell. So I buy it and I try and fix the paint while I start to fix it up and sell off the unwanted/unneeded parts, but my paint is falling off and I didn't take any short cuts like I surmised the "cheapy" repaired insurance paint job had been done. I made at least 10 attempts to make paint stick to this car, and gave up (it is still in the backyard, I didn't get the time this year to finally cut up what is left, but I have been removing and selling anything I deemed as salvageable, there are a few pieces left and maybe next year I will finally get rid of what is left)! The ordeal cost me around $5000 for that education (I know there are products available now to help or fix that situation, but I gave up in or about 1990 and I wasn't aware of anything else and no-one I talked to did either). So my Monza Project went DEEP Dormant, until about 2005 (mind you I never got rid of many things, just those that a replacement should have and were too big for me to store) So after some searching I found the present car in my possession and the "subject of this Project Journal" Now for the last 1/2 dozen years I have been searching and acquiring the parts to make what I want to happen. So hold onto your hats boys and girls this will be the slowest build you could never imaging! The car was basically a crappy driver, but a "California crappy driver"it needed paint and some serious cleaning, and it ran like a large steaming pile of Dog S 
T on a good day. So at this point I believe I have all the Monza specific parts required (I know I am delusional, quite aware) So my last part finally showed up on Friday and now I have to make something happen as it has only been 33 years since it began. I will post some other pic's in my spare time and I will stop changing my mind about what I want! (I know I am delusional, quite aware) So with out further adieu my first "journal Pic" Harry
So I stripped off anything that was good, still didn't get rid of it until I found a replacement and that took awhile as these were hard to find here even as a newish car. Found one and my bad it was a '75 and what I thought I could swap around I couldn't. Stalled again, distractions here there and everywhere, but I did take the insurance money and went shopping at the dealer, I bought almost every emblem I could new (A few I forgot to order and a few were already discontinued already in early "84). A few more years go by and my brother is talking to a guy with an '80 Spyder, yes it's for sale and I can even swing the money! Now the complications this car is an '80 so Gutless Gutless V6 with 4 gear and that confounded Cable clutch! I hated driving this car! And to compound my eventual misery, the foundry he worked at had an "Emission" from their stack. So the company repaints everybody's car. but soon he notices that his 4yr. old car has "Flat Black paint three months later. Company will not pay for another paint job so he pops for this himself. Now a year goes by and rust blisters, paint won't stick, and he is "BUMMED" he bought this car new two years out of high school, it's his baby, so what to do, he decides to sell. So I buy it and I try and fix the paint while I start to fix it up and sell off the unwanted/unneeded parts, but my paint is falling off and I didn't take any short cuts like I surmised the "cheapy" repaired insurance paint job had been done. I made at least 10 attempts to make paint stick to this car, and gave up (it is still in the backyard, I didn't get the time this year to finally cut up what is left, but I have been removing and selling anything I deemed as salvageable, there are a few pieces left and maybe next year I will finally get rid of what is left)! The ordeal cost me around $5000 for that education (I know there are products available now to help or fix that situation, but I gave up in or about 1990 and I wasn't aware of anything else and no-one I talked to did either). So my Monza Project went DEEP Dormant, until about 2005 (mind you I never got rid of many things, just those that a replacement should have and were too big for me to store) So after some searching I found the present car in my possession and the "subject of this Project Journal" Now for the last 1/2 dozen years I have been searching and acquiring the parts to make what I want to happen. So hold onto your hats boys and girls this will be the slowest build you could never imaging! The car was basically a crappy driver, but a "California crappy driver"it needed paint and some serious cleaning, and it ran like a large steaming pile of Dog S T on a good day. So at this point I believe I have all the Monza specific parts required (I know I am delusional, quite aware) So my last part finally showed up on Friday and now I have to make something happen as it has only been 33 years since it began. I will post some other pic's in my spare time and I will stop changing my mind about what I want! (I know I am delusional, quite aware) So with out further adieu my first "journal Pic" Harry
Nick I am hoping to have it drivable enough for the back row "Projects and beater section" that Bryan would have to create for my POS. I intend to start with the weather stripping and then start polishing and painting my trim and such Install the carpet and start on the rest of the interior. That isn't to ambitious for a year is it? Oh I have my home type chores and work and my Garage project (Think Monza support building/machine shop etc.) to do as well. (I know I am delusional, quite aware) I will be going through some old photo's and adding to the thread. Harry
At least I haven't backed up yet. but I still have Sunday left this weekend, to make it a complete loss.