Andromeda project

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Andromeda project

Postby dannykarnage » Mon Nov 14, 2016 11:03 pm

Starting my project log, though I'm still not sure how deeply I'll be diving into this project. I've posted before about this car (before I bought it and after I bought it), but it wasn't until Thursday that I knew for certain that I was going to be keeping it. Long story short, I got the promotion at work that I had been hoping for and, with it, I'll be getting a pretty substantial raise. So now I know I'll have some spare cash to spend on stuff....like this car!

Anyway, meet Andromeda...

Image

(Yes, I'm one of those weirdos that names their cars)

I'm actually going to have two logs - This one where I'll occasionally post larger updates and pictures, and a viewable Google spreadsheet that I've created where I'll log more in-depth detail, including costs. It can be found here --> https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jLMIZygUhNHL3s6hItoyFUgL6gJI6wQVczzDd4hh_uI/edit?usp=sharing

After some negotiation over the course of many months, I eventually settled on a price with the previous owner. I didn't think I would be able to keep it when we first settled on the price, but the previous owner needed it gone quickly at that point and I wasn't going to let it go to the scrap heap. As such, I actually haven't paid for the car yet. The previous owner and I have known each other for many years and just agreed that I'd send payments of $100 - $200 every month until it's paid off. At the time I figured I'd just grab it and take the time to properly sell it to one of you fine folks. But then I found out about the possible job promotion.

And so it goes. I have a new project car!

This is the 2nd Monza I've owned. About 15 years ago I had a 1980 that somebody had transplanted a V6 into, but that story ends badly so I won't retell it.

The new car sat for 6 years prior to me rescuing it. It is a 1975 2+2, but it's been pretty bastardized. It has a 305 with an Edelbrock Performer 500 on an Edelbrock intake. This is a transplant as the car was originally the 4.3L 2+2. Bizarrely, the fenders have the emblems on them for the 5.7L. It has an MSD coil and distributor and stock exhaust manifolds, but has dual exhaust with an H pipe. It has a 3-speed automatic and I am assuming this is the stock turbo 350, but I don't actually know. The engine has a pretty serious tapping sound from the valve train on the passenger side, like perhaps it has a collapsed lifter. The carburetor is not tuned correctly and it idles VERY high when cold and diesels when you turn it off (if the engine is hot). Other than that it seems to be running pretty well and it drove the 18 miles from where it has been sitting back to my house just fine, save for some pretty weak and noisy brakes.

The front subframes on this car are in good shape. On the back is the beginnings of the all-too-common rust problems these cars had, but VERY fixable at this stage. The body needs a lot of work before being re-painted. There's a pretty mega hole at the back of the passenger side quarter panel, and the driver's quarter has a sizable dent. Both are fixable, but will take a fair bit of work. The hood has some rust here and there, as does the roof. The roof also shows signs have having had something (plywood?) stored on top of it at one point that scratched the hell out of it. The doors are in pretty good shape - nothing really notable to speak about. Same with the fenders.

Inside, the seats are leather and the driver's has some holes and tears. The passenger seat and the back seat are nearly perfect. The carpet is in pretty good shape, except for behind the back seat where it is missing entirely. Various interior trim is cracked here and there, but nothing major. The dashboard has some pretty big cracks in a couple places. The driver's door panel isn't secured properly and actually seems to be bent; it seems like it just doesn't fit correctly anymore. All of the gauges seem to work properly, though the oil pressure gauge always seems to read lower than it should. Either it really isn't getting enough oil pressure, the gauge isn't functioning quite right, or the pressure sending unit is beginning to fail.

Electrical systems are far from perfect. To start, the car has been fitted with an electric fuel pump that is loud as hell and is NOT wired to the ignition switch. In fact, when I picked up the car I had to fabricate a cable wired directly to the battery with a shutoff switch to turn the fuel pump on and off. Otherwise, the turn signals and headlights work, but that's about it. The reversing lights do not work at all, the left side markers do not work (though probably just bulbs), and there are a lot of wires hanging somewhat loosely under the dash and steering column. Looks like somebody did a lot of rewiring and did it rather sloppily. On top of that, the battery has actually been relocated to the back of the car. Why? Because....

Image

For whatever reason, one of the previous owners (NOT the one I bought it from) put in this roll-bar looking thing. I don't know why, but I suspect the thought was that this would help stiffen the front suspension. Anyway, because that bar is there, there is no room under the hood for the battery. Hence the relocation.

With all that in mind, I'm not sure what I want to do with the car. I know I need to address the lifter issue and I'd probably do a minimum of a top-half rebuild on the engine. I'd like to do the body work and repaint it, but it is one of those things where I wouldn't know where to stop. Just do the body work and get the engine running properly again? Where do I draw the line on the body work and stop myself from completely restoring the car? Do I perhaps just get the engine going well and drive the car as is? I'm not necessarily bothered by a car that doesn't look all that sharp - means I won't be afraid to drive it. But on the other hand, the 80 Monza that I had looked amazing...

Image

I've always missed having that car and I'd love to make this one look just like it. But doing so likely means completely tearing it down and restoring/modifying it. I'm not entirely certain I want to put that much work into it.

But I've got a little time to decide. I'm not allowing myself to stick any money into it until I've pad the remaining few hundred dollars to the previous owner. Until then, I'll keep my options open and start the new job. Once I have a few of my larger paychecks in my hand I'll decide how much money I want to put into the car.

More to come in the future....
Danny "Karnage" Kane
1975 Chevrolet Monza 2+2
1998 Jeep XJ
2016 Scion iM
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Re: Andromeda project

Postby dannykarnage » Mon Nov 14, 2016 11:17 pm

Additional picture because I can. From the night that my friend and I went and picked up the car. He brought his 74 AMC Javelin along just for good measure...

Image
Danny "Karnage" Kane
1975 Chevrolet Monza 2+2
1998 Jeep XJ
2016 Scion iM
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1975 Chevrolet Monza 2+2

Re: Andromeda project

Postby 1100kaw2 » Tue Nov 15, 2016 9:29 am

Congrats on the promotion. The car thing is cool and all, but these days. A promotion is the big news! :th:
I like those Monza's. Glad you will be keeping it. :D
Darrell


72 LS-5spd.
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Re: Andromeda project

Postby mahoy78spyder » Tue Nov 15, 2016 5:40 pm

Congrats on the promotion and I'll be anxious to see regular updates here on this page. :th:
Ken Mahoy
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Re: Andromeda project

Postby dannykarnage » Wed Nov 16, 2016 12:01 am

Thanks, guys.

Ken, you may not remember, but you and I met in 2000 after the Spring Jefferson swap meet in Jefferson, WI. We met at an H-body party in Janesville that weekend (Jeff's house? Don't remember his name). That was the weekend I found my 80 Monza.
Danny "Karnage" Kane
1975 Chevrolet Monza 2+2
1998 Jeep XJ
2016 Scion iM
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1975 Chevrolet Monza 2+2

Re: Andromeda project

Postby dannykarnage » Wed Nov 16, 2016 2:12 pm

Well, I was going to be replacing the brakes this winter as just a caution, but two things have put me off from this. First of all, I think they're okay for the time being. Second, and more importantly, I've now discovered what most of you probably already know - that you can't get the 4-lug rotors or drums anymore. I guess I might be doing that 5-lug conversion sooner than I expected. :-?
Danny "Karnage" Kane
1975 Chevrolet Monza 2+2
1998 Jeep XJ
2016 Scion iM
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1975 Chevrolet Monza 2+2

Re: Andromeda project

Postby Monza Harry » Wed Nov 16, 2016 7:21 pm

Last time I looked you could still get the rear drums but I haven't looked in awhile. As for front rotors I think this was posted up here by someone [Sorry I don't remember to whom to give the credit] I haven't tried them or even heard of them before that post, so you will have to do some home work. I have decided that when my current arrangement is used up I will have to do my brake swap over, way before I wanted to I am sure of that, as I will be going in deeper than just a S10 conversion, just not 100% which one. Harry http://www.brakeworld.com/Product/Produ ... ke-Rotors# the "Rock" lists a "Centric" drum for the Monza Sorry I forgot which one you needed '75 and earlier take a narrower one. http://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/chev ... ,drum,1744 So I back checked your thread and looks like you may need to swap to the larger next gen rears if you need them before you are ready to swap over the rest of the brakes [I believe these can be re-drilled to 5 bolt to make the swap easier some one will fill in the huge gaps/inaccuracies I left]
I'm not a hoarder I'm a preservationist 78 Monza Spyder (~Soon(ish +/- I guess) To Be 2+2 with Spoilers)
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Re: Andromeda project

Postby dannykarnage » Wed Nov 16, 2016 11:17 pm

Thanks, Harry. Yeah, I had looked at Rock Auto (always the first place I look for parts these days) and just assumed the 75 brake parts were the same as any of the later years. But now I see you can get the rotors and drums for later years still. What was the difference? What all would I have to do to be able to use the later year parts on my Monza? I guess, the question really is if it is easier/cheaper to do the five-lug S10 conversion or if I can, at least for the time being, make the later model brakes work on my 75.
Danny "Karnage" Kane
1975 Chevrolet Monza 2+2
1998 Jeep XJ
2016 Scion iM
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1975 Chevrolet Monza 2+2

Re: Andromeda project

Postby 283vega » Thu Nov 17, 2016 6:26 am

The 75s had a narrow drum. In 76 they used a 2" wide drum . You could change to the 76 rear .Clyde will chime in here and he would be the best source for exact info since he has done all the upgrades you are needing to do.
283 vega
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Re: Andromeda project

Postby waybad » Thu Dec 08, 2016 10:38 am

:th: :th: :th:
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Re: Andromeda project

Postby Monza Harry » Thu Dec 08, 2016 11:06 am

Danny I just noticed your signature, it seems we have been doing business for years: http://www.dankanechev.ca/ Parts counter guys know be by name! :lol: Seems odd how many times our names aren't just ours, mine is Harold Robbins and no I don't write dirty books, I have first "dib's" on the name as I am the "the III" [3rd] and grandpa was older than the author by about 20 years, who by the way was born Harold Rubin. Sorry for the Off-Topic meander, just couldn't get over the name thing is all, Thanx for your indulgence in my silliness. Harry
I'm not a hoarder I'm a preservationist 78 Monza Spyder (~Soon(ish +/- I guess) To Be 2+2 with Spoilers)
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