Owned for 50 Years! 1973 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
Regular readers will know that I believe long-term ownership is a desirable attribute with any car. It usually means the vehicle has been treated respectfully because anything less can leave classics as wheezing wrecks. This 1973 Chevrolet Monte Carlo ticks the right box, being part of the same family for fifty years. All good things must end, and this gem needs a new home. It is listed here on Craigslist in Pocatello, Idaho. It could be yours for $28,000, and I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder T.J. for spotting it.
Chevrolet introduced its Second Generation Monte Carlo in 1973, with the Hardtop style making way for the “Colonnade” Coupe with rear opera windows. It gave the model a more formal appearance, appealing more to older buyers than its predecessor. This Monte Carlo presents beautifully in Dark Red with a Black vinyl top. The paint retains an impressive shine, and any defects in it or the underlying steel are too small to show in the supplied photos. The vinyl looks as-new, and the fact this classic has been garage-kept throughout its life means it is rust-free. The chrome sparkles nicely, and its condition is in keeping with a survivor of this vintage. The original owner ticked the box on their Order Form beside tinted glass, which appears flawless.
A hard life or one of abuse will usually make itself known inside a classic. Upholstered surfaces become worn or ripped, and aftermarket additions are sometimes installed with little care. The interior of this Monte Carlo reflects life as a treasured family member. The Black vinyl upholstered surfaces are perfect, as are the dash and pad. There is no significant wear, fading, or sun damage. Nobody has molested it with extra gauges or an upgraded stereo, and its original factory options remain intact. The gauges feature clear lenses and crisp markings, with this Chevy scoring points with a factory tach. The original owner also chose air conditioning, power windows, power locks, a power front seat, and an AM/FM radio/8-track player.
Some production engines are inoffensive pieces of equipment, serving reliably for years across many models without causing their manufacturers grief. They do their job but don’t stand apart in the classic scene. Then there is Chevrolet’s big-block V8. It has achieved legendary status, and even though advancing technology has passed by engines like the 454 under the hood of this Monte Carlo, they retain an aura that makes them enormously desirable. This numbers-matching 454 should churn out 245hp and 375 ft/lbs of torque, which feeds to the 3.73-geared 10-bolt rear end via a three-speed automatic transmission. The car might tip the scales at 4,032 lbs but should still blast through the ¼-mile in 15.7 seconds. The seller claims it has a genuine 31,277 miles on its odometer, and although they don’t mention verifying evidence, the ownership history means it might exist. It has been meticulously maintained and should offer its new owner decades of enjoyable classic motoring.
This 1973 Chevrolet Monte Carlo isn’t a trailer queen, but it is a beautifully preserved classic that has been a valued member of the same family for fifty years. If it can repeat the feat, it could still turn heads when it clocks up a century. It is within grasp if the right person hands over their cash. Could that person be you?
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Comments
Hmm, I wonder if anyone’s tried to throw a 4-speed in one of these.
8banger, this is a fairly straight forward conversion using 73-75 Chevelle 4-speed parts. The clutch & brake pedal ass’y. will bolt right in, along with the z-bar & bracket pieces. After that it’s just a matter of a small hole cut-out of the floor hump for the shifter handle. And the rest, as they say, is history.
When this car was current there was a bunch of coloful ones doing left (and sometimes right turns) that had 4 speeds
Really a beautiful find. Love almost everything early 70s and this unmolested beauty checks off all of my boxes. Problem is I’m really out of the market at this stage in life but I still like to look! At 28K it’s a little pricey but still cheaper than most anything new and it sure will get noticed!
Guess my first one didn’t post so try again.
100% with you Zen. I personally hate those 22″ rims, aftermarket stereos, etc. When ever I see one, I wanna throw a bomb in the backseat to put the car out of it’s misery.
This a beauty, rather rare with the equipment, and it deserves to stay stock.
Wow, you dont see many Monte Carlos of this generation with a 454 big block in it. It looks to have been very well kept over the years. My Grandpa came very close to trading in his 66 Impala SS 396 for a big block Monte Carlo, but for some reason decided not in the end. These were beautiful cars in their day and still have nice lines on them by todays standards.
I had a black with white interior, power windows, locks, seat, with the 454, I wish I still had it
I’ve only seen 70 and 71 454 monte carlos.better be rust free for 28k.The only thing left to do with it much like others cars its age with sad hp numbers is get into a jegs or summit catalog and build some horsepower.make that 250 more like 450hp
Wow, beautiful car with nice options and a big block. I love these, and I wish I could buy it. I hope it goes to a good home, where it’ll be preserved and enjoyed for what it is, and not over-modified into a ridiculous hot rod with stupid aftermarket rims and an air suspension.
100% with you on this one Zen. I had a g-body Cutlass Brougham and I had a few of the younger set come up and say they’d put on 22″ rims and some idiotic stereo. I told them “you buy it and go ahead.”
Personally, if I see any of these cars ruined by the aforementioned items I want to throw a bomb in the back seat to put the car out it’s misery!
With you 100% Zen. This car is rather rare with the options it has, & it’s earned the right to stay original.
A little pricey, but a beauty. Btw, those are cloth seats.
Glwts.
I thought this was the car my brother bought new it looks exactly the same same color vinyl top cloth bench seat gauge package with tach turbine wheels except his “only” had a 400 no 454
But man that car was a smooth cruiser
I like this one . Im a 70-72 Monte Guy But I like the taillights on these also
This is a real nice car and I’ve only seen them with 350 and 400 sbc’s.28k is pricey but you’re getting one heck of a car.I always liked these until they went to rectangular headlights.I think it’s worth it but I would nitpick it a little bit for that amount of dough.Had a green 74 with 400sbc and swivel buckets.glwts.
My favorite year of this body, I still remember the tail lights of all these years. Then they stacked the rectangular headlights in 76. My uncle traded his 71 Torino for a dark blue one with white interior and black carpet and dash. It was a beautiful car with a cloud like ride and handling.
i am canadian i bought a new 73 monte with 454 same color only white top i paid 5254 dollars canadian it was my wedding car y much but had to joyed it very much had to sell to buy our first house
Practically perfect in every way so here is my short list of concerns about the Monte Carlo. Price is high even for a well preserved specimen like this one since it is not a Mustang, Camaro, GTO or Mopar muscle car that draws higher bids. I would have preferred bucket seats and the Turbo Hydramatic with a console. Black vinyl seats are cold in winter and hot in summer so unpleasant all year long despite their durability. Looking at the interior photos, I see air conditioning marked on the control panel but no mention if it works or whether it was converted because of the freon controversy. Lastly, I notice the long hood that gave the Monte Carlo and sister GM car Grand Prix such a distinctive profile. My experiences with the Pontiac version is that they made awesome road cars with excellent feedback and response from the variable ratio power steering but that hood was a cosmetic stretch of an intermediate and make parking a lot harder than it should have.
Lance
I believe you are wrong on the interior it looks like it’s the cloth bench in this Monte but hard to tell from photos my brother’s twin Monte to this had cloth
The article said “the vinyl looks as new” so I took it as gospel. Cloth is definitely better in a 4 season climate. Thank you for reading my comment and giving the pictures the benefit of a second set of eyes.
I think they were talking about the vinyl top, not the seats.
Has anyone else noticed that you really don’t see any month’s much on Barett-Jackson auctions ?
I love it and until recently owned a ‘75 with similar mileage. But for 28k you’d better be checking every box and that includes swivel buckets with a 454 engine
Nice car! 28g is pricey to me. Hope it finds an owner who will keep it original and not modify it. My relative had one just like that one but hunter green exterior & cream color landau top & green interior with the swivel seats. Smooth riding car.
The 400 & 454 were nothing but gas hogs. Not much in the way of push back in your seat affect when u mashed the peddle. I had a 73 with the 400. Swivel buckets, suuuweet looking car, great ride, but that was it.
I just sold ’75 black on black with white interior with every option include c.control buckets,floor shift400 sb new tires new a/c comp.went thru that car fine tooth comb I ended up selling for 12,000 that’s what these cars get period.i have a ’71 m/c ss unbelievable car puts Chevelle in its place but I wud b lucky to get 25,000 sad but true
Your 71 SS must be in sad – mediocre shape to only be worth 25K. Especially since it’s believed less than 1/2 of the 1,919 made still exist.
Monte Carlos were popular very nice cars with few exceptions when considering their competition. But did not downsize well, or take to front wheel drive all that well, in my opinion. The best was undoubtedly the first generation. I was fortunate to know a family friend who worked for my Dad and grew up just down the street when in was young, I would ride on my Dads truck with him in the summer or school vacation. He bought a 1970 Monte brand new in metallic charcoal grey, with black top and beautiful silk like cloth interior, with bench seat in front “to sit up close to my honey”, is why. Plus it was a luxury model loaded with every option, from rear fender skirts, to full instrumentation including tach. The best part was the 350/4 brl dual exhaust 300 hp V8, with TH350, with 3:42 posi as he ordered it, for help in snow and quickness, as this was in Rhode Island, so he had no long highway road trips planned very often. I bought the car in 1980, for $2,400, with 98,000 miles on it, that looked almost like new, except for the hood and trunk lid, that had been ravaged by the sun and a few too many automatic car washes he used in the winter, that did help keep the salt/rust issues away very well. I brought it to the local MAACO paint shop to have the whole car painted for only $300! That included extra preparation, that had the car looking like new again. I kept the car for just over two years, then sold it when I decided to go to California for a while working for my sister’s ex. To my best friend who I met when we were both in strollers! After that all he ever owned was Monte Carlos! Till sadly the day he died. At the time he owned a one year old 2004? SS 5.3, in black with beautiful red leather interior. That was a fantastic car to drive, even though it was frd and didn’t handle all that well around town, but on the highway and in rain or snow was great!
Nice car, rare big engine, wow low miles, but not worth 28k.
Tires need replacement and/or air
I saw these on the dealers lot when they just arrived, before they put the wheel covers on. Radical restyle. Bench seat Montes were great cruisers. Many of these got destroyed on dirt tracks and demolition derbies. Gone from mass quantities to kind of rare. If it’s a nice car, pay the man. You probably won’t see another one like it for a while.
Waooo that’s a Beautiful Classic Monte…I can speak from experience because I own one now, mines a 76 Monte Carlo but mines is a factory 305 V8. But it runs & looks like a Champ. I love my Monte. Enjoy & hope you find a true admirable person for it…GBU..🙏🚘🇵🇷