Stored Since ’82: 1970 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
This 1970 Monte Carlo is a true barn find! You can find this car here on craigslist in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, with an asking price of $6,000. The owner says that they pulled the car out of the barn last year. It appears to be solid and rust free!
First, the bad news: the engine is locked up. Then again, who knows, if the engine hadn’t locked up, maybe this car would have been destroyed somehow long ago. The engine is the base model 350 small-block V8. Hagerty states that over 159,000 Monte Carlos were made in 1970, and that most of them had this engine. While they may have been popular then, they’re not quite that easy to come by in good condition today.
The seller states that the interior is very nice, and that they pulled everything out to clean it. From this picture it’s really hard to tell how nice the seats are, because you can’t see the front of the seats, which probably have the most wear. While I cant see the seats very well, I imagine that the carpet will clean up nicely, and everything else looks great! If I were interested in buying this car, but couldn’t see it in person, I would ask about seeing some more interior pictures.
There is a dent on the passenger door, but the seller says they have a replacement door. They have brakes, brake lines, a master cylinder, and a gas tank included with the car. Also, just from looking at the pictures, it probably needs new tires as well. To me, that all sounds like a LOT of work to do. Does $6,000 sound like a reasonable price after hearing everything this car will need?
Comments
No. A $2500 car at best. It needs an engine for cripes sake. Alabama = mildew and mold in interior.
At least they washed it.
You are right, $2,500 for a roller, if that, it’s pretty generic and will need plenty of work to return it to the road. It all depends on the amount of rust and the amount of damage that might have been done by the local rodents.
Steve R
The price sounds fair is car still available
Can’t you pop out that door dent?
I would prefer to keep the original door than replace it.
I wondered the same thing. Using the paintless dent removal process, I had three dents in my pick-up roof fixed. It was cheap ($300) and effective.
This car seems much nicer than the Buffalo Bomber from last week, for the same asking. Still too high, IMO, but much better color combo too. And, it’s an A/C car to boot! Odd that the master cylinder is missing, but, Lo & Behold, there’s an air cleaner! Something barn finds peculiarly seem to be bereft of. I’d grab it for $3500…….
Did my first burnout in one like this ,man that one tire was a smoken😁
Only worth so much when refurbished as a full restoration would be out of the question given it would be a #2 no matter what is done and value would be less than 20K . To rebuild the engine alone would be 3K not to mention all the other parts to restore in the engine bay. With interior work, paint, and body you are now entering the realm of too much for too little return. Just not worth the time and trouble in my opinion. If it were an SS maybe but unlikely
Not worth 6k. It’s just a basic MC that needs a lot of work. I don’t know of anyone screaming for one & never come up in conversations when talking classic American muscle. Even if it were an SS and could start up, still not worth the price. IMO.
if it was a running SS I think it would be worth 6k. but it is isn’t.
If the factory 350 can’t be saved, a 454
Rat block is my next choice. As for that
dent, a toilet plunger can sometimes work miracles. Popped a dent out of my
Mom’s ’59 Caddy after my grandmother
opened the passenger door into a parking
meter in front of the bank. Just wet the
plunger to get good suction, and then pull. Was in Jr. High when I did this. Don’t really know if I could do it today though–cheap made plungers and old
age may work against me this time!
I drove one of these on a repo from California to London, Ontario, many years ago. It was a nice ride, much nicer than the ’53 Chevy 3600 flatbed I rode out in. I always like the styling and the details on this and the next iteration of the Montes.
If this car can be made to run cheaply, i.e. Marvel Mystery Oil drizzled into the cylinders, then it would be fun to get it safely running and cruise with it. It’s not worth investing a whole lot of time & money.
I’ve yet to see a car that has a longer fan shroud than one from these early Monte’s. Throw in another more interesting small block, fix what needs fixed, maybe some torque thrusts and just enjoy the ride.😎
Having the “Halo Top” puts it in the first half of the production year. I think the full vinyl top (all the way to the windshield) started around January or so of 1970. That, of course, has little to no bearing on it’s value. I’d say it should be between 3~4K considering it’s a non-runner and may require a little more effort to get it running.
good info, I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about all things chevy but that is a detail I missed!
Might make a good first time restore. As for the price just too much. 2500 dollars
Am i the only one who would fix it back up .? Lol seems like it to me from the comments. But i had one and it was the best car i ever owned . till it got rear ended at a red light yes id fix it back up and drive it everyday.
So they changed the old wheels for new wheels with flat tires?
Why are there 2 different cars in the pictures? First picture it has no dent in the door and hubcaps. The second picture shows a dent and ralley wheels. As far as $6k…probably not. Would need a frame off restoration which can get expensive.
the dent is still in the door in the first picture, you just have to look for it. Just look for the gap between the door and quarter panel
Looks like the dent may have been added in the loading ( or unloading) process. I’m wondering if the 2 pictures are even the same cars. The dash pad is removed from the clean car. The Monte was such a nice car, a shame to see one like this.
Agree with @jimbo on $2,500.00. All the bones are there for a nice restoration.
worth the money if it was a 454
Surely a $1500.00 Car
don’t be ripping the seller off now.
Just do tbe math, you couldnt buy a exact remake monte carlo, today, for restoring one like brand new,, its and they are worth it if your a true monte carlo lover ten fold
A loaded clean big block yes this one no, I suppose if it was loaded but equipped with a small block the value would be close. this one is close to a stripper. body does look nice though. at $2500 I would go look at it.
I believe that dent was there, just hard to see with all the dirt and dust present. I saw an episode of Wheeler Dealers regarding a large “pushed-in dent” on an Opel GT door that a shop used a very large dent puller on to get out. Nothing special about the car and 2K-3K seems reasonable.
Too much money for this car! I know that during the 70’s Chevrolet had a timing chain problem on the 350! I know because I owned a monte carlo a 74, I never did get that straightend out! Replaced it several times and gave up on it!
I didn’t hear any mention of the mileage 2500 at best its not even a bucket seat car
Do you still have this Monte carlo