Why The 1975-1980 Chevrolet Monza 2+2 Hatchback Was a Success And A Disappointment.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ต.ค. 2024
- The Chevrolet Monza 2+2 Hatchback was released to compete with the newly downsized Ford Mustang in the new sporty subcompact car market. The four-square headlight Monza 2+2 Hatchback had the good looking styling of an Italian sports car. Find out why this car was success and a disappointment.
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The Monza and Vega were great looking cars. To me, they always looked like mini Camaros. Including the interiors.
my brothers first car was a vega...I think all the Vegas were turned into local drag racers by 1990's..I havent seen one in years...
@@unarammer2003 same here. Kilkare Drag way. Xenia Ohio. I was racing there late 90s and there were many Monza, Vegas, and even a few Chevettes that ran there all the time. I too wonder where they've all gone since.
@@joshuagibson2520 shitvette,lol....'i drive a vet..chevette'.
Xenia was almost wiped out by a tornado back in the day...one of the first tornado ever caught on camera,it was a monster...
I wish Brandon hadn't broken the thumbs down button👎
Yeah, the Vega had a pretty good looking interior imo.
I haven't seen one of these on the street or anywhere in 30+ years. A real forgotten model. Thanks for the memories of this one!
@Scott Reynolds right on, was it in good condition?
These made killer race cars in sports car and IMSA style racing ,The Aussies built killer versions that would often beat the porsche 959 factory cars. Bob Jane Monza, Alan Maffat Monza, Peter Brock Monza.
So true Open Roader, you just don't see them anymore.
I had a 1980 Pontiac Sunbird which was basically the same car. It was not a good car.
Yeah, you don't see them. The Vega and Monza were both very susceptible to rusting out. Kinda sad.
The 350... Rated at 125bhp... Wow.
That's not malaise, that's malazy.
LoL
I have two Monza's. A 75 4cyl 2+2, and a 79 2+2 305 auto. I have to give it to them, they got the summary just about 100%. they are my all time favorite cars, period. If you are a H-body lover you know what the term unforgiven means. There is practically nothing aftermarket available for them, they are the truly forgotten (unforgiven) Chevrolets. It would have been much easier to switch to a Camaro, or some other model. But I have been carrying a torch for them since I purchased my 75, in January 77 in Springfield Mass. I imagine when I check out, not much will have changed. It is what it is.
Popular Hot Rodding got one and added 2.02 ported angle plug heads, headers, Z-28 stage II cam, 4 barrel and 3:73 posi. It ran low 12's.
@@rickuyeda4818 I remember I got that copy somewhere.
Yeah but that restricted V8 was slower than a turtle
@@rickuyeda4818 By the way was it a yellow one? The first article I read from David Vizzard , was about hopping up a V8 Monza. I had just purchased my 75 2+2, and I have been trying to dig up that mag for months now, out of my collection.
@@shuruff904 My 79 was purchased with 100k miles, a 305 in very bad state of tune, stock exhaust with catalytic converter, rusty muffler, stone stock thm350 and a 2.29 rear gear. Once I tuned it up, I bracket raced it for 2 years, and drove it all over the place. The 305 didn't have the 350 low end, but it ran 16:10's in the quarter with tiny 13' tires. It's not a z-28 or vette, but it won me $$ and foot brake track championship at my local track, alternating between it and my 88 s-10 blazer, in 2008. On the highway with a weak 305 q-jet 2bbl, 2.29 this thing rolls pretty good. Which is exactly why I bought it. in 2023 it gets a much stronger GM performance 350. Any Monza owner will understand why I keep the faith on the most unloved chevy.
They had to go V8 cuz of smog regulations but these and Vegas run better with a nicely built 3.8 with no smog stuff. V8 has too much weight and you lose handling. Front end plows
These cars just don't get the love or even recognition that many other cars of the era get, especially the Buick and Pontiac versions. Maybe because it was built on the lacklustre Vega platform. Crazy to think of sub-compact cars having a 5.0 or 5.7 liter V8 engine today, where they get at most a 4 cylinder engine meeting and usually exceeding the performance (and definitely the fuel economy) of those malaise-era V8s.
I had a 79 Sunbird in 1989. It's on my short list of cars I wish I still had!
My favorite episodes of Roadkill involved a Monza. The first time they tried forced induction via 4 leaf blower engines mounted in the rear hatch area. The 2nd time they made a "Boost Caboose" (a separate 350 engine on a trailer turning a large turbocharger that fed into the Monza's engine.)
Great Roadkill episode...I almost forgot about that one
Yes!!! They did it with the help of Jeff Lutz!!
@@77yogurt If Lutz was involved i am surprised the thing didnt catch fire and kill people. He is known as a shonk
@@borismcfinnigan3430 oh? Do tell.
I saw that episode lol a ridiculous idea that almost worked
I had a 75 2+2 California only 350 V8. Installed headers, Holley 4 barrel, Mirage front spoiler, and rear spoiler. One night on the 405 fwy with two buddies in my car, I ate a Dino from 60-100 easy. Another time I had the speedo pegged past 120. It had 256 rear gears, also had a shift kit in the trans. It would chirp one tire at 50 going to second. I even remember getting up to 24 mpg just cruising easy at 60-5!. But I worried about the Vega brakes, may stop the car from 80, but I fought from 130!
Very cool ride.
I had the ‘75 Monza 2+2 Cali factory 350. Got it used for a grand in the late 80s. Whadda ride. Chirps crosswalk paint in the morning dew. Had the frame welded after it cracked. I haven’t seen one of these in ages.
YA I'm not sure what these guys are talking about I bought a brand new Spyder with a factory 350 in it not the 5.0 liter 305
@@stevelynch5843 sold only in CA. Look it up at Chevy. Side badges read 5.7 liter.
Brakes were the downfall of the Monza. When I had my 75 wth a cali 350, I added a good manifold and a 4 barrel to make it move a bit. Had to redo the front brakes every 5k or so, as I loved scratching SoCal canyons. Just didn't stop! Especially with a 350 in it!
My first car was a Monza 2+2 with the 305 V-8 & 4-speed manual. While it wasn't a supercar by any means, it was a great handling car & could hold its own against the Mustang II & some Camaros of that era. I wish I still had that car, it was a fun little ride.
+1
My friend here in Australia bought a 4cyl 4 speed saginaw gearbox model from Frisco on Ebay $1300 ,, bought it to Australia for $3500 and drives it daily. He has a 350 ready to go in. I want one.
Complete garbage. My sister bought one brand new and the catalytic convertor over heated and burned a hole in the floor pan of her car!?!? Explain that stupid GM!!
My schwinn was faster and handled better. Early 70s to mid 80s the worst decade of american car history.
The Monza was also my first car with the 4sp manual but only had the generic 4cyl engine. The hatchback was a big plus on it as well
The Monza IMSA GT Race Car was unspeakable levels of beauty. And the Raw Eargasmic Sound 🔥
Yep and that was the inspiration for the Monza Mirage.
The Pontiac Sunbird H-car had the best looking rims that could also be found on Firebird/Trans Am. That was my favorite H-body.
I know which rims you mean & they're definitely very cool. But I think they came out in 1982, after the 1st gen Sunbirds disappeared. I could be wrong, but I've never seen a 76-80 Sunbird with those rims.
(EDIT) I was probably thinking of different rims... the ones they used on the Fiero. You probably meant the Snowflake rims, which also look awesome.
I agree. My first new car was a 79 Sunbird hatch with the color-keyed rallye wheels.
It was a midnight blue with a tan indoor. Very beautiful. Mine also had the very rare 5-spd manual. Sorry I sold that car.
@@mitchweissner39 5 speed? In 79? Not a 4 speed? Didn’t 5 speeds not really become a thing until the early 80s?
@@cmdc778 Reverse "h" pattern Borg-Warner. Reverse was top left, 1st bottom left.
My first car was a 79 sunbird. My dad's old beater. That had 13 inch snowflakes from the factory. I kept those wheel and put them on the H bodies I owned after that.
I can remember some seriously fast small block swapped Monza's prowling around my old stomping grounds.
I had one,IMSA widebody and 4.3 V8. It was great looking and fast for the day. My only complaint was changing the plugs...
I actually had a 1975 Chevy Monza town coupe with the 5.7 V8. I believe they were limited to 2500 California only models... I know 125 horsepower and if I remember about 250 pound feet of torque doesn't sound like a lot, but in that lightweight little coupe it was a lot of fun. Wish I still had it!
My 2+2 ran 16:27 at Irwindale. The funny thing is was, the manufacturer installed fender tags indicating the motor was the 305 but it was the 350.
I had a 1979 Monza Spyder with a 4 cylinder and 4 bbl carb. and it was lotsa fun, so I can only imagine how much fun it would've been if it had a v8!!!
@@77yogurt they were even more fun with a 400 small block dropped in. Although the radiator was just barely enough. And for some reason the right rear tires seemed to keep going bald every few weeks. But back then you could go to a local service station that change tires and buy a take off for $10 and have it put on. Fun car but the 400 wasn’t good for it. The 350 turbo trans didn’t hold up well and it would overheat if you had to stop in traffic for more than a minutes.
Until you had to get it tuned up...at a cost of close to $500 in labor to change spark plugs
i had one with the 350 edelbrock manifold and holley 4 barrel, not sure what else was done, thats how i got it. but it was cracked from picking up the front end and dropping it :P i kept doing it after it was given to me till it broke bad. they really where not built to carry a high power/big v8
The Corvair was not a mid-engine car. It was a rear engine.
I was going to suggest this but thought it was too old! In 1999 I had a 1975 Monza Towne Coupe w/262 V8 automatic. It was green with a black vinyl top in perfect condition and everything worked. It had 60,000 miles and I got it for $2500. It was so small inside, it felt like the transmission tunnel was up to my elbows LOL. So many people didn't believe me it had a 262 v8
I had a 262 in my red 75 Monza hatchback. It was my first car.
Same here, mine was originally yellow (ugh) But I painted it red. Put a Holley carb on it and it ran like a scolded dog. @@kurtzechmann4566
The 262 was a gutless engine. You could wind it up but it produced very little power. Its weight up front hurt the handling of the small car. Should have had an inline DOHC 6 cyl. like the Toyota Supra. Too much technology for GM, that's why Toyota and Datsun ate its lunch.
@@PassivePortfolios maybe yours was gutless, but mine ran like crazy. Hotter plugs, more fuel and a straight exhaust made a world of difference.
@@lewnetoons can't run a straight exhaust on the street. Anyway, the 262 was a low compression engine with a 2 bbl carb so power was pathetic. The 305 was better. It needed at 350 to get going decently. The rear axle ration on these V-8s was for economy not performance. GM screwed up what could have been a decent sports car.
Toyota got the Supra right and Datsun had the 280 Z which was also a superior sports car.
Had a buddy with a brand new ‘75 Vega GT, 4 speed, beautiful blue with black interior,hatchback and really nice wheels. I’m pretty sure it only had a 2.3 liter engine.
very stylish car for the day at a budget price....
my girfriend had an 80' with the 2.5L iron duke motor, it was our drive in movie theater love machine since the rear seat folded flat and became a huge bed on wheels..
YES!
put a 1970 350 in it and see what you get...
The stick shift shown in the video was not the 4-spd. It was the very rare 5-spd. I had one in my 79 Sunbird 2+2 hatch. The 4-spd had a chrome lockout override underneath the shift knob to put it into reverse. The 5-spd didn't because the shift pattern was a racing pattern, reverse was top left with 1st down and left and 2-5 on the H.
Exactly correct. First car was a 79 sunbird. V6-5speed.
I built my V8 car from scratch using a 79 Sunbird and a 1975 original V8 Monza as a parts donation car. I ditched the manual trans for a TH350 with a 2800 RPM stall converter and drove that thing as my daily for 15 years with practically no problems. I drove it year-round in Michigan no matter the weather. I will admit, though, yes, the doors were too long for those crappy hinges. As well, I had put a mild build on the 262 V8 with a Comp Cams 268 grind, a high volume oil pump, lightly modified stock heads and a 600 cfm vacuum secondary Holley with an electric choke. Badda-boom, badda-bing, instant reliability.
My father had a Monza with the 4.3. Had to Jack up the engine off the motor mounts to change the rear plugs. The weight distribution on the v8 models made it wicked on a wet street. I had a 1976 Starfire GT with the 3.8 V6 and a rare 5-speed. Car was dead reliable except for clutch wear issues.
That's crazy on the plugs! My neighbor had the Monza hatch variant, yellow with the spider, all of it
I also owned a 1976 Starfire GT with the V6 and 5 speed. I found the combination to be reliable as well. Clutch durability was a problem.
4.3 is a V6 and wasn't out then anyway
both are super cool cars.
@@mikeholland1031 Different 4.3. They made a 4.3 V8 back then.
Knew a guy with a notch-back Monza... had a 2-bbl 350/5-spd swapped into it. Could humiliate anything factory in the late-80's.
Thank you so much for this video! I had a 1976 Monza 2 + 2 and loved it! I held onto it for as long as possible, but never had the money to restore it. Regardless of whether or not anybody thought it was worth it, I wish I had been able to do it! When my daughter turned 16, in the year 1996, for a short period of time, it was her first car. Her peers had no idea what it was. It was around during some very happy years of my life! I'm going to cry now!!
I knew someone who had one and the catalytic convertor almost burned through the floor!?!? The car was brand new!
Yeah when I owned my 75 2+2 it was a great looking car. I was 26 single and the car was a "babe mobile" LOL Best years of my life too.
I really like the Monza and Vega. I'd like to get one and put a Buick turbo V6 in it with a manual transmission. I bet that would be fun 😏
go sober up
Yes a Great project.
Would be lighter & faster than a Grab National.
Now you can get the all aluminum 4.3 lv1/3 with 285hp/305ftlb. ...no turbo . Just need a T56 behind it to survive .
My first car back in 82 was a 78 Monza wagon - a hand-me-down from dear old dad. Essentially the same body as the original Vega camback wagon with a Monza snout, it had the 231 Buick V6 and the four speed manual transmission. While I wished it was a notchback or hatch (which to my mind's eye reminded me of original Mustang design cues), it was still a heckuva lot of fun to drive. No sooner than it was mine, I upgraded the radio to a cassette deck, I added a mini tach to the dash and painted a big ole blue rally stripe up the hood and down the rear hatch and hung my first pair of fuzzy dice from the mirror - LOL!
I learned a lot from the old man about car maintenance and repairs with that car and recall not only regular tune ups and lube/oil changes but more fun projects like brakes, changing the U-joints, replacing the alternator, the water pump and the motor mounts.
Thanks for another exceptional video production - your work has me feel like a kid again!
Dude the Buick encore is like the modern hatchback monza fun and sporty but not crazily overpowered only modern car worth working on everything easy to get too.
Somehow, the idea of a cassette deck being an upgrade sounds bizarre.....
I had a 75 2+2 with a small V8 (267ci) and although it was fun to drive, the chassis couldn’t handle any spirited driving. I installed heavy duty sports shock absorbers front and rear, the rear shock tore the attachment point apart from the body. As for the front end, the frame showed fatigue as the bottom section was coming apart creating too much negative camber and making alignment nearly impossible. The rear differential was too weak for a V8, had to be rebuilt at 45000 miles. Still, I loved the car, the styling was and still is one of my favourite, elegant and sporty. it’s straight line acceleration was decent, and blue on blue made it a nice car.
all true. the 3.8 was a nice balance.
The Monza was actually a favorite of drag racers of the time, like the Vega and Pinto. But they used a highly reinforced body mounted on a handbuilt chassis, plexiglass windows and fiberglass hood, fenders, doors, and bumpers.
So, in other words, it wasn't a Monza. It only looked like one.
@@geraldscott4302 not everyone
We go 9.80s 130. With an all steel non rusted vega. With a single 4. And no power ladders. It's a warmed over 350. 😁.
We had a 1975 Olds Starfire with the 4.3 liter engine. The build quality was horrible. The door hinges were too small to support the long, heavy coupe doors and I had to have the hinges welded back on the body twice. The clutch cable broke multiple times, the rear brakes had issues and the cam went flat because of a poor valve train design. They were horrible cars and that's why there aren't any left on the road.
I'll put a word in. This is completely unacceptable.
I built mine from scratch using a 79 Sunbird and a 1975 original V8 Monza as a parts donation car. I ditched the manual trans for a TH350 and drove that thing as my daily for 15 years with practically no problems. Oh, and I drove it year-round in Michigan no matter the weather. I will admit, though, that, yes, the doors were too long for the hinges. As well, I had put a mild build on the 262 V8 with a Comp Cams 268 grind, a high volume oil pump, lightly modified stock heads and a 600 cfm vacuum secondary Holley with an electric choke. Badda-boom, badda-bing, instant reliability.
I wanted one of these cars as a teenager, but I changed my mind when I worked at a used car lot in the summer of 1982. The car lot was filling up with Monzas and Citations that were barely driveable. The small cars that GM produced in the late 70s were horrible.
@@bactanite Chevette anyone? Hahahhaa
@@chadhaire1711 I actually had 3 consecutive chevettes back then I used for field service cars. I kept each one untill it got past a 100 k an then would sell them off. I never had a single problem with them an while my co workers were buying more expensive cars I made great profits off my expense reimbursements to supplement feeding my family.
Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins had one also
Im a huge fan of these videos ! Keep them coming 🤘
My first car was a new 1975 2+2 hatchback with the 4.3L. The car had been talked about in the automotive press for at least a year before its introduction. Originally it was to supposed to get a Wankel engine, but there were insurmountable oil use issues. So GM decided to shoehorn the 4.3L V8 into the engine bay. It was definitely a tight squeeze! I owned the car for 90+ thousand miles and it was in the repair shop often. I did like the looks of the car, however...
Could have been an rx7 fighter with the wankel
The Corvair was not mid-engined.
True that. The Corvair was rear engined, air cooled like the Volkswagen Beetle. It came in the Lakewood wagon version and the Greenbriar van too.
Yes. His comment was way off.
I remember seeing it in the car yearbooks my dad had back then. I thought it looked a lot like the Opel Manta B hatchback that we had here in Europe. But it obviously is not the same car 😁👍
The 70s were TERRIBLE for horsepower. The STYLING was some of the best ever though.
Had a 1980 spyder 3.8 four speed. Handled good and rode nice really fun to drive. Miss that car to this day. Would love to swap a lv3 v-6 an t-5 five speed in one.
An ls3 would snap the body of this piece of junk in half most likely.
The very first statement about the mustang Ii is completely wrong. If you look at the dimensions of the 64 mustang with the mustang II, they are almost exactly the same. The mustang had grown huge. The mustang II brought it back to the original size. The original mustang was based off of Ford's cheapest car, the falcon. The mustang II was based off of Ford's current small car. So the mustang II was completely true to its roots. Get your facts straight.
Wow never knew that! It seems so much smaller than the original.
@@austinfrazier7325 My point is that is was not smaller than the original. The mustang grew big and fat over the years. So when they brought the size back down to the original, it only seemed small in comparison to the previous year's big and fat car.
Monzas equipped with either the V6 or V8 could be a real NIGHTMARE to work on according to mechanic buddies of mine.
The GM engineers were not thinking of them when it came time for tuneups.
Getting to the spark plugs was a super pain, and one buddy of mine told me he hated to see one of those come in back in the day. 😖
YES SIR
Yep, I had a 75 with the V8 in it. It was almost impossible to change the spark plugs. Most mechanics didn't want to touch it.
I had one with the V8. You had to loosen up the bolts on the left side motor mount and jack up the engine to make it easy to get to 2 plugs on that side. The good news was it had HEI distributor and the plugs lasted a long time.
For once the engineers did consider the problems of putting a V8 in it. When first released they didn't have an 8 as an option.
Salesmen demanded the upgrade and GM execs saw extra dollar signs.
Try Getting At The Distributor On A 1979 Monza With The Iron Duke 151.
The Monza had a very interesting design for its time. The sloping rear was similar to the same year full size Grand Am. Loved the styling too. The engines were its Achilles heel.
My 1979 Monza with the 305 V8 is still going strong.
Nothing wrong with the v8..v6.. the 4 cilnder engine was fragile. You could not exceed 190 degrees. If you did not and used good oil like valvoline racing oil. No problems what so ever. Now if you got it hot and used junk oil like quarter sludge. It was game over. I also used the AC..PF 35. one quart TRUCK FILTER. same as a small block chevy.
the monza with v8 option is the best
@@robroyce6845 not better than the V8 Gremlin. That thing was ridiculous.
I had one bought it with a blown up 4.3 put a 307 in it and the the front frame lasted 6 months cracking but it was a fun car sleeper no body thought it would run 😁 it wasn’t a stock.
Love the monza's beautiful looks! Probably the prettiest 70s Chevy model!
As it was explained to me, the Monza was originally planned to use a GM version of the rotary engine and GM spent several million dollars purchasing the patents and designs from Mazda to use it, which gave Mazda a big advantage. The plan was for AMC to buy the rotary engines from GM to also use in the Pacers. But GM designers and engineers decided to shelf the plans for the rotary engine at the last moment for some unknown reasons, which caused a huge ripple effect. Other alternate engines were used, to include a steel sleeved aluminum block 2300 carried over from the Vega, along with the unibody frame, which was actually inefficient for the demands of weight and torque of unanticipated bigger and heavier drive trains. Hence, the flex in the body, causing a bunch of issues.
Thus, having written all this, I add my own experiences. I had a 75 Monza Town Coupe with a tired 4 cylinder engine and 4 speed transmission. I pulled them and dropped in a 327 with a THM 350 transmission. The stress of the weight and torque on the car were causing issues. The car was quick, to say the least, but it was obvious that the car was never really intended for such a setup...
AMC signed a deal (rotary engine) with Curtiss-Wright. That fell thru. Then they went to GM. IN 1974, GM cancelled their rotary program because of durability issues, the fuel crisis and tooling costs. My dad was a GM engineer. He hated the rotary.
I’m pretty sure it was supposed to be added to the Vega first but testing delayed it to the monza then canceled. Awesome info brother!
I had the 76 it had the 265 V8 I was always having front end wheel alignment problems. They alignment shop had to use a frame straightener to do wheel alignment.
@@nickpollay1681 actually, Tegan Smith gives a better explanation in these comments than mine. You might want to read his as well.
They couldn't get the Wankle engine to work well, including excessive oil leakage, and I think they had problems getting it to comply with exhaust gas limitations, as well. Nevertheless, as I stated in my other post on this thread, I actually saw a rotary-powered Monza on the street and drove with it for miles across 12 Mile Road from Warren, Michigan (site of the GM Technical Center) to Royal Oak, Michigan. I knew it was rotary powered because it had rotary badging on it in several places. So GM tried and failed at what Mazda was obviously able to accomplish.
I had a 1975 Monza 2+2 4.3 V8 110hp. Loved that car! I rebuilt the engine for more performance and lowered it a couple of inches. I upgraded to suspension with stiffer anti roll bars and KYB gas shocks and 195 60 SR 13 Goodyear Eagle ST tires. That beast handled much better than my next car a 79 Camaro. Unfortunately my baby was totaled in a 40mph head on collision (some idiot made a left hand turn in front of me whilst I had the green!) The car saved my life! From the base of the windshield on back it was intact while the front was an accordion. Every time I see one I wish that some day I'd have another one that I can play with.
I saw that Chevy is making a Monza in China for 2023.
@@CalJennings Yeah, I saw that. In name only. None of the character of the original tho.
I had a 76 town coupe with the 4.3 v8. Swapped it out with a 350 hp 350 cid. It was a screamer. Tires spun going through all 4 gears.
The Chevy Monza . The 2nd car EVER to rust on the Chevy showroom floor! The Chevy Vega being the first!!
LOL!! 😆😆
Please tell me you got this quote off the old TV show "The Facts of Life"
@crazeenydriver no. I knew that saying as a kid in the mid 1970's when I lived in Saginaw Michigan. My dad worked for Chevrolet for decades!
@ In 1975, a kid in my classes old man had a Chevy Vega. It was that common orange color.
@crazeenydriver it was just a piece of junk. Cheap interiors...a very bad aluminum engine that would have cylinder wall issues. And gasoline tank that would have sparks and fires just like the Ford Pinto! Another piece of junk!! The Ford Pinto!!
Too funny... I owned one of those bright yellow Pontiac Sunbird Formulas!! Had the front spoiler, rear spoiler and black louvers on the back window with "Formula" written on the side. Speedy little ride with a 6-cylinder motor!
In the UK (and Europe) we had a GM Monza. It was sold under the Opel marque and was a larger 3 door coupe model than this Chevrolet. The Opel Monza was sold between 1978 and 1987 and was based on the Opel Senator/Vauxhall Royale/Holden Commodore platform.
A few days I watched the 1983 Clint Eastwood film Sudden Impact (Dirty Harry). I was trying to rack my brains about the very nice looking silver 3 door coupe that the female vigilante was driving. I think it must be the replacement model to this Monza based on the J car platform (Cavalier/Ascona/Cimarron).
Looks like to me a mk1 Vauxhall cavalier sports hatch/Ople manta
5 0 V8 5.7 V8 we was getting that from a 2.0cc 8v 4 pot 130 bhp .
The euro Monza looked better with the streamlined headlights, loads of spin offs too, was a t bar Cavelier coupe that looked kinda similar too but had that fastback broken up by a little booty, looked great.
Death traps though, all the vauxhalls and opels of that era were lighter (and faster) than the fords and folded up badly on impact. Personal experience of that.. more than once.
My sister had a Monza, drove it a couple times, really liked it. In winter, I'd grab the hand brake and do donuts in the snow, it handled great.
It handled great on dry pavement, but in the snow, you ended doing donuts whether you wanted to or not. They were one of the worst vehicles ever on snow covered roads. Heavy front end, no weight in the back. Awful. That said, I still own one-----just don't take it out in bad weather.
I've seen these Monzas race at Pocono back in the day. They were faster than the Porsches but were turds through the esses in the infield course section.
You are basically correct (at Pocono). Even with highly modified chassis infield area troublesome. No match for Porsche.
I remember those well, and I always liked them. They had that cool factor. Another great vid.👍
I’ve owned both an original, unmolested 1978 V6 Mustang II Ghia and a 1979 V8 Sunbird (which I built myself) through the years. Loved them both.
A dude at my high school had a monza that would do wheelies, the first car that ever scared me as a passenger.
Had a '76 Skyhawk with the 231 V6. Loved that car.
I always liked the styling of H body cars. Especially the Astre and the Sunbird
Learned to drive on my dads 1975 Monza 2+2 that was yellow on black. Recall how nice looking it was and the compliments he got when it was new. The interior was a combination of Camaro and Vega. The drawbacks was it was a Vega under a nice looking body with the 2.3 aluminum engine when he didn't have much trouble with and had it overhauled after 100K miles.
My uncle bought a new 1975 Monza notch back that had the California emissions 350 V8. I couldn’t believe how slow it was but always imagined it had potential.
Dad bought one of those new in '75.
It was assembled in Canada.
It would be impossible to put any real power in one of those things. It would turn the body and chassis into a pretzel.
Was always a great looking car. Look at the 82 to 87 Cavalier hatchback as sorta the continued versions style wise even though totally different cars as I know you mention 3rd gen Camaros too. That said favorite Monza I remember was a new 80 Spider in white with red decals and red interior on my street growing up. Just looked so cool back in the day.
In 1975 my Mother bought a brand new Monza Town Coupe. It was silver with red interior and had a 4spd manual transmission. Before that car, she had a Vega GT hatchback. I had an Uncle that had a Pontiac Formula Sunbird that was black and gold and looked like a miniature Trans Am and was pretty cool. I remember a friend's brother had a Vega station wagon that he had put a V8 engine in and it was pretty quick. I always liked the look of the Monza Mirage, really wish they had made the Rapide because it really looks cool.
Did he get chased like the bandit
My first car was a 1975 Buick Skyhawk I bought for $500 in 1989. Silver with red interior, and equipped with the 3.8 liter Buick V6 and automatic transmission.
Sounds like the better engine and transmission choices, and a slightly nicer car than the others.
The Buick 231 V6 Was The Only Engine Available In The Skyhawk.
I've had 7 over the years, once had a wild ride in one with a Grand National drivetrain
My girlfriend at the time bought a brand new 1980 Monza base model coupe with 4 cyl, 4 speed manual and no AC. We married in 1985, and in 1987 the Monza became my commuter since we needed a 4-door car for our first born in 1988. I continued to drive the Monza until 1994. Sold it for $500. Not bad driving a car 14 years for $3500 plus maintenance. It got 25 mpg.
I had the same first car in a 4 speed manual. Bought used with only 9 k miles on it.
Can't remember if it was 77 or 78 when they swapped noses between the notch and the 2+2 for a year, it was a really cheap facelift for both cars, I think the 2+2 wore the notch fascia better than the other way around. They were extremely popular in the 80's when I was in High School since you could pop the 4.3 out and slide a 5.7 or a 5.3 (327 not quite sure if it would be 5.3 or 5.4) , but we all loved the 327 since it wound up a little faster and had the prestige over the 350 which we all associated with smog motors by that time.
The real ticket for a small block Chevy is a 350 block, bored .030 over, with a 400 crank, making it a 383. You can get 500 hp out of one of those without forced induction or nitrous. The 350 block was never changed for the smog motors. You start with a bare block and build it up. They are plenty strong, and with mostly high quality aftermarket internals could make some serious power without blowing up.
@@geraldscott4302 I get you, but back then as a teenager it was realistic to find a decent 327. Throw in a cam and lifters and off to the races.
Great video on the Monza. I had two of them. An 80 Spyder and a very rare 80 Scorpion.
The only problem I ever had was the doors were so heavy they would start sagging on the hinges and they were bad on the pins and bushings the door striker would get wore out because the door with sag and the door panels and handles will always rip off that's the worst part of the interior that I've ever seen
i had all those problems and more with 1980 starfire. the inside door handle ripped right away. i replaced those bushings a few times. it was easy to take doors and hatch off because of pins.
These were everywhere in the late 70's and early 80's. Now the only one I know of is on the top of a used car dealer sign in Sandusky, OH. Don't forget the "Monroe Handler" version. I always liked these cars.
I had a '79 Monza 2+2 which I absolutely loved! It was equipped with the 2.8l V-6, that awesome 5 speed manual, and posi rear end. It was in many ways the same concept as the much earlier Buick Opel GT, in that it was the late 70's poor guy's Camaro. It was a blast to drive, but we parted ways when I traded it in on my first brand new car, an '84 Camaro Berlinetta.
I had a 1975 Buick Skyhawk version of the Monza..I bought it with no motor no transmission..I put a 4 bolt main 350 with a 375 turbo automatic trans with a 2200 rpm stall converter and a full posi rear...Was fast as lighting,it's only downfall was the limited wheel and tire size..I found out after I sold mine that the 1980's Chevy S-10 pickups with disk brakes and 5 lug hubs would have worked as a conversion to the Monza family of cars?.The rear axles and drum brakes would have swapped out with no issues plus the S-10 five lug front spindles,calipers,backing plates and rotors would swap out with no issue..But hindsight is 20/20..I really loved that car!
Interesting car, not sold in Australia, but very popular to be raced in the "sports sedans" category in the 70s and 80s.
They initially were packing ex Formula 5000 mechanicals with wild body work, with engines growing to 350ci and even wilder aero by the early 80s 💥
I had a 78 pontiac sunbird with the iron duke 4 it was a nice car and a chick magnet
I had a ‘77 Spyder with the 305 and 3 sp auto. Wish I still had it…
nice looking car
My first car was an Oldsmobile Starfire GT with the 3.8 liter V-6 and 4-speed manual transmission. The Olds version of the Monza. Lime green with white stripes and interior. I later added a rear spoiler. Very nice looking car and suited my needs. Build quality was always an issue back then. I think the clutch and clutch cable were the biggest problem for me. Drove it cross country in 1979 living out of the car with my camping gear. Good memories
Thank you for featuring this model! I truly loved the Monza (as well as its division twins). I was a kid when these came out and remember my sister brought home the brochure for the Monza (first car shopping) I must have wore the ink off the pages from looking at it so much and I loved the huge 2page featured orange 2+2 model! Anyway, there was a rare/special feature on early 2+2 models of the Monza/Skyhawk/Starfire called Astro Roof! This was a fixed-full glass roof panel. Assuming it was a special order because I've never seen one on ANY of these 😢
Thank you for this. I've owned 6 H bodies including the Monza Mirage. I do miss those cars. Owning a custom car shop now, I'm looking for a 75-77 monza hatchback to build another Mirage, but with larger steel panels. Those originals are impossible to find.
We had a 1977 if I remember right in late 80’s. We had a 350 in set up as drag car. Wasn’t bad but traction was a issue. I was just a kid. Great memories
I still want a monza or vega
My uncle bought one of these when they came out. 2yrs later he wanted to unload it so he went to his dealership to see what they could work out he left with a 1969 MACH1 with a 428 SCJ. He always said he loved that little car because it got him an incredible muscle car. True story.
I had a 1977 Spider. The first brand new car I’d ever owned. I was so excited, until it broke down the very first night and had to be towed. In the first (and last) year I owned it, it had to be towed in another seven times. It was a nice looking car, but I needed a car that ran. I sold it to a relative and the engine blew at 50k miles. We no longer speak. lol
Remember when I first hit the workforce I was working at Tuneup Masters and the V8 Monzas were still on the road. The V8 Monza was one of a few vehicles we hated coming in for tuneups. Pulling motor mounts for sparkplugs was a real PITA.
Old car memories, I'm a long-time subscriber and a fan. Unfortunately i detect that you're just reading a script. It really detracts from the overall experience, here on my end. Respectfully...
A side note involves the Ford Falcon XB GT, modified with a squarish nose for the movie Mad Max (1979). That front end was manufactured at various times by aftermarket companies, and has come to be known as the "Monza Nose" due to it's resemblance to the later Chevy Monza.
It kinda looks like a mix between the Chevy/Dekon Monza race car and the Opel Monza.
I had the quad headlight Buick Skyhawk. It was actually a pretty fun little car.
The Monza and sunbird in the 70's were a design Marvel. Beautiful ahead of its time, if they were introduced in 1985 with a V6 optional or later units with a Quad 4 in say 1989 as optional engines I think they would have done great. Base 2.5 iron dukes as 4 or 5 SPD RWD transmission. The 3.8 Turbo would have made a great performance option, or even a 2.8L
I know of a SS with 350 badges on each front freners
I had a 79 hatch with the Iron Duke and the very rare 5 spd!
and Skyhawk
My first car was a 1979 Oldsmobile Starfire. The Oldsmobile version of the Monza
I had a 1980 Monza 2+2 hatchback. It had a 4 cyl. with a 4 speed. I removed the 4 cyl. and 4 speed and replaced them with a built 5.7 V-8 and a rebuilt turbo 400 trans w/a 2500 rpm torque stall converter. Custom cat-back free dual exhaust. That car was fast. I would race Vettes and 5.0 Mustangs and smoke them. I miss that car
What times did it run? Loved to Footbrake a V-8 Monza.
Cool cars you hardly see any of them anymore especially the no Chevrolet versions Pontiac etc
My sister had the Pontiac version, I think it was called the Sunfire?, silver with a black interior. It just had one of the 4 bangers and a 3 speed, but I smoked a Maverick Grabber with a 302 in it one night cruising in HS.
@@SierraBravo347 Starfire 👍
My two sisters each had a Monza, they never bought a GM product since. I'm going to say GM would have been better off if they made none. Remember they were just a restyled Vega. Junk.
All brought to you compliments of the epa....
@@will7its That and when the oil crisis happened every car they made were obsolete and needed to replace every car line ASAP. Everything suffered.
Another GM car that was rushed into production and discontinued before it could reach it's full potential. Kind like the Fiero 🤔
Maybe JoJoBoBo should think about having GM bring back the Monza....since Inflation is HIGHER right now than when Peanut Carter was in office! Let's Go Brandon!!🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
I don’t think that’s how it works.
Stay Home, Travis. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
In the late 80's and early 90's everyone around here was cleaning out the junkyards looking for Monza/Vega bodies. You put a 400 small block with 327 double hump heads and a cam in it and call your mom and tell you love her! 😆
I wondered why GM couldn’t take an Opel/Vauxhall engine, like the 1.9L OHC from the Manta, and use it in the Monza and other models as a step up from the base engine?
YES , finally !!!!
Someone who knows.
I had a 78’ Monza wagon that I dropped a 383 stroker into. She was so sweet.
I also had a black and white RS Camaro before. That the 383 came out of. After it got totaled. (Not in an accident , it blew apart a rear drum ,and I had to leave it on a desert road. When I came back the next day someone had used it for target practice ! ) 😢
The wagons had much better handling due to the longer wheel base.
The Monza Spyder was what I wanted as my first ride in 1985..got a 76 Vega fastback instead?? Found a 150 dollar 3.1 Buick V6 w a very used 4 speed Saginaw and set it all in using a set of Monza V8 motor mounts w very little fabricobbling to make it all work. Holes were already punched in as Monza and Vega were related. Shortened drive shaft, exhaust and fat wheels and I was off. I Learned a lot while making it all come together w body work, new paint, interior, rear spoiler and a fake corvette hood scoop ..learned that those little GM cars of that era, well, SUCKED! Still drove the wheels off of it and sold it for profit. Win!
I’m really surprised they didn’t retro this or the Vega back but what do I now…
I bought a 1977 Monza Mirage in 1978, and it was a blast. Decent fuel economy, and it was pretty quick for the time...
I had a High School girlfriend with a '77 Monza Mirage 305 V-8 and a 4-speed. It was a fun car until she crashed it!
I owned a 1978 Chevy Monza coup back in the 80’s during high school. It was an awesome car when it ran…most of the time it left me stranded.
Similar to the opel monza! Gms version of the European version!
my dad had the 5L with the 4speed. dark blue with black accents and louvers. I loved that car
Monza crossmemb for a V8 bolted right into a Vega and made an easy V8 swap
Also big improvement for Vega front suspension
Great video as always, but how could you not mention the DeKon Monza and the other IMSA racers?