85 Monte ?

[Little6pack]

I found an 85 Monte that looks pretty decent for my son's 1st car.

I know a lot of you have owned a MC in the past & might be able to tell me what to look out for.

This one has 305 4bbl, MCSS rims on it.
It has bench seat in nice condition.
All seats & dash on this is nice.

It has overdrive automatic column shift.
Opera roof dark grey & dark grey paint.
The body is decent for a NE car it is orig paint with
a little top side fade that may buff out.

The Guy put all new brake pad, rotors, drums, lines,
but it needs rear wheel cyl. (no big deal $8 each.)

He also said has a leaky water pump. Also the gas is coming out of the carb filter area. (stripped threads).

The asking price is $2k
I am thinking more like $1k as a decent price due to unkown other problems that may pop up.

I have not driven this yet due to the guy was on his way out of town for a week.

 

[mark b]

$1k sounds much more realistic. I had one for years as a winter driver, great car for that. Not too fast either for a kids first car.


BTW - I have some really decent leftover parts if you need them that I'll sell cheap. Completely rebuilt carb, driveshaft balanced with new u-joints, new radiator are 3 things I can think of.
Give me a holler if you need them, I'm in CT and can setup the pony express via Cotton's.

 

[are_one]

Price sounds pretty good. I paid $1500 for my 84, and it was in worst condition mechanically. Oh wait, thats if it's an SS, is this one?

 

[Drac0nic]

far as it goes water pump's a standard SBC jobber, should be under $20 from Napa or wherever, my 4.3L uses the same pump and it was cheap. The carb may be interesting though, good core's probably gonna cost you if you get it from a yard, I think it'd be an E4ME Q-jet. Otherwise, it'd make an excellent beater, even though I'm not too much a fan of carbs, I'd rather have my fuel system talk back to me but then again I'm young and carbs are nearly before my time on production vehicles.

 

[PaulBZ65]

$1,000 sounds like a fair price for a base model Monte that needs some attention but is overall pretty solid. $1,500 at most....

I'm assuming its a base model since you say it has SS rims. If its an SS it might add $500-$1,000 but depends on rust in either case.

Must be an aftermarket sunroof? Montes couldn't get factory astro/moon roofs.

As much as some die hard Buick guys hate SBC's its a great engine to learn and work on for a kids first car I'd say. Cheap and easy to fix or if he wants to start to learn to modify stuff . Even though its a 305.

 

[gn85]

Is this thing leaking oil? My fathers SS leaks enough to get Pennzoil in business.

Bodywise, doors are hard to get, just like the Regal. The kid will learn of his new friend... BONDO!!

My biggest concern would be the quadra-junk. Some will tell you that you can tune 'em and get 'em just right. But man, can it be annoying. The choke gave me a lot of headaches with my father's. If it would run right cold, it wouldn't run right hot, if it'd run right hot, then not cold. Stalling... the works. I finally got fed and threw TPI on it and haven't had a lick of trouble since! A good father son project.

Still, I like the idea of an MC as a first car. A little bit of grunt, but nothing to get into major trouble with. And if he tears the car up, he'll come up with nothing more then a bruised ego.

 

[mark b]

> My biggest concern would be the quadra-junk. Some will tell you that you can tune 'em and get 'em just right. But man, can it be annoying. The choke gave me a lot of headaches with my father's.

Yeah, that's why when I replaced mine I went for this complete rebuild from a place in FL. IT included all new solenoids, choke, etc. Ran perfect right out of the box. Although I must say the stock one ran 120,000 miles and was still running great.

 

[Little6pack]

Got the Monte today for $1k.
It drove nice & had some stones but not like a GN.

They LS model gives more of a luxury ride. We would be the 4th owner.
The trans shifted well & all items seemed to work.

Here is what needs attention.

Carb leaks at the fuel filter input, Needs a headliner, & the owner said a water pump.
I did not see it leak or hear any grinding at pump.

What would best fix a gas leak at in thread at Quadracarb?

 

[mark b]

Originally posted by littlesixsteve

What would best fix a gas leak at in thread at Quadracarb?

The local part stores used to have a repair kit for the inlet. Most likely the threads are worn/stripped. The kit I saw had a fitting with some type of rubber seal.

Is this the 4-barrel quadraqet like a Monte SS?

 

[Little6pack]

Originally posted by mark b
The local part stores used to have a repair kit for the inlet. Most likely the threads are worn/stripped. The kit I saw had a fitting with some type of rubber seal.

Is this the 4-barrel quadraqet like a Monte SS?

Thanks for the tip.

I am not sure if the 4bbl is the same that was used on a MCss.

I am best to join a MCSS forum & ask there.

 

[mark b]

Like I said earlier in this thread, I have a completely rebuilt carb but now that I think of it, I may have a used quadrajet. IF.. they are the same you could use it for parts if you want. I know I bought a used one off some guy a few years ago for $50 and never used it.

 

[PaulBZ65]

If you want good Monte info and other info pertaining to the car check out www.montecarloss.com

The carbs are basically the same SS or not for all of the 305's. Any differences are very minor.

 

[mark b]

Interesting... I always assumed the non-SS 305's were 2 barrel carbs.

Of course, you know what assuming gets you

 

[Little6pack]

Originally posted by mark b
Like I said earlier in this thread, I have a completely rebuilt carb but now that I think of it, I may have a used quadrajet. IF.. they are the same you could use it for parts if you want. I know I bought a used one off some guy a few years ago for $50 and never used it.

Let me keep this offer in mind Mark. I will first check the current carb out.

Do you ever come up to the Nebra Picnic? or Cottens outings?

 

[mark b]

All the time to Cottons and I have made most of the Nebra picnics. I missed last year because it overlapped with a vacation my girlfriend had booked.

Sometimes I pony-express things to/from the Boston area via Cotton's and the Nebra boys (Bob Vautrain, Brian Lee).
Bob is near Woecester and Brian is in Arlington.

 

[WakkoSS]

My first two cars were Montes. I loved them. Your son can learn how to wrench on the 305 and if he screws something up, no biggie. If he's successfully, he can have a good looking, good running V8. I personally LOVE the Quadrabog. I had a good carb rebuilder here in Florida and right out the box, my car ran awesome with it.

 

[mark b]

I got a q-jet from a place in Jacksonville called National Carb or something like that. It was complete rebuild including all new electronics (solenoids), choke, etc. It was pre-tested by them and ran perfect right out the box.

I tried selling it on the montess board and all I got was sh*t from everyone over there. Some guy insisted his $50 rebuild was the same thing. I said you couldn't buy a new choke for $50. They said asking $100 for a $300 rebuilt 1 year old carb was absurd. Whatever....

Anyway, I love F.I. cars, especially in the winter, but my MCSS ran great day after day, year after year for a carb'd car. I may be wrong, but I think the q-junk syndrome comes from the older ones. Like you said, find a quality rebuilder and you'll be trouble free for long time.

 

[Little6pack]

Originally posted by mark b
Brian is in Arlington.

Actually Wilmington.


I know both well.

 

[mark b]

Originally posted by littlesixsteve
Actually Wilmington.


I know both well.

Brian always confuses me because his sig. other is Arlene. So I never remember if the town or the street is like her name. Arlington in Wilmington or vice-versa!