Minneapolis Street Sighting: Chevrolet Monte Carlo

The name Monte Carlo conjures up different images to different folks; for some, the name invokes images of a treacherous historic rally race, and to others, the name brings about memories of the 1980s G-body and its NASCAR dominance. But Chevrolet's personal luxury coupe wasn't strictly about speed or racing by any stretch.Not by a long-shot.

When the Monte Carlo debuted, it was Chevrolet's answer to the spot between the Ford Thunderbird and Lincoln Mark series; filled with luxury appointments, but at an affordable price. It was the step below reaching anything with Buick-class luxury, but it was bigger than, say, a Chevrolet Chevelle. So it was neatly positioned for people who wanted to be able to buy an opulent vehicle from the same dealer that sold Corvettes; and sell, they did.

The name "Monte Carlo" was instantly recognizable, and just the name itself brings about easy recognition from all walks of life; Chevrolet, as a company, knew this, and that car ran until the rear-wheel-drive G body was dropped in 1988; however, in 1995, the nameplate was bought back--again on a luxury-oriented vehicle, despite being front-wheel-drive. Ultimately, the nameplate was canned after the 2007 model year, and there have been no signs of seeing the nameplate return. Quite a shame, because I think there is room to build a rear-wheel-drive luxury two-door and price it a bit higher than the Camaro.

I really like this one; everything is top-notch here; excellent color combination, and excellent wheels. I love that the paint is not only a neat shade, but the application looks tremendous as well. Normally, I would balk at older cars without much chrome, but here the minimalist approach works very well.
The Chevrolet Rallyes are the best wheels for this car, though I don't think it would look bad on any other set of modern wheels that weren't overly huge.

I especially like that even though this car has a show plate on the front, it does get driven daily in the summer. I have seen it numerous times, and can vouch for that. If you own a muscle car (even if it is geared toward the luxury end of the spectrum, what fun is it if it isn't driven? Apparently this owner thinks those same thoughts, and I applaud him for it.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Chevrolet Monte Carlo

In the hustle-and-bustle of the big city, donks are quickly becoming the transportation of choice for young folks who have the desire to look "cool", and as a result, stock and almost-stock examples of Chevrolet's personal luxury coupe are getting harder and harder to find. Poking around in the numerous sidestreets revealed that not all of them are rusted or blinged; instead, there are still some quite nice examples, even of base models, still around.
The 1970s examples are big and bold, and laden with enough chrome to make even the "hardest" blingster jealous; the 1980s versions are stark contrast. Not much chrome except for the wire-wheelcovers, the two-tone paintschemes were on the way out, and the car itself was much smaller. Did it still deserved to be a called a "luxury coupe"? You bet. Vinyl ruffled seats, optional landau top (which this example was lacking), and a choice of engines meant that buyers could option out their Carlo from either simple, to pure 1980s luxury kitsch. Solid colors, though, without the vinyl roofs look the best, and too many people overdo it when it comes to either customizing or restoring their Carlo.. Plain and simple is just how I like these.









It's not often that 1980s "in-cars" escape whatever fad is running rampant in car culture; for years, Monte Carlos have been prime fodder for lowriders, and demolition derbies. Now, there's a new enemy--donkriding. Donking is when someone takes a car, and jacks it up on obscenely huge wheels, and does little to no performance mods to offset the added unsprung weight. Thankfully, this example is as pristine as can be. No modifications, good or bad, adorn this almost-classic luxury coupe.
It's never easy to shock me, when carspotting; somehow this maroon Monte Carlo took me by surprise. I guess I wasn't ready to see a rather nice example or a car so commonly ruined in mass numbers; the paint is fantastic, especially considering the fact that it lives in rust-hell. The trim, too, has withstood the test of time quite well, only showing minimal fading.
Seeing how this Monte is equipped with one mirror, I'm guessing it's a base model. No bad thing, really, it just means its likely motivated by either a diesel 305, or the more common 3.8 V6. I'd rather have the V6 than the diesel for obvious reasons, and given the upkeep, I bet the V6 actually gets better mileage than the diesel.
It's not often one of theses is preserved or at least left stock, and this owner seems to take great pride in his or her near-classic coupe. One only hopes that this nice example can survive for many more years to come.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Chevrolet Monte Carlo

I've always like GM's G-body coupes more-so than their A body counterparts; for some reason the Monte Carlos and Cutlasses look a lot better than their Regal and Grand Prix cousins, except for the special editions of course. Being in the rustbelt, a vast majority of these cars lend themselves to two categories; beaters or gangsta favorites--or in some cases, both.
The pre-1981 Monte Carlos aren't really my favorite, but they seem to be the most common of the post-1978 models, next to the '82-'88 SS cars. Shame, too, because I quite like the formal-roofed cars in their own right. All too often, these cars are subject to various customization, from dirt-track cars, to lowriders, to donks. I don't like any of the aforementioned trends above, but I don't hate the last two when properly executed. This one, well, it leaves just a tad bit to be desired.








Okay, so it honestly isn't that bad. The paint is really quite nice, and the trim is stock, too. From a distance, and even up close, this Monte Carlo passes the test; it could be a nice driver--and it probably is, but it could also pass for a "show car" or something one would see for sale at a place that sells special interest cars. I know the wheels are dorky; I'm not really a fan in this application, either, but they're a better set than what could be on it, that's for sure.
I really do like lowrider/Dayton-style wheels, and I do like the thin white-walled tires, but these either need a bit more dish, or they need to be a tad bigger. I'd also switch out the rather blah-inducing centercaps for either some proper Dayton caps, or some true knockoffs. As it sits, I wouldn't turn it down entirely. Yes, I just said I'd proper more proper wheels and tires, but I could deal with these. At least it isn't raised high in the sky sitting on some 24s or 26s.
All in all, a satisfying spot, even if a bit mundane by my standards; I'll give the current owner credit for simply keeping an unloved generation of Chevrolet's personal luxury coupe rolling. With our winters, it certainly cannot be easy-- but this guy makes it look like it is!