2003 Monte Carlo SS w/206k miles - Project Car
#1
03-09-2011, 03:19 AM
2003 Monte Carlo SS w/206k miles - Project Car
I'm new here and glad to have found yall.
I have reintroduced myself to the Monte Carlo lineage after a 20 year hiatus. I owned and loved a 1984 Monte Carlo (nonSS) for many years before wife/kids/house came along. (ran 13.7 at 101 in the 1320 back in the day...my 90 stang ran 11.7 at 124mph in 1994...driven like a grandma LOL).
In the past week I bought my brothers 2003 Monte Carlo SS with 206k miles on it. Its rough but overall I think a solid car.
Here's a list of things that need attn and I suspect this car found me just in time to give it some love (this brings me right back 20 years ago LOL).
- Transmission doesnt go until car is warmed up...sticks in 2nd gear and when coming to a stop lurches as if coming out of 2nd back to first.
- Bad fuel smell with engine on
- Bad right rear strut feels like/sounds like the fat bastard just got in and sat down.
- tires are worn down to steel belts
- rear brake lights dont shutoff
I paid my brother $500 ( I felt bad so I consider this brotherly love) I dont think the car was worth that much when selling within the family.
Anyways I know my brother and the one thing he did do was religiously change the oil. Everything else...well was neglected due to financial constraints.
Then the car found me - man the moment I got behind the wheel I knew it was love. I felt like I found that something I'd been missing all these years. Is it just because it says Monte Carlo SS ? Or is it that I'm 6'2 and fit this thing like and old pair of shoes. (My current daily driver is and has been a seriously reliable 97 Honda Civic since new).
My first order of business I started yesterday - I dropped off the car at the local AAMCO to rebuild the transmission completely. I figured it would be around $2500 when I bought the car and sure enough the estimate was for $2500. I think the most important thing here is that it comes with a 12month warranty. Hopefully folks dont reply with OMG DONT USE AAMCO...I've never used them before and they are local so convenience is a big factor for me - I hope its like brand new once finished.
Here's a list of things my brother has replaced prior to me taking ownership -
left front axle
power steering pump
egr
catalytic converter
turn signal relay/switch thinga ma giggy
frozen caliper
recent new battery
The body has a couple dings and dents and my plan is that if I get some of these larger issues straightened out I will get this thing into its proper form. The car is black and it seriously does look like 'the intimidator'
Overall I think the car was borderline junk yard or a real candidate for repair. Junk yard and Monte I can barely pronounce so I chose the repair route. After reading and rereading the threads in this forum I find myself with a team of folks standing behind me - so for that I say thanks in advance. I especially love the threads that start out with a detailed gremlin and then the poster actually fixes the issue AND posts the answer!
I'll be researching replacing the rear strut/spring assembly and have been reading posts on various fuel smell issues.
I had my first wave from a fellow Monte SS driver the other day and I nearly fell over. Its good to be loved
Regards,
John
PS I'm one of the admins at a motorcycle forum dedicated to the classic Yamaha FZR1000 at www.exupbrotherhood.net - folks with the fzr600,fzr750,fzr1000,yzf1000,yzf750 can usually find a wealth of information here - heck with a few of the old farts on the board I think we nearly have over 1000 years of mechanical experience with these bikes.
I have reintroduced myself to the Monte Carlo lineage after a 20 year hiatus. I owned and loved a 1984 Monte Carlo (nonSS) for many years before wife/kids/house came along. (ran 13.7 at 101 in the 1320 back in the day...my 90 stang ran 11.7 at 124mph in 1994...driven like a grandma LOL).
In the past week I bought my brothers 2003 Monte Carlo SS with 206k miles on it. Its rough but overall I think a solid car.
Here's a list of things that need attn and I suspect this car found me just in time to give it some love (this brings me right back 20 years ago LOL).
- Transmission doesnt go until car is warmed up...sticks in 2nd gear and when coming to a stop lurches as if coming out of 2nd back to first.
- Bad fuel smell with engine on
- Bad right rear strut feels like/sounds like the fat bastard just got in and sat down.
- tires are worn down to steel belts
- rear brake lights dont shutoff
I paid my brother $500 ( I felt bad so I consider this brotherly love) I dont think the car was worth that much when selling within the family.
Anyways I know my brother and the one thing he did do was religiously change the oil. Everything else...well was neglected due to financial constraints.
Then the car found me - man the moment I got behind the wheel I knew it was love. I felt like I found that something I'd been missing all these years. Is it just because it says Monte Carlo SS ? Or is it that I'm 6'2 and fit this thing like and old pair of shoes. (My current daily driver is and has been a seriously reliable 97 Honda Civic since new).
My first order of business I started yesterday - I dropped off the car at the local AAMCO to rebuild the transmission completely. I figured it would be around $2500 when I bought the car and sure enough the estimate was for $2500. I think the most important thing here is that it comes with a 12month warranty. Hopefully folks dont reply with OMG DONT USE AAMCO...I've never used them before and they are local so convenience is a big factor for me - I hope its like brand new once finished.
Here's a list of things my brother has replaced prior to me taking ownership -
left front axle
power steering pump
egr
catalytic converter
turn signal relay/switch thinga ma giggy
frozen caliper
recent new battery
The body has a couple dings and dents and my plan is that if I get some of these larger issues straightened out I will get this thing into its proper form. The car is black and it seriously does look like 'the intimidator'
Overall I think the car was borderline junk yard or a real candidate for repair. Junk yard and Monte I can barely pronounce so I chose the repair route. After reading and rereading the threads in this forum I find myself with a team of folks standing behind me - so for that I say thanks in advance. I especially love the threads that start out with a detailed gremlin and then the poster actually fixes the issue AND posts the answer!
I'll be researching replacing the rear strut/spring assembly and have been reading posts on various fuel smell issues.
I had my first wave from a fellow Monte SS driver the other day and I nearly fell over. Its good to be loved
Regards,
John
PS I'm one of the admins at a motorcycle forum dedicated to the classic Yamaha FZR1000 at www.exupbrotherhood.net - folks with the fzr600,fzr750,fzr1000,yzf1000,yzf750 can usually find a wealth of information here - heck with a few of the old farts on the board I think we nearly have over 1000 years of mechanical experience with these bikes.
#2
03-09-2011, 06:42 AM
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Southeast PA
Posts: 25,136
Ugh don't use Aamco 
tripleedgeperformance.com is a great site for reading about our transmissions.
Seriously the transmission problem could have been fixed with a junkyard transmission for like $600-$800 still with a year warranty. (That's the route I took 2 years ago)
Fuel smell could be the filter, o-rings could be shot on the injectors, could be the bank 1 o2 sensor (on the rear manifold) and it's causing the car to run super rich.
They are fantastic cars, high mileage shouldn't be a problem (I'm over 175,000 currently) You'll just have to go through the list slowly and just read here, we have a lot of information thrown around.
Also, welcome to the forum!
tripleedgeperformance.com is a great site for reading about our transmissions.
Seriously the transmission problem could have been fixed with a junkyard transmission for like $600-$800 still with a year warranty. (That's the route I took 2 years ago)
Fuel smell could be the filter, o-rings could be shot on the injectors, could be the bank 1 o2 sensor (on the rear manifold) and it's causing the car to run super rich.
They are fantastic cars, high mileage shouldn't be a problem (I'm over 175,000 currently) You'll just have to go through the list slowly and just read here, we have a lot of information thrown around.
Also, welcome to the forum!
#4
03-09-2011, 07:56 AM
I'm not a fan of AAMCO. They rebuilt the same transmission in my Moms 2000 Bonneville, the transmission has been reliable, and it shifts like new. However, make sure you check your transmission fluid after you get it back. Those idiots at AAMCO over filled the transmission and it was whining. So we had to do a pan drop and get some fluid out after paying them all that money to rebuild. Plus their prices are on the high side.
Good Luck with the Monte! You will love it!
Good Luck with the Monte! You will love it!
#6
03-09-2011, 09:41 AM
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 1,715
Welcome to the family... Although I got my Monte in excellent condition and at a steal, it was bone stock... Through researching, asking questions & making friends, the folks on this forum have been outstanding... I have increased my driving pleasure 10 fold, and I already enjoyed it before... Good luck on your repairs, and I'm sure you'll have her back to excellent condition in short order... Also, if you haven't yet taken the car to Aamco, don't, take Chibi's advice and save yourself a load of cash in order to complete your other repairs quicker... Keep us informed and post some pics when you can... 
#7
03-09-2011, 02:49 PM
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Mentor, Ohio
Posts: 12,156
Welcome to the forum!
It sounds a little late for this advise, but if the trans does not have any codes indicating internal damage, changing the fluid might be all that was in order (I know someone that had those symptoms on a late model Grand Am, solved with a fluid change and it's been a few years problem free).
Hopefully everything else turns out to be fairly easy work. These are great cars. I have an '84 Camaro Z28 in my garage (restore project), and I have not owned a car I've loved as much as that Camaro until I got the Monte.
It sounds a little late for this advise, but if the trans does not have any codes indicating internal damage, changing the fluid might be all that was in order (I know someone that had those symptoms on a late model Grand Am, solved with a fluid change and it's been a few years problem free).
Hopefully everything else turns out to be fairly easy work. These are great cars. I have an '84 Camaro Z28 in my garage (restore project), and I have not owned a car I've loved as much as that Camaro until I got the Monte.
#10
03-16-2011, 04:18 PM
Update -
Left the car with AAMCO and they rebuilt the transmission and replaced the torque converter.
They also replaced one coil because #6 cylinder was throwing codes (they didnt say what code) and they said they replaced a module (what module I dont know).
Result -
The transmission works (oh good) and surprisingly the very strong smell of gas is gone and the engine no longer stumbles as if a dead cylinder.
Total cost just under $2300. Although thats alot of cash I feel good about a 12mnth warranty on the tranny rebuild.
Just left town fair tire and ordered (3) fuzion tires in oem size to match the (1) existing new tire of the same type/size.
Needed to get inspection sticker so I got one....and it failed on saftey due to tires (this was expected) and the CEL is on. The code is P0420.
I'm now reading all I can about P0420 for a general idea of whats going on now.
I'm actually ecstatic that the coil replacement cured the strong gas smell !
And the rough idle/wandering idle/rough engine is much much better now...not to mention the tranny seems to be working fine.
After the tires and get a valid sticker I need to figure out what to do about suspension. As a past 90 stang owner I loved the Eibach progressive springs I had in that 20 some years ago (holy crap...I'm old howd that happen?).
Rather than replace the whole suspension I'd like to just throw a nice set of strut/spring assembly in the rear.
I'm searching the forum now...but is there anything wrong with getting monroe or kyb replacements for the rear ? This time I will -wait- to hear from yall before taking action.
And how did I last so long Monte-less ? My fix is here and I'm really lov'n it.
Left the car with AAMCO and they rebuilt the transmission and replaced the torque converter.
They also replaced one coil because #6 cylinder was throwing codes (they didnt say what code) and they said they replaced a module (what module I dont know).
Result -
The transmission works (oh good) and surprisingly the very strong smell of gas is gone and the engine no longer stumbles as if a dead cylinder.
Total cost just under $2300. Although thats alot of cash I feel good about a 12mnth warranty on the tranny rebuild.
Just left town fair tire and ordered (3) fuzion tires in oem size to match the (1) existing new tire of the same type/size.
Needed to get inspection sticker so I got one....and it failed on saftey due to tires (this was expected) and the CEL is on. The code is P0420.
I'm now reading all I can about P0420 for a general idea of whats going on now.
I'm actually ecstatic that the coil replacement cured the strong gas smell !
And the rough idle/wandering idle/rough engine is much much better now...not to mention the tranny seems to be working fine.
After the tires and get a valid sticker I need to figure out what to do about suspension. As a past 90 stang owner I loved the Eibach progressive springs I had in that 20 some years ago (holy crap...I'm old howd that happen?).
Rather than replace the whole suspension I'd like to just throw a nice set of strut/spring assembly in the rear.
I'm searching the forum now...but is there anything wrong with getting monroe or kyb replacements for the rear ? This time I will -wait- to hear from yall before taking action.
And how did I last so long Monte-less ? My fix is here and I'm really lov'n it.