Hi everybody i'm new to this forum...But anyway I can get a 1997 Monte Carlo LS that has a blown head gasket for 500 dolars it has 213,00 miles on it. The high miles concern me, but the head gasket is no problem my dad has been mechanicing and doing body work for 37 years and he knows what he's doin all thoughts are appreciated.

 

Welcome to the forum, Dan. With your dad having as much experience as you say, I would imagine that any decent car with that many miles wouldn't be a problem. For $500, I say go for it.

Let us know what you end up doing...we love pics around here.

 

hell with dads exp. i would start looking around and find a new motor to build or one that runs for the time being and rebuild the one in it. He could help you on it and also show you how to work on the cars. aslo a good father son thing for both of ya.

btu i have seen montes with over 500.000 on the clock and still running good. So it all depends on how it was drove or how it was taken care of.

 

Dad also talked about that. He said that it might have a cracked head, and not just a blown head gasket so we might have to find a differnt motor, and I mensioned maybe a Z34 engine, and said we could probably do that what do ya'll think. I forget how many liters they are but, I know there sweet!

 

now see if this was me i would find the z34 motor but i would take it apart and rebuild it with a cam etc.... make it just a bit meaner then fols remeber them. Not to metnioin i have never bught a motor and put it directly in to any car unless i bought it already as a short block from a REman company so i knew it was done right and or not ready to fall apart on me. Basicakly got threw it a refresh it so i t was solid. I hated doing it three times instead of once LOL

good luck and keep us posted no matter what ya decied. sound like a fun thing for you and your father to do

 

if your going to do all the work to swap to a diff engine, do it right from the start and get the L67. (3800 SC)

if its the LS then it has the 3100 and even mod'd it takes a lot to make it fast... it is possible to make good power, but if your doing a new or rebuilt engine might as well step it up. and if dad doesnt like the idea of droping a Supercharged engine in... just set it up like the 98-99 montes with the 3800 non supercharged engine. more after market then the 3.4 L DOHC (LQ1) that is in the 95,96-97 montes. and they have kits to add on a supercharger later. and also the 3800 (AKA L36) is very common