Back in 1984, I purchased a medium green 1974 Monte Carlo Landau with green interior and white vinyl landau roof for $500.00 which I've been using as my daily driver ever since. You read that right, for the last 37-years, this car has been my commuter car, grocery getter, performance muscle car in a velvet glove with about a half-million miles on it. The car was built in Van Nuys, CA, in August, 1974. Since it was so late in the 1974 model year, the factory installed HEI but no catalytic converter. It came fully loaded with power windows, power locks, 6-way power seat, AC, cruise control, map light, and rally mirrors. As the decades have rolled by, I added the optional electric trunk opener, rear window forced air defogger, and optional instrument panel with tachometer, amp, and temperature gauges. When I bought my Monte Carlo, it was considered just an old used car. In the years that followed, people’s opinion of it initially downgraded it to ‘70’s gas guzzler and crappy ‘70’s land yacht that should be sold for scrap, but I refused to get rid of it. In those early days, I didn’t foresee it becoming the desired classic it has since become, I did the same thing that most young gearheads did; increased its power and performance by putting in a more powerful engine and dual exhaust. Within the past two-years, I had to replace the engine which afforded me the opportunity to re-do and refresh a lot of stuff in the engine bay. Mind you, it’s my daily driver, not a fair-weather or show car, so , I focused on reliability and longevity. For instance, I upgraded from the 10Si alternator to a 12Si, replaced the 10ga lead from the alternator to the main junction block with an 8ga lead. I re-wired the voltage sensing and field energizing wires coming off the alternator through an auxiliary fuse block. I kept the generator light for the field energizing circuit through the auxiliary fuse block and wired the amp gauge directly to the alternator and battery through the auxiliary fuse block. I installed modern H4 euro-style headlights with LED bulbs as well as auxiliary fog and driving lights. The single horn was totally inadequate for driving in Los Angeles so I installed compact air-horns that blares in three tones. The auxiliary lights and horns are run off their own circuit via relays. I installed an oil pressure gauge and a volt gauge on the A pillar so as to have more engine monitoring information. The various upgrades I’ve done, however, are non-invasive, meaning, I didn’t cut metal or weld brackets and everything can be returned back to original but it’s far removed from being “matching numbers”.

When I recently started having problems with my horn pad, I went in search of a solution but couldn't find one, so, I created my own and recorded video to document it (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjAGXXYxKDs). It's my first "instructional" video so it's a bit long. Just as a side note, the third (final) video in the series shows the car’s instrument panel with the gauges added to the A pillar and you can hear the air-horns.

I still have the original air-conditioning system that uses R-12 which I service myself but I did scrap the VIR in favor of an orifice tube which is seen in the later cars; fewer moving parts means less opportunity for failures. I had to replace the blower speed switch which is originally part number 366408 (discontinued) but those are made of (what I call) un-obtain-ium (they’re $100+ if you can find them). The replacement switch is 469368 which is still being made but is missing a connector on the “HI” terminal. That connector is for a bypass that engages when the climate selector lever is set to AC and the temperature lever is in the far left position on full cold. In those positions, the blower is on HI regardless of the speed selector setting. Anyway, in order to regain that functionality, I had to splice a wire with a connector into the “HI” wire for the bypass to plug-in to. I’m real fastidious about everything working as it should, even the clock.

I recently replaced the upper control arm bushings then aligned it myself. By the way, I do all mechanical work myself. I've been repeatedly disenchanted and disappointed with today's so-called "mechanics" who are actually glorified techs that are no better than trained monkeys. They probably couldn't find their own butt to wipe it after using the toilet without a computer telling them where it was.

I could go on ad nauseam with all the stuff I’ve done and still do but I think this should suffice for an intro.
I look forward to reading feedback and replies.

 

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I found some photos from 1985 when I put in the first engine I rebuilt…



These are a couple of photos of the engine I just put in last year…




This photo was shot within a year after I painted it, probably '86.


The color in this photo is kinda faded. The car is the correct Chevrolet medium green and it's sitting on compacted sand. The girl was a visitor from Switzerland.