New to forum, long time owner of 1974 Monte Carlo Landau
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2021
Posts: 186
From: Los Angeles, CA
New to forum, long time owner of 1974 Monte Carlo Landau
I could have sworn I had posted this earlier today but here it goes again.
I just recently stumbled upon this forum and figured I would join and introduce myself.
Back in 1984, I purchased a medium green 1974 Monte Carlo Landau with green interior and white Landau roof 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. 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 last 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.
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.
I just recently stumbled upon this forum and figured I would join and introduce myself.
Back in 1984, I purchased a medium green 1974 Monte Carlo Landau with green interior and white Landau roof 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. 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 last 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.
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.
MOTM Mod
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 5,500
From: Nebraska
Wow that is alot of things you have completed, back when your car was brand new a friend of mine owned an SS of the 2nd gen variety and it was Black on Black on Black, had the swivel buckets too. Cool cars for sure, a bunch of real estate on the cars hood too.
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