Hey. I found this forum after a friend mentioned something about it and I thought I'd join. I've owned a Monte for the past two years, starting with a 2002 SS (Burgundy/Maroon) that recently has passed (see story "Christmas '07). Recently I picked up an '04 SS Intimidator and LOVE IT! Just thought I would jump on here with other Monte lovers and join in the discussion. Feel free to ask whatever you like and look over my Monte pics below.

Tom Pro

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Christmas '07

-On Christmas night this past year I went home from college to celebrate the holiday with my family. The bad news is that I had to work at 10 the next morning back in town (90 miles away). Because I didn't want to risk the weather getting worse overnight (it was already bad that night with blizzard-like conditions and 1+ inches of snow) I decided to head back at 4 in the afternoon and to take things slow. Slow is the key word there. At some points traffic was down to 35 mph on Interstate. There for a while I got to go about 55 but then I reached a town that is 60 miles from home so I knew that I could average just 30 mph and make it back in an hour. I had no problem with that and I slowed to about 45 mph as I passed the exit. This particular exit is located on a long curve in the Interstate and I made it around the curve but just as I reached the straight-away I hit a patch of black ice. My back end sucked into the passing lane and I was suddenly going sideways down the highway. As of this point I knew I was along for the ride so I shifted into neutral and did my best to try and recover. At one point I was facing backwards and saw the oncoming vehicles and I knew things were not looking good. As my Monte continued to spin, I began facing the opposite lane of Interstate and felt the car start to move towards the ditch. That's when my hopes shifted from recovering to avoiding highway signs, especially since I saw a "Miles to..." sign approaching. Well, the car did find its way to the ditch and the back tires hit first. That caused the front end to swing into the ditch and the sudden traction (with the momentum of the slingshot) caused the driver's side to lift and the car rolled. My Monte came to a rest on its roof between a revine, highway sign and some fenceposts. I called the State Patrol and set about figuring out how to get out of my seat belt while hanging from it. Luckily, a good samaritan stopped, helped me get out of my car and let me sit in their van until the Trooper arrived. Before that night, I never would have believed that my '02 Monte Carlo SS (with 111" wheelbase) would ROLL at 45 mph in a powder snow ditch but the physics must have been just right. As a result of the weather, the insurance company totaled my Monte and I had to set about finding a new vehicle. I told myself when I bought my first Monte, though, that I would never settle for a worse car than that ever again (having had a '93 Grand Prix and a '90 LeSabre) and I believe I have kept that promise. My new car, an '04 SS Intimidator, is even sexier than my other Monte and (I've been told) I look better in black anyway! It was sad that Ol' Red had to go that way, but for 1/3 the milage, I've done well for myself! Below I have included a link to the album with the photos of my accident and the (dealer) photos of my new car. (I will upload better pictures once I get some taken, but it's winter in South Dakota and I have a few things I want to do before I take my pics) Thanks for reading my back story and I hope it didn't break your heart like it did mine!

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/inde...lbumId=1542851(complete accident photo album)


[IMG]http://a352.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/80/l_65866880c4f11aee3383c62d375b94af.jpg[/image

 

 

 

Sorry to hear about the wreck, But Congrats on the New Car!! I love the Intimidator I wasn't a Monte Fan until I ran across My Intimidator on a dealership lot it made me forget i was looking for a Camaro/Firebird...lol And now Since this forum I really like the 86 SS. Welcome to the forum you will like it here

 

thanks, it was one hell of a Christmas, that's for sure! (and one of my presents this year were two new Assurance tires... snow tires that shoulda been ice tries!)

the only downside to the Intimidator is that now a lot of them are coming off lease and so they are moving around a lot. i've seen three (counting my own) in my town now (155k pop.) ... hopefully they sell out-of-state! not that it matters, both of the others are straight stock on the lot so i've got a little over them already (K&N FIPK).

you done anything to your Monte?

 

Sorry about the old car, Brother ... but, from the looks of it ... wearing that seat belt saved you butt. Looks like rolling-over in a Monte is definitely something you want to avoid. I don't know the physics of it ... but, getting sideways is the first thing that usually happens before you're on the roof.

I almost rolled a 76 Camaro on the way home from work, one night. The *** end came around toward the front and the passenger side lifted right off the road and started to go skyward. She righted herself and the passenger side came back down with a huge thump ... I spun-it around the right way, in traffic, and acted like nothing at all happened.

Spent the whole rest of the ride home getting right with The Lord for sparing me and the car.
I know I was screaming: "Thank You, Jesus" out loud, several time as traffic behind me passed-by me taking it easy and thanking my lucky stars.

 

I have done the K&N and a SLP grille






I want to do Exuast next but it will have to wait... To many expensive hobbies and not enuf money!

 

Hey, thanks... it was scary but I definately developed an appreciation for shoulder-strap belts! (They are awkward to climb out of when upside-down but the alternative seems a bit more hairy...) The crazy thing is that I've put a car in the ditch before (under much drier conditions going much faster) and drove back out. Life (and chaos) and can crazy at times.

The moral of the story: I ALWAYS wear a seat belt now! (Never used to use in town at <30mph even after getting a citation...)

I don't blame you on the hail-Marys! How'd you manage that? Was it icy or wet? Either way, that you could recover and drive off is awesome! Did you buy a Powerball ticket afterwards?

 

the K&N is nice, lovin the extra 2-5 mpg and 15+- horse! I don't know about the grill insert, though... I've seen a number of those around this site (LOVIN the forums BTW) but still am a fan of the old-school Monte emblem badge... to each their own, I guess! ThereIS something to be said about the way the red bowtie accents the black, though!

I can understand the exhaust situation as well. Those are my next mods (doin' the research now for when I get the funds later!) But for now, textbooks come first! I suppose it's all well, though... I couldn't USE the extra horses right now anyway (global warming? THE SOONER THE BETTER [for South Dakota!]) I am trying to find a quality, low sound for a system - something like the old school muscle from back in the day! (Dream car is a '69-'72 Corvette Stingray)

Have you had any problems with people taking valve stem covers, btw? I only have 2 original, decaled caps left! (Any idea on where to order/obtain replacements?)

 

Welcome Tom from S.D. from another Intimidator SS owner. Sorry to hear you wrecked your last car, but I'm glad you were driving a W-body car that svaed you. I've totalled 2 '01 Impalas, and walked away from both. That's why I drive this car as my daily driver. I just put him in the ditch and did about $4,000 in damages, but I didn't hit the mini van that pulled out in my way, and I walked, actually drove away OK.
I highly suggest a cold air intake and the u-bend delet pipe, if nothing else. ZZPerformance.com in G.R. are great for performance parts. They have about $2,000 of my money all ready, and will get more. There are lots of web sites that sell parts, but they are a GP racing source, and Zoomer has a GP that is 900HP, and runs 9.01 in the 1/4. THATS why I deal with them. Tim is a key tech, and Kyla answers the phone. Intense racing is another good source. Parts can come from pfyc.com, the wbodystore, 3800performance, and many others.
Check out my cardomain site for my mods. There are many. It looks like I'm about to kick up the stereo a notch, with a bunch of used top notch JL Audio sub-woofer components, 25 cents on the dollar. (4) subs and (2) single channel amps to drive them, 1,000 true watts of power, with (2) custom boxes with neon to show things off. Going to add (2) tweeters, also. (22) speakers total then. Haven't made the deal yet, but I think it will happen. Can we say DEAF? WHAT? HUH?