Hey Guys. I just picked up my 2005 monte carlo LT for $1500. I have big plans for this car and it needs a lot of work so I figured I would bring you guys along for the ride with a build thread. Below are a couple pics of when I first brought it home and gave it a bath. This car was filthy as it had been driven for over a year and sat under some trees. The car also needs a ton of work. Here is a list of some things it needs right off the bat.

22 inch rims have to go.
Plaster spilled all in the trunk and all over the OnStar cover.
Multiple cut and spliced wires from a hack stereo job.
Destroyed dash bezel from previous owner trying to get his aftermarket stereo out before the sale.
Missing DS fuse cover.
Water leaks.
Headlamps and tail lamps are finished.
And this is just the beginning.

As bad as all that sounds the car is still very solid. It has no broken glass,rocker rust, relatively straight body and it runs and drives decent considering it hasn't been driven in over a year.

 

Cleaned the interior, removed plaster from trunk area, (still a little residue on the spare tire cover to get off), removed and sealed rear spoiler and tinted the rear lights and emblem.

 

Today I have been working on some neglected engine maintenance with some fresh plugs, an oil change, new upper radiator hose , new 180 degree thermostat and a coolant flush.(The cooling system has the good old dexcool mud in it which is a little concerning but we will see.) I also installed my new oem pcm tray and my custom intake.

New pcm tray with pcm mounted.


Fitting new intake.


Filter patiently awaiting my headlight mod .


All buttoned up.



And for those of you who are wondering why I went with a short ram intake instead of a fenderwell....... well since Im getting black housing headlamps and need to find something to do with the stock ones heres a sneak peak of the inspiration for little side project Im working on.

 

I'd still build a box around that filter to isolate it from the engine bay. Its gonna suck hot air at low / stopped speeds (especially with the fans running) thatll heat soak the IAT.

 

bumpin96monte: Yeah i figured it would still get hot when sitting still but I havent decided what route to go with the engine yet so this isnt a permanent filter setup. Really the stock airbox was plenty good enough but I really hate changing the filter in those things. I think if I dont go turbo I will go with a fully enclosed air filter like this......

but for now the wheels, tires, brakes, and suspension are higher on my checklist as far as mods go.

 

Just last Monday I visited a U-pull it that had a lot of the parts you need for this. So that maybe an option for some restoration stuff. Good luck looks like you are off to a great start.
One thing I have learned about the Leather seats is to give them a treatment with Baby oil, at first I was skeptical but my friend had an old Upholsterer tell him that.
Tried it on some of my spare seats and it worked great. Apply a light coat with a soft micro fiber cloth. The shine will go away.

 

Sorry its been a while guys but covid threw a big wrench in my plans. Anyways I have started working on her again and this is what I have done since.

DTS front brake upgrade with Powerstop rotors and carbon fiber pads.

Powerstop rear rotors with PPV pads.

GMPP front strut bar.

ZZP Poly dogbone bushings and mounts.(best mod ever!)

Repaired hacked up rear amp wiring.

Decided to debadge the trunk.

Got some new to me wheels with some fat rubber.

black housing headlights.

Pics to follow.

 

And this is nowhere near complete. Upcoming things on my checklist are.

Get some Zzp lowering springs with kyb struts.

Install my gmpp rear strut bar with DR brackets.

Install my poly front sway mounts and links.

Figure out what rear swaybar im going with.

Catless downpipe.

Intense tune.

And im sure theres plenty more.....also now i have a couple more repairs to make because my oil pan started leaking pretty bad and my multifunction switch has failed.lmao

 

 

I wish I would've known about something like this before I switched back to my stock airbox...