Hi all, more progress is made on the Monte Carlo restoration. Today is September 8, 2010, and I finally have some paint on the car. I built a plastic paint booth in my garage last weekend and shot the car this afternoon. Now color sanding, a little more color sanding and then some more color sanding, touch up and buff. Let me know what you think, I am posting pics in my Monte Carlo section, check it out I would really like to know your opinions.

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Today is March 14, 2009, and for the first time since December 29, 2006, the Monte Carlo has left the garage under it's own power!! Insignificant for most but a real milestone for me. Still a ton of work to do, but baby steps. Hopefully more to come soon.

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Today is December 1, 2009, little progress to report but some progress none-the-less.

For the last few months I have been blocking the primer getting ready for paint. First I added a guide coat to the primer and sanded with 220 dry, then anouther guide coat and sanding with 320 wet, on final guide coat and final sand with 600 wet. I think it is finally ready for color.

A story I need to share, I was talking to a friend that is restoring a '72 El Camino and we were talking about the interior. I asked about the condition of his dash pad and he told me his was perfect and usable. I told he was lucky because mine is completely shot and I didn't know if I should buy a new one or a dash cap. He then told me that the dash pad in the parts car he bought was almost perfect also and if I wanted it I could have it. I asked what he wanted and his reply was "NOTHING". Thank you Phil Rodgers for keeping the hobby alive and well.

I painted it today and am happy with the results. I added a couple of pics to my garage pics.

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You really can't tell but I have been working on the Monte.
Since the last update I have primed and blocked, primed and blocked. Now I think all of the body work is done.
Tomorrow I will shoot 4-5 coats of primer, and next week block and final sand and it should be ready for color.

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Today is May 12, 2009 and another milestone, Ok maybe a mile-pepple, BUT... for the first time in 2.5 years the hood is back on the car! Not adjusted yet but baby steps, baby steps.

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Help!! The Monte is being challenged again, and once again I will probably lose again, (1-5), without your help.
There is some progress in the restoration just nothing you can see right now.

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Today is April 25 and anouther milestone is reached.

The engine fired today!! YAHOO.
I finished building the engine almost exactly two years ago and finally started it for the first time today. What a great feeling.

Would you believe it started on the first try? Yeah, me neither. Actually I have been trying to get it going off and on since last Saturday. Chased some electrical problems, stupid ones like not hooking up all the connectors on the column.

Also had a fuel delivery problem, it was the fuel pump so replaced that, set the distributor, it sputtered and started.

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Today is March 8, and the weather has been fantastic the last couple of days, in the 70's but the next few days will be closer to normal. Worked in the yard yesterday so today I got to play with the car.
Had a buddy, a body guy, come over this moring and he gave me a few pointers. What I didn't know and didn't do was after stripping the body to bare metal I should have primed with a self-etching primer, now I have to sand it down again.
I pulled the dash out of the car today and 30 years of sitting outside has taken its toll on the plastic. The instrument cluster just about falls apart in my hands.
More money I didn't plan on spending.
I'm posting some new pictures so let me know what you think.

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It is March 2, 2009, and the Monte Carlo is back in my garage after 5 months at the body shop for new quarters.

I can understand to some extent but 5 months for quarters is too long, anyway it is home and I am happy!!

If it warms up a little it will get a good power washing to remove 5 months of body shop dust. Then the new engine harness and fire it up for the first time.

I am adding more pics to the Monte Carlo, check them out let me know what you think.

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Just a little more progress. It really is starting to get me excited that I will have the car out of the body shop in the very near future.

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I have a little more progress to report on the Monte.

Hope to have some additional pics, (meaning progress), next week again.

Check out the new pics I uploaded today.

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Well, happy new year to all.

I had a couple of weeks off work over the holidays and was really hoping to have the car at home but no such luck.
I may have mentioned that the outer rear wheel housing are not reproduced and the '72 Chevelle pieces I bought although fit the body perfectly they did not fit the wheel opening on the quarter.

Last Saturday we sliced and diced the Chevelle piece and I uploaded three new pics.

Let me know what you think of the progress.

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Today is December 7, 2008, and finally some more progress on the body work. The Wheel Wells are cut out and the new are positioned. We test fitted the driver's side quarter and hopefully there will be some welding done next week.
Let me know what you think.

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HELP!!

The poor old Monte is getting it's butt kicked in all the challenges. Doesn't anyone respect an old fashion restoration project. ;-). Just kidding I am up against some solid nice cars here, someday the Monte will kick butts too.

Thanks for the votes.

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Got a couple of more updates on the Monte Carlo restoration.

I may have mentioned in the past that the car is in the body shop for new wheel housing and quarters. Well there is finally some progress, both quarters are off and hopefully some new metal will be hanging by next weekend.

I have also been working on the steering wheel, you can see in the pics that it was really cracked and separated. I got a steering wheel restoration kit from Eastwood and you can see that it worked. I am really happy with the results and even happier that I saved about $250 on a new wheel.

Check it out and let me know what you think.

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Progress is coming along on the Monte Carlo. I have updated the site with a couple more pics.
The car is in the body shop and they are installing the wheel housings and new quarters. I say that but it has been there 3 weeks with no progress yet. Maybe next week.

Check it out let me know what you think.

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I've been on this web site for almost a year now and have not been challanged. In the last 3 days I have four people that want to challanged my old, tried, clapped out 54 Buick.
Please help some old Detroit Iron make a comeback.

Thanks, Mike

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Help!! I've been challenged, I don't know what to do except to ask for your help, I am up against one fine truck.

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