I was born January 24, 1977 at 11:07 AM at UCLA Hospital in Los Angeles, CA. My mother saw this car in November (76) off Wilshire Blvd, and my father was working two jobs during the time to picked-up my mother and myself in a brand new 1977 Monte Carlo. My mother kept that car until I graduated from high school.....:)
I worked on so many Monte Carlos back in the day. These are just very good cars built on a very proven chassis. They were an classy car from Chevrolet that didn’t break the bank.
@@paulparoma Very true. Although I'm glad to be alive, yes, I also know from living in 2021 that if I died anytime after (about) 1986, I wouldn't have missed out on anything. From 30 on (1987-present) everything's been pretty much 'all over with' compared to 1986 and earlier. I love Bill's channel too, and I would have to say it is one of the good things about being alive now. Anything that's at all enjoyable in this lousy, sad, frustrating time is all to the good.
@@robmcgowan4034 I know. I think after about 1997 it all started going downhill. Bill is not old enough to be a true old-timer, but he has that great way about him that makes the videos so much fun. A rare treat indeed in today's hideous world.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. Back in 84 I had a friend that bought a used 77 or 78. That model had a fuel economy gauge in place of the fuel gauge. It was basically a gigantic vacuum meter where the needle swung a huge path between good and bad fuel economy depending on how much you mashed down on the gas pedal. Her car also has swivel bucket seats. So if your date was a disco queen with feathered hair and a really short backless dress you could swivel the passenger seat so your date didn't have to flash beaver when getting into the car.
I drove my neighbors' 75 Monte with a 350 and that obnoxious large fuel economy gauge! It had the swivel buckets too. Our '77 didn't have that gauge and I was like WTH is this?!
One of the nicest riding cars of the day. Chevrolet did an amazing job on the suspension. While Ford was building float-boats like the Thunderbird, and Chrysler was still using the overly stiff "torsion-aire" ride, Chevrolet found a way of making a nice riding car that actually handled well while, at the same time, providing an extremely comfortable and smooth ride. As with all of the cars of the 1970s, after it was downsized, the ride comfort was gone.
Good lord where do you find these ancient land yachts? and in such fantastic condition too! These boats must have been kept in a garage and only used once a week to get to Publix.
Florida... Parked for ages due to retirement, owner grows old, then i'm assuming they are inherited and thankfully sold and not scrapped. Florida is a time capsule of older cars. Every time i go there i'm surprised. But yeah, even with estate sale barn finds there's not a lot of beauties like this around!
April of 1976. I was a senior in high school. Mom and Dad gave me $1,000 to put down on a new car. It was between the Monte Carlo or the Cougar. Cougar won out because of the rally gauges and a bit more room and that looooooong hood with classic grill. BUT this one was still an amazing car. Great memories!!! Thanks for sharing!!!
Hey Bill, you hit it out of the park with this Monte Carlo!! Those rally wheels have been around forever, I had the same wheels on a 68 Impala SS convertible. I'm sure that the rain helps Dalton by getting the cars a little cleaner. Go figure Thanks for sharing another fun video 👍👍🙂
My first actual owned car. Those fender flares. 305 2 barrel. Best car I ever owned. Hands down. I can't even comprehend what they are going for now. I'm dumbfounded now. Excellent find! Collonade cars are the best!
You've done a great job presenting the history of the Monte Carlo. I had a few Montes over the year like a 77,84 and 86 but the gold 77 was my favorite!
I remember our neighbors having one of these back in the day! Same year, red, beautiful! Also, in the movie Casino, Nicky (Joe Pesci) drove one exactly like this!
My mom had a silver one with full silver top and burgundy velour interior. A truly wonderful car, insanely reliable (especially by 70s GM standards). Thanks for the memories, and your endless wit and humor!
In 1976 I had a friend who ordered a new 77 Seville. It was delivered in the wrong color and he'd already given up his 76 Seville, so the leasing agent gave him a new 77 Monte Carlo till his correct Seville came in. My friend had a chauffer named Jefferson. He had the only chauffer driven Monte Carlo in Los Angeles. Side note, Jefferson was also the only chauffer who had to be given directions on how to get to a location.
I had both Eldorados and Monte Carlos back in those days, and I have to say I never felt any less good in a Monte. Beautiful cars that rode like a dream! Great video, Bill and what a beautiful example this is. I remember very well a forest green '76 I had and enjoyed in my youth. Thanks!
My first car was a '76 Cutlass S with a blue exterior, disco white interior and the swivel seats. Great car and definitely a product of its time. Smooth ride, easy to drive and somewhat decent power/torque given the smog restrictions that had kicked in a few years earlier. You can't keep them all, but I've always missed that one. And yes, those seats were very cool... :)
Dang my cousin's daughter just sold one 2 year's ago for 3.500 it was really clean I don't think it had swival seats. It did have a black vinal top who ever had it before her had it garage the whole time no rust at all.
This is the first car I remember us having as a kid. 77 Monte in metallic blue. I used to stand up in the back seats straddling the driveline hump and watch the road between my parents heads in the front as we went down the road! Times have certainly changed.
Remember the presets on the analog radio. Four of the buttons barely moved the needle while fifth one shot it down to the opposite end of the radio dial
I have to say I've never been a fan of American cars, but this guy's knowledge of them and the history of the American auto industry and its various brands is addictive. Love listening to him and seeing the cars. He's changing my opinion.
Bill, I love the 2nd generation Monte Carlo. The car is half hood and the view from behind the wheel is inspirational. All the 70's GM A-body and A-Special body cars were exceptional in ride and handling. Thank you for reviewing such a beautiful survivor from the 70's.
Growing up i remember my dad telling me to never buy a car with power windows, so maybe the public-at-large during this era was paranoid of crashing into a pond and not being able to roll the windows down to climb out - resulting in few luxury cars actually having them. who knows.. ha.
I think that was a thing back then. I can remember my grandfather telling me that when I was growing up in the 80s. Power windows were not standard in those days. They were becoming more common place in the 80s, but still a costly extra. My grandmother had a 1969 Buick Electra and it had power windows. I think in the late 60s and even early 70s, power windows and locks were only found on luxury cars like Cadillac and Buick.
@@caseyl3789 no they were optional of pretty much any car that wasn’t a nova or a falcon. Could have a skylark, Chevelle tempest cutlass with power windows but the thinking of the public was why the hell would I spend money on power windows if it’s just a regular car. My 66 Electra I have has manual windows and seats it’s all just in what the person wanted when they optioned it at the dealer.
Power windows and door locks were available in pretty much everything in the seventies. Not hugely popular as they were expensive options and expensive to fix. Regular roll up windows worked just fine.
Thanks Bill Love your videos My father had 3 Monte Carlos. My favorite was the 77. Black with a red interior. I put Crome wheels (that had a wire basket that attached the center hub)on the car . Beautiful
I’ve only recently discovered this channel and I feel like I hit a gold mine! I am blown away. Bill your detail/content/humor/structure to each video is excellent and I’ve been binge watching years of your prior content. I don’t get why only 93k subscribers….??? Anyway I am sharing with anyone I can so they can enjoy too.
LOOOOOVE THESE! So many people I knew had this car. Rode like a Cadillac, very smooth and comfy. I wish I could drive one of these now, such a wonderful, classy car!
This reminds me, when I was a kid, my mother had a Montecarlo landau from 1973 green inside, light green outside with all the luxury options, such an awesome car. The car inside had bucket seats and the driver's side seat moved in rotation by pushing something on the side of the seat. 👍
My mom had one & I can remember it had the coldest Ac. I can remember the movie Halloween 🎃(78) where the girl was strangled in her Monte by Michael Myers Aka the" boogeyman " hiding in the backseat & everytime I got in the front of my moms, I would always look in back for Michael Myers 😆 lol . I had 1988 SS Monte . Appreciate all the reviews on these cool rides 💯😎🚘👍
Grampa liked his Lincolns, but my Grandmother bought a new ‘74 Monte, dark burnt orange, black top, ralley wheels. Loved this car as a kid in the ‘70s.
My dad bought a blue 77 monte carlo landau new and wanted to trade it in at the dealership in 80, 1 year before I got my driver's license at 16. I begged him to keep the car, so that I could have it when I turned 16. He agreed, but I had make a deal with him with him involving chores, school grades and hockey and was able to keep my end of the deal, so I got the title to the 77 monte carlo when I turned 16. I just loved that car and babied it and kept it until I graduated from HS and sold it before I left of the Army after graduation. I often thought about buying another 77 monte carlo, but never did dang it!
I think it's because they weren't "cool" yet. One day, the 2010 Challengers and 2010 Mustangs will be on this level, but for right now they're just used cars. I was born in 1994 and when I was a kid, these mid-late 70s cars were just "used" cars. (My mother had a great big Cadillac Fleetwood)
We ignored these classics when they were just $1500 cars because our fathers would go on and on about how we'd never be able to keep gas in the damned thing! Lol! Glad I didn't listen...had some great cars in the 80s. :)
Just love these Monte's to the 1977 year. The sculpted fenders and body lines - real sexy. I remember them on the roads in the 1970s through to the mid 1980s but unfortunately, they were total rust-buckets in the north and weren't seen much after that.
A friend of mine in high school had a '77 Monte Carlo. It was jet black, white interior with a center console, Cragar SS chrome wheels, chrome side pipes, 305 V8 converted to propane and it was a sweet ride. Only complaint was that it liked door pins. Man, those doors are heavy. GM could have designed better hinges back then. My Firebird loved them too.
I was in Junior high from 1976-1979, and a friend of mine’s mother bought a brand new 1977 Monte Carlo. It was black with black interior. I rode in it 5 days a week. It was a nice, comfortable car.
Bill, thank you. This is a beautiful example of the last big Monte Carlo. I wish we could buy a car like this now. A friend of mine had bought a brand new 1974 version and my young self thought it was magnificent. I clearly recall how quiet and comfortable it was and I thought it was a luxury car. It was the first car I'd ridden in that air conditioning and I thought that was a marvel. It was also the first car I'd been in that had FM Radio, and that was another marvel to me. Especially the little red light that lit up "Stereo" when you had the station tuned-in perfectly. But not on the AM/FM Mono version in this car. I remember that the doors were very big and heavy. This was the era of the '70's when GM cars would develop broken interior door pull-straps and door arm rests. These weren't made well enough to hold up to the weight of the doors, so it was common seeing these broken in GM cars. Also often broken, were the seat belt leads mounted at the top of the seats in two-door cars, or on the head restraints as in this car. They just never held up back then. But some how they're intact in this video car, perhaps due to not having many people using the back seat. Another thing I recall is that it used a lot of gas. My friend had opted for the 350 engine. Something that all cars from the '70's had was a crazy amount of vacuum lines running all over the engine. Most of which were related to controlling emissions. I remember counting twenty-three vacuum lines coming off the carburetor of my '77 Toyota Celica. Anyone at the onset of restoring a car from this vintage would do well in having a good clear map of the vacuum lines. I think this car took a whack because on the driver's side there's a very bad fit at the front door where it meets the upper part of the front fender. It shouldn't have a gap that big.
Thank you Bill for this fitting tribute to my favourite car! I owned one from 79 to 83 (76 model). Still dream about it once in while 😉 Unfortunately all that's left is one hubcap I kept as a souvenir after the car turned into rust in 83 (I was living in Toronto at the time...)
I thought I was the only person who has dreams of his long-ago '76 Monte Carlo Landau. 305, blue interior and exterior, and swivel bucket seats. And, yes, it rusted out in Minneapolis.
Of those 77 cars you reviewed, I would prefer in this order, The 77 Grand Prix, the 77 Cutlass, and then this 77 Monte Carlo. I didn't like the G bodies when they first came out. In 81 they gave them a face lift and made them look a lot better. The 78s just looked chopped to me. I miss the pillow ride of these cars
This was Monte Carlo BEST YEAR ( to me ) My landlord’s Niece had one like this but a red interior and also came with front seats that swiveled to make it easier to exit ( not sure if that was an option or something added special for hers Vehicle
My mom had a white 1976 Monte Carlo with same blue interior; one difference was a "Fuel Economy" indicator gage; it was a sweep needle indicator in the vicinity of the fuel level. It said "good" when you first started it up, but as soon as you even breathed on the accelerator pedal the needle went right over to "poor". My alcoholic uncle did a drum brake job on it at some point, and when my mom backed it out to go to work later that day, the brake pedal went to the floor as it drifted backward down a hill. Mom was able to steer it into a j-turn and jumped out of it before it went down the steep embankment in front of our house, nose-first. The near vertical impact with the roadbed at the base of the bank bowed the frame pretty severely right below the A-pillar and made it unrepairable. Us kids used it as a play car for several years before it went to the junkyard for scrapping. Good times... lol
My Dad had a 1977 that was a silverish blue color with white buckets and a center console. He would let me drive it to the little country store a couple of miles from the house when I was about 10 or 11. Great memories. Thanks for the great video Sir.
Great friend of mine got from his mom and Dad a 77 White blue Landau top blue interior 350 4bbl sun roof position split bench Monte in mid 80s...had the best time of our lives jamming Motorhead going to the drive in...
This brings back some memories. When I was a little kid my grandparents had basically the 1976 equivalent of this, also with the 2-bbl 305. It was a bastard about vapor-locking and stalling at low speeds; a lot of early smog-era cars had troubles like that, and sometimes from one car to the next, there was enough variation that you couldn't really be exactly sure why. Maybe the choke was set different, maybe the carbs had different jets depending on whether they were built in the morning or afternoon, maybe the EGR was sticking intermittently, and maybe some of the fuel lines were bent closer to the block. And there was a lot of bad gasoline in those days, and the car had no way to adjust for it. Anyway, I was a kid riding in the back and my grandpa was driving us through a parking lot and the car kept stalling. He was kind of not one who liked his authority questioned. I didn't realize this, and blurted out, "Grandpa doesn't know how to drive!" Years later, others who were in the car still remind me that I was lucky I didn't end up in the trunk. I don't know how many other grandkids might have been back there. There must have been plenty of room. And the air conditioning in the first-class seating compartment only worked if you could keep the engine running, so it really seemed like if Jesus wouldn't take the wheel, then at least Grandma deserved a shot at it.
I had the same experience. As a little kid, I passed one on the school bus nearly every day, and found myself offended by the lines. Now they appeal to me.
I owned a 77 Monte Carlo, it was Ice Blue Metallic with moonroof/ no glass. All power with the rally wheels. Although it wasn't the best car I ever owned, it was certainly one of my favorites. Thanks for posting this beautiful car.
I wish I could hear him narrate documentaries and even children's stories. He has such a unique and pleasant voice. No sarcasm, I really think he could
My Dad bought a '77 Monte Landau - dark brown with saddle interior and tan half roof - He bought it at the end of the model year when he saw what the '78's looked like - his car had the turbine finned wheels (also beautiful) It also had the 305 2bbl V8 (he REALLY wanted a 350) i'm pretty sure he had a rear speaker mounted under the rear shelf. If i remember correctly he paid like $7,500. The car was an absolutely wonderful highway cruiser.
Great review my grandmother had a 77 landau in silver with black leather interior 350 engine. In Hawaii the landau tops became rust magnets it was rusting by 1980. Thanks for the memories.
I had a 77 Monte Carlo bought new for over 18 years. Mine was Buckskin in and out with rally wheels, swivel buckets, console shifter, power windows and locks, rear window defogger, cruise control, light in the trunk and under the hood, and a tan landau top. Beautiful car and one of the smoothest riding cars I ever drove. I should not have sold it.
Had a 74 with swivel buckets and a smogged-out 400. Handled great for being so big. Probably my favorite car. Love your channel and your choice of cars. Hope its not too humid today, lol.
Some people thought I was rich because I had a few of them. Ahh, one of the best cars I ever owned. Any year Monte is good for me because it takes me back to simpler and happier times🏎️🏎️👍❤️
My best friend's mom had this car..It was yellow with black Landau roof to support Pittsburgh Steelers! It had a one of a kind sounding engine and horn than any other one on the road for that years model..We always wondered why their car was different. . It was the coolest sounding engine. Can't describe it. And the horn was unique also just cool..I'll never forget that car. 1977 Monte Carlo was beautiful!
This is a beauty. I've always been a Monte guy. Had a 71 in 85, a 86 in 98, a 06 in 14 and now own a beautiful 72. Maybe a 2nd generation is in my future.
This video was the perfect way to cap off the day. I remember reading about these when they were new. I'm glad you decided to put up an image of the Motor Trend COTY article, if for no other reason than that I still love the coloring of their photo car, with the dark blue complimented by the light blue landau roof. My younger brother bought a '76 Landau once he got back from Navy boot camp. It was 7 years old, had all of 31K on it, and looked mint. The back seat, with those opera windows, was a great place to sleep on a trip our family took to Rhode Island. I also enjoyed every chance I got to drive it. I see the Monte Carlo not so much as direct competition for the Ford Thunderbird, but as the herald of the era of lower priced personal luxury cars. The Thunderbird really sort of ignored the Monte Carlo, preferring to play in a more stratified realm until the 1977 model year, when it became what would otherwise have been the Ford Elite. That lower price segment was where the real volume was, and all the growth in the segment in the '70s.
Rectangular headlights were new for 75 before that only round were allowed so they put them like this I think recrangular aged badly round always look cool.
They disappeared completely around 1970, only to make a comeback with the personal luxury coups (and a few sedans) of the mid 1970s. When you can't make it better, make it different.
These definitely were the example of, "Keep that great GM feeling with genuine GM parts!" Beautiful example and yes, cheap bastard for not opting for the power windows, LOL. I just found this video 2yrs late, but not surprising, it was great. Thanks Bill!
As a teenager I remember when the downsized Monte Carlo hit the market. A lot of people I knew at the time felt that the 77 was the last "real" Monte Carlo, even back in 1978!
I love the personal commentary. It just cracks me up! Nice video. I drove a white 1974 Buick Regal on the same platform. This brings back memories. Solid card back then.
I love this car...STUNING! I also loved and had a 1973 Chevy Malibu 2 door with the colonnade back windows, sport mirrors, just beautiful, metallic brown with a cream colored vinyl top and cream interior. I LOVED that car.
My parent's black 77 with the Grey vinyl top was a thing of beauty. This one is equally as beautiful. One on my most favorite cars of all time. I've owned a 86 sc, 87 SS and a 94 LTZ.
Loved these big old tanks. In 77 I bought a new dark blue with white Landau top Monte Carlo. My sister bought a new 77 black Grand Prix and other sis bought a black 77 Charger SE. We all put the Crager mag wheels and BF Goodrich white lettered tires on them. Sometime wish we had held onto them.
Two folks with door dings from these things disliked this video. For some reason this style of car was a favorite for old ladies who could barely open or control the doors.
I had a 1976 Monte Carlo Landau for My First Car & I loved It! I now have a 1975 Monte Carlo Landau in which I love too & I am going to keep It until I die! ❤️😍👍
I think the color keyed Olds Super Stock wheels like you had on that Cutlass look better than these Rally wheels. So too, the Monte Carlo SS wheels from the '80s. But nothing beats Pontiac's Honeycomb or their Snowflake wheels. The IROC-Z's were nice too.
My mom had a 1976 Monte Carlo yellow with black interior and vinyl top and my grandfather bought a 1977 Monte Carlo, silver gray with black interior and top. I adored these cars as a kid and was so sad when my mother traded hers on a dumbass 1984 Cavalier hatchback. This brings so many memories back.
What a beauty! I remember when the streets were filled with these cars.
I was born January 24, 1977 at 11:07 AM at UCLA Hospital in Los Angeles, CA. My mother saw this car in November (76) off Wilshire Blvd, and my father was working two jobs during the time to picked-up my mother and myself in a brand new 1977 Monte Carlo.
My mother kept that car until I graduated from high school.....:)
I worked on so many Monte Carlos back in the day. These are just very good cars built on a very proven chassis. They were an classy car from Chevrolet that didn’t break the bank.
I haven’t the words right now to express my love for Bill and this channel. So happy to be alive right now. 😊
If you weren't alive, you wouldn't know you might be missing something.
@@paulparoma Very true. Although I'm glad to be alive, yes, I also know from living in 2021 that if I died anytime after (about) 1986, I wouldn't have missed out on anything. From 30 on (1987-present) everything's been pretty much 'all over with' compared to 1986 and earlier. I love Bill's channel too, and I would have to say it is one of the good things about being alive now. Anything that's at all enjoyable in this lousy, sad, frustrating time is all to the good.
@@robmcgowan4034 I know. I think after about 1997 it all started going downhill. Bill is not old enough to be a true old-timer, but he has that great way about him that makes the videos so much fun. A rare treat indeed in today's hideous world.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. Back in 84 I had a friend that bought a used 77 or 78. That model had a fuel economy gauge in place of the fuel gauge. It was basically a gigantic vacuum meter where the needle swung a huge path between good and bad fuel economy depending on how much you mashed down on the gas pedal. Her car also has swivel bucket seats. So if your date was a disco queen with feathered hair and a really short backless dress you could swivel the passenger seat so your date didn't have to flash beaver when getting into the car.
I drove my neighbors' 75 Monte with a 350 and that obnoxious large fuel economy gauge! It had the swivel buckets too. Our '77 didn't have that gauge and I was like WTH is this?!
How true!
78 was the small Monte. 77 was the last of this body style.
@@danc1197
I also thought ‘77 was the last of the bigger ones.
They still had a fuel gauge.
The fuel economy gauge was in addition to that.
My God, when you see the style of this era of cars, they really put today’s cars to shame.
Remember these cars being demo derby fodder in the 90s
Thankyou Toyota and Hyundai for your horrid designs.
or not..
That is ONE of the reasons I bought and kept my Saturn Skys. (2007 & 2008)
Many of us wish we had Bill problems … the goats, the girls, the great cars, the hideaway piece. And a great sense of humor!
One of the nicest riding cars of the day. Chevrolet did an amazing job on the suspension. While Ford was building float-boats like the Thunderbird, and Chrysler was still using the overly stiff "torsion-aire" ride, Chevrolet found a way of making a nice riding car that actually handled well while, at the same time, providing an extremely comfortable and smooth ride. As with all of the cars of the 1970s, after it was downsized, the ride comfort was gone.
Good lord where do you find these ancient land yachts? and in such fantastic condition too! These boats must have been kept in a garage and only used once a week to get to Publix.
Florida... Parked for ages due to retirement, owner grows old, then i'm assuming they are inherited and thankfully sold and not scrapped.
Florida is a time capsule of older cars. Every time i go there i'm surprised.
But yeah, even with estate sale barn finds there's not a lot of beauties like this around!
Bill must known some mortiicians … swoop in before the body cools. Macabre …. But hey
@@volvo09 it seems that a lot of his recent low mileage survivors come from North Carolina, including this car.
@@psjasker Bill's a Culture Vulture.
@@volvo09 Don't things rust in Florida?
Had a 76, comfy car. Everyone looks at it. Just a good old yacht. Great vid Bill
It's funny how they were everywhere, and now you never see one.
@@curiouscars9282 So true!
@@curiouscars9282 that's what my dad said. Just driven into the dirt. Now I have an '84 riviera. I refuse to give up on those old girls
@@maxsinger3526 llplop
@@curiouscars9282 I had a '74 with the 454, rally wheels, swivel buckets...god damn I miss that car!
April of 1976. I was a senior in high school. Mom and Dad gave me $1,000 to put down on a new car. It was between the Monte Carlo or the Cougar. Cougar won out because of the rally gauges and a bit more room and that looooooong hood with classic grill. BUT this one was still an amazing car. Great memories!!! Thanks for sharing!!!
Hey Bill, you hit it out of the park with this Monte Carlo!! Those rally wheels have been around forever, I had the same wheels on a 68 Impala SS convertible.
I'm sure that the rain helps Dalton by getting the cars a little cleaner. Go figure
Thanks for sharing another fun video 👍👍🙂
Never knew that deer are carnivores that hunt in packs. I Learn something new every day!
Watch the Simpsons when they go to the ski resort. All will be revealed.
They do in fact eat birds
Bill will teach you the ways
@@siddiqahmad5193 Never knew that. Food is food, I guess.
They are not meat eaters. Any animal creeps him out.
Bill will have my legs broke now
Ha lol. He hates you so much in the kindest way possible.
I suspect that deep down he loves you like a son
Clean that damn windshield man
Hey Dalton, have you witnessed Bill drinking corona virus whiskey?
You're the man Dalton!!
My first actual owned car. Those fender flares. 305 2 barrel. Best car I ever owned. Hands down. I can't even comprehend what they are going for now. I'm dumbfounded now. Excellent find! Collonade cars are the best!
You've done a great job presenting the history of the Monte Carlo. I had a few Montes over the year like a 77,84 and 86 but the gold 77 was my favorite!
I remember our neighbors having one of these back in the day! Same year, red, beautiful!
Also, in the movie Casino, Nicky (Joe Pesci) drove one exactly like this!
My mom had a silver one with full silver top and burgundy velour interior. A truly wonderful car, insanely reliable (especially by 70s GM standards). Thanks for the memories, and your endless wit and humor!
In 1976 I had a friend who ordered a new 77 Seville. It was delivered in the wrong color and he'd already given up his 76 Seville, so the leasing agent gave him a new 77 Monte Carlo till his correct Seville came in. My friend had a chauffer named Jefferson. He had the only chauffer driven Monte Carlo in Los Angeles. Side note, Jefferson was also the only chauffer who had to be given directions on how to get to a location.
He wasn't an honor student in chaffeur school I presume.
I had both Eldorados and Monte Carlos back in those days, and I have to say I never felt any less good in a Monte. Beautiful cars that rode like a dream! Great video, Bill and what a beautiful example this is. I remember very well a forest green '76 I had and enjoyed in my youth. Thanks!
OMG 😱 What a Beautiful Car. 👍🏽❤️🇺🇸
Love it. Opera windows and Landau vinyl tops. Fantastic!
I'd love to find a Cutlass or a Monte Carlo from that area that had the swivel buckets
My first car was a '76 Cutlass S with a blue exterior, disco white interior and the swivel seats. Great car and definitely a product of its time. Smooth ride, easy to drive and somewhat decent power/torque given the smog restrictions that had kicked in a few years earlier. You can't keep them all, but I've always missed that one. And yes, those seats were very cool... :)
Get a wild 70s color too like that GM like green.
They're everywhere. Not priced too bad either.
Dang my cousin's daughter just sold one 2 year's ago for 3.500 it was really clean I don't think it had swival seats. It did have a black vinal top who ever had it before her had it garage the whole time no rust at all.
Very hard to find
This is the first car I remember us having as a kid. 77 Monte in metallic blue. I used to stand up in the back seats straddling the driveline hump and watch the road between my parents heads in the front as we went down the road!
Times have certainly changed.
Remember the presets on the analog radio. Four of the buttons barely moved the needle while fifth one shot it down to the opposite end of the radio dial
I had a black one as my second car after owning a 72 mach 1. I climbed into the trunk to see if i could fit. Could have got 4 more in.
I had a 74 Monte with Keystone Klassic wheels and it looked oh so good. I really miss that car.
I eagerly wait for your next posting. Florida weather report, whiskey therapy and all of it makes me smile. Thanks Bill 👍
I have to say I've never been a fan of American cars, but this guy's knowledge of them and the history of the American auto industry and its various brands is addictive. Love listening to him and seeing the cars. He's changing my opinion.
This Monte Carlo has the most beautiful body of any car in the modern era!! I had one!
Bill, I love the 2nd generation Monte Carlo. The car is half hood and the view from behind the wheel is inspirational. All the 70's GM A-body and A-Special body cars were exceptional in ride and handling. Thank you for reviewing such a beautiful survivor from the 70's.
Growing up i remember my dad telling me to never buy a car with power windows, so maybe the public-at-large during this era was paranoid of crashing into a pond and not being able to roll the windows down to climb out - resulting in few luxury cars actually having them. who knows.. ha.
I still don't like the things.
I think that was a thing back then. I can remember my grandfather telling me that when I was growing up in the 80s. Power windows were not standard in those days. They were becoming more common place in the 80s, but still a costly extra. My grandmother had a 1969 Buick Electra and it had power windows. I think in the late 60s and even early 70s, power windows and locks were only found on luxury cars like Cadillac and Buick.
@@caseyl3789 no they were optional of pretty much any car that wasn’t a nova or a falcon. Could have a skylark, Chevelle tempest cutlass with power windows but the thinking of the public was why the hell would I spend money on power windows if it’s just a regular car. My 66 Electra I have has manual windows and seats it’s all just in what the person wanted when they optioned it at the dealer.
Power windows and door locks were available in pretty much everything in the seventies. Not hugely popular as they were expensive options and expensive to fix. Regular roll up windows worked just fine.
Crank windows annoy the shit out of me. I'd ever buy a car without electric windows.
Thanks Bill
Love your videos
My father had 3 Monte Carlos. My favorite was the 77. Black with a red interior. I put Crome wheels (that had a wire basket that attached the center hub)on the car .
Beautiful
I’ve only recently discovered this channel and I feel like I hit a gold mine! I am blown away. Bill your detail/content/humor/structure to each video is excellent and I’ve been binge watching years of your prior content. I don’t get why only 93k subscribers….??? Anyway I am sharing with anyone I can so they can enjoy too.
LOOOOOVE THESE! So many people I knew had this car. Rode like a Cadillac, very smooth and comfy. I wish I could drive one of these now, such a wonderful, classy car!
This reminds me, when I was a kid, my mother had a Montecarlo landau from 1973 green inside, light green outside with all the luxury options, such an awesome car. The car inside had bucket seats and the driver's side seat moved in rotation by pushing something on the side of the seat. 👍
My mom had one & I can remember it had the coldest Ac. I can remember the movie Halloween 🎃(78) where the girl was strangled in her Monte by Michael Myers Aka the" boogeyman " hiding in the backseat & everytime I got in the front of my moms, I would always look in back for Michael Myers 😆 lol . I had 1988 SS Monte . Appreciate all the reviews on these cool rides 💯😎🚘👍
Grampa liked his Lincolns, but my Grandmother bought a new ‘74 Monte, dark burnt orange, black top, ralley wheels. Loved this car as a kid in the ‘70s.
are we long lost cousins or something?
My dad bought a blue 77 monte carlo landau new and wanted to trade it in at the dealership in 80, 1 year before I got my driver's license at 16. I begged him to keep the car, so that I could have it when I turned 16. He agreed, but I had make a deal with him with him involving chores, school grades and hockey and was able to keep my end of the deal, so I got the title to the 77 monte carlo when I turned 16. I just loved that car and babied it and kept it until I graduated from HS and sold it before I left of the Army after graduation. I often thought about buying another 77 monte carlo, but never did dang it!
I always thought of the Monte Carlo as a poor mans Grand Prix which in turn was a poor mans Eldorado.
Why did I ignore these classics when they were affordable.
I think it's because they weren't "cool" yet. One day, the 2010 Challengers and 2010 Mustangs will be on this level, but for right now they're just used cars.
I was born in 1994 and when I was a kid, these mid-late 70s cars were just "used" cars. (My mother had a great big Cadillac Fleetwood)
We ignored these classics when they were just $1500 cars because our fathers would go on and on about how we'd never be able to keep gas in the damned thing! Lol! Glad I didn't listen...had some great cars in the 80s. :)
Just love these Monte's to the 1977 year. The sculpted fenders and body lines - real sexy. I remember them on the roads in the 1970s through to the mid 1980s but unfortunately, they were total rust-buckets in the north and weren't seen much after that.
A friend of mine in high school had a '77 Monte Carlo. It was jet black, white interior with a center console, Cragar SS chrome wheels, chrome side pipes, 305 V8 converted to propane and it was a sweet ride. Only complaint was that it liked door pins. Man, those doors are heavy. GM could have designed better hinges back then. My Firebird loved them too.
Second generation Montes are wonderful comfortable yet relatively tight handling cars. One of the best riding 70-90’s GM I’ve ever driven.
LOVE those 70's Monte Carlo's, absolutely gorgeous cars!
I had a 76,loved it.I caught myself staring at this car like it was a beautiful woman.love the rally wheels.
One of my all-time favorite cars! I've liked them since they were new. You have the best UA-cam channel ever!!!
I was in Junior high from 1976-1979, and a friend of mine’s mother bought a brand new 1977 Monte Carlo. It was black with black interior. I rode in it 5 days a week. It was a nice, comfortable car.
Bill, thank you. This is a beautiful example of the last big Monte Carlo. I wish we could buy a car like this now. A friend of mine had bought a brand new 1974 version and my young self thought it was magnificent. I clearly recall how quiet and comfortable it was and I thought it was a luxury car. It was the first car I'd ridden in that air conditioning and I thought that was a marvel. It was also the first car I'd been in that had FM Radio, and that was another marvel to me. Especially the little red light that lit up "Stereo" when you had the station tuned-in perfectly. But not on the AM/FM Mono version in this car.
I remember that the doors were very big and heavy. This was the era of the '70's when GM cars would develop broken interior door pull-straps and door arm rests. These weren't made well enough to hold up to the weight of the doors, so it was common seeing these broken in GM cars. Also often broken, were the seat belt leads mounted at the top of the seats in two-door cars, or on the head restraints as in this car. They just never held up back then. But some how they're intact in this video car, perhaps due to not having many people using the back seat.
Another thing I recall is that it used a lot of gas. My friend had opted for the 350 engine. Something that all cars from the '70's had was a crazy amount of vacuum lines running all over the engine. Most of which were related to controlling emissions. I remember counting twenty-three vacuum lines coming off the carburetor of my '77 Toyota Celica. Anyone at the onset of restoring a car from this vintage would do well in having a good clear map of the vacuum lines.
I think this car took a whack because on the driver's side there's a very bad fit at the front door where it meets the upper part of the front fender. It shouldn't have a gap that big.
Thank you Bill for this fitting tribute to my favourite car! I owned one from 79 to 83 (76 model). Still dream about it once in while 😉
Unfortunately all that's left is one hubcap I kept as a souvenir after the car turned into rust in 83 (I was living in Toronto at the time...)
I thought I was the only person who has dreams of his long-ago '76 Monte Carlo Landau. 305, blue interior and exterior, and swivel bucket seats. And, yes, it rusted out in Minneapolis.
Of those 77 cars you reviewed, I would prefer in this order, The 77 Grand Prix, the 77 Cutlass, and then this 77 Monte Carlo. I didn't like the G bodies when they first came out. In 81 they gave them a face lift and made them look a lot better. The 78s just looked chopped to me. I miss the pillow ride of these cars
I'd really like to have an '87 Cutlass with t-tops. Always loved them in the day.
The 77 Grand Prix was the most beautiful. Even the 77 downsized Bonnevilles were gorgeous.
I agree, the 1981 facelift of the G bodies was a huge improvement
This was Monte Carlo BEST YEAR ( to me ) My landlord’s Niece had one like this but a red interior and also came with front seats that swiveled to make it easier to exit ( not sure if that was an option or something added special for hers Vehicle
Did she have nice hooters?
My mom had a white 1976 Monte Carlo with same blue interior; one difference was a "Fuel Economy" indicator gage; it was a sweep needle indicator in the vicinity of the fuel level. It said "good" when you first started it up, but as soon as you even breathed on the accelerator pedal the needle went right over to "poor". My alcoholic uncle did a drum brake job on it at some point, and when my mom backed it out to go to work later that day, the brake pedal went to the floor as it drifted backward down a hill. Mom was able to steer it into a j-turn and jumped out of it before it went down the steep embankment in front of our house, nose-first. The near vertical impact with the roadbed at the base of the bank bowed the frame pretty severely right below the A-pillar and made it unrepairable. Us kids used it as a play car for several years before it went to the junkyard for scrapping. Good times... lol
My Dad had a 1977 that was a silverish blue color with white buckets and a center console. He would let me drive it to the little country store a couple of miles from the house when I was about 10 or 11. Great memories. Thanks for the great video Sir.
My all time favorite car ever since I was a kid! Want to own one of these before I die! It's an Automotive masterpiece!
Oh, what a nice example of 70s personal luxury (affordable). Very nice.
I was 5 when we had one! Great car!
Great friend of mine got from his mom and Dad a 77 White blue Landau top blue interior 350 4bbl sun roof position split bench Monte in mid 80s...had the best time of our lives jamming Motorhead going to the drive in...
This brings back some memories. When I was a little kid my grandparents had basically the 1976 equivalent of this, also with the 2-bbl 305. It was a bastard about vapor-locking and stalling at low speeds; a lot of early smog-era cars had troubles like that, and sometimes from one car to the next, there was enough variation that you couldn't really be exactly sure why. Maybe the choke was set different, maybe the carbs had different jets depending on whether they were built in the morning or afternoon, maybe the EGR was sticking intermittently, and maybe some of the fuel lines were bent closer to the block. And there was a lot of bad gasoline in those days, and the car had no way to adjust for it. Anyway, I was a kid riding in the back and my grandpa was driving us through a parking lot and the car kept stalling. He was kind of not one who liked his authority questioned. I didn't realize this, and blurted out, "Grandpa doesn't know how to drive!" Years later, others who were in the car still remind me that I was lucky I didn't end up in the trunk. I don't know how many other grandkids might have been back there. There must have been plenty of room. And the air conditioning in the first-class seating compartment only worked if you could keep the engine running, so it really seemed like if Jesus wouldn't take the wheel, then at least Grandma deserved a shot at it.
Growing up in the 70's always hated the look of the swooped fenders, but later in life learned to appreciate the design of this car.
I had the same experience. As a little kid, I passed one on the school bus nearly every day, and found myself offended by the lines. Now they appeal to me.
I owned a 77 Monte Carlo, it was Ice Blue Metallic with moonroof/ no glass. All power with the rally wheels. Although it wasn't the best car I ever owned, it was certainly one of my favorites. Thanks for posting this beautiful car.
Oh my god i used to have this when i was in college and i loved it along with cutlass supreme which was my favourite too. .👍👍
Hell Yeah 😂 I knew you'd take it to 100 gotta blow that carbon out lol 🤣🤣 you Rock Bill.
I wish I could hear him narrate documentaries and even children's stories. He has such a unique and pleasant voice. No sarcasm, I really think he could
My Dad bought a '77 Monte Landau - dark brown with saddle interior and tan half roof - He bought it at the end of the model year when he saw what the '78's looked like - his car had the turbine finned wheels (also beautiful) It also had the 305 2bbl V8 (he REALLY wanted a 350) i'm pretty sure he had a rear speaker mounted under the rear shelf. If i remember correctly he paid like $7,500. The car was an absolutely wonderful highway cruiser.
Monte's went on until 2007 not 04 before it's demise. We used to always say they drove like a Cadillac. Fantastic smooth ride..
That car is beyond beautiful!
Bought a 77 off the showroom floor. One of the best cars I ever owned!
Your videos make me happy Bill , Thank you
I’m honored. Thank you.
i like the 1973 monte carlo column shift. nothing like lumina whole different model.
The front drive was the end for me
Great review my grandmother had a 77 landau in silver with black leather interior 350 engine. In Hawaii the landau tops became rust magnets it was rusting by 1980.
Thanks for the memories.
That Monte Carlo is absolutely gorgeous!!!👍👏👏👏, Bowtie till I die!👍👏✌
Beautiful Monte Carlo always loved these 1977's When they made real Chevrolets.
Good evening from Ireland, its rainy here, but not muggy.
🤣😂😄😉😝😎
Thanks for checking in - I really miss Ireland - keep promising to get back for a visit soon, but time slips away. Spent a great few years there.
I had a 77 Monte Carlo bought new for over 18 years. Mine was Buckskin in and out with rally wheels, swivel buckets, console shifter, power windows and locks, rear window defogger, cruise control, light in the trunk and under the hood, and a tan landau top. Beautiful car and one of the smoothest riding cars I ever drove. I should not have sold it.
Had a 74 with swivel buckets and a smogged-out 400. Handled great for being so big. Probably my favorite car. Love your channel and your choice of cars. Hope its not too humid today, lol.
Some people thought I was rich because I had a few of them. Ahh, one of the best cars I ever owned. Any year Monte is good for me because it takes me back to simpler and happier times🏎️🏎️👍❤️
Bought a black with red cloth interior 1975 Monte Carlo in 1976. Perfect condition and I loved it. Nice ride, quiet, and real comfy. I miss it.
My best friend's mom had this car..It was yellow with black Landau roof to support Pittsburgh Steelers! It had a one of a kind sounding engine and horn than any other one on the road for that years model..We always wondered why their car was different. . It was the coolest sounding engine. Can't describe it. And the horn was unique also just cool..I'll never forget that car. 1977 Monte Carlo was beautiful!
This is a beauty. I've always been a Monte guy. Had a 71 in 85, a 86 in 98, a 06 in 14 and now own a beautiful 72. Maybe a 2nd generation is in my future.
This video was the perfect way to cap off the day. I remember reading about these when they were new. I'm glad you decided to put up an image of the Motor Trend COTY article, if for no other reason than that I still love the coloring of their photo car, with the dark blue complimented by the light blue landau roof.
My younger brother bought a '76 Landau once he got back from Navy boot camp. It was 7 years old, had all of 31K on it, and looked mint. The back seat, with those opera windows, was a great place to sleep on a trip our family took to Rhode Island. I also enjoyed every chance I got to drive it.
I see the Monte Carlo not so much as direct competition for the Ford Thunderbird, but as the herald of the era of lower priced personal luxury cars. The Thunderbird really sort of ignored the Monte Carlo, preferring to play in a more stratified realm until the 1977 model year, when it became what would otherwise have been the Ford Elite. That lower price segment was where the real volume was, and all the growth in the segment in the '70s.
I keep forgetting that they still used stacked headlights- as late as the late 70’s.
Rectangular headlights were new for 75 before that only round were allowed so they put them like this I think recrangular aged badly round always look cool.
They disappeared completely around 1970, only to make a comeback with the personal luxury coups (and a few sedans) of the mid 1970s. When you can't make it better, make it different.
@@V8_screw_electric_cars Actually 75's still had round headlights. The rectangular ones started in 76 on these cars
@@grand73am No I mean they got approved by the feds.
@@V8_screw_electric_cars , they started in '75 with Cadillac.
These definitely were the example of,
"Keep that great GM feeling with genuine GM parts!"
Beautiful example and yes, cheap bastard for not opting for the power windows, LOL.
I just found this video 2yrs late, but not surprising, it was great.
Thanks Bill!
New to your channel. Love your observations and comments !!!
Love you commentary! And wild sense of humor! Thanks for the entertainment.
As a teenager I remember when the downsized Monte Carlo hit the market. A lot of people I knew at the time felt that the 77 was the last "real" Monte Carlo, even back in 1978!
I love the personal commentary. It just cracks me up! Nice video. I drove a white 1974 Buick Regal on the same platform. This brings back memories. Solid card back then.
I wish I still had my 76 Monte Carlo...
Lots of good memories.
Speaking of Deer.
Deer and a sturdy Guardrail/Tree did mine in.....
I love this car...STUNING! I also loved and had a 1973 Chevy Malibu 2 door with the colonnade back windows, sport mirrors, just beautiful, metallic brown with a cream colored vinyl top and cream interior. I LOVED that car.
My parent's black 77 with the Grey vinyl top was a thing of beauty. This one is equally as beautiful. One on my most favorite cars of all time. I've owned a 86 sc, 87 SS and a 94 LTZ.
Had One back in High School!! What an Awesome Car ty for Memories I try n forget doing Figure 8s on the baseballs fields in this car
Loved these big old tanks. In 77 I bought a new dark blue with white Landau top Monte Carlo. My sister bought a new 77 black Grand Prix and other sis bought a black 77 Charger SE. We all put the Crager mag wheels and BF Goodrich white lettered tires on them. Sometime wish we had held onto them.
Two folks with door dings from these things disliked this video. For some reason this style of car was a favorite for old ladies who could barely open or control the doors.
I had a 1976 Monte Carlo Landau for My First Car & I loved It! I now have a 1975 Monte Carlo Landau in which I love too & I am going to keep It until I die! ❤️😍👍
This generation had very beautiful lines for sure, love the rally wheels too!
One of the best looking Monte Carlos from the 73-77 era. The best
Can't get enough of the old car ad's, classy gentlemen with dressed to the T's ladies-wwonderful
I think the color keyed Olds Super Stock wheels like you had on that Cutlass look better than these Rally wheels. So too, the Monte Carlo SS wheels from the '80s.
But nothing beats Pontiac's Honeycomb or their Snowflake wheels. The IROC-Z's were nice too.
My mom had a 1976 Monte Carlo yellow with black interior and vinyl top and my grandfather bought a 1977 Monte Carlo, silver gray with black interior and top. I adored these cars as a kid and was so sad when my mother traded hers on a dumbass 1984 Cavalier hatchback. This brings so many memories back.
Bill. Slow the ole girl down. Haha. What a cool ride. I have a 1975 Laguna s3. The do ride great!
Best looking car of the series
Love these Montes but the Cutlass and GP's of the same era were much nicer.
This was my very first car I purchased ! I loved my Monte Carlo !!!