1972 Chevrolet Monte Carlo

1972 Chevrolet Monte Carlo

Over the past 105 years, Chevrolet has built such a vast empire of lovable offerings that some of them just seem to get overlooked. Possibly the most substantial victim of that unfortunate phenomenon is the storied Monte Carlo. Introduced in 1970, and proudly parked in over half a million driveways during its first three years of production, the brand\'s \'personal luxury coupe\' was decidedly cool. And, not as ostentatious as a Corvette or as boorish as a Camaro, the car spent most of its life as the poster child for evolving automotive tastes.

For consignment, an example of a 1972 version of the Monte Carlo purchased by our consignor 18 years ago as a decent conditioned drivable car then turned over to her father for a complete redux. Presented back to our consignor for her 40th birthday and enjoyed, it\'s time to pass this one along for the next owner to enjoy. This car has a few faults but remains original and has been the apple of our consignor\'s eye since she took over ownership. A rebuilt engine and transmission are just some of the highlights of this last year first gen Monte Carlo.

Exterior
A respray of Light Blue now covers the once Sequoia Green steel panels. The paint presents well with a few minor inclusions and an unfortunate area of body filler chip off on the passenger\'s rocker panel. Otherwise, the panels are straight, gaps are good, and a black vinyl top is looking good all around. The bumpers, grille, and headlight bezels remain shiny, as does the stainless rocker trim and wheel well highlight molding. We do note some heat marks on the rocker trimmings, possibly due to over aggressive polishing and buffing. A Coke bottle design is seen and the body lines forming the bumped out front and rear quarter panels remain flawless as well as timeless. 15-inch deep dish Chevrolet rally wheels wrapped in BF Goodrich raised white letter radial rubber are on the corners and give a nice muscle look to this skate. Hand-applied white and red pinstriping highlights the hood, fenders, doors and trunk lid and a freehand script \"Daddy\'s Girl\" adorns the left side of the trunk.

Interior
Black vinyl abounds inside with it appearing on the door panels in buttoned tuck and roll form along with some black highlight carpet down low. Black vinyl with a buttoned tuck and roll pattern covers the front bench seats with smooth black vinyl bolsters and looks nearly new. The rear bench mimics the front buckets in material and design, and all is in good condition and could easily be just as at home in your mid-70\'s conversation pit. A nice wood appliqu dash houses all original gauges, airflow levers, and various control buttons and knobs. Also within the applique fronting is a digital AM/FM/Cassette player and a JVC CD controller. A black covered top dash has nicely preserved padding and shows no cracking. Black carpet is on the floors and remains in nice condition, and the black headliner above remains tight but with some of the stitching coming loose.

Drivetrain
Lifting the long blue hood, we see a rebuilt but not original 350ci V8 circa 1969-1979. It is fed a fine-tuned mix of air and fossils by a 4-barrel carburetor which sits atop an Edelbrock manifold and is backed by a TH350 3-speed automatic that is indeed numbers matching and also rebuilt. A 10-bolt conventional rear axle weighing in with 2.73 gears rounds out the drivetrain. The engine bay is well detailed and looks near factory fresh with its orange/red painted block, chrome add ons and supple hoses.

Undercarriage
Some surface rust is noted on the frame and support crossmembers but only where the nicely applied black undercoating has chipped off. A dual exhaust system is in charge of removing spent fossils and is aided by a pair of glasspack style mufflers. Power disc brakes are up front and power drum brakes are on the rear and for the comfortable ride we note front independent coil spring suspension working with a rear 4 link coil spring system.

Drive-Ability
A smooth-running car, quick starter, and comfortable interior all work together to make this a nice well restored car that offers up a smooth ride. Braking remained bias free during our panic stop tests and the steering was tight and responsive. All functions save for the heater blower were working.

An overall nice stock redux on a car that runs great and looks nice. Well maintained by the owner, whose father was the shining star of the restoration and now ready to pass along this gem along to the next owner. Gracing the South mallway of our Hallowed Halls right here at Classic Auto Mall and ripe for the picking.

VIN DECODE
1H57H2B635455
1-Chevrolet
H-Monte Carlo
57-2 Door Hardtop
H-350ci V8 2bbl
2-1972
B-Baltimore, MD Assy Plant
635455-Sequential Unit Number

TRIM TAG
ST 72 13857-1972 Monte Carlo Hardtop
BDY B233633-Baltimore Body #
TR 70? A52-Black

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