Rough Start: This 1975 Monte Carlo Is A One-Family Desert Car, The Holy Grail For The Budget-Minded (2024)

It’s been a rough week hunting down a Rough Start car. I don’t know what is going on but prices have shot through the roof while the good stuff has disappeared. It took some hunting, and after a few days I went for the cheap shot and returned to the Arizona desert to hunt a car down…specifically Tucson. Close to the Mexico border and close enough to the California coast to find some interesting items, it still took a few pages before I found this 1975 Chevy Monte Carlo for sale for $1800.

Let’s start with the eye-opener: This Monte was a one-family car. The owner bought it new and had it until, for unknown reasons, the car was transferred around. At some point the car was repainted light blue; it’s factory color is silver. There’s documentation out of the wazoo, including service receipts and most of the build sheet intact. Considering that the GM Colonnade cars have been jumping in value the last couple of years, let some gears turn in your head on what you’re really getting for your money’s worth.

That’s not to say that the Monte has escaped use, but honestly, none of the wear and tear this car has is worth mentioning. The repaint was due to a small accident, possibly in the passenger front fender. The driver’s door panel is gone, and it needs a new window regulator. The engine is also in question, potentially having a burnt valve…it runs, but enough to get onto a trailer. But even sticking to the budget, you have $3200 left over to fix things and other than the paint itself, there isn’t much that can’t be covered by $3200. What you do with it is up to you, but to get it up, going and driving dependably, this is a great score.

Click Here to see this Monte Carlo’s Craigslist ad while it is available

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9 thoughts on “Rough Start: This 1975 Monte Carlo Is A One-Family Desert Car, The Holy Grail For The Budget-Minded”

1. tigeraid September 5, 2014 at 6:04 am

   I’m a big Monte guy. Owned a ’72 myself, and of course raced several of them as stockcars.

   But I just cannot get into the styling of these. The late late colonnade style wasn’t bad, with the stacked square headlights, but the earlier ones just look like some kind of bizarre lizard creature.

   Good value for the price though, this one.

2. ANGRYJOE September 5, 2014 at 10:08 am

   This car has been off and on CL for some time. Not sure why because the price is great for what you get. Aside from the cut up door cards (damn people putting speakes where speakers shouldnt go!) it is in nice condition. I like the dual stacked lights better myself but I am not picky either. I would drive the snot out of this but would have to give it an altitude adjustment as in its current state I could go rock crawling and not worry about scuffing rocker panels.

3. nxpress62 September 5, 2014 at 10:14 am

   I know I’m getting older when one of those looks like a deal at $1800..

4. Matt Cramer September 5, 2014 at 12:34 pm

   I’ve had a pipe dream about putting a BMW V12 into something where the motor sort of makes sense but is totally unexpected. This car would be perfect!

5. Brendon September 5, 2014 at 7:16 pm

   Man does this bring back memories… A bud had one of these in hs (’77), same blue interior, etc. He beat the snot out of it, too. After he sold it we took one last joyride in it before the kid picked it up. loaded 6 people in, barreling down a dirt road, and he’d shift into reverse at around 50 mph. tick tick tick as the poor car would slow down. It took the beating and found its way to the new owner, a (questionably intelligent) classmate. As they picked the car up it was being “towed” (the old upstate New York connect one car to the other with a rope for a technical tow) Well, after they hooked the cars up the kid got into the passenger seat of the towing car (leaving nobody in the driver seat of the towed MC) He had to be instructed that he was to drive the MC…

6. jerry z September 5, 2014 at 7:44 pm

   Mmm? I have a 94 Z28 6psd sitting in the yard. Maybe the perfect marriage? LT1/6psd in a 75 Monte would be different.

7. Tanglefoot September 6, 2014 at 7:12 am

   I’m surprised it hasn’t been snapped up by a lowrider guy, those guys love the big Monte’s .

8. anthony September 6, 2014 at 9:01 am

   This car has no rot at all but the motor is tired. Its a great deal. Id love to add it to my fleet. The description is honest as well as the seller.

9. Matt September 6, 2014 at 12:15 pm

   I like them, and would snatch that up for $1800 real quick. No deals like that in NY though.

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