Been a While

"That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms" (thatbastardkurtis5) 04/24/2018 at 16:37 • Filed to: None

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So, I’ve been absent from Oppo for a while...I think probably since right after I sold my Miatas in October or so. Lots has changed since then: I got my CDL, my wife is pregnant with our second child, changed jobs a couple times. But now I’ve done something about my car-lessness and I’m back.

The thing I’ve done is buy a 1987 Chevy Monte Carlo SS. Now, it is not a particularly good Monte Carlo SS...but for the $850 I paid, I think it’s good. Its all stock aside from a true dual exhaust, the driver’s side exhaust tip of which has fallen (rusted?) off. Hard top, console/buckets, I didn’t think to check the build tag to see if its got a posi rear end but its a 305 4bbl...so it won’t spin one rear tire, let alone two to necessitate a posi.

I would have liked t-tops, but I don’t really care a ton. The paint is actually reasonably good, the underside is good from the rear axle forward...after that theres some perforation in the frame rails (I’m told thats a common problem area on them) and in the trunk itself. The PO had a go at fixing the rear quarter panel, and it didn’t come out great. Oh, also the starter sounds like a sack of hammers.

The interior though is shockingly good. I didn’t see any rips, the dash isn’t cracked, even the headliner isn’t sagging. Smells good inside too, not the least bit musty. Also the left rear tire was junk, so while I haven’t picked up the car yet, I took the wheel (as you can see, theres a Centerline on the LR of the car in the picture) to my local used tire shop and they mounted a decent tire for me for $30.

The short term plan is to change the starter, fix the exhaust, and drive it. Over the winter my dad and I are going to work on building a motor for it, and ultimately I’d like to 6-speed swap it, drop it, and do a vintage NASCAR kind of thing...radius the wheel wells, big ol fat slicks, that sort of thing. No rush on it, I’ve got home renovations to do before the second kid is born (November, apparently) and I won’t do anything but the starter and exhaust until that stuff is at least underway.

Good to be back.

MoCamino > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 04/24/2018 at 17:07

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That’s a nice looking Monte for $850. Running and driving for that money is NP in my book, assuming it’s not rusted to bits. (I may be somewhat biased as the owner of its G-body cousin, a 79 El Camino.) The nice thing is there were a ton of other G-bodies that can serve as parts donors. The bad thing is they’re all old enough that it can be tough to find them in the junkyards. (You probably already knew that, though.) There are some pretty good articles out there for the transmission. Not a trivial operation but not impossible either.

Welcome back, congrats on the second kid and on the new (to you) ride!

aberson Bresident of the FullyAssed Committe > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 04/24/2018 at 17:13

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o hi, I just bought this

https://oppositelock.kinja.com/i-bought-a-thing-1825454741

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > aberson Bresident of the FullyAssed Committe 04/24/2018 at 17:34

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Oh dang, nice. What of the Jaguar and Alfa though? They still living?

aberson Bresident of the FullyAssed Committe > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 04/24/2018 at 17:43

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the alfa is alive although leaking oil at a bigly rate and the jag is still in a bunch of pieces but it should be back together soon (tm ).

Wacko > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 04/24/2018 at 17:44

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Jagvar finally is wearing shoes.

Nope, he is still shoeless. Not much changed

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > Wacko 04/24/2018 at 18:52

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This is comforting. Glad to know things didn’t get too crazy.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > aberson Bresident of the FullyAssed Committe 04/24/2018 at 18:53

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I mean if you’ve got an old car and it doesn’t leak, do you even have a car?

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > MoCamino 04/24/2018 at 19:23

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To me, almost anything that runs and drives is worth $1000. From the rear axle forward, it seems to be rock solid...all the problem areas are at the back, but none of it worries me a ton. I’ll fix the frame, and I’ll probably cut myself a piece of sheet metal for the LR quarter panel. I’ve got a buddy out here that has a Cutlass and a Grand National who assures me I won’t have issues finding parts for it...you’re right, they built like a billion of the things, haha. Thank god for eBay, you can source smaller parts from anywhere in the country and everything big on this car is good.