Back In Business With This 1974 Chevy Monte Carlo LS

I love cars. Oh, wait. You knew that. 

The other day, I came across a car listed on Facebook Marketplace. Usually, I see them because Jacob shows them to me. 😊  The car? A 1974 Chevrolet Monte Carlo LS Coupe 2D. Something about it. I looked twice.  

I asked Tina and Jacob if they wanted to look at it and get me out of the house. (Well, yeah!) 

Low miles. All original except for the air conditioner upgrade. Original paint. No scratches.  A minor repair is needed on the plastic between the bumper (which has a crack) and the trunk area. The landau top around the valance area needs a bit of repair. A few interior touches are needed. A 350 2-barrel motor. No rust. The car is from Arizona.  

You can see why I was interested. 

I look at a lot of cars, but I rarely “look” at a car. Over the last 10-15 years, I can tell you there was a 1967 Marlin, a 36 Chevy rebuild; a guy offered me at a show for half price, and this one. 

First, let me say I am not a Chevy guy, per se. Despite my first car being a 1936 Chevy, I fell in love with Mustangs. We were a Ford family. Torinos, pickups, Country Squires, Falcons, Econolines and more. 

But over a year ago, I felt impressed that Jacob and I were to look for a Chevy Monte Carlo LS. I couldn’t shake it. We were in Lake George at the Adirondack Nationals. We talked about it. Later that week, we were looking through a basket where we were staying, and there were two Chevy Monte Carlo LS pieces. Not a badge or car-related, nor a game piece. 

Over the last year, we have discussed it. Talked about it. Believed it. 

So, here we are. 

This past week, my wife and I were having coffee, and with everything going on in our lives, I suggested we go for a ride. It was a sunny fall day with clouds in the sky. It was a bit windy and a bit chilly. “And there is a car I would like to look at. 😊 ) She smiled and we were off. I reached out to my grandson, Jacob, to see if we wanted to meet up and go see the car. His answer was “see you there at 10:30.” 

We took off and drove about an hour on back roads, catching the last semblances of foliage here and there. We met Jacob and continued our trek northward. We arrived about 40 minutes later.  

Peanuts Auto in Canaan, New Hampshire

No sooner had we pulled into the driveway than we saw the car. My wife decided to stay warm, while Jacob and I went over to look at the car. It was very nice. No scratches, a couple of small repairs where the landau roof met the valance windows.  

The owner came out and showed Jacob how to start a carbureted vehicle. And it sounded pretty nice. (Dual exhausts.) 

We went home, but as a friend of mine would say, “it stuck in my craw.” 

Monday came, and I sent a letter off to my banker at SCU. It took a few days, and we rearranged things. On Friday, I came home and talked to my wife. We decided to move ahead. 

The owner had given me a great price. I picked up the check and the plates on Friday. 

This morning (Saturday), my wife and I went out to get coffee. At 9, we headed to Springfield to pick up Jacob. My wife was going to hang out with her daughter. Jacob and I got on the highway and discussed a variety of things. Jacob will always be my travel buddy! 

We got to Peanuts Auto LLC. He had checked the fluids and ensured the car was in good working order. While I was giving him the check and paperwork, he showed me that somebody else had reached out. Before I left, a guy came in who was interested in the car.  

We talked for a few minutes. Jacob put on the plates, and we were ready to roll. 

I left his place, with Jacob following me, and headed to put some gas in. (If you don’t know, the gas filler on this car is behind the license plate.) I decided to test the car and headed to the highway. The car ran like a champ! Got off the highway a bit later and headed down the back roads home.  

I learned quickly that it has touchy power steering AND power brakes. The radio worked! It didn’t like stop signs. 🙂 

About an hour later, I rolled into Keene. 

I came inside to let my wife know I was home and that I was going to let Jacob drive it. He and I got in the car, and I explained a few things to him, and we were off. (Did I tell you it doesn’t like stop signs?) Jacob had a few starts and realized the power steering was very touchy! And the hood is very long! We drove for a while, and I had him turn around. He learned that older cars can start in gear, and hence, his first burnout. 😊  

We got home and discussed a few things, and he was off to see his mom. (This morning at 12:45, he sent me a picture of a car for his first car.) 

A great start to a new season. (I already had a friend reach out to buy it.) 

I want to comment on the location where I purchased it. Fred is the real deal, and if you live in the Upper Valley, you might want to check him out. He is in Canaan, New Hampshire. He has a yard full of current cars, and he works on classic cars. He is a great guy and participates in shows with his 1957 Chevy truck, which he rebuilt from the ground up. (Except for the headliner and the seat.) 

Now, to teach Jacob the art of finding a junkyard.