Project Spyder Clone

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Project Spyder Clone

Postby 79MonzaSpyder » Wed Jan 27, 2021 5:24 pm

Project Spyder Clone
I will start off by saying back in 1984 I tried to find and buy a decent unmolested 78 or 79 Monza Spyder with the V8 and a 4 speed but everything I found was either modified and trashed, or unmolested and unrealistically priced. So, I settled for a 1980 V6 Monza Spyder. I loved that car, but always wished it was a V8. I still have that car, time and mother nature however has not been very kind to it. It has passed to my son, (oldest), as a graduation gift and being a typical teen, he blew the running gear out of it a couple of times, eventually parking it at my house with the intent of fixing it. He even bought another 1980 2+2 roller (was a factory V6 4 Speed car, but someone had swapped a 350 into it, which was pulled before we got the car). It does have a good 79 Monza 7.5 Posi rear with 2.73 gears that we will be freshening up. His intentions were to take all the good stuff off the Spyder and put them onto the 2+2 and put a built 350 and 4 speed back into it. Him and his friend spent one day tearing the roller apart and then it sat for the next 10 years outside. So, when it came time for me to move 9 years ago I told him that he had to take them to his house and he said no, he’s just going to sell them. So, I told him I would buy them and he said no, dad, for you, I will just donate them for all the stuff you have done for me over the years.
So, the decision was made that we would build the car as a joint project depending on his position when I was ready to start it. My youngest son has offered to help as need as well as he too would like to see the Monza come back to life again. Well, its that time. Last night was day 1 of our project. This is going to be a slow build at least in the beginning because I have to balance the wife’s needs/wants along with my sons (oldest) schedule and his wife and kids needs with working on the car. The plan is to finally get a V8 Spyder, I want it to look like the 79, (79 stripe kit), but have the larger 80 front spoiler. I have a low mile 305 4bbl, so we are going to start with that but likely eventually drop in a mild 350. I also have a Saginaw 4 speed out of a Monza with all the mounts and torque arms etc.
Both cars have been indoors since the last move 9 years ago as I was lucky to buy a place that had a 1400 sq. ft. shop so I tucked them away in a corner and started sourcing all the parts I think I need. We did get some of the V8 parts with the roller when my son bought it. The roller is mostly rust free. It has a couple thin spots in the battery tray only, (the inner fender under the tray is fine), a small spot on the inner fender by the A frame, the lower drivers front fender, (have a rust free replacement) and both doors are bad but thanks to Len on this site I have a set of rust free replacements for them. Both cars are factory tach cars but someone butchered the dash on the 2+2 so I will probably start with it the way it is but eventually be using the one from the Spyder and the interior from the Spyder. I plan to paint it the factory dark metallic blue for 79. To start we are going to stay with the factory 4 bolt wheel set up as I have a new set of BFG 205/60R 13 RWL and a couple of different mag wheel options, a set of chrome and a set of alloys, not sure what set is going to be used.
I have seen to many people start a project and loose interest and then sell it off unfinished. I have done 3 previous restorations, 2 motorcycles and a square body truck. On each one I got them running and driving and then enjoyed them during the summers and worked on them during the winters. Ya, it takes longer doing that way but I find it keeps me wanting to work on them since I get to enjoy running them around in the summer. The plan for this car is just that. We plan to detail and paint the engine bay and then freshen up the 305 and 4 speed and clean and seal the gas tank and then get the driveline working. Then tackle the brakes and anything else that needs to be done to get it road worthy. Then finally take on the interior, body and paint work.
The Fleet
2018 Toyota Camry XSE V6
79 Chevrolet 3/4 ton Pickup Fully Restored with matching 78 11' Camper
80 Monza 2+2, Cloned into a 79 Monza Spyder V8 4 Speed (Current Project)
80 Monza Spyder V6 Auto (parts car, sadly)
80 Honda CB750K Fully Restored with Custom Full Dress
80 Honda CM400A 10,000 Orig. Miles Full Dress
75 Honda XL250 Fully Restored (first vehicle I ever owned)
73 Honda SL125 off roader
72 Honda Motorsport 250 (XL250) off roader
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1980 Chevrolet Monza 2+2


Re: Project Spyder Clone

Postby 79MonzaSpyder » Wed Jan 27, 2021 5:32 pm

Here's Some pic's
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The Fleet
2018 Toyota Camry XSE V6
79 Chevrolet 3/4 ton Pickup Fully Restored with matching 78 11' Camper
80 Monza 2+2, Cloned into a 79 Monza Spyder V8 4 Speed (Current Project)
80 Monza Spyder V6 Auto (parts car, sadly)
80 Honda CB750K Fully Restored with Custom Full Dress
80 Honda CM400A 10,000 Orig. Miles Full Dress
75 Honda XL250 Fully Restored (first vehicle I ever owned)
73 Honda SL125 off roader
72 Honda Motorsport 250 (XL250) off roader
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Re: Project Spyder Clone

Postby 79MonzaSpyder » Wed Jan 27, 2021 5:48 pm

So yesterday was out first day working on this. Prior to this the last 9 years have been spent on acquiring what I knew was missing and needing to be replaced to get the car back on the road. As we all know you can't call up LMC or Classic Industries and order up the parts you need. As someone once said on this site, (and sorry if you read this I would have given you credit for it but I can't recall where on this site I read it), many of the parts for these cars are made from unobtainium. I will say I have been able to find many of the parts from the helpful and friendly H bodiers on this site. The rest I have found by picking through the few bone yards around me or off craigslist and the like. I have found more parts by asking people is they had one or knew where to find one than I have ever found by waiting for someone to list one for sale. Seems many people have multiple spares and are gracious enough to part with one to get another H=Body back on the road. I thank you all for that help.

So we dug the motor out of storage and started stripping it down to be cleaned up painted and freshened up. While it out we are going to replace the crank seals, timing chain, water pump, valve seals, sending units, thermostat etc, the basics one would change on a 40+ year old motor. Don't want to get to crazy with this one because its destined to be replaced by a mild 350 at a later date, just want to use this to get it going for now. We also customer fabricated the support rod that goes from the back of the P/S pump to the intake. I have seen several cars with out them but I can't see GM wasting the time and money to put one there if they didn't think they had to. Plus for the most part we are wanting the build to have a fairly stock look. That could change later but for now we are trying to keep it simple.
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The Fleet
2018 Toyota Camry XSE V6
79 Chevrolet 3/4 ton Pickup Fully Restored with matching 78 11' Camper
80 Monza 2+2, Cloned into a 79 Monza Spyder V8 4 Speed (Current Project)
80 Monza Spyder V6 Auto (parts car, sadly)
80 Honda CB750K Fully Restored with Custom Full Dress
80 Honda CM400A 10,000 Orig. Miles Full Dress
75 Honda XL250 Fully Restored (first vehicle I ever owned)
73 Honda SL125 off roader
72 Honda Motorsport 250 (XL250) off roader
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Re: Project Spyder Clone

Postby zeke » Wed Jan 27, 2021 9:24 pm

Right on! I will follow your project. The hardest part is getting started. 8)
Chris

zeke's 79 Monza Project

zeke's 78 Sport Coupe

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Re: Project Spyder Clone

Postby 79MonzaSpyder » Thu Jan 28, 2021 3:22 am

Thanks Chris, I will be using your thread and posts as I have to change my factory V6 tach to work with the V8.
The Fleet
2018 Toyota Camry XSE V6
79 Chevrolet 3/4 ton Pickup Fully Restored with matching 78 11' Camper
80 Monza 2+2, Cloned into a 79 Monza Spyder V8 4 Speed (Current Project)
80 Monza Spyder V6 Auto (parts car, sadly)
80 Honda CB750K Fully Restored with Custom Full Dress
80 Honda CM400A 10,000 Orig. Miles Full Dress
75 Honda XL250 Fully Restored (first vehicle I ever owned)
73 Honda SL125 off roader
72 Honda Motorsport 250 (XL250) off roader
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Re: Project Spyder Clone

Postby cjbiagi » Thu Jan 28, 2021 9:44 am

Looks like a great project. As long as it is solid you should be fine with bolt on replacement parts. Several of us offer parts for these cars so don't be afraid to ask for what you need.
Clyde.........75 Monza 2+2
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Re: Project Spyder Clone

Postby 79MonzaSpyder » Thu Jan 28, 2021 2:09 pm

Thanks, Clyde, and Yes, I have bought many items from you already, door pins and bushings, U&L Rad hoses, hood and hatch bumpers, virtually every rubber seal, window channel felts etc. And yes, the shell is very solid, no rust around any of the windows, probably helped by the fact someone took most of the trim pieces off years ago so junk couldn't collect under them and the factthat the last 9 years it has been in dry storage in my shop. The floors are solid, no rust in the rockers or quarters to speak of. Both doors are toast but a have a rust free set from Len and the driver front fender bottom is gone due to the fact that for some reason the inner fender was missing on that side and so it filled with debris and rotted it out but again I have a rust free replacement for it. I have a couple thin spots in the battery tray edge and one small spot on the inner fender by the upper A frame on the driver side. I have done rust repair on my square body, floor patches and full rockers and cab corners. I have all the tools and knowledge how to do it right but its a big job. Anytime you see rust just assume it 3-4 times worse than you think it is and you will probably be about right, it's never just a tiny innocent little hole, you touch that hole and it becomes the size of you fist in a heart beat. That was the reason for not fixing my original blue Spyder, you can't see in the pics cuz the dark blue is hiding it but it has very aggressive rust all around the front window, A & C pillers , doors, fender bottoms, floors, quarters and even several holes in the roof. If you look at the pic of it on the trailer all that stuff on the trailer bed under the passenger side door is chunks of the door falling off from shutting the door when it was on the trailer.
The Fleet
2018 Toyota Camry XSE V6
79 Chevrolet 3/4 ton Pickup Fully Restored with matching 78 11' Camper
80 Monza 2+2, Cloned into a 79 Monza Spyder V8 4 Speed (Current Project)
80 Monza Spyder V6 Auto (parts car, sadly)
80 Honda CB750K Fully Restored with Custom Full Dress
80 Honda CM400A 10,000 Orig. Miles Full Dress
75 Honda XL250 Fully Restored (first vehicle I ever owned)
73 Honda SL125 off roader
72 Honda Motorsport 250 (XL250) off roader
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Re: Project Spyder Clone

Postby 79MonzaSpyder » Thu Jan 28, 2021 2:23 pm

So I will put this out there and see if anyone has any better idea how to get the drivers door open. This is the issue. The door worked fine when my son last parked the car about 20 years ago. It was not touched for close to 10 years. I did tell him NOT to lock the doors on either car when he parked them. When I went to haul it up onto the trailer to move it to our new house I couldn't get that door open. Hatch opens and passenger door are fine. I can use the key and lock and unlock the door but it appears the latch itself has rusted and seized up and will not open. I need to use that door panel on this car on the car we are building so I can't risk damaging the door panel. I have sprayed tons of WD40 down through the open window towards the latch hoping it would free it up, including using a pry bar to help pop it open but no luck. So at this point I figure to get the door open and not risk damaging the door panel my options are cut the quarter open and cut the area around the striker bolt so the door will open with the bolt still in the latch or cut the door skin open to gain better access to the latch and either get it to unlatch or cut it out of the door. I am leaning towards cutting the striker bolt area only because afterwards I could roughly tack it back together so I could potentially open and close the door again not that it is ever really going to get used again but thinking at some point that body might be put back outside and it would help keep the wildlife out if I can still close the door.

If anyone has run into this before and has a better fix I'm all ears.
The Fleet
2018 Toyota Camry XSE V6
79 Chevrolet 3/4 ton Pickup Fully Restored with matching 78 11' Camper
80 Monza 2+2, Cloned into a 79 Monza Spyder V8 4 Speed (Current Project)
80 Monza Spyder V6 Auto (parts car, sadly)
80 Honda CB750K Fully Restored with Custom Full Dress
80 Honda CM400A 10,000 Orig. Miles Full Dress
75 Honda XL250 Fully Restored (first vehicle I ever owned)
73 Honda SL125 off roader
72 Honda Motorsport 250 (XL250) off roader
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Re: Project Spyder Clone

Postby gerbsinmd » Thu Jan 28, 2021 6:00 pm

If the door is toast, cut the outside skin of the door where the latch is so you can manipulate it and get it open.
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Re: Project Spyder Clone

Postby Monza Harry » Thu Jan 28, 2021 7:41 pm

gerbsinmd wrote:If the door is toast, cut the outside skin of the door where the latch is so you can manipulate it and get it open.

That is my thought as well, or dismantle from the inside to gain access (it will be limited) to the offending hardware. And yes keep it drivable at least every other Driving Season for sure as you mentioned in your opening post. There are some tasks that may take a while especially while balancing the schedules of three families [2 of them young families], however it seems you are flush with spares, so work can proceed even while cruising season is on, uninterrupted. :th: :D Harry
I'm not a hoarder I'm a preservationist 78 Monza Spyder (~Soon(ish +/- I guess) To Be 2+2 with Spoilers)
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Re: Project Spyder Clone

Postby 79MonzaSpyder » Thu Jan 28, 2021 8:21 pm

thanks Gerbsinmd and Harry. Neither of them cruise at the moment. One (Teal) has no driveline and never has since we got it. I did see it once before we got it with the 350 in it but they guy wanted way too much money for it so my son told the guy, here is my number if you change your mind call me. Well close to two years later he calls and says well I sold the motor and trany to my friend so if you want just the rolling car you can have it for $400, so my son bought it. The other one (Blue) ironically ran the last time we moved. It actually drove itself on and off the trailer to my amazement. That said it is far from being drivable. The reason it got parked is my son I suspect spun a bearing as the last time he drove it he limped it home knocking like a diesel and it has no oil pressure under about 1500-2000 rpms. What amazed me more is he drove it up beside my house we lived in at the time and pretty much turned it off and left it for 10 years allowing the rodents to make homes under the hood. When I went to move it 9 years ago curiosity got the best of me and I wondered if it would start up. So I dropped a battery in it poured some gas down the carb and cranked it over, it fired right up. I was so surprised I went and got my son to show him and poured gas down the carb a second time and it fired right up again and this time it kept running. I checked the trany and it wouldn't move, checked the trany fluid, empty, poured fluid in it and the tranny came to life. So I drove it on and off the trailer a few times to where it sits now. I did not add gas to it and I can only imagine what grunge it was sucking out of the10 year old gas in the tank and what ever else was in there but it ran ok, other than the diesel knocking and lack of oil pressure. I have heard its really bad running an engine off stale old fuel but in this case there was nothing to loose cuz the motor is toast anyway.

Our goal with this is to get a running driving car that we can start taking to car meets and slowly fix it up, so driveline ,brakes and suspension are the top 3 so we can start enjoying it again. It has been 19 years since my son or I have driven the Monza with exception of the blue one getting driven on and off the trailer. The only mistake I made is when I put the blue one in my shop I should have put a pan under it because the 4 liters of transmission fluid I put in it has successfully leaked onto my shop floor and I can't get at it to do anything until I move the car out of the way and that's not happening any time soon.
The Fleet
2018 Toyota Camry XSE V6
79 Chevrolet 3/4 ton Pickup Fully Restored with matching 78 11' Camper
80 Monza 2+2, Cloned into a 79 Monza Spyder V8 4 Speed (Current Project)
80 Monza Spyder V6 Auto (parts car, sadly)
80 Honda CB750K Fully Restored with Custom Full Dress
80 Honda CM400A 10,000 Orig. Miles Full Dress
75 Honda XL250 Fully Restored (first vehicle I ever owned)
73 Honda SL125 off roader
72 Honda Motorsport 250 (XL250) off roader
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Re: Project Spyder Clone

Postby 79MonzaSpyder » Sat Feb 06, 2021 4:36 pm

Baby Steps, weather was not co-operating to take the engine outside for pressure washing, so we just cleaned up sanded and painted some of the accessory pulleys and brackets.
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The Fleet
2018 Toyota Camry XSE V6
79 Chevrolet 3/4 ton Pickup Fully Restored with matching 78 11' Camper
80 Monza 2+2, Cloned into a 79 Monza Spyder V8 4 Speed (Current Project)
80 Monza Spyder V6 Auto (parts car, sadly)
80 Honda CB750K Fully Restored with Custom Full Dress
80 Honda CM400A 10,000 Orig. Miles Full Dress
75 Honda XL250 Fully Restored (first vehicle I ever owned)
73 Honda SL125 off roader
72 Honda Motorsport 250 (XL250) off roader
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Re: Project Spyder Clone

Postby 79MonzaSpyder » Wed Feb 17, 2021 1:33 pm

More engine clean up done and more painting. We did pull the old pan off and oil pump and replaced the rear main seal, good thing the old seal was rock hard. I had intended to leave the intake on and run it as is but upon closer inspection I'm not impressed with whoever put it that intake on, the front and back intake gaskets are gooped with sealer so it will be pulled and get new gaskets as well, I hate oil leaks.
....and yes my oil pan is a tad bumped and bruised but it doesn't leak and it is a factory Monza pan so I'm going with it. Maybe when we drop the 350 in I might upgrade it but it this one will work for now.
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The Fleet
2018 Toyota Camry XSE V6
79 Chevrolet 3/4 ton Pickup Fully Restored with matching 78 11' Camper
80 Monza 2+2, Cloned into a 79 Monza Spyder V8 4 Speed (Current Project)
80 Monza Spyder V6 Auto (parts car, sadly)
80 Honda CB750K Fully Restored with Custom Full Dress
80 Honda CM400A 10,000 Orig. Miles Full Dress
75 Honda XL250 Fully Restored (first vehicle I ever owned)
73 Honda SL125 off roader
72 Honda Motorsport 250 (XL250) off roader
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1980 Chevrolet Monza 2+2

Re: Project Spyder Clone

Postby 79MonzaSpyder » Fri Feb 19, 2021 1:52 am

So pulled the Harmonic Balancer and cut a new timing mark in it so that the motor can be timed from the 2:00 position as this motor was originally timed at the 12:00 position that I can not use with the short water pump. Then Filled the old timing mark with epoxy and painted it. I am leaving the old timing tab on the cover as it is not in the way of anything. Now hopefully the double roller timing chain I bought will fit behind the stock cover. That will be the next thing, installing the new timing chain and then bolting up the Monza Oil Pan.
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The Fleet
2018 Toyota Camry XSE V6
79 Chevrolet 3/4 ton Pickup Fully Restored with matching 78 11' Camper
80 Monza 2+2, Cloned into a 79 Monza Spyder V8 4 Speed (Current Project)
80 Monza Spyder V6 Auto (parts car, sadly)
80 Honda CB750K Fully Restored with Custom Full Dress
80 Honda CM400A 10,000 Orig. Miles Full Dress
75 Honda XL250 Fully Restored (first vehicle I ever owned)
73 Honda SL125 off roader
72 Honda Motorsport 250 (XL250) off roader
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79MonzaSpyder
 
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1980 Chevrolet Monza 2+2

Re: Project Spyder Clone

Postby 79MonzaSpyder » Tue Feb 23, 2021 4:50 pm

Worked on it again last night. I can say working with my son on this is a fun experience and I can pass what knowledge I have onto him, this is a great learning experience for him. We installed the new double roller timing chain, the timing cover and Monza Oil pan on it. We pulled the carb and intake off. As I suspected the entire rear intake gasket was stuck to the intake inside the motor and there was a bunch of silicone gooped along the rear where the seal should be so they made a crappy attempt to fix the fact that they failed to get the gasket installed correctly. Anyway, Getting the gasket surfaces cleaned up and prepping the rest on the block for paint. And then when FedEx finds where they delivered my RockAuto shipment to and re-directs it to me I will have my intake gaskets and can put the intake back on.
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The Fleet
2018 Toyota Camry XSE V6
79 Chevrolet 3/4 ton Pickup Fully Restored with matching 78 11' Camper
80 Monza 2+2, Cloned into a 79 Monza Spyder V8 4 Speed (Current Project)
80 Monza Spyder V6 Auto (parts car, sadly)
80 Honda CB750K Fully Restored with Custom Full Dress
80 Honda CM400A 10,000 Orig. Miles Full Dress
75 Honda XL250 Fully Restored (first vehicle I ever owned)
73 Honda SL125 off roader
72 Honda Motorsport 250 (XL250) off roader
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Posts: 282
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Location: Langley, B.C., Canada

1980 Chevrolet Monza 2+2

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