[wayneair]

why is there a huge hole in the market for G-body stuff? i don't really understand why they're not as popular as one would think. i know the GN is a little more popular than the monte SS but it seems like a majority of the automotive performance crowd doesn't even really recognize the monte as a performance or an 80's type muscle car.

[MI2600]

I don't know if I totally agree. There is a decent following. There are Monte Carlo and El Camino boards that I occasionally frequent. I've got an '86 El Camino into which I transplanted a 406 and some mild gears. I like the styling of the G bodies. The big plus for me is that it's the only hobby car I own that I can still buy parts for over the Chevy counter.

But, I think they're not thought of as "Muscle" cars because of their relative newness and their original 305 engines.

[curtis73]

Well, its kinda tough to really put it in one box, but there is an excellent following. Suspension components are plentiful, like springs, tubular control arms, and shocks. Engines are so simple, since every GM engine was installed in those bodies. Putting a Buick, Pontiac, Chevy, Olds, or even a Caddy engine is literally as easy as buying the proper motor mounts. Transmissions are equally as easy since those frames are built to take THM200, TH200-4r, 700r4, th400, th 350... even powerglide. The frames are almost all drilled for the tranny crossmember to bolt in any one of three positions that accomodate all of GMs trannys.

Rear axles came in either 7.5 or 8.5" ten bolt for those. They interchange at will. Currie, Moser, and Strange make 12-bolt, 9", and even Dana 60s for that car. Aftermarket body companies have fiberglass body panels in regular production. Not to mention, most of the A-body stuff fits the G-body, so many chassis parts for a 72 Lemans will work on an 87 Monte Carlo

The thing is, there is very little aftermarket support required, but they have filled in the gaps quite nicely. I guess that begs the question... what could you possibly be seeking that isn't offered by the aftermarket?

[montea]

g-bodys all original i dont see as a muscel car, more of a old grandpa car or somthing. great thing about them is parts are very easy to come by at wreckers and like MI2600 said you can still buy the parts over the counter easily as well. i have done alot of research for aftermarket parts for G-bodies and i have found quite a few. Theres nothing ive wanted/needed aftermarket thats not out there.

i have a 82 grand prix ive been fixing up, such a fun car and i always get compliments on it when im at gas stations and stuff at night. still just in epoxy primer, and no body filler. i rebuilt a mild 350 for it. heres a pic

[1931 steve]

I would agree that these cars get somewhat ignored around my area also. I personally like the Monte SS if I could find a decent shape car I would consider buying it. But around here in Michigan they rust up real bad and the big heavy doors almost fall off when opened.

Steve

[FASTCHEVY]

I had an 81 El Camino that I loved. The paint/body looked good and it
ran drove good, but it was pretty poor quality.
Things broke faster than I could deal with them, and it leaked rainwater really
bad into the cab Int. parts where too expensive and hard to find, so I sold it.

[curtis73]

Originally Posted by montea

g-bodys all original i dont see as a muscel car, more of a old grandpa car or somthing. i have a 82 grand prix ive been fixing up, such a fun car and i always get compliments on it when im at gas stations and stuff at night. still just in epoxy primer, and no body filler. i rebuilt a mild 350 for it. heres a pic

I think they have as much (or more) musclecar potential as the earlier A bodies that they share so much with. Off the showroom floor, though you're right. The only real muscle car G body was the GNX, but its built from unobtainium these days.

I recently sold this nice little G. It was an 87 Olds Cutlass Salon. I bought it with super-low miles and it was absolutely flawless; rally gauges, floor shift, 442 appearance package, nicely optioned.



I also had this little 85 Elky that was a rust bucket, but I used it hard. I had a guy bend up some short 2" exhaust tubing with some shortie glasspacks on it. It was sooooo white trash

[DHMag]

current G Body owner here, even though its techincally clasified as an A body. its a 79 Malibu. the parts are plentiful and interchanges out of the wazoo. unlike my Taurus SHO, where only SHO specific parts are used, and no other vehicle uses the same part. for the price of simple tuneup items on the SHO, i could rebuild 2 motors for the Malibu.

[wayneair]

what i'm saying is i look around and all i see is camero camero camero chevelle chevelle chevelle 57 56 57. i'm not bashing anything, i know they're all great and everyone has their preference. i know there is aftermarket stuff available but it seems like not anywhere near the amount of stuff available for the more popular cars like the ones mentioned above. thats all i'm saying.

[curtis73]

I think the problem here is that most of the parts for that Chevelle you see advertised will work on your G body.

You have several things going for and against you.

FOR:
1) mechanically very similar to the A-body back through 64
2) all GM engines fit with only an engine mount swap.
3) all GM trannys fit by moving the crossmember to a different hole
4) incredible aftermarket support despite attention placed on Camaros and Novas.

AGAINST:

1) since its in the smog era, most uneducated buyers consider it to be a low-performance vehicle.. but since it is basically a warmed-over A body, its truly a 60's muscle car in wimpy 80's trim.
2) because of the poor views it gets from those uneducated masses, the aftermarket doesn't spend any time advertising parts for it. For instance, chassis components like springs, trailing arms, control arms, shocks, sway bars, and bushings for a 1970 El camino A-body will fit an 86 Monte Carlo... they just don't advertise it.
3) Becuase most of the 80s G-bodies fall under smog regulations and testing, many aftermarket companies don't spend too much time making smog-legal parts for them. Combine that with the public's misdirected views on smog equipment and most consider the G-body a lost cause.

The bottom line for me is this: Smog requirements for 80's vehicles are relaxed to say the least. There are plenty of reputable aftermarket companies that make smog-legal performance parts. It would be SOOOO simple to take an Olds 307 in a Cutlass from its original 140-hp trim to a 300-hp thumper by switching a cam, intake, and a swap to 5A factory heads, and it would still be well under the tailpipe sniffer requirements. Most people look at the miles of vacuum hoses and get scared, but if they really knew how easy vacuum lines were, they would start tearing into G-bodies. Since they don't, the aftermarket doesn't even worry about advertising performance parts for them.

In my opinion, they are one of the greatest potential GM performance platforms. Sure, the F-body gets the praise, but the A/G body has so much over the F. More engine options as a bolt-in, a double A-arm front, a four-link trailing arm rear, and only about 200 more pounds. But, you get a usable back seat, easy parts swapping, and a huge trunk.

The A/G body is the unsung hero of the 80s. Given today's technology, the A/G body has darn near unlimited potential as both family transport and weekend screamer.

[MI2600]

Back Seat? Large Trunk?


Signed,

'86 El Camino

[curtis73]

Originally Posted by MI2600

Back Seat? Large Trunk?


Signed,

'86 El Camino

Get a tonneau cover. Then you have the biggest trunk of all of us

[MARK TINNELLY]

Curtis 73 has hit the nail on the head very nicely, it is the general lack of education on the part of muscle car guys about how to build an engine that is smog legal, i have an 87 monte aerocoupe, we tranplanted the 305 for a 406, kept all the smog stuff, cats, computer, everything and still make 435hp.

He is also right about many parts being interchangable with older chevy models, this is what cuts out the aftermarket guys.
G Bodies Rule, RULE< RULE

[wayneair]

well its a good thing i'm going to be registering my car in NC. i don't have any of the emissions equipment in my monte, the guy that had it before me had already took it all out. my county doesn't do an emissions test, only a visual inspection and i have a cousin that does inspections at his shop. you get the idea. and on top of that, i'm going to be moving to SC, where they don't have inspections at all.

[curtis73]

I almost bought an Olds Cutlass with the 350 diesel. It had 26,000 miles on it and since its a diesel VIN, I could have put a 455 Buick in it and no one would check it even here in nazi california.

It went for way too much money so I didn't even bid on it, but what a gem. The perfect smog-free G body.