The 1975 Chevy Monza was just another in the list of countless others who suffered due to the Arab Oil Embargo. Known for its Italian-esque styling and despite its varied yet under-performing engine choices, the Chevy Monza is the preferred classic muscle car for many enthusiast Americans. It was produced to compete with the Ford Mustang II and did, but just in terms of style. Check out the coolest facts about this iconic piece of American automotive history.
- Should I Buy The Chevy Monza
- Monza was also a Successful Racecar in Australia
- The Monza was supposed to be a Rotary Wankel Affair
- The Demise Of H-body
- Spyder Performance Packages Were Available
- Plenty of engine options and body styles to choose from
- The Build Quality Was Awful
- The Styling was awesome
- Made to lock horns with the Ford Mustang II
- A Vega On Steroids
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10. A Vega On Steroids
Based on the Same H-Platform as the Chevy Vega, the 1975 Chevy Monza is 4 inches longer, but due to the added dimensions, it tipped the scales nearly 200 pounds heavier than the Chevy Vega. Its resemblance with the Ferrari 365 GTC of that era was so uncanny that the then GM President nicknamed it the “Italian Vega”.
It also featured rectangular headlights and a Polyurethane grille in the latter models. The signature side louvers were part of its ventilation system and as such were functional.
9. Made to lock horns with the Ford Mustang II
To keep up with the age-old rivalry the Monza was built to go toe to toe with the, parallelly launched Ford Mustang II. The Mustang was a Critically acclaimed piece of engineering that won the coveted Motortrend Car Of The Year award and numerous other accolades. Conversely, the Monza was shunned for its lackluster engines and Poor build quality.
Thankfully Chevrolet had other models like Camaro and Corvette to save face which did eventually win the COTY award, a year later. However, unlike the Mustang which was awarded due to its handling qualities, the Monza was a handful, especially at high speed where it tended to induce oversteer, if not corrected promptly, would often result in a crash.
8. The Styling was awesome
Standing Still Monza looked like it was doing 100 mph, the problem was only half the Monza reached that speed, and the other half was bits and pieces lying on the road. The Monza’s styling received applause and praise nationwide. Its sloping roofline, rectangular headlight, and wrap-around tail lights turned eyeballs wherever it went. Similarly, the multicolored Brakes, lamps, and turn signal covers were also praised.
7. The Build Quality Was Awful
However, its propensity to attract rust on chassis and suspension components meant a hefty repair bill. Similarly, some consumers found missing nuts and bolts throughout the car, that were missing during the assembly process.
6. Plenty of engine options and body styles to choose from
During its run, the Chevy Monza was offered in 4 body styles, 7 engines, and 4 transmission options. A set of 2-door 2+2 hatchback, 2-door coupé, 2-door hatchback, and 2-door station wagon body styles were offered. As for the powertrain, the 2.3 liter inliner-4 and 2.5 liter inline-4 engine variants were on offer for the economy hunters, while the V6 came in the 3.2 and 3.8 Liter versions for more performance.
But enthusiasts often went with the V8 engine offered in 4.3, 4.7, and 5.7 Liter displacement. Depending upon the configuration the Monza came with either a 4-speed or 5-speed manual along with a 3-Speed automatic. Independent testing showed that some of the V8 Monza models were slower than 4-cylinder Vegas.
5. Spyder Performance Packages Were Available
The Spyder moniker was revived for the Monza nameplate and included performance enhancements such as a two-barrel, Dura-Built 2.3 liter engine, floor console unit, large front and rear stabilizer bars, special shock absorbers, steel-belted radial ply blackwall tires along with numerous other SPYDER badges that set it apart from its stablemates. The packages were Z01 – Spyder equipment, Z02 – Spyder appearance, and Z29 – Spyder equipment package.
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4. The Demise Of H-body
More than 700,000 Monzas were produced during its six-year run from 1975 to 1981. The Monza along with its cousins Sunbird, Skyhawk, and Starfire was replaced by front-wheel drive FWD Chevrolet Cavalier, Oldsmobile Firenza, Buick Skyhawk, Pontiac J2000, and Cadillac Cimarron later on.
3. Monza was supposed to be a Rotary Wankel Affair
Yes, you read that right! GM had already paid $50 million in license fees to a German company known as NSU Motorenwerke NG. It even did some of the engineering itself and managed to extract 20 MPG from the engine. However, in doing so the reliability of apex and rotor-tip seals was compromised. The Rotary was also a fuel-hungry engine. Eventually, the 3.38 Liter General Motors Rotary Combustion Engine was scrapped in favor of V8s.
2. Monza was also a Successful Racecar in Australia
Australians enthusiasts saw the potential of Monza and took it to the racetrack. In 1982 the Monza came close to beating the unbeatable Porsche 935 but was eventually lost due to reliability issues. In 1984 the Monza driven by Allan Grice won the 1984 championship, by winning all but 1 race. The Chevy Monza was also a favorite in the world of dirt racing and was driven by drivers such as Barry Graham.
1. Should I Buy The Chevy Monza
Yes, you can if you looking to upgrade it with a Whipple supercharger or other performance mods. The Monza is also a good option for a project car. Be mindful of its rust problem, which can cost a lot of dough to fix. Similarly, for collectibility go for the ones equipped with option spyder packages as they tend to be rarer and hold value better.
