My 1978 Dodge Monaco 4 door sedan.

[moparedtn]

Try old cars in Upstate NY.
You get really good at working on rusted stuff.
My son had a 1990 Dodge Ram with 3 sets of brake lines underneath, you had to figure out which one's were in use.
We replaced two of the lines and ripped out a pile of half rusted out tubing.
It used to be a common "trick" to cut through bed and fold back the bottom to work on the sending units in pickups.
You commonly see trucks on Craigslist with cracked frames or holes in the frames. (People actually think someone will buy them)

I had an ollllld Ford Courier I bought off work back in the early 80's that had such a rusty frame
that the local tire shop refused to put it up on a lift, for fear it would fold in half.
He wasn't far from right, either...

 

[Gary P]

Hi everyone!

It's been a while since I posted anything. Apologies for the first part of this post being off topic (although the video does feature the Monaco), but we closed the shop this month, and somehow managed to get out of our lease a year early without a majorly hefty fine. The good news is me and the wifey are now co-habiting, and our new house has a space for our print shop and a workshop - so our business, although downsized in a real-state sense, is still going strong!

Here's a little tribute video which for us was an emotional goodbye to our business unit, if you're interested. It shows about 10% of the work we achieved in the first 12 months.



BACK ON TOPIC!!!

Here's the Monaco's new digs. Plenty of room for her and me.

I have had the Monaco slipping out of Drive, and into Neutral. So I readjusted the shift rod, and it seemed to go away. Except for one turn I made in town, kinda threw her around the corner a bit and she slipped out of drive again....I checked the trans fluid level and it says to add a pint on the dipstick. I guess she's low. Weird. I shall keep checking it out and adjusting.

I love the garage. Half of it is for the car, the other half is for the business workshop and it seems to be all we need! Excellent. Me happy.

Hope all you fine gentlemen are doing well, it's nearly spring! We wish you well! More posts to come!

G

 

[HawkRod]

Hi everyone!

It's been a while since I posted anything. Apologies for the first part of this post being off topic (although the video does feature the Monaco), but we closed the shop this month, and somehow managed to get out of our lease a year early without a majorly hefty fine. The good news is me and the wifey are now co-habiting, and our new house has a space for our print shop and a workshop - so our business, although downsized in a real-state sense, is still going strong!

Here's a little tribute video which for us was an emotional goodbye to our business unit, if you're interested. It shows about 10% of the work we achieved in the first 12 months.



BACK ON TOPIC!!!

View attachment 1082512

Here's the Monaco's new digs. Plenty of room for her and me.

I have had the Monaco slipping out of Drive, and into Neutral. So I readjusted the shift rod, and it seemed to go away. Except for one turn I made in town, kinda threw her around the corner a bit and she slipped out of drive again....I checked the trans fluid level and it says to add a pint on the dipstick. I guess she's low. Weird. I shall keep checking it out and adjusting.

I love the garage. Half of it is for the car, the other half is for the business workshop and it seems to be all we need! Excellent. Me happy.
View attachment 1082513

Hope all you fine gentlemen are doing well, it's nearly spring! We wish you well! More posts to come!

G

Sad you closed the big shop, but I hope your new space works well for you and that your business thrives!

Keep that Monaco going strong!

 

[Don Frelier]

Thanks for the update.
Just a couple tips on checking the trans fluid (You've probably heard this stuff before)
1. Check Hot in Neutral on a level surface.
2. Take a clean white paper towel and wipe the stick off on it then put some new trans fluid next to it and compare the color.
It always looks pretty red on the stick but when you put it on a pure white surface ad compare to clean fluid you can see if it's brown.
Personally I don't get real upset about a pint down.
If you can hear the pump cavitate on a cold start then you definitely need a filter change.
Best of luck.

 

[Greg Ducato]

Great to see you have a new home for yourself and your business, may you continue to receive every blessing in your personal and professional life.

 

[Gary P]

Hi guys!

I trust you are all staying safe and well.

No major tales to tell this month, although I did finally pull the speedo cable out and replaced the O-ring. I bought a kit last year from some place on ebay. I'm surprised I didn't lose the kit!

Filled the trans up, drove it a lot, and now I have zero trans leaks which is excellent!

I did notice my final leak, is the dreaded rear main seal. I'm not sure if right now I want to get into doing that, although much research has illustrated it's not really that tough to do, just a little dangerous (ramps, jack stands, trans jack, heavy sh*t) and time consuming.

Best wishes to you all!

Gary

 

[Don Frelier]

Just be sure it's really the rear main seal and not just a valve cover or the oil pressure transmitter/switch.
The LA engine's didn't seem to have a rear main leaking problem but then again I haven't had one in quite a few years.
Could be an age thing I suppose.

 

[Greg Ducato]

One leak at a time sir, I agree I would exhaust every other source of potential oil loss before I committed to the trouble and expense of a rear main seal replacement.

 

[HawkRod]

Gary, I totally agree with Don and Greg. It's very common for the oil pressure transmitter to leak. As Don and Greg suggest, check around the back of the engine to see if the oil is coming from another source other than the rear main seal.

If the rear main seal IS the culprit, then I would decide based on how badly it leaks. Oil is cheap, so unless it leaks badly, I would leave it alone!

 

[Don Frelier]

You likely know this but just in case:
You have a hydraulic flat tappet camshaft in there and it needs adequate levels on zinc in the oil.
Pretty much any oil on the shelf at your parts store will not give you the proper lubrication between the cam and lifter face as they are forumulated for roller type lifters.

 

[Gary P]

Hi guys!

It's been a while! Since our business folded it really has been a long uphill battle. I've not touched the Monaco, and have been toying with the idea of selling it. Saying that, I took it for a little spin about six weeks ago, during which I told myself I'd never sell it because I love how it drives.

It leaked all of its trans oil onto the floor. I wonder if thats because its sat through the long cold dead of winter?

We have finally come out of the cold and into the warm sun of spring, and a new fresh outlook is upon us. We are grateful for everything that happened, but I don't know where my beloved Monaco fits into my life now. Perhaps Barrett Jackson could launch a late 70's mopar trend and she'll be worth half a million bucks hahaha!

Decisions need to be made but I will keep this thread updated. it would be a crying shame to see it go.

Hope you fine gentlemen are all doing well.

G

 

[Kern Dog]

It costs you nothing to let it sit while you ponder over what to do. There is no rush, right?

 

[Greg Ducato]

You have put so much sweat equity into the car and enjoy it so much that I would make the case for keeping it. You aren't likely to find another anytime soon.

 

[Darter6]

I have several theories . One is if you sell it you will never be able to replace it for the same amount of money.
Two unless you are paying for storage it costs nothing and will sit quietly.
Three old Mopars just aren't as plentiful as they used to be. Because the mid/late cars aren't as popular most have gone to the crusher.
So unless you are in dire straits, The few dollars you can get for a mid 70's 4 door won't get you far.

 

[jprather]

I have several theories . One is if you sell it you will never be able to replace it for the same amount of money.
Two unless you are paying for storage it costs nothing and will sit quietly.
Three old Mopars just aren't as plentiful as they used to be. Because the mid/late cars aren't as popular most have gone to the crusher.
So unless you are in dire straits, The few dollars you can get for a mid 70's 4 door won't get you far.

what he said

 

[YY1]

Every single "old car" I've ever sold (OK, not the 85 s-10).....

.....I wish I had back.

Every single one.

 

[moparedtn]

Every single "old car" I've ever sold (OK, not the 85 s-10).....
.....I wish I had back.
Every single one.

 

[blue69runner]

Fix it when you can and drive it when possible. If it put a smile on your face and makes your hart race then it is worth keeping it. Like other's have stated where will you find another one. If you are taking count put me down for keeping it.

 

[YY1]

Murphy's law of car selling and buying comes into play here.

If determined to sell- you will only be offered about 35-40% of it's true value for the entire time you have it for sale.

If determined to buy- you will only find cars priced 200-300% above the value comparable to the one you sold for as long as you continue to look.

 

[Gary P]

You guys are awesome.