Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 454, for sale in Solon, Ohio, for $53,900.

1971 Monte Carlo SS 454

Size, class and power all in one package? Chevy thought you should have it all, and they had just the right platform for the job--the new for 1970 Monte Carlo. Classic lines, a roomy interior, a comfortable ride: The car had it all. Of course, most were optioned up as luxury vehicles with adequate power but there was a way to go way past that--the Z20 Super Sport package. If you need even more, the LS5 454 was on the option list. Only 1,138 buyers ticked off both boxes, and the numbers matching example here is positively one of the finest and most correct.

With muscle era Chevrolets you simply have to have the build sheet for maximum appeal and dollars. Not only is this one totally legible and clear it’s chock full of options. Check out this list: A01 tinted glass, A51 bucket seats, B94 SS ornamentation, C08 vinyl top, D35 driver remote mirror, D55 console, GY2 3.31 ratio axle, G67 load leveling suspension, G80 Positraction, JL2 front disc brakes, J50 power brakes, LS5 454/365 engine, M40 TH400 transmission, N40 power steering, P90 G70x15 white sport sidewall tires, T60 HD battery, U14 gauge package w/tach, U63/U76 AM radio with windshield antenna, ZJ7 rally wheels. Listed as STD (standard) are the recessed windshield wipers and dual exhaust. The colors were originally white with a blue top and blue interior, but we’re betting you’ll agree with the restorer that the platinum over black is the way to go.

With the paperwork out of the way check out the drivetrain. That’s the original CPD code LS5 454 complete with the VIN stamped into the top pad, rebuilt and augmented by the popular and mild Comp XE262H cam for a little rumble and excellent drivability. The single snorkel air cleaner (correct for A/C cars) is in place over the rebuilt Quadrajet carb. New date coded restoration wires run from the rebuilt distributor to new plugs in the fresh motor. When we say “fresh” we mean it--this car has fewer than 20 test miles on it and shows NO wear. Everything here looks perfect and works like it looks. Even the always temperamental load leveling suspension is in place and functioning! You’ll see proper markings and inspection dabs where they belong and details down to the proper Delco battery are done. Get in the car, head to a show, take down a trophy and go for a cruise--this car can do it all.

The super clean paint doesn’t hide gremlins here, either--the build sheet shows the car delivered to Arlington, Virginia’s Bob Peck Chevrolet where clean cars roam free. After its stint outside the nation’s capitol it went south to North Carolina, another safe haven. The clean body was plucked from its frame, rotisserie restored and reunited with its mechanicals. The floorpans are gloss silver while the frame is deep black. More inspection marks follow underneath along with stacks of plated and coated parts. White stripe tires may be correct but the 225/70/15 BFGoodrich units on the original rally wheels look great. The dual exhaust rumbles as it should and this is a tight car with no surprises.

Slide inside the all-new interior and get comfortable. That’s easy to do what with the buckets, tilt wheel, A/C, power windows, clear rally gauges, clean new upholstery and more. You’ve got a host of electronics at your fingertips from power windows to power locks to the rear defroster to the AM/FM radio to play with. You’ve got a rally steering wheel in your hands, a console at your side and a 454 underfoot--what’s not to like?

Outside you’ll stare for hours at the clean, straight paint, perfect trim and flawless chrome. Silver is one of the only colors which pulls off classy and sporty at the same time, and that’s an SS454 Monte Carlo in a nutshell. From the hood ornament to the SS rocker moldings to the tail panel in the back this car turns heads everywhere it goes, and with good reason. It’s simply beautiful.

Power, fit and finish and paperwork--the trifecta for any collector muscle car. This car has it all and more, in a package which still has a pile of collector appreciation to go to match its mass appeal.