Classic Wheels Spotlight: 1970 Chevy Monte Carlo

In 2013, George Hansel was searching for a ‘project car’ he could fix up as a tribute to his father, a car enthusiast who had recently passed away. He made his way to North Carolina to check out a 1970 Chevy Monte Carlo. He wasn’t looking for a survivor – but that’s what he got.

George Hansel bought his “survivor” from the original ownership family. The story goes: When George got to North Carolina, he couldn’t believe that the car was in such great shape. With only 32,000 miles on the odometer, backed up with documentation (North Carolina vehicles had to be inspected every year), it was a remarkable find.

The family that originally bought the car had passed it along from one generation to the next. First the father, then to the son, and then to a nephew. The nephew was a firefighter who lost his life in the line of duty. The family gave the car to one of his fellow firefighters who wanted to restore it as a way to pay tribute to his fallen friend. Time and circumstances didn’t work out for him, and he had to sell the Monte Carlo.

The Monte Carlo was created by General Motors to compete with the mid-sized luxury Pontiac Grand Prix. Except for some normal wear and tear, this 1970 Monte Carlo is 100% original, right down to the paint, a distinct Champagne Gold Iridescent. So far, the radiator has been replaced, along with the master cylinder and power brake booster. George has kept all of the factory parts and plans to have them rebuilt. He feels that having the car as “factory correct” as possible is important.

George says he always wanted a first-generation Monte Carlo and he came across his beauty on eBay. This is an early model Monte Carlo with the “full halo” vinyl top and the chrome trim under the headlights. GM phased out these trim features to save on production costs, which makes this an even more rare version for 1970.

George’s Monte Carlo features some additional rare options like fender skirts, factory air conditioning, a rear defroster, bucket seats, a console, the ‘horseshoe shifter,’ and a factory tachometer (usually found only in SS models). The power plant is a 400-cubic-inch small block, with a 2-barrel carburetor and a Turbo 400 transmission.

George’s brother is a bodyman/painter and he took a shot at trying to bring back some of the exterior paint luster. Unfortunately, the paint wouldn’t polish up. There aren’t that many Monte Carlo’s on the road in original condition anymore, and George says he is the proud owner of this rare specimen. Since the car was new when the original family bought it, he got all the paperwork. The front license plate is even the original one that was assigned to the car.

George has decided to keep the car just as it is. He has only driven it about 3,000 miles since he bought it. Now that it’s on the road again, George says he plans to visit the local car shows and start cruising.

Author’s Note: Katie contacted me to see if I would be interested in doing a story on her dad’s 1959 Corvette, it was his “pride and joy.” It turns out that this outstanding car is the “pride and joy,” of the entire family.

If you have a car you would like to see featured in Classic Wheels, contact Rudy Host, Jr. at Classic.Wheels.Rudy@gmail.com.