My Cars

I am a bit of a car nut so its only natural that I have owned many cars since I started driving. My first car was a 1996 Monte Carlo Z34. It was my mothers car up until I turned 16. About that time the Fast and Furious movies really became popular and I wanted to customize it. I installed a ram air intake, mufflers, racing seats, slotted and drilled rotors with ceramic brakes, American Racing Wheels, graphics, a hood scoop, and rebuilt the engine and transmission with performance parts. I also had the windows tinted and "Monte Carlo" put on the front windshield.

During the same time I also took an interest in classic cars. I was building a 350 engine and wanted something to put it in. I found a 1976 Monte Carlo shell and dropped the motor in it. it ran nice but I wanted more performance. I began looking for a lighter car to put my motor in when I found an add for a 1987 Monte Carlo LS. I went to see it and it was just recently restored. The guy even threw in a shell of an 1985 Camaro IROC Z. After getting them both home I realized why he threw in the Camaro, it had a huge water leak and it quickly caused a lot of rust. I sold the Camaro to regain some of my money and continued looking for a home for my engine.

At this time my 96' Monte broke down and I needed a new daily driver. My cousin had a 1995 Honda Civic DX and thought it had a cracked head. I took a look at it and decided to take it off his hands. After a few cheep repairs I had it on the road. Meanwhile, I found my engine a new home, a 1986 Monte Carlo SS. It was a little rough and already had a 305 in it but the price was right. A few weeks later I found a 1985 Monte Carlo SS with a good interior and body (except for the front end which had been wrecked). It also had a 305 in it. I did some work on the cars over the summer and kept the miles off my Montes by driving the Civic.

I started collage and drove the 96' Monte again as a daily driver while using the Civic as a winter car. After a year or so I sold the Civic. Then I left collage and moved out. My 96' Monte developed a large oil leak and had to be parked. The rest of my cars where still at my mothers house and most where not road worthy. This left me own my own with just my motorcycle (Kawasaki Ninja). I started looking for a new car with a limited budget. I stumbled upon a deal for a 2007 Honda Civic SI and drove 2 hours just to see it. A short test drive later and I was looking for a loan. My bank came through and the Civic SI is now my daily driver.

I have big plans for all of my vehicles but they all cost a lot of time and money to complete. My best bet to complete my cars would be to sell a few in order to fund the rest but I am hesitant. I would also love to start a Rat Rod project sometime but I don't have the time for the cars I have now so its going to be a while before I get to this.

The List

76' Monte Carlo

85' Monte Carlo SS

85' Camaro IROC Z (SOLD)

86' Monte Carlo SS

87' Monte Carlo LS

95' Honda Civic (SOLD)

96' Monte Carlo Z34

07' Honda Civic SI

Rise of the Kit Car

In the past kit cars got a bad reputation because of the cheap quality of the parts, missing parts, and a lack of safety features. One company is slowly changing the way people see kit cars today. Factory Five is that company.

I stumbled upon Factory by accident really. I was searching the internet for a hot rod project car and found their 33' Coupe. Buid it yourself for under 20K (base kit price) and the kit includes everything but the engine, trans, rear end and of course wheels, tires, and paint.  There are custom peaces that you can order from them for a bit more money and depending on how elaborate you want to get it can cost quite a bit. For the true petrol heads out there this kit will let you fulfill your dream of build a car from the ground up. For the less mechanically inclined there is actually a school that will teach you to build one of their custom kit cars in only three days for a charge of only $799 and upon completion you get a certificate worth $500 towards the purchase of their 33 Hot Rod or the MK4 Roadster.

Check them out today and even order a free brochure of all the kits at.FactoryFive.com

87 Monte Carlo update 7/31/13

After a car sits for so long (2 years in this case) you tend to find a lot of things that need fixing. After solving my starter problem in my previous post, I ordered new plugs, wires, battery, and did an oil change. On my way home from work with the car I noticed that the temp gauge kept climbing by the time I got home it was on the curve of overheating. I planned to take the car to Pittsburgh the following day so I quickly searched for a solution. I had it narrowed down to either the fan clutch or the thermostat. I che odd the thermostat first and to my surprise it had no thermostat at all. After a quick run to the parts store and back it was in. I took my trip to Pittsburgh and I nervously watched the gauge the whole trip. It never claimed over 200.

More updates to come!
Thanks for reading!

Chevy Small Block Starter Problem

Ever since I bought my 87 Monte Carlo LS I have had a problem with my starter. Shortly after I got the car home the starter started grinding. I quicy replaced it thinking at the time that it was just an old starter and the teeth where worn. I installed starter #2 and it worked like a dream until I took it to a car show and when I went to leave the grinding returned. One of the other guys there said I probably needed to shim the starter. After I got home I crawled under the car with some shims and only to find that the starter chewed the teeth off the flywheel and starter. I went to the local auto parts store and bought starter #3. After installing a spare flywheel and starter #3 with shims the starter worked perfectly...until I decided to take the car to my high school prom. I stopped at the store and when I came back out to go to the prom the starter just spun without even touching the flywheel. I had it towed home and that's where it set for the past 4 years. With my wedding coming up in a moth I thought it would be nice to get it running again. I got it jacked up and took the old starter off to find the problem. One of the bolt holes where cracked. I felt sick, thinking the block was junk. After doing some research I found there are some solutions. I bought a new starter, a support bracket and an extra long bolt. I drilled out the hole in the block and ran a tap through it. I fitted up the starter and put the longer bolt into the freshly tapped hole and attached the bracket to the block and starter. After finding a battery that wasn't dead in the garage I tried to start it. 2 tries and it started right up. I took it up the road and back to find a gas and coolant leak but after starting the car several time the starter is still holding up.

Stay tuned for more updates about all my other vehicles.
Thanks for reading!