A sporty feeling car in a contemporary looking body
Minor engine part.
The car was fun to drive. VERY responsive with the small V8 motor. Felt sporty inside.
Tires could have been wider from the factory for better handling.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 15th February, 2010
A very reliable car for not much money
The car performed flawlessly until about 30,000 miles. At that mileage, the car developed a severe front end shimmy at speeds between 65 and 80 mph. Neither the dealer nor independent shops could find the problem. I replaced the rotors, rebalanced the wheels, even replaced wheels, to no avail. After living with this for 60,000 miles, I reluctantly traded it in.
Other than this, it was a terrific little car that gave me few problems. The worst problem was that the transmission went out at about 60K, but it had given me weeks of warning in the form of worsening slippage. I purchased a rebuilt Turbo 350 for a couple hundred dollars, and swapped it over a weekend. No transmission computer chips back then!
One other thing. The car was originally equipped with Firestone 500 radials, which were subject to a recall due to problems with tread separation (sound familiar?) At about 30K miles, the tread was separating on at least two tires, so I replaced them with Goodyears. I always thought that there may have been a connection between this and the shimmy, but as the tires didn't fail catastrophically, there seems to be no causality between the two.
I've always wondered if others had this problem, and if so, if it was solved. I'd love to find out what caused that problem. I hate unsolved mysteries!!
The Monza was a vast improvement over its ancestor, the Vega. I know because I did have a Vega once. Even though they shared the same unibody and most components, the Monza was more comfortable and solid-feeling than the Vega.
I took it on many long road trips, and it never failed me. It never stranded me, and never had to be towed. After 90K miles, it looked as good as ever - I received many compliments on its appearance. Wish I still had it!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 12th April, 2005
I got a lot of walking accomplished thanks to this car
Driver's side door bushings were shot and I had to lift up the door while closing it with the knee.
The headliner kept sagging.
I went through four or five left front rotors in 3 years.
This car was specifically bought to ship to the Philippines while I was in the service. While the car took some abuse due to the roads over there, the headliner, brakes, AC, etc. were problematic and the build quality of this car was rather inferior in comparison to more contemporary vehicles. With credit to GM, I did own a 1979 Caprice, which was a faultless car.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 14th February, 2005
Ouch! You had to bring up the bad points. Honestly, there were quite a few, but I liked my '80 Monza w/the 3.1 V-6. It ate front brakes, tires and yes, I had the door bushing problem too. By today's standards it would be a P.O.S. For some reason I have a soft spot for the car. Maybe it's because it was my first car. The styling was clean and attractive. It was dark blue with light blue pin striping.
My sister had a '77 w/the 305 V-8. It kicked butt! Silver with red interior. Sharp car! Aaahhh the old days.
Wonderful
The only problem that I have had with this car since aquired from my grandfather is that the transmission shifter was bent.
I love this car very much. It is a testament to what American car makers once built. The AC Delco battery lasted for 19 years as an example of the quality in this vehicle!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 13th February, 2005
6th Oct 2005, 03:51
The shake was probably caused by the pathetic OEM shocks that the factory put on in those days. I replaced all shocks on my 78 Monza Coupe right after I bought it.