1972 El Monte Carlo 'Free Flier'

Owner: Mike Musto

El Monte Carlo: Freeway Flier

I'm updating my 1972 Chevrolet Monte Carlo with the goal of creating a fantastic old school freeway flier. To do this we’ll be utilizing some parts from names GM Performance, Holley, GearStar Performance Transmissions, Magnaflow and more. So come along for the ride as I transform my old Monte into my ultimate daily driver.

Episode 1. The Car

The first-generation Chevrolet Monte Carlo was always thought of as the gentleman's muscle car. With a long hood and short rear deck lid it optimized the style of the early 1970’s. I grew up with one of these in my family, so when it came time to find the perfect old-school daily driver the Monte Carlo was high on my list. However driving a 45-year-old car in today’s world can be a bit daunting. That’s why when it came time to update it for daily driver duty I did what any good car guy does – I contacted some buddies, made a plan and set out to update my car for performance, safety and reliability.

It also had to perform the way that I wanted it to perform, which meant it had to satisfy my needs and my needs alone. That meant cruising at 80-85 mph on the highway with the air conditioning on, have over 400-hp with EFI, get decent mileage and overall, be a fun car. With this in mind we complied a parts list, contacted a few vendors and then jumped in both feet.