Montecarlo as a track car*

[SprintSpeciale]

I have decided that my next project will be a car that I will be happy to use on track days and regularity trials. The idea of something mid-engined and pretty, but inexpensive, has taken hold. Given my penchant for Italian metal, a Montecarlo seems to be the perfect thing...

The idea is to find a car which is structurally sound and roadworthy. I'll get a couple of sessions with an instructor (probably at Goodwood) to make sure I can get on with a middie, and assuming that goes to plan I'll start working on strategic updates and improvements over time.

Does anyone have any experience of this approach that they want to share? And if anyone knows of a basically sound Monte for sale....

• repost from the Fiat,Alfa, Lancia section

[tertius]

What is the budget?

I have no idea what a Montecarlo costs these days, but I have always liked the look of them.

[FurtiveFreddy]

I thought you meant one of these

[SprintSpeciale]

tertius said:

What is the budget?

I have no idea what a Montecarlo costs these days, but I have always liked the look of them.

There seem to be few around. A very rough car, not roadworthy, is about £1500. A car that claims to be solid and restoted about 6 years ago is up for £8995. It seems that £10k is about as expensive as they get.

I don't need something immaculate, just solid and roadworthy.

How much I'll eventually spend on it if I get into it is another question, I suppose. But if you spend it in stages then it must seem like less money, right??

[tertius]

SprintSpeciale said:

tertius said:

What is the budget?

I have no idea what a Montecarlo costs these days, but I have always liked the look of them.

There seem to be few around. A very rough car, not roadworthy, is about £1500. A car that claims to be solid and restoted about 6 years ago is up for £8995. It seems that £10k is about as expensive as they get.

I don't need something immaculate, just solid and roadworthy.

How much I'll eventually spend on it if I get into it is another question, I suppose. But if you spend it in stages then it must seem like less money, right??

As an alternative you could get an Elise for that money, which I imagine would be a far better proposition, though obviously not Italian.

[SprintSpeciale]

Re the Elise, it would no doubt be a better car, but I want something old with no electronics (including fuel injection). I also love the look of Montecarlos!

[Trev450]

Don't they have serious rust problems?

[Evo]

You might want to try Richard Thorne, he'll tell you everything you'd need to know about prepping for track use. Yes they rust like most cars of that age but a lot have been well looked after.

[SprintSpeciale]

Thanks.
Rust is obviously the big issue, but the problems are well documented and it is clear what to look for. I'll also be sure to involve Paul at DTR who did the restoration of my Alfa. He'll stop me doing anything daft, and he knows these cars. He told me that years ago he sold the Duckhams-liveried Montecarlo that had been track prepped, after which it drooped off the radar screen. Anyone seen it?

Edit: just found the answer to my own question. Gone for ever:

http://montecarlo.heimat.eu/duckhamsmonte.htm

Edited by SprintSpeciale on Thursday 31st January 09:31

[gruffalo]

SprintSpeciale said:

Re the Elise, it would no doubt be a better car, but I want something old with no electronics (including fuel injection). I also love the look of Montecarlos!

And it would just be another Elise, a Montecarlo on the other hand I would love to see one on the track.

[Evo]

That was a very early car with solid rear buttresses, shame it was broken I doubt many survive.

[RSDolan]

Great cars hope you find it ...had fun racing them

Paul

[Evo]

A Montecarlo is also a very nice car to transplant the 3.0 / 3.2 Alfa V6 in, damn quick too. It's the only Beta derivative I've not owned yet. Maybe one day one will come my way, so many nice cars I need to own

[SprintSpeciale]

Evo said:

That was a very early car with solid rear buttresses, shame it was broken I doubt many survive.

I think it was only in the UK that they had glass in, because rear visibility was deemed to be compromised by the powers-that-be. I could be wrong about that, though.

[Evo]

I thought the early 77 cars had solid rears, I too might be wrong lol.

[OlberJ]

If you want raw, basic but fun on track and cheap, try a Mk1 Mr2 instead.

Purely from a cost to buy and worry about wrecking point of view.

[Evo]

How before someone mentions the MX5 then, DOH

[OlberJ]

Mx5 is completely differnt set up/drive.

Mr2 is the exact same layout.

[Evo]

I know, I was the following the route of cheap thrills,

[OlberJ]

OP said he wanted to learn mid layout. Nothing better than an mr2 to learn in.

I wouldn't like to prang 9k of elise on a track day.