This Pro Street 1977 Chevrolet Monza is a Cure for the Everyday Hot Rod

Along Came A Spyder

For many enthusiasts, it doesn’t matter how many cars you own or how nice they are, there’s almost always one that seems just a bit more significant than the others. Shaking it off and moving on is just not an option. That was the case for West Virginia’s Bill Crawford and his affinity for Chevrolet’s short-lived Monza. With a vision, determination, and some fabrication skills, Crawford’s 1977 Monza Spyder has become a modern hot rod that’s unlike any other.

“In 1974, my friend Bob Gardner and I built a Mustang II drag car for NHRA Pro Stock, which we ran from 1975 to 1979,” Bill began. “Both of us were really Chevy guys. We thought that the Monzas that Bob Ingles, Frank Iaconio, and Grumpy Jenkins had were really neat looking cars. Now, some 30-plus years later, you don’t see many of them around.

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“Since I love building cars you don’t often see,” he continued, “I thought the Monza would be a great fit as a project car. After looking awhile, I found one in Connecticut that had some good parts. Next came a trip to North Carolina where I found an actual Spyder, which was in decent shape with a few dents, rusted quarters, front fenders, and doors. Later on, I found another one in Chicago with good doors, quarters, and fenders, but no floor—and this one included the back part of another car. If I were to do this over again, I’d probably try to find a better car to start with because it took three and a half cars to build this one. It’s unbelievable how much rust is in these vehicles.”

Built off the Vega platform as a sporty hatchback (at first), the original H-body would go on to serve as the platform for the Buick Skyhawk, Oldsmobile Starfire, and Pontiac Sunbird. Although short-lived, these cars were pretty versatile as subcompact cars, as they were at one time or another sold as hatchbacks, notchbacks, station wagons, and even sedan deliveries with 4-, 6- and 8-cylinder engines.

With rear-wheel drive and a 97-inch wheelbase, the Monza 2+2 was slightly longer and heavier than the Vega. With its fastback styling, polyurethane nose, and rectangular headlamps, it had an aerodynamic modern look. Buyers had a choice between an inline 2.3L four, a 4.3L V-8 (that’s 262 cubic inches for those who don’t know the metric system) and—for high-altitude or California markets only—a detuned 5.7L 2bbl V-8 that made a mere 125 hp. The 2+2 hatch would win “Car of the Year” honors in 1975, after which a notchback version would later appear. In 1976, the Monza Spyder option package appeared, with additional options for 1977.

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Most of the ’77-’79 Monza Spyders were actually a combination of two different special order packages: the Z01 and the Z02. The Z01 came with a center console, custom steering wheel, sport suspension, BR70-13 radial tires, and special badging while the Z02 was more of a blacked-out trim and decal appearance package. The lesser known Monza Mirage was another performance image-oriented model that became available. The aerodynamic hatchback body became popular in drag racing, campaigned in Sportsmen and Pro Stock classes alike.

Crawford started his project by cutting out all of the suspension and supports and then fabricating a 4x2-inch box tube frame. Mike McDaniel of J&M Rod Works in Glenwood, Maryland, installed the wheeltubs and closed off the cowl so the firewall could be relocated 4 inches rearward.

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From the frame, he hung a Heidts Superide II with Mustang II spindles and upper/lower tubular A-arms to drop the front end a full 4 inches. Damping is provided by a set of QA1 adjustable shocks. Wilwood front disc brakes that use four-piston calipers clamp down on the 12-inch diameter rotors for sure stops. Crawford then installed a four-link rear suspension with massive tubs and a 17-gallon stainless steel fuel tank.

Under the hood lies a 364-cubic-inch Corvette LS2 with the 10.9:1-compression “243” head castings and Street & Performance exhaust headers. It was dyno tuned to produce 450 rwhp at 5,800 rpm and 438 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm by RaceKrafters Automotive. Coming back from the Tremec T-56 six-speed manual is an aluminum driveshaft that connects to a 9-inch limited-slip rear with 3.70 gears. Front and rear sway bars work with a Panhard bar for improved road manners. Fifteen-inch Billet Specialties Vintec rims wrapped in M/T Street radials has the rubber meeting the road.

J&M Rod Works also stretched the rear wheel openings by 6 inches and lowered the opening by another 1.5. Eighteen-gauge metal was used to fabricate all new interior fenders and flooring. The door handles were shaved and all the emblems were removed. Donnie Miller of Miller Fabrication in Wardensville, West Virginia, sprayed the car in Lamborghini California Orange. Donnie Miller and the owner did the Spyder graphics on the hood.

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Craftsman Upholstery in Manassas, Virginia, covered the GM buckets in gray and orange leather, along with the custom console that Crawford fabricated. A custom fiberglass dash with Nordskog digital instruments, a Billet Specialties steering wheel, and a Tremec shifter grace the driver’s compartment along with custom power window, trunk, and hood switches. A Pioneer head unit with Boston Acoustics speakers provides an abundance of sweet tunes.

In all, nearly 750,000 Monzas were sold between 1975-’78. Grumpy Jenkins won Pro Stock championships in both AHRA and NHRA with this body style. Monzas won the IMSA Camel GT championships in 1976, ’77, and ’78 as well. Even so, their popularity has fallen off the charts.

Bill Crawford saw what others haven’t in a car that helped keep the spark of Chevrolet performance alive during a time when muscle cars were dead. Thanks to Crawford and some helpful hands and advice from Ed Bohrer, Charles Tilley, Tom VanDyke, Tom Craker, and John Heinzman of Heinzman Street Rods in Phillips, Nebraska, this updated Spyder helps keep that memory alive.

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