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.
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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.”
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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.
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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.
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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.
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“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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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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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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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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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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