The Burnt Orange Monte Carlo consisted of a good body shell when Gentry began rebuilding it. Of the two cars, it definitely has more of the hot rod feel, with the big block applying generous amounts of torque through all four speeds available at the driver's right hand.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
`I didn't even know the SS existed, until my wife got me a book for Christmas one year," Gentry says. The Cranberry Red Monte showed up for sale in a Wichita Eagle classified ad just a few days later.
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Two-spoke steering wheels and imitation burled wood dash inserts were all the rage back in the early '70s and the orange Monte was no exception.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
The Monte Carlo was the essence of the performance luxury car, a full-framed vehicle that could be had with a big-block V-8, highlighted by crisp, understated styling with its single headlights and low-key horizontal grille.
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Bumpers were still tucked tight against the body lines in the days before impact-absorbing bumpers. The dual exhaust tips and the vanity tag are giveaways to the orange car's performance potential.
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Gentry says the Monte Carlo looks good wearing aftermarket mag wheels, but everyone comments how much they like the factory Rally wheels, so they now are installed on both cars.
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Somehow, the deep Cranberry Red paint on the SS car gives it a noticeably different vibe than the 4-speed car. You can almost picture this car pulling up in front of the opera, while the orange Monte might look more at home on the starting line at the drag strip.
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Michelin thinline 215/75R/15 radials grace the Rally wheels on the red Monte; the SS454 rocker panel badge marks this as one of only 1,919 cars so equipped in 1971.
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The rear seat of the orange Monte is simple, yet elegant, offering plenty of room for up to three passengers. Note the color-correct diecast model on display.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
The 454 cubic inch V-8 in the red Monte Carlo was rated at 365 factory horsepower; it is linked to a 400 Turbo automatic transmission. Means Motors rebuilt the engine, while John Newman at the Tranny Shop refreshed the transmission.
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Gentry says restoration reveals the burled wood dash insert on the red Monte was installed over the same basic piece used in the Chevelles of the same era.
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Vertical tail lights look like they could have been sourced from an Olds or even a Cadillac, but are Monte Carlo-specific pieces. Also hard to believe is the fact the rear deck lid is the same basic unit used on standard Chevelles, according to the owner.
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A rear seat view of the red car's interior reveals the same black fabric and a red diecast model of the car for display purposes.
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The red Monte Carlo is a bench-seat car, again with cloth factory-style upholstery fitted by Stardust Upholstery. These cars were built in the era when lap and shoulder belts were separate units, with the shoulder belts being stored against the headliner in metal clips.
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Both vehicles were refitted with fresh vinyl roofs by Stardust Upholstery during their restorations. The black-over-red approach heightens the classic look of this car.
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The orange car sports cream-colored bucket seats reupholstered by Stardust Upholstery in original style GM fabric, with the 4-speed shifter mounted in the center console.
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Dan Gentry wanted to experience both sides of the Monte Carlo coin, so he has restored a pair of them. The red car is a 1971 454 SS with automatic transmission, while the orange one is a regular '71 Monte powered by a 402 V-8 backed up by a 4-speed transmission.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
More commonly known as a 396, the orange car's engine is actually a 402 cubic inch power plant; Chevy's marketing department fudged a bit for insurance rating purposes, Gentry explained. Rick Bell of Sedgwick rebuilt this one and installed a mild cam in it; it most likely puts out considerably more than the factory-advertised 300 horsepower.
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