Sometimes it just doesn't work| Grassroots Motorsports forum |

chandlerGTi HalfDork
7/21/12 1:08 p.m.

I keep seeing things that are such a good idea but for some reason don't work.

A friend of my brothers has been working on this car for someone else for years. It is such a great concept; monte Carlo SS mixed with a Malibu. Why doesn't it work?

3.2 Acura swap into a civic, awesome idea but here is where it gets hairy. How do you put a hood on it with three cylinders hanging out in front? Like this of course....

It's to bad since both of these are awesome ideas just something not quite right in the execution. What have you seen or done?

Ranger50 SuperDork
7/21/12 1:25 p.m.

The MaliCarlo doesn't work because of the short rear deck lid. Adding in the additional front overhand blows the proportions out of whack. Plus it is a SQUARE body with a decidedly aero front pushes the proportions even further into WTF-dom.

ransom SuperDork
7/21/12 1:26 p.m.

The Monte Malibu has a Cyrano de Bergerac problem. The Civic I could almost see working if they gave it a cowl induction hood that didn't taper back down like a clown shoe.

Not that I should poke fun. All my tinkering has been mechanical, and when I have to make a big aesthetic decision, we'll see how that turns out...

Of course, my big concern with bright ideas that might turn out wrong is wanting to redo most of the suspension and all of the drivetrain on my 2002 from scratch. Will it still be a 2002? Will it suck even if it's faster/quantitatively better?

Double_Wishbone New Reader
7/21/12 2:57 p.m.

I've seen Civics with similar swaps (or older Civics with larger engines) that require either a hacksaw hole in the hood or no hood at all. Although that thing is ugly, at least somewhere in the process the owner was thinking about looks and function.

As for the Monte Malibu....Cyrano de Bergerac is a good comparison. Something about the proportions of it are...unsettling.

sethmeister4 Reader
7/21/12 3:33 p.m.

Am I weird if I think that Malibu thing is sweet?

hotrodlarry HalfDork
7/21/12 4:21 p.m.

That Malibu is sweet... put a rear bumper on it tho.

chandlerGTi HalfDork
7/21/12 4:36 p.m.

sethmeister4 wrote: Am I weird if I think that Malibu thing is sweet?

The thing is that the work involved and the skill level is sweet. The straight on side really accentuates the length of the nose and how short the deck is. I believe that there is a pretty cool engine in the works, the guy doing the work has a lime green big block Chevy powered xR4TI also.

Streetwiseguy SuperDork
7/21/12 5:25 p.m.

The Monte Malibus problem is that the Monte Carlo nose is berkeleying ugly, and was when it was screwed to a Monte Carlo as well.

The Civics only problem is that the hood is buckled from all the awesome trying to get out of it.

N Sperlo PowerDork
7/21/12 5:30 p.m.

I've seen some pretty interesting swaps. A Del-Sol with a mustang tail lights. Really boggled my mind, because he did a great job making the enclosure for them and they actually looked good. Had a big ricy wing to top it off that looked good as well. Sometimes they get it, sometimes they don't.

nicksta43 HalfDork
7/21/12 5:40 p.m.

In reply to Streetwiseguy:

I disagree! Wanna fight about it!

B430 Reader
7/21/12 7:07 p.m.

Maybe it needs the aerocoupe treatment?

chandlerGTi HalfDork
7/21/12 7:29 p.m.

there would be no deck lid!

Teh E36 M3 Dork
7/21/12 7:36 p.m.

Streetwiseguy wrote: The Civics only problem is that the hood is buckled from all the awesome trying to get out of it.

I want this on "say what"?

44Dwarf SuperDork
7/21/12 9:16 p.m.

I've seen a Baradart in the past...it looked okay

Cotton Dork
7/21/12 10:18 p.m.

sethmeister4 wrote: Am I weird if I think that Malibu thing is sweet?

I like it too!

slantvaliant Dork
7/21/12 10:46 p.m.

44Dwarf wrote: I've seen a Baradart in the past...it looked okay

Do you mean a Dacuda?

Woody UltimaDork
7/22/12 8:09 a.m.

92CelicaHalfTrac MegaDork
7/22/12 10:02 a.m.

There's swap mounts for that Civic swap these days that won't interfere with the hood.

chandlerGTi HalfDork
7/22/12 11:11 a.m.

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: There's swap mounts for that Civic swap these days that won't interfere with the hood.

He ran around here with no hood for years, I would guess that he finally got into trouble with it.

TeamEvil New Reader
7/22/12 1:18 p.m.

A few Photochops that I did that actually kinda DO work .

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/TeamEvil/Ghia%20Parts/bigbus.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/TeamEvil/Ghia%20Parts/VWtruck.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/TeamEvil/Ghia%20Parts/914.jpg

Well . . . . sorta.

Aeromoto HalfDork
7/22/12 1:48 p.m.

It's the front overhang that kills it. If you could somehow shorten the overhang by 4-5 inches, I think it would look better

novaderrik SuperDork
7/22/12 3:38 p.m.

you can get a kit to put a nose on Malibus and El Caminos that looks a lot like the Monte SS nose, but bolts directly to the Malibu fenders.. they look ok since the Malibu fenders are about 6" shorter than the Monte fenders and it doesn't throw the proportions of the car off. but they don't look 100% "right" because the Malibu is too boxy to look right with an aerodynamic nose on it.