My '73 Monaco wagon

[Phil64]

Hi all,
First of all sorry if there are spelling or syntax errors I am French but I try to do my best...
I owned this Monaco wagon since the summer of 2021, one of its former owners (if not several?) is on this forum and thanks to him I was able to trace it back to the son of the 2nd owner (approximately 1976-2014) so I know almost all its history except the first 2 years.
It is a very optioned model, there are almost all the possible options of 1973 ! I join pics of the option plates (there are two, not enough space on one !) and the broadcast sheet. I wonder how much the buyer paid on top of the base price...It no longer has the woodgrain according to the son of the 2nd owner the material was of poor quality and faded after a few months or years. But also there's no repros so maybe I'll leave it that way.
I am still not very satisfied with some points. I find that the 440 is very lazy, it is less powerful than a 318, no torque, etc ... I know it's a low compression engine so I'm going to put it back in the 1969-70 configuration next winter . Could also be a converter problem? The transmission was renewed (said the seller) recently. I'll open a new thread for advice.
I also have issues with corrosion of the rear cross member and body mounts. The seller was careful not to talk about it and the person who saw it and bought it for me did not inspect it seriously ... After when it arrived in France it's difficult to send it back!

 

[ayilar]

@Phil64 it is great to see photos of DP46T3D120899 -- thank you for posting the tag and the build sheet. If you have a higher resolution version that you could share, then I am sure @69CoronetRT and @cuda hunter would love to see it.

I have some rolls of original Dodge woodgrain that I had bought for a 1970 Monaco wagon. I did not buy that car in the end (another member in Poland now owns it) and so I still have the material. The wagon that I am currently hunting does not need DyNoc so, if the material that I have is correct for your car, I could sell it to you at my cost.

 

[LocuMob]

if the material that I have is correct for your car

It is not the same.

 

[Phil64]

@Phil64 it is great to see photos of DP46T3D120899 -- thank you for posting the tag and the build sheet. If you have a higher resolution version that you could share, then I am sure @69CoronetRT and @cuda hunter would love to see it.

Yes, i've higher resolution but i'm not sure it is ok for the forum ... What pic(s) do you need ?
About woodgrain materials the '73 is a one year only pattern (reverse of '72 !)

 

[cuda hunter]

One single high res picture should work fine on here.
Awesome car!

 

[TxDon]

Phil, welcome from Texas, always good to see another wagon project here! That is a great looking wagon, can you list the options included?

 

[Phil64]

Here are the options regarding the codes
DY2 Yellow
HL4 Woodgrain (?)
S8L3 Parchment interior, all vinyl.
818 18 august (1972 or 1973 ?)
077340 Vehicle order number
DP46 T3D 120899 VIN
U USA
E85 440ci 4BBL V8
A35 Trailer-towing package
C58 Seats 50/50.
D34 Torqueflite, standard duty
G11 Glass, tinted, all windows (recommended w/AC)
G25 Vent windows, manual (4-door models only)
G31 Mirrors, outside right, manual.
H52 dual Air conditioner
J67 Trailer/tow wiring
L21 Cargo trunk light
L31 Fender/hood turn indicators
M15 Moldings, door upper frame.
M25 Moldings, sill
M84 Tailgate sill plate (scuff step plate).
M91 Luggage rack
M95 Assist handles
N76 Coolant recovery system
N88 Auto speed control
P25 Power Seats, left bucket, left 50/50 split bench
P31 Power windows
P41 Power door locks, electric
P44 Auto-lock tailgate
R21 Radio, AM/FM
S62 Steering wheel, tilt wheel, 2-spoke rim-blow.
Y14 Sold car
CTD Codes continued on next tag
U68 LR78x15 steel belted radial (optional)
also the road wheels but not listed (or maybe installed later ?)

And a larger pic of the build sheet

 

[LocuMob]

also the road wheels but not listed (or maybe installed later ?)

Wheels aren't coded on the fender tag.

 

[CBODY67]

Two things -- Wondering how a Monaco came to have Polara side mouldings on it, rather than the Monaco's woodgrain sections? The W23 15x6 wheels were not available on station wagons, only the 15x6.5 steel wheels with wheel covers. I verified this in www.hamtramck-historical.com in the "Library" and then in the "AMA Specifications" for the car. So, the wheels came later, at the possible desire of a prior owner. The "ordered car" notation could have been a real buyer's "special order" vehicle or a dealer that wanted a car for stock and didn't want the factory to know that was what they wanted.

The "AMA Specifications" has more information in it that what's in the factory service manual (www.mymopar.com), plus it's all in the listings rather than having to go through the service manual to find them.

It is a great looking car! Sorry to hear of the rust issues, though, but they can be fixed, I suspect.

As for the car's performance, check the rear axle ratio codes as the AMA Specs claim it can have either a 2.76 or 3.23 axle ratio. Which makes for a high speed cruiser, especially with the taller tires of the wagons, especially with the 2.76. The torque converter specs at 11.75, which will be the tighter version, I suspect, which can make for good mpg but slightly less off-line, below 30mph, acceleration.

The distributor specs are not too lazy, about normal for even 1970, so upping the initial spark advance to 12 degrees BTDC might help. Adjusting the trans linkage to get a 2-3 min throttle upshift at 30mph or so might help, too. So "tweaks" rather than "big changes", I suspect.

Consider, too that the pistons are .125" below deck at TDC, plus the larger chamber cyl heads, so to get back to 1970 specs will take new pistons and cyl heads. Cam is still the 260/268 cam with good lift specs, so that's fine as is.

Unfortunately, "highway gears", tighter torque converter (although normal stall speed), lower compression ratio (8.2 rated), and 4500 lbs is not going to tend to a "tire smoker" by any means, but a decent-performing road car. Still, tweaking the tune up specs a bit can increase off-idle throttle response and make the car a bit more enjoyable to drive.

ONE neat thing about the AMA Specs is that in the back pages, are the factory drive belt specs! width and length, which can come in very handy in the future!

It's a great looking car, as is. I would suggest driving and getting to know it AND enjoying it. Fixing any issues as possible.

Enjoy!
CBODY67

 

[LocuMob]

it can have either a 2.76 or 3.23 axle ratio

With the A35 tow package, it came with 3.23 rear gears standard.

 

[1970FuryConv]

Welcome, Phil. Gorgeous car!!

 

[Phil64]

With the A35 tow package, it came with 3.23 rear gears standard.

Yes, 3.23 (code D53 on the build sheet) and i've also the Sure Grip (D91 on sheet). I verify when i rotate one wheel the other rotates in the same direction. And it came in really handy when I skidded off the side of the road a week ago on a narrow road because of a car that didn't park far enough to pass me.
Curiously, I did not see anywhere the remains of a towing system or an additional electrical harness. But I do have an additional oil cooler in front of the air conditioning condenser.
The beginnings of the Monaco were difficult ! According to Rich (son of the 2nd owner) : " Dad bought the car around 1976 as a wreck. The previous owner had run off the road, rolled it once and then nosed it into a creek. The water didn't get above the radiator so it was only metal damage. The front bumper was bent, a few dents in the side and the roof was pushed down (of course the windshield was broken)."

 

[cbarge]

Curiously, I did not see anywhere the remains of a towing system or an additional electrical harness

If it anything like my 73 Satellite wagon, the relay and harness is somewhere between the rear left panel and rear footwell for third row seat. Wires go through a grommet towards licence pkate. Sonetimes the wires are tucked up underneath out of harms way.
If the relay is still connected for the trailer harness, you can hear it click when you put the car in reverse.
Hope this helps.

 

[Grannys67]

Fantastic wagon!

 

[cbarge]

Fantastic wagon!

Looks better without the woodgrain.

 

[Phil64]

Looks better without the woodgrain.

Indeed, some tell me to leave it as it is, others to put the woodgrain. I remain puzzled...

Note that i have the '72 taillights, i dont know why ... I see others '73 with '72 taillights.

 

[LocuMob]

Indeed, some tell me to leave it as it is, others to put the woodgrain. I remain puzzled...

View attachment 527753
View attachment 527754

Note that i have the '72 taillights, i dont know why ... I see others '73 with '72 taillights.

I like the acres of yellow.

 

[TxDon]

Here are the options regarding the codes
DY2 Yellow
HL4 Woodgrain (?)
S8L3 Parchment interior, all vinyl.
818 18 august (1972 or 1973 ?)
077340 Vehicle order number
DP46 T3D 120899 VIN
U USA
E85 440ci 4BBL V8
A35 Trailer-towing package
C58 Seats 50/50.
D34 Torqueflite, standard duty
G11 Glass, tinted, all windows (recommended w/AC)
G25 Vent windows, manual (4-door models only)
G31 Mirrors, outside right, manual.
H52 dual Air conditioner
J67 Trailer/tow wiring
L21 Cargo trunk light
L31 Fender/hood turn indicators
M15 Moldings, door upper frame.
M25 Moldings, sill
M84 Tailgate sill plate (scuff step plate).
M91 Luggage rack
M95 Assist handles
N76 Coolant recovery system
N88 Auto speed control
P25 Power Seats, left bucket, left 50/50 split bench
P31 Power windows
P41 Power door locks, electric
P44 Auto-lock tailgate
R21 Radio, AM/FM
S62 Steering wheel, tilt wheel, 2-spoke rim-blow.
Y14 Sold car
CTD Codes continued on next tag
U68 LR78x15 steel belted radial (optional)
also the road wheels but not listed (or maybe installed later ?)

And a larger pic of the build sheet


View attachment 527658

Wow, that is loaded! Does the dual A/C work?

 

[Phil64]

Wow, that is loaded! Does the dual A/C work?

not currently
there are a lot of minor things that don't work (heating, air conditioning, cruise control, clock, rim blow , etc...), I'll try to fix them one after the other

 

[CBODY67]

On the rim blow issue, check the horn relay FIRST. If it is like my '70 Monaco Brougham, when you pull the relay from the fuse block, remove the metal cover on the relay, you'll probably find that it is totally cooked in there. Putting a new relay in CAN work, but on mine, whenever the temperature got past 80 degrees F, the horn switch (rim blow) would make contact itself and the horn would start honking by itself. The black switch was also quite hard and difficult to activate the horn with. ALL of which made me NOT a fan of that steering wheel and seek to change it to a horn ring or pad, later model of steering wheel.

By observation, "rim blow" was a trend, allegedly safety related as you just squeezed the steering wheel to activate the horn rather than make other hand movements, but a trend which fizzled after about two model years. The switches were hard to install and remove, too. The Ford rim blow switches were squishy to me and I don't recall the GM switches. FWIW.

Just some thoughts and experiences,
CBODY67