71 Monte Carlo SS ........................“LOST-N-FOUND”

71 Monte Carlo SS………………..

“LOST-N-FOUND”

My Uncle Ron McCullough worked at General Motors in Oshawa back in the 60’s and 70’s. Ron purchased this Oshawa built 1971 Monte Carlo SS new when I was 7 years old. It is 1 of 1919 total 1971 Monte Carlo SS’s produced, 1 of 6 black on black ones produced in Canada that year and 1 of 2 black on black with buckets and console produced in Canada that year.

My Uncle Ron took my brother and me often to play baseball in the summer and pond hockey in the winter. We also enjoyed snowmobiling with him and my cousin in the winter. I spent a lot of time in this car as a kid and remember it well but always from a backseat view. My Uncle was very proud of this car and it was his daily driver until he had to park it in 1978 and sell it in 1982 as he couldn’t afford to fix it. It was then that, in my mind, the car was lost. My Uncle and I were very close and he passed away in 1982 six months after selling his Monte at the age of 42.

My whole family for the next 29 years thought that the purchaser had parted out the car but in the summer of 2011, I became interested in classic cars again and something spurred me to start looking for it. I was determined and finally found the VIN number (thanks Mom) which was the only way I could find out if the car still existed. I had a used vehicle abstract search done on the V.I.N. at the Ontario Department of Transportation which supplied me with all the names of the previous owners from day one on this specific vehicle. It was those search results that told me that I had the right V.I.N., that the car still existed, and that it was still plated and therefore was in driving condition. I had found the car.

Immediately, I Googled the current owner’s name and he lived only 30 minutes from me. I showed up at his door the very next day. He told me the car had been restored in the mid 80's, he had purchased it in the late 80’s and had just used it as a cruise night car ever since because he owned three classics. I didn’t tell him that I was the original owner’s Nephew thinking that if he was willing to sell it he possibly would have jacked the price up. Can you imagine my delight that the car still existed, was in great shape and had been for sale for a month? My understanding wife said to go ahead and buy it. She knew how fond I am of my Uncle and how much having his car means to me. The car came with the original 1971 New Vehicle Warranty Information Booklet and has Ron's handwriting on the cover. On the back of the rearview mirror there’s a sticker from Cayuga Speedway from when Ron and my cousin went there and camped for the weekend stock car racing events. All those years and thankfully nobody removed the sticker.

I still can't believe it is sitting in my garage and I feel so fortunate to have it. Shortly after purchasing it, we surprised my Mom and Dad with it. They were ecstatic when I pulled the Monte out of the garage right in front of them and took them for a spin. My Mom was so happy to see her brother’s car again and to have it back in the family. Unfortunately, Mom and Dad have passed away since but I know how much of a positive thing having Uncle Ron’s Monte back in the family was for them. They attended many car shows with me and always enjoyed speaking with people all about it.

The Monte is still the original Tuxedo Black #19 colour and has a very good 30 year old acrylic enamel paint job. It still has the numbers matching 454 engine, TH400 transmission and 12 bolt differential with 3:31 gears. Being a Canadian built car, the SS option code of Z20 is located on the cowl tag along with the paint code etc and I also have the full documentation package from Vintage Vehicle Services in Oshawa as proof of authenticity.

 The following is what I wrote in memory of Ron and is on the spare tire cover tribute I had done.

My late Uncle's 1971 Monte Carlo SS
Lost in 1978 and Found in 2011.
The sorrow of what was once lost,
Is surpassed by the joy of it found.
What fuels us to persist in the search,
Are the memories that we hold dear.
I miss you Ron.

Thanks for reading the story of my Uncle Ron’s Monte Carlo.

Larry Demings