Third Gen (73-77) Chevelle/Laguna

I have a 74 s3 white with red its comeing up on 30 years that I have oned it did frame off started 19 years ago its got the nomber match 454 facty 4sp car with power roof windows and locks its sporting a t400 with 410 rear gear  can any one brake the nombers down too tell how meny 4sp cars were made and how rare is the roof only seen 1 other sence i had thts one  omost forget it only has 48 K box A  az title  

My name is Chris and I have just joined this site.Since 1984 I have owned twenty 73-77 montes and one 74 chevelle.Through the years I have collected some parts from the montes.I have lower door panels,round gauge clusters and small stuff that is getting harder to find.I am the proud owner of a 73 monte with the factory 454/400.It has most of the options,swivel seats/console,p/locks,p/windows,tilt,air,am-fm radio,cruise,and landau option roof.I added factory tach and gauges,p/trunk release,passenger side remte mirror.



 

I have a 76 chevelle that I have had for 13 years I paid $700 for it. It has the smaller side windows, and I bought the side window louvers for it on ebay. Do you or anyone here Know how these are suposted to be installed? I looks like to me that I have to take the inside quarter panels off, and possibly trim the mounts down on the back of the louvers to mount them with two screws from the back side. Like I said thats what it looks like to me. Oh, also does anyone know of a place that makes the reproduction S-3 slump nose frontends and parts. I would eventually like to make a Laguna clone out of my malibu. Anyone who reads this, and knows what I am talking about. Please reply with your answers.....Thanks    

On a real Laguna, there are two mounting holes where the posts on the louvers go in the quarter panels and they screw on from inside the car, so you have to take the interior panels off to install them.  The front ends you can occasionally find on EBAY or in junk yards or even on Craigslist.  There is a company in Florida called US Body Source that makes a fiberglass reproduction but it is for racing and so it has no inner support structure, headlight mounts, or holes for the grilles.  You are better off finding a complete front end and using that.  Keep in mind that it is VERY HEAVY so if you buy one, make sure you don't have to ship it.  If you want loads of info or help with your car, go to www.chevytalk.com and look in the forum index for Doc's 73-77 Chevelle Forum.  The people there know virtually anything there is to know about 73-77 Chevelles, Lagunas, Grand Ams, and other GM A bodies.  

New to the forum.  I have a project 75 Laguna S-3 I'm restoring with my 14 year old son whose dream is to take his drivers test in this car.  I can post pictures if anyone is interested.  I have all the pieces and parts to put her back together, except an instrument panel.  Mine is damaged goods.  Does anyone know where I might locate one other than ebay (i constantly check there)?  

You can post pictures in the reader's rides section.  El Caminos, Chevelles, and Monte Carlos all used the same dash assembly, so the instrument panels were the same.  There are four variations: some cars had a removable dash pad and some had a one piece dash; the base cars had square openings for the gauges, and the round gauge cars either had idiot lights or actual gauges.  There is some difference in the wiper switch opening on 73 cars as opposed to the 74-77 cars but if you get the cluster and bezel from the same car that should not be a problem. There were thousands of cars made so there are probably some floating around in junkyards in your area.  But as those of us know who own these cars, part of the fun is locating non-existent parts, so get looking!