2019-08-01+Car+Craft

46 CAR CRAFT AUGUST 2019

B

randon Furches’ 784hp, 3,600-pound, turbocharged

LS4 2004 Monte Carlo SS gets a lot of heat on the

internet, but it’s not what you expect. Though open-

minded observers dig it for the innovative breath of fresh air

that it is (let’s face it, how many more LS swaps can there

be?), there are still naysayers. Brandon tells us, “The biggest

pushback on my Facebook account [Furches Performance]

isn’t from import and front-drive haters, but rather guys who

say the car isn’t a real Monte Carlo.”

The Ludlow, Massachusetts–based hot rodder and

32-year-old owner of Furches Performance continues:

“Typically, these statements are followed up with some

ignorant reference to how the 1980s G-body Montes were

the last real ones, or how my generation of Monte Carlo—

the 1995–2007—is nothing more than a W-body Lumina

with two fewer doors.”

That’s a surprise. Frankly, we were expecting Brandon to

say knee-jerk trolls zero in on the front-drive factor and lump

him into the import scene for summary execution. But, no,

G-body defenders are the ones throwing the most stones.

C’mon, rear-drive Monte guys, show Brandon some more

love! After all, if you’re a certain age, you’ll easily remember

1978 when GM “down sized” the third-generation Monte

Carlo by 15 inches, 500 pounds, and made the 200-cube

Chevy V6 standard equipment. People freaked out. To many,

the 1977 Monte Carlo—all 3,700 pounds of it—was the last

true Monte Carlo, not some shrunken-head Aerocoupe or

L69 SS. Today, the pushback against the front-drive Monte

just proves that everything is relative if you live long enough.

Getting back to our story, Brandon graduated from high

school in 2005 and was in his formative years when

By Steve Magnante /

Photos: John Machaqueiro

and Steve Magnante

This Wrong-Wheel-Drive,

Turbo Monte Carlo

Sets Tongues Wagging