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How important is a Monte Carlo bar?

It's called style, gentlemen. And I'll have you know Ford DID paint some engines red through the course of time. Along with green and grey and black and a host of other accessory colors.
 
A MC bar is meant to keep the inner fender from flexing inward is response to extreme forces created in hard cornering. As in racing. With a very good suspension which is able to "stick" the tire to the pavement. Very few street cars will have a set-up and components that do this well enough to require one. Let alone being driven to that extent. They are a racing component that many find cosmetically appealing for their cars. Personally, I think they just get in the way and distract from the view of a beautiful engine! Insert gratuitous pic of my engine bay...

View attachment 32175
Wow, that looks awesome. Does it run? I mean, it looks so clean there is no way you drive it right? ;)
 
Yep, late 50's stuff was red. And it looked GOOD!
Agreed... I painted my 5.0/331 red as well. Every model engine I painted as a kid was red too. Not chevy orange... there is a difference. Heck we even painted my son's Chevy 396 the same Classic Ford Red.
 
A MC bar is meant to keep the inner fender from flexing inward is response to extreme forces created in hard cornering. As in racing. With a very good suspension which is able to "stick" the tire to the pavement. Very few street cars will have a set-up and components that do this well enough to require one. Let alone being driven to that extent. They are a racing component that many find cosmetically appealing for their cars. Personally, I think they just get in the way and distract from the view of a beautiful engine! Insert gratuitous pic of my engine bay...

View attachment 32175
good gawd that's purty
 
Monte Carlo bars are really important if you are going to be spending any time in Monte Carlo.;)

My kid bought me a Monte Carlo bar for my '69 vert some years ago as a Father's Day gift (beat the usual tie). I didn't like the fact that it went directly over my distributor and wound up giving it back to him for his '69 fastback. He installed it and loved it. Said it made a huge difference in the car's handling. I went out and bought the Shelby version of the Monte Carlo bar that has the curve to fit around the air cleaner. It's right over the distributor. It actually did make a difference in how tight my vert handled in hard turns. Besides, it's a big hunk of chrome in my engine compartment!!!:) I'd post a photo but I don't want to embarrass Terry.
 
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I try not to bargain with my distributor. A buddy of mine who didn't have a Monte Carlo bar was dicking with his distributor and lost 1 1/2 fingers to his Flex-A-Lite fan.
 
One of the better Monte Carlo bars:
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