In the style of Clint's Reptiles let's review
Mons Customs restomods
Mons Customs are a well-known subsidiary of Mons Automotive. They have produced some of the most sought-after restomods in the automotive industry. But to see if they are the right car for you, we’ll evaluate them based our five criteria:
- handleability
- care
- hardiness
- availability
- upfront costs
Before we begin, a little background to familiarize yourself with some of Mons Custom’s restomods:
First, there was the insane AWD El Camino. It produced nearly 570 HP from the original 401 block, and rivaled any modern Charger SRT Hellcat in performance. And it was expensive. You can read more here.
Next, there was the Scout. It somehow managed to fit two cozy beds in the back and included a modular tent system that expanded the living quarters to sleep four and also had a full kitchen and living area. But this was not for the faint of heart - this beastie was a true off-roader and could go anywhere even though, this too, kept the original engine. But, it was expensive. More details here.
Mons Custom’s third creation was the GT-A. Despite keeping the original engine, this car was very track-worthy, and with the proper tires could even tackle some dirt. The luxurious interior and all the upgrades to make this possible were certainly not cheap though. More on the car can be read here.
Finally, we have the Demon NSX. Again, keeping the original engine, the Customs team managed to pump out a lot more ponies - 666 to be exact. This monster also has some extravagant touches, which resulted in a similarly extravagant price. More on the car here.
Now, let's get into our review of Mons Customs based on our five criteria.
Handleability
All of these cars have one thing in common: they are surprisingly easy to drive. Granted, the El Camino and NSX are - true to their muscley background - a little harder to muscle around a track (pardon the pun), but due to their AWD systems and forgiving gearboxes, they are still pretty easy to drive. The GT-A was basically made idiot-proof with a FWD conversion. The Scout was fully geared for off-road use, but still managed well above average handleability for its class. Overall, we give Mons Customs a score of **3.5/5** - these cars are not out to kill you, but they just might if you're not careful.Care
All of these cars kept their original engine blocks, but received major improvement in engine components, drivetrain, electronics... the list goes on. These cars are in fact a lot more robust than the originals. That said, all of these cars are meant to be pushed to the limit, and as such will need a lot of care. Servicing these cars will probably not be cheap. Not to mention, the hand-made interiors, the shiny new paint... these will all need good care if you want to look your best at the new car show. As such, we give these cars a **2.5/5** - they will indeed need a lot of care to look and perform their best.Hardiness
The good news is, that if you take good care of these beasts, they will reward you with many years (and miles) of fun on the road. Mons Customs has upgraded many components of the cars, and when possible weather-protected the chassis and panels. Many engine, suspension, and brake components have been upgraded significantly to reduce weight, improve performance, and not the least to enhance durability. As such, these cars are virtually bomb-proof. We give these cars a score of **4/5**.Availability
Mons Customs works exclusively on bespoke, custom orders. The queue is rather long and filled with celebrities and top car enthusiasts. As such Mons Customs is very selective about who they take as customers. You and your project have to fit within their vision. As such, we can only give availability of a Mons Customs a score of **1/5**.Upfront Costs
All of Mons Customs' restomods push the limits of their customers' budgets. If you want quality, you will have to pay. Another major cost is that you probably want a good garage to house your bespoke restomodded custom. The least expensive component is probably the original base car that you have to supply... although, depending on what you want rebuilt, that could be quite expensive too. As such, we give a score of **2/5** for upfront costs; not the lowest score simply because you _can_ restomod a very cheap base car, if you wanted.In conclusion, we give a Mons Customs restomod an average score of…
2.6/5
In other words, if you are a true restomod enthusiast and can afford it and are willing to put in the work to take care of your baby so it looks and performs its best every day, then you cannot get a better investment than a Mons Customs restomod. But it is certainly not for everybody. In fact, if you ask yourself the question “Is a Mons Customs restomod the right car for me?”, then it probably isn’t.