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11k Original Miles? 1987 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS

This 1987 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS has been sitting for a few years and needs work to regain its former glory. It is a classic with a claimed ultra-low odometer reading, but it is unclear whether it can be confirmed since the elderly original owner has passed away. That makes it an extraordinary and nicely optioned garage find if it proves verifiable. The SS is listed here on eBay in Brooksville, Florida. Bidding has raced beyond the reserve to sit at $5,200.

The seller indicates the original owner purchased this Monte Carlo to mainly drive around his retirement village with his wife. It saw service for the occasional date night dinner but spent most of its time sitting around, doing nothing. That appears to form the basis for their belief about the authenticity of the mileage claim. However, they don’t mention verifying evidence. It is dusty and dirty, which is often part of the attraction with genuine barn or garage finds. Step one would be to clean the exterior thoroughly to ascertain the state of its Code 19 Black paint. There are some visible bumps and bruises, but the overall presentation might be good enough to justify preservation as a survivor. The front spoiler has some cracks, with the same true for the taillight lenses. The seller claims there is slight rust, with the vehicle’s underside shots revealing significant surface corrosion. The original owner ordered this classic with the optional glass T-Top, although considering the state of the rest of the vehicle, I wouldn’t bet the farm on its seals being in good order. The original alloy wheels should clean nicely, and there are no glaring glass issues.

The Monte Carlo is nicely equipped in a 1987 context, with the new owner receiving air conditioning, power windows, power locks, a six-way power driver’s seat, cruise control, a tilt wheel, and an aftermarket CD player in place of the original radio. However, the word “swampy” springs to mind when examining the overall appearance. Evidence of mildew suggests the storage environment hasn’t been ideal. Step one would be treating everything to a deep clean to eliminate odd smells. That would allow a clear view of everything to confirm what requires replacement. The carpet is discolored on the passenger side, and there are imperfections in the driver’s seat cover. Replacing the carpet will probably form part of the revival, but the seat might be repairable. If that proves correct, this interior may require more time than money to present acceptably for a driver-grade classic.

“Muscle car” is a term that can only be loosely used to describe many vehicles from this period due to dwindling engine power. This SS features a 305ci V8 that sent 180hp to the rear wheels via a four-speed automatic transmission. With the car tipping the scales at 3,472 lbs, the ¼-mile ET of 16.6 seconds was unsurprising. However, this car would have happily cruised all day at freeway speeds without raising a sweat. Its mechanical condition is unclear, with the seller indicating it hasn’t run in at least three years. The robust nature of the mechanical components makes revival with little cost or effort a possibility, but the level of corrosion in the engine bay means budgeting for the cost of a complete brake replacement and other remedial work would be wise.

It will be fascinating to read your feedback on this 1987 Monte Carlo SS and whether you believe the odometer reading could be credible. It is an open question, but it appears that people are willing to roll the dice in the hope it can be confirmed. It has already attracted fifteen bids, suggesting people like what they see. Would you willingly add your name to the list, or would you prefer to sit out this dance?

Comments

  1. Avatar Brad

    Hard to believe but living only about 40 miles away, I can state the climate could possibly have done all that damage.
    How did the seats get that dirty unless windows were left open?
    All the bumper dings could have been caused while sitting, I guess.
    The corrosion? Yes in Florida.
    Looks more like 111,000 to me, though.

    Like 17
  2. Avatar Richard

    Looks well used for only 11,000 miles??

    Like 9
  3. Avatar B.B.

    Those decals are not stock and look really funky, particularly the one on the trunk.Ugh! Also, something looks off about those tail lights.

    Like 16
  4. Avatar Robbie R.

    Bogus.

    Like 4
  5. Avatar Channing Mendez

    Swampy Florida can do a number… Seats look tufted yet moldy. If I took this up to NJ, I’d almost treat as a flood car just on ambient humidity. I wanted to say the 11K was 311K, but maybe this gal can get away with those Florida city miles. 111K final offer, and I’m going to pass.

    Like 7
  6. Avatar Boatman Member

    11K? Not on your life. Repaint, armrest is broken, both door pulls are broken. I’ll bet a dollar those tops leak. Some buyer is going to be heartbroken when they see this 5K turd. And this was not owned by an elderly couple. Not recently anyway.

    Like 15
    • Avatar B.B.

      Heartbroken, but maybe a bit wiser. I cannot believe this thing is bid up over $5,000. It’s a roach.

      Like 7
  7. Avatar Davey Boy

    Drove a highly built model of this back in the day. Will again if all works out. Super fast and lots of fun. Here’s hoping

    Like 3
    • Avatar Stephen

      If you consider this fast you must go for a ride in my 09 Viper.

      Like 5
    • Avatar Johan

      Apparently you never encountered a Turbo Buick on your “super fast” ride. If so, the Buick would’ve eaten your lunch…

      Like 1
  8. Avatar Oldschool Muscle

    A hard pass !!!!

    Like 6
  9. Avatar Big Bear 🇺🇸

    We all agree here it’s not 11,000 miles but 111,000 miles is more like it. As for the decals on the trunk. I seen those decals on a SS Monte Carlo back in the 80’s. I think it was a one year being that big. I saw the pictures underneath and it’s not good what the seller is saying. It’s over 100,000 miles and that’s it. Buyer beware…. 🐻🇺🇸

    Like 2
  10. Avatar Boatman Member

    BB, I worked at a Chevy dealer in ’86 and those are def. not factory decals!

    Like 5
    • Avatar John W Kriegshauser

      You are 100% correct, those decals are NOT factory. This car is not a 11k mile example, its waaaay to rough. Besides the ratty condition, this beater has the front bench seat. No thanks!

      Like 4
  11. Avatar Srt8

    That platform was bad when it was new and you couldn’t hardly give them away by the time they were 7-10 years old.

    Like 2
  12. Avatar Burner

    The carfax shows 22k miles in 1990. Also shows 146k in 2/99. More like 211k, has a branded title.

    Like 10
    • Avatar Boatman Member

      WOW! Somebody’s gonna be sorry.

      Like 4
      • Avatar B.B.

        Gavel banged at $5,700. Amazing. Car prices continue to boggle my mind.

        Like 5
  13. Avatar Keith Hagerty

    I gotta agree with the masses here. It seems really unlikely that this is a 11k miles car unless it was recovered from the ocean floor. Based on the carfax mentioned earlier this likely has 211-311k miles on it. With the amt of money that one would need to put in to this to bring it back to showroom the new buyer at the present bid would be underwater.

    Like 3
  14. Avatar Maggy

    Agree with all the comments folks posted.I bet it has the dreaded g body frame rot in the rear with all that salt water damage.A customer at the shop had a 79 gp that the gear box came away from the frame from rot back in the mid 90’s.I’d give 2k for this turd IF it had a solid frame.

    Like 2
  15. Avatar ChevelleSS

    ..I started to leave a comment with everything I see wrong here but got nauseated and deleted it all. Scrap value. Too bad.

    Like 4
  16. Avatar Bruce

    Wish I could find a 1984 Mexican Monte Carlo. Only ones ever built with factory 4 speed and 350 engine. Built only in Mexico. Never offered in the U.S. I have only ever seen one.

    Like 1
    • Avatar John W Kriegshauser

      I actually looked at an 85 Monte SS that the owner converted to a 4 speed. Used all the same parts out of a 78 El Camino for the shifter, trans, etc. Pretty cool. GM missed the mark when these cars came out. Should have put the tuned port 305 or 350 with the 5 speed manual from the Camaro Z28 in it at the time. That would have been really sweet!

      Like 7
      • Avatar steve

        Never understood why the TPI engines were not offered in these. All show, no go.

        Like 2
      • Avatar B.B.

        When these came out in 1983, the L69 was the top Chevy engine option. The L98 and LB9 TPIs came out for 1985. I think GM wanted to keep those exclusively in the F body and Corvette. And by that time, the RWD G-body was on its last legs. GM probably saw little point in spending the money to do that.

        Like 2
  17. Avatar Bucket Boy

    Interiors really shabby. I think something’s amiss here. Already sold so someone thinks it’s ok.

    Like 0
  18. Avatar Zen

    Someone with more money than brains bought that story. Elderly people don’t usually want T tops, don’t usually put in an aftermarket stereo, and don’t put a different air cleaner on it for looks, as well as aftermarket decals. This is a ratty rat box with over 100,000 miles on it, and the drivetrain is probably near the end of it’s useful life, unless very well maintained. These cars were not well built, I had two of them. The new owner bought himself a very expensive headache, which will be an underpowered money pit if he tries to drive it, even every once in a while.

    Like 2
    • Avatar Srt8

      The seller probably bought his own car trying to pace the bidders.

      Like 2
  19. Avatar Dan

    They were slow, rusted quickly, and the the quality was poor. Chevy could have done soooo much better with these. People were doing 350 crate engine swaps all the time. All of these are WalMart specials.

    Like 0
  20. Avatar Johan

    11,000 original miles? Not a chance! Buyer beware…

    Like 1
  21. Avatar Todd

    Pretty rough looking for 11 K miles.

    Like 0
  22. Avatar ken wilkinson

    i owned many of these back in the day and this is 110k. i have never seen a original 10k car look this bad. what about the hooky decals? gonna cost at least 15k to restore if not more. good luck!

    Like 0
  23. Avatar George Mattar

    That color interior fades horribly even without t tops and add to that this thing sat in Florida. RUST. I had an 88 Monte SS with this color interior. Kept it out of the sun as much as possible. Never should have sold it.

    Like 0
  24. Avatar PRA4SNW

    So, the seller claims low miles, but in the ad itself is a “VEHICLE HISTORY REPORT” tab that, when clicked. clearly shows over 155K miles over 20 YEARS AGO!

    Oh yeah, and the report also proves that there have been at least 4 OWNERS!

    LMAO at the dumbest EBay seller in history!

    Like 0

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