Garage Find: 1986 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS

A clean Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS is still a beautiful thing, despite the model enjoying a fairly generous production run and still being fairly accessible by the casual enthusiast. Still, there are plenty that have been hot-rodded and otherwise messed with to such a degree that finding one that retains some of its factory appearance is getting harder to pull off, and given values haven’t exactly skyrocketed with the passage of time, there’s a good chance some cars are just being junked or otherwise neglected. This 1986 Monte Carlo SS was recently pulled out of long-term storage and is listed here on Facebook Marketplace in Henderson, Nevada.

Nevada is a good place to find a forgotten muscle car, especially one that’s been left inside. The likelihood of finding rust is virtually nill, and the seller’s car looks quite decent up and down the sides. Factory decals are still present and the grill and front facia show no signs of cracks or other unsightly damage. The seller reports that this Monte Carlo was left in a garage for eleven years. For the first six years, it was started regularly; one would assume after that point, it didn’t see much of any use. No mention is made if the engine still runs or at least turns over, but these drivetrains were mostly robust.

Under 90,000 original miles is low for the year. It’s not a time capsule, but it’s still likely lower than most other driver-quality Monte Carlos you see on the classifieds pages. While everyone tends to get hot and bothered for a real-deal Aero Coupe, the traditional coupe body style is still plenty appealing. These weren’t particularly quick cars – certainly, the 85 miles per hour speedometer is an accurate representation of top speed potential – but they were solid cruising machines that were even better with a few modifications under the hood to wake up the V8 drivetrain. They’re also awesome candidates for restomods, but a survivor like this shouldn’t be messed with.

Black and red is the classic color combination, but there’s nothing wrong with white and red, either. No interior photos are provided but you really don’t need pictures: the seller reports it is burgundy in color, just like seemingly every other Monte Carlo SS. The only question is whether the Nevada sun has wreaked havoc on the upholstery or the dash plastics, but given it has heavy tint on the windows and that it’s been stored indoors, my fingers are crossed that this Monte Carlo SS will clean up as good inside as it will on the exterior. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Edward S. for the find.