This 1987 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS is already eye-catching for wearing silver paint instead of the usual black or white, but there’s another major detail that sets it apart: an engine swap that puts a Corvette-sourced LT1 V8 under the hood and paired to a 700R4 automatic transmission. That should wake this car up nicely, which, while not being the worst performer of the 80s, still looked a little too sexy for its stock drivetrain. Find this hot-rodded Monte Carlo SS here on eBay with bidding over $10K and the reserve not met.
Perhaps because at least one Monte Carlo of this generation once graced nearly every mall parking lot, I’ve forgotten how slick it is appearance-wise, especially with the upright rear glass and long trunk lid accented by a subtle lip spoiler. The body looks to be in outstanding condition on this car, and the silver paint looks quite sharp with the Snowflake Gray wheels. The seller doesn’t go into great detail about the Monte Carlo’s cosmetic health, which hopefully means there are no major issues to report. Certainly, there are no obvious signs of rot or body damage.
I can’t say I’ve seen many genuine SS cars pop up for sale sporting an engine swap, but now having seen it, it makes an awful lot of sense – especially if you’re plugged into a salvage parts network where it’s easy to find a healthy LT1 out of a wrecked model. Even the SS Montes didn’t come with an exactly exotic powerplant, so I wouldn’t feel too badly about this one becoming non-numbers matching as a result of the swap. There are plenty of low-mileage time capsules out there to choose from if you’re hunting for an investment piece. This one will just be a lot more fun to drive in anger.
While the smiles per dollar benefit is clear, it’s harder to discern what a reasonable reserve price would be. The seller notes the chassis has 80,000 miles but doesn’t cover how many miles are on the LT1. And while the interior is in respectable condition, it definitely shows all of those 80K. The good news is the mechanical components are what you’re buying this Monte for, and that side of the value proposition is clear – plus, it has a Positraction rear end with 3.73 gears. A lot of fun to drive, not much of a collectible, and with a reserve that still isn’t met at $10K – should it sell for more?
I had a Buick Roadmaster with the LT1 and it was fast for such a big barge, this car should be a lot of fun!
Back in 2001, I bought my first Caprice 9C1 with the LT1from a town auction. This car was going to be a donor for my 87 SS but had so much fun driving the Caprice, ended up selling the Monte!
This is what GM should have done in the first place, put a decent powerful engine in one of these instead of the anemic 305/ Looks like a nice build. Good luck to the new owner.
Cheers
GPC
As mentioned, these should have had a 350 to begin with. But they are very good looking cars. Maintaining the appearance with a nice engine upgrade is a very tasteful mod, well done.
That’s how you do it, great idea put in action!
Believe me, nobody was excited with the dog pile 305 at the time….in any stock form.
Car like this deserved Buick GN ability with small block Chevy sounds, it just didn’t happen. There were, however, several I remember with at least 350 cubes or stroker power, talk about a wake up call! Nice ride.