The Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS has long hovered between muscle car beater and collector car gold among enthusiasts, as it seems the car is either cherished to the point of obsession or treated like a dirt track special that is best suited for providing cheap speed. The fourth generation Monte Carlo SS certainly has all the pedigree of being a coveted collector car, with distinct upgrades unique to the SS package and a direct connection to NASCAR racing in the 1980s. Still, many of them seemingly end up like this one, a barn find apparently stored for 25 years. Find it here on Facebook Marketplace in Covington, GA for $12,900.

Now, the SS name has been used and abused for years, but this generation of the Monte Carlo still offered customers a distinct set of upgrades over the standard model offering. For starters, the SS came with a 180 b.h.p. 305 V8;  3.73 rear axle;  rear sway bar; unique color schemes; and SS-specific alloy wheels. This wasn’t just some window dressing on a Grandma-special Monte Carlo. Still, it was produced in fairly strong numbers as the fourth generation model proved quite popular with car shoppers and the SS model was a no-brainer upgrade for anyone looking to unleash their inner Dale Earnhardt. That’s a good thing for finding spare parts, but not for future collectability.

Now, the interiors were always a let-down, as Chevy didn’t make the cabin feel any sportier than a standard base-model Monte. The bench seat, dull colors, fabric upholstery – this was a car that needed some factory Recaros and a three-spoke Grant steering wheel. Just some aftermarket goodies to remind you that it’s an SS from the inside. Still, that didn’t stop car buyers from scooping these SS Montes up left and right. However, if you did want to own a more hard-to-find model, the 1988 Monte Carlo SS is a good place to start. Production was winding down at this point, and just over 16,000 SS coupes found owners for the 1988 model year, which were all built towards the end of ’87. This one features the optional T-tops.

Now, there’s a few things about this car that are hard to sort out. For one, there’s this: some ugliness underneath the car. I can’t quite figure out what’s going on here – can any readers give us a clue? It doesn’t appear to be rotted through, but it could be on its way. The listing includes a picture of a title belonging to an owner from Indiana, so I don’t believe this has been a lifelong Georgia car. The seller also says it has a 350, which is certainly possible if an engine swap occurred, but there’s a chance he simply misplaced some numbers when he meant to type 305. Regardless, this Monte Carlo SS doesn’t appear too far removed from returning to road use despite its 25 year sleep, but is it worth the asking price?