The Chevy Monte Carlo debuted for the 1970 model year. Developed under the watchful eye of Chevrolet General Manager Pete Estes, the Monte Carlo was built on General Motors’ A-Special platform, along with the Pontiac Grand Prix, with an elongated front end that positioned the engine well back from the radiator. The Monte Carlo shared a number of components with the Chevy Chevelle, including the firewall, windshield, decklid, and rear window. The dash was nearly identical to the Chevelle, save for the wood trim.
By the mid-1980s, the Chevy Monte Carlo was being built on General Motor’s G-Body platform. The Monte Carlo SS came with a cleaner, monochromatic look, a sportier front fascia, a rear spoiler, and was powered by a 180-horsepower 305 cubic-inch V8 backed by a three-speed automatic transmission. It could be equipped with Strato bucket seats and a center console in place of the standard front bench seat. Monte Carlo SS production totaled 24,050 units for 1984.
Our feature Chevy Monte Carlo SS has been driven just 424 miles from new. Finished in Medium Dark Royal Blue, the SS has a complementing blue cloth interior. It is equipped with air conditioning, cruise control, a Delco AM/FM/cassette stereo, power steering, power brakes, and is powered by the standard SS 305 V8 backed by the three-speed auto.
This Chevy Monte Carlo SS retains its factory finish, characterized by the orange peel that was the hallmark of mid-1980s GM paint. There are no signs of corrosion or patina, which would seem to indicate having been stored in a climate controlled garage. Side decals and stripes appear as new. Factory painted fifteen-inch wheels are wrapped in raised white-letter Goodyear Eagle GT tires. Power brakes with vented front discs handle stopping duties.
Inside the Monte Carlo SS, the interior shows little sign of age. There are some minor wrinkles to be found, but little else indicates the car’s vintage. The blue cloth Strato bucket seats have blue vinyl backs, and are separated by a center console. Interestingly, this personal luxury car lacks tilt wheel, power windows or power locks. The gauges are still crisp and legible, and the rest of the interior looks close to untouched. The dash shows no cracks or peeling, the carpets are colorfast and stain-free.
Under the hood of the Monte Carlo SS, the 305 cubic-inch mill is clean, but not overly detailed. It appears much as it would have when you got the car home from the dealership. Everything looks to be original and correct, save for the bargain battery behind the passenger-side headlights.
The sale of this Chevy Monte Carlo SS includes manufacturer’s literature, spare parts, dealer documents, a clean Carfax report, and Michigan title. This Monte Carlo is being auctioned on Bring a Trailer, with the sale concluding Friday, May 6th.
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Comments
Beautiful car and finished in a nice color. All manufacturers even Toyota had paint finish issues in the 80’s and I remember seeing many Chryslers and Hondas with peeling clearcoat during the early 90’s. Light blue was a tough color for GM as it didn’t bond well to the primer and I remember we had many go to the paint booth to fix hoods and trunk lids from peeling light blue paint. This along with the Olds Hurst, T-Bird turbo coupe, Mustang 5.0’s and HO 305 F-bodies are what helped drag us out of Melaize era I.
I had a 85 Maroon got it brand new lived it still liked to have another one except take that sick 305 out and put a LS 3 swap and a strong tranny them 700 r was week. Yeah liked have T-Tops on the next one.
I owned an ’86. Those years and subsequent years had different colors and stripe color combinations. Mine was a black car with orange and red stripes, grey interior. The CS interior which gave the SS the bench seat and column shifter from the CS car. It was rare to have this option on an SS and wasn’t what people wanted so probably why I got the car so cheap. My 2 best friends loved my car and so they wound up with an white with red stripes burgundy interior ’87 and burgundy with red stripes and burgundy interior ’88 respectively, One was an Aerocoupe. All 3 of these cars had the later 4 speed Auto w /3:73 rear gears as best I can remember. I’m very sure of the 4 speed Auto because on a highway trip my car could get over 20 mpg’s easily! In our circle of friends there would be several in different colors come and go over the years, one girl in the community had a silver with black stripes! Best looking one I thought! Black with gold stripes didn’t look that good ironically IMO.
These were great cars and felt much stronger than 180HP, of course everything was weak back then. Great everyday drivers and right sized! I sold mine in ’98 with 158,000 miles on it. It was getting tired because I did drive it hard in those days, showing off and racing and what not.
My buddy sold the Aerocoupe just in recent years and I was surprised it didn’t bring as much as I thought it would. It was a 60,000 mile car loaded up with T-Tops and power seats and Delco stereo equalizer radio and other “big ticket” ’80’s stuff. Plus I always assumed there were very few “88 model SS’s period.
Great cars and even better memories!
Sounds like you and your friend were very happy with GM. Why the switch to Chrysler?
I completely agree with you. I have been absolutely drooling for one of those for a very long time. It’s just never in the cards for me financially. I would most likely just rub it down with a diaper and admire it all day. 😄
Beautiful ride. Biggest disgrace GM did was not put a 350 and a manual into the Monte SS
The MCSS did have a 350/4-speed in the Mex version because of ’80s Mexican emissions standards.
Now for the unpopular part, the M/C should had stopped production in the late ’70s because the downsized Impala and Camaro made better for V8 performance coupes, in ’83 the Caprice coupe returned, that could have turned into an Impala SS for a roomy performance coupe.
Your right about that🤙
I just purchased a 1984 SS with a dealer installed 350 I have all the documentation.and I am the third owner.the 350 was definitely a better upgrade
I owned a ’85 Monte Carlo SS in white with a gray interior. One of the many I wish I still had today. For it’s time it was a good looking good driving car!
I started driving in the 70’s with big hp cars. My cousin had a 71 Monte Carlo with a 427 and that car was fast for its size. I really liked the Monte Carlo SS but refused to buy one based on the wimpy hp back in that era.
Today, changing that 305 to a 572 or a new gen LT1 with a 6 speed automatic or higher, new driveshaft and rear end upgrades with suspension is the only way I would buy one to bring into modern specs.
Now that 71 Monte Carlo with that 427, well different story altogether.
JMO
Favorite generation and color Monte Carlo.
Those cars were turds. Anemic 305’s. When they could summon the will by taking a hard right turn and stomping the gas peddle to spin the tires….the only way it would….you were met with crazy wheel hop.
Neat. You found one so ugly it was never driven. Now scrap it.
Funny, every Monte SS I ever drove with the original HO 305 could easily spin the rear tires in a straight line with no trouble at all. 0-60 in 7.5-7.8 seconds and 15 second 1/4 miles times were quite good for 1983-1985 considering a Corvette a few years earlier could barely do 8 seconds and 16 in the 1/4. The sound from under the hood was music to the ears unlike the EV and 3/4 cylinder garbage being produced now.
Why would you scrap an original mint car that will sell for as much as some new cars today? That is kind of dumb and wasteful!
@AL
Always have been a GM man but I don’t like the direction they are going in lately. Not saying it is bad but I feel l like they have abandoned buyers like me trying to force us to buy thing s we don’t want. Styling is awkward now, interiors aren’t on par with others, you’ve heard it!
I went to a ram Big Horn, loaded up. One of those running buddies went to Dodge with A Charger and minivan. Only one of those guys has stuck with GM and he has not bought new in years.
same opinion as you … if goes further it ends like Chrysler or Ford with just 1 car to offer
Had ’87 in silver with burgundy interior. My kids were in car seats at the time so it worked as a family car. Yes it wasn’t powerful, but at the time there weren’t many cars that were. At least it wasn’t fwd. It got a lot of complements.
It is a shame this car never could be built like it deserved. But even then the body will live on as a mile stone in style and racing.
I would love to have one of the fast back models yet today.
Aerocoupes, Ford had the fastback. They were made so they could run the rear window in Nascar. 86 Aerocoupe was 200 cars (all identical colors/options), the 87 was 6052 cars. They made a Pontiac Aerocoupe as well, the Grand Prix 2+2, only 1225 ever produced
… it is not a beauty car but had it times in 1980ies, mainly by suburb people, mean the ‘Latinos’
Own a 1986 for 24 years switched to a 350 couple years. Always have people commenting and wanting to buy it. Love these cars… Burgundy with Burgundy interior..
Oh, no, another one. Another beautiful in-the-wrapper car and one that I’ve admired these many years. I could never figure why the SS didn’t get the flush-finish, composite-looking headlights. That’s an old contemporaneous memory of mine. Present day I still pretend that I don’t see that considerable front overhang but I can’t imagine what a snub-nosed Monte Carlo of that vintage would look like.
My parents had a silver ’81 Monte Carlo, dark carmine interior with T-tops that was a stunner. I asked to borrow it to take my wife out for her birthday in May of ’82 and I was really impressed with the Monte Carlo’s smooth ride and performance.
Al,
The reason they were “HAPPY WITH GM” (they didn’t know any better) so to Answer Your Question of why “SWITCH TO CHRYSLER” They FINALLY WOKE UP AND REALIZED THEY WANTED TO PROMOTE AND DRIVE A TRUE MUSCLE CAR!!!! NOT A GENERIC WANNABE!!!!
A.K.A. ANYTHING MADE BY G.M.!!!!!!!!!!
Anyone else noticed the voltmeter appears to be broken (it’s pointing to damn-near zero!)?
The tach looks to be sitting at just under 1k rpms so the engine must be running, while the fuel, oil pressure and temperature gauges read as expected.
Well considering what came just a few years before in 1981 and 1982, having the 305 back in 150 and 180 HP guise for 1983 was a big jump in power compared to the anemic 115 HP 267 and mandatory 2.29 highway gears or the ill performing and underdeveloped 3.8 Buick turbo V6 that was offered in 1980/81 only. At the time the 305 V8’s outperformed everything else in this class until around 1984 when the 200 HP SFI Grand National 3.8 turbo came out so for the time they were hardly turds.
I’m the new owner of this one. Look closer at the pictures: no key in the ignition. (You made me re-check!) GM gauges sometimes did odd things when turning off the ignition. The tach often doesn’t reset to zero, but just stays where it was when the power is shut off. Upon turning the key back to on, the tach goes back to zero.
Congrats! It’s a nice ride. I miss my ’85 SS…. It was my first new car ever. Got it right off of the delivery trailer…
I have 3 of the G bodies, an 86 Aerocoupe #153 of 200, an 87 Aerocoupe and an 86 Pontiac Grand Prix 2+2. Stock they were turds, but with a better engine they’re a lot of fun, and a hell of a lot better looking than most of the newer cars
Well considering what came just a few years before in 1981 and 1982, having the 305 back in 150 and 180 HP guise for 1983 was a big jump in power compared to the anemic 115 HP 267 and mandatory 2.29 highway gears or the ill performing and underdeveloped 3.8 Buick turbo V6 that was offered in 1980/81 only. At the time the 305 V8’s outperformed everything else in this class until around 1984 when the 200 HP SFI Grand National 3.8 turbo came out so for the time they were hardly turds.
I had 85 SS. I had bought in the mid 90’s. Mine was white with black interior.
I had great plans for the car. Unfortunately I only had it for 2 weeks before I was carjacked. The car only had 47,000 miles on it.
I remember my father bought this exact same car brand new from pinebelt Chevrolet. Loved it
I had the exact same car with all the same equipment, but painted it black in 1995. I unfortunately sold the car in 2008 with 225000 miles on it and have been sick over it ever since. Great car and what a looker! Would love to have another for the right price.
Best thing I’ve heard anything any of you people have said PONTIAC GRAND PRIX!!.
I have an 1985 ss trying to restore does anyone know where I can find a dashboard?
Mikesmontes.com has new dashes as well as dash caps that go over the existing dash
One of the best body styles Chevrolet ever produced. I bought an ’84 right off the showroom floor and my father-in-law loved it so much, he ordered one just like you see here (mine was white with a bench seat so I was naturally jealous!). One thing I remember about the car is how freely it coasted down the road and seemed to roll forever without applied power. As far as horsepower goes, well, once you put in a crate 350 you can see the car’s true potential as a pavement ripper. Like someone else said, this is one I wish I’d kept.
Your right about that🤙