1987 Chevrolet Monte Carlo

The Chevrolet Monte Carlo two-door coupe was introduced for the 1970 model year, with production lasting over six generations through the model year 2007. During most of its history, it was a personal-luxury coupe, with the last model version being classified as a full-sized coupe. The first four generations were of a rear-wheel drive, V8-powered (a V6 engine became available beginning in 1978) coupe body style built on a separate body-on-frame construction. The SS version was initially offered for 1970 and 1971 and came with the 454 cubic-inch V8 engine. From mid-1983 to 1988, the SS returned with a high-performance 305 cubic-inch V8.

Following the discontinuation of the rear-drive Monte Carlo after 1988, the nameplate took a several-year hiatus before being revived in 1995 on a front-drive, V6-powered coupe based on the Chevrolet Lumina sedan. The sixth and final generation was introduced in 2000 and was built alongside the Chevrolet Impala.

1987 Chevrolet Monte Carlo

The 1987 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, part of the four-generation, was available as both an LS and SS model (the base model was no longer offered). The Aerocoupe was also available, of which just 200 examples had been produced the year before.

Body styles, Pricing, and Production
The Monte Carlo LS Coupe had a base price of $11,300 with the standard 262 cubic-inch V6 engine and $11,745 with the 305 CID V8 engine.

The 'SS' Sport Coupe was priced at $13,465 and only had eight-cylinder power. The Aerocoupe had a base price of $14,840, and 6,052 examples were built.

A total of 72,993 examples of the (combined) LS Coupe and SS Sport Coupe were built in 1987.

Engines
The standard engine was a 262 cubic-inch (4.3-liter) 90-degree V6 engine with throttle-body fuel injection and new roller valve lifters. It had a cast iron block and head, 9.3:1 compression, hydraulic valve lifters, and four main bearings, and delivered 145 horsepower at 4,200 RPM and 225 lb-ft of torque at 2,000 RPM.

A carbureted 305 cubic-inch V8, offering 150 horsepower, was optional for the LS and standard in the SS. It had overhead valves, a cast iron block and head, 9.5:1 compression, five main bearings, hydraulic valve lifters, and a four-barrel carburetor. It produced 150 horsepower at 4,000 and 240 ft-lbs of torque at 2,000 RPM. A High-Output version of this engine produced 180 horsepower at 4,800 RPM and 225 lb-ft of torque.

The Monte-Carlo's powered by six-cylinder engines were mated to a three-speed automatic as standard equipment. V8 engines had a four-speed gearbox.

Styling
Styling changes included slightly revised taillights. Body styles included the notchback coupe and fastback Aerocoupe versions. The Aerocoupe was introduced in 1986 as a limited-production special with 200 examples built to qualify the design for use in stock car racing. In 1987, Aerocoupe production reached a total of 6,052 examples.

The 1988 Monte Carlo was Chevrolet's only remaining rear-wheel drive six-passenger coupe. Chevrolet had discontinued its full-size Caprice two-door body style after the 1987 model year.

Dimensions and Mechanical Specification
The 1987 Chevy Monte Carlo had separate body and frame construction, a 17.6-gallon fuel tank when the six-cylinder engine was installed, and an 18.1-gallon fuel tank with the eight-cylinder. It had a 108-inch wheelbase, an overall length of 200.4 inches, a height of 54.4 inches, and a width of 71.8 inches. The tires measured P195/75R14 for the LS Coupe and P21/65R15 for the SS Sport Coupe.

The front suspension used coil springs, a stabilizer bar, and unequal-length control arms. The rear suspension had a rigid axle with four links, a stabilizer bar, and coil springs. Disc brakes were located at the front, while the rear relied on drum brakes. The steering was via a recirculating ball.

Fourth Generation of Styling (1981 to 1988)

The 1981 Monte Carlo used the A-body platform, and the 1982 to 1988 used the G-body. The wheelbase size of 108 inches was the same as the 'Third Generation (1978 to 1980) with the same 200.4 inches in length (the SS was 202.4 inches), the same width of 71.8 inches, and a similar height of 54 inches.

Aerodynamic improvements bestowed upon the 1981 Monte Carlo included a 'wedge-shaped' design with a slightly higher rear deck and a lowered hood. The slippery design was championed by improving fuel economy, and its new shape was said to have been 10 percent more efficient. The high-pressure (35 PSI) radial tires also boosted gas mileage with improved rolling resistance.

Engine options were carried over with the standard unit being a 229 CID V6, an optional 267 CID V8 (except for the California market), and a 305 CID V8 in the base and Landau models. The Monte Carlo Turbo had a turbocharged 231 CID V6 delivering 170 horsepower. A total of 3,027 Monte Carl Turbos were produced in 1981. The turbocharged engine was discontinued in 1982.

T-tops were discontinued after the 1983 model year, and re-introduced in 1985. This was the same year that no diesel engine was offered in the Monte Carlo, a first since 1981. The standard 3.8-liter Chevy V6 was replaced by a larger 4.3-liter V6 with throttle-body fuel injection and twenty additional horsepower, bringing the total to 130. The Aerocoupe model was new for 1986 and did not return in 1987.

The final year of the fourth generation Monte Carlo was 1988, and these models were actually built in late 1987. The final G-body Monte Carlo was produced on December 12, 1987.

A total of 894,026 examples of the Monte Carlo were built from 1981 to 1988. The first year was the highest year of production, with 187,850 units built, followed by 92,392 units the following year (the second lowest production year; the first being 1988, with 30,174 examples built). A total of 96,319 were built in 1983, then leaping to 136,780 units in 1984 and around 119,000 in 1985 and 1986 (119,057 in 1985 and 119,210 in 1986). Chevy built 112,244 Monte Carlos in 1987.

After several years of retirement, the Monte Carlo nameplate returned in 1995 as a coupe with a transverse front-engine, front-wheel drive layout on the W-body 1.5 Gen platform. The W-body chassis was shared with the Lumina Sedan, Pontiac Grand Prix, Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, Oldsmobile Intrigue, Buick Century, and Buick Regal. This generation of styling would continue through 1999. A sixth generation of the Monte Carlo was built from 2000 to 2007.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2019