Yeah, we know most muscle car fans revere the cars of the 1960s and 1970s, and with good reason. But there are thousands of GenX hot rodders who came of age in the 1980s and 1990s who have equally fond memories of cars and trucks from the Bon Jovi era. Whether it’s IROC Camaros, C4 Corvettes, or Monte Carlo Super Sports like this white-hot example, there are many ’80s automotive platforms that marked a return to factory-built performance—or at least performance potential. Right now, we’re seeing more and more examples of ’80s and ’90s rides being built into legit performance machines.
The folks at Goodguys Rod & Custom Association have been celebrating this movement for several years now. The association’s national events now welcome vehicles through 1999, which means we’re seeing an increasing number of ’80s and ’90s F-bodies, GM trucks, and G-body vehicles cruising around and racing on the AutoCross track.
Goodguys didn’t just accept these later-model rides, they embraced them. To date, they’ve commissioned three ’80s-era rides to use as their annual Grand Prize Giveaway vehicles—a 1986 Chevy C10 built by Goolsby Customs, a 1988 Chevy pickup built by Roadster Shop, and the latest to be given away this July at the Summit Racing Nationals in Columbus, this awesome 1987 Monte Carlo SS Aerocoupe built by Goolsby Customs.
The G-body platform was Chevrolet’s last full-frame midsize car—a descendent of the ’60s-era GTOs and Chevelles that helped launch the muscle car movement. That made it a natural choice for a Goodguys giveaway car makeover. The association found a clean Aerocoupe in Texas and reached out to artist Eric Brockmeyer to develop a rendering that would provide the recipe for a clean G-body g-machine—a modern Pro Touring version of this streamlined ’80s classic.
When Jonathan Goolsby of Goolsby Customs caught wind of the project, he lobbied hard for his shop to build it. “I grew up with those cars in the high school parking lots and racing them on the local short tracks,” Goolsby says, noting that this was a “bucket list” build for him. “It gets it out of my system,” he continues. “It gives me the opportunity to build it, enjoy it, and then pass it along for someone else to enjoy.”
Goodguys giveaway vehicles are always ground-up builds, and this one was no different. It began with a fresh frame, an all-new SPEC chassis from Roadster Shop. Built with CNC laser-cut and contoured framerails and crossmembers, the SPEC chassis features a performance-based coilover front suspension, power rack-and-pinion steering, a four-link rear suspension, and a 9-inch rearend with a Gear F/X FN988 centersection. The frame was delivered to Goolsby with a gold powdercoat finish to coordinate with the planned accent striping for the body.
The chassis was outfitted with a host of top-quality aftermarket parts, like a Rock Valley fuel tank and Baer 14-inch brake rotors with six-piston 30th Anniversary Series calipers, complete with custom white coating and Goolsby Customs engraving. It eventually got rolling on Forgeline 18×9 and 19×11.5 AL307 wheels with gold centers. They’re wrapped in Michelin Pilot 255/35R18 and 325/30R19 tires.
While the HO 305ci V-8 was a decent performer in its day, it doesn’t measure up to modern performance expectations. That small-block was set aside for a much more potent Chevrolet Performance E-Rod LT4 crate engine from Gandrud Chevrolet. The supercharged 6.2L LT4 is an all-aluminum powerhouse with a forged rotating assembly, roller camshaft, direct injection, and an Eaton supercharger that helps it develop 650 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque. Better still, the E-Rod version of this engine is California emissions legal in 1995 and older vehicles, so the lucky winner of this car will have no problem registering and licensing it.
A PWR aluminum radiator with integral dual fans was installed to cool the new powerplant. Behind the engine is a new 10L90 10-speed automatic transmission, also from Gandrud Chevrolet, which sends power to the rearend via a custom driveshaft from Performance Driveline Engineering.
If you’ve seen any builds from Goolsby Customs, you’re aware that custom metalwork and fabrication are the shop’s key specialties. While the Monte Carlo didn’t require extensive metalwork, there are plenty of subtle modifications, like widened inner wheel housings to accommodate the rear tires and wheels, plus custom-fabricated aluminum inner front fenders that deliver better steering clearance and a cleaner underhood appearance. The Goolsby team did need to fine-tune a previous quarter-panel repair and performed its usual stellar job of dialing in the panel alignment and gaps. The body was then rolled into the paint booth so Jonathan Goolsby could lay down a fresh finish.
“We did four or five color and wheel combos,” rendering artist Eric Brockmeyer says, “but the consensus was that the white really showed the crisp lines of the Monte Carlo, and the gold accents add to the ’80s flavor.” The ideal hue turned out to be GM Summit White, which was applied using BASF materials. It was accented with gold striping, with GG lettering in place of the SS.
Goolsby Customs recently added in-house upholstery services to its long list of capabilities, which made it easier to make progress on the Monte Carlo’s cabin while other work was being done. The original front bucket seats and modified rear bench were upholstered in brown Moore & Giles leather. New door panels were built and upholstered to match, using custom upper sections combined with pre-molded lower pieces with integral speaker pods from Dixie Restoration Depot. The dash and other plastic elements were color-matched using BASF interior paint, while Dakota Digital instruments and new trim pieces from Dixie Restoration Depot aided the facelift.
Finishing elements inside came in the form of a Flaming River tilt column topped by an original wheel and a Hertz stereo head unit feeding an Audison amp and speakers. Wiring from Painless Performance was used to get everything connected, and a Vintage Air HVAC system will help keep temperatures comfortable. Goolsby Edge Edition pedals from Lokar control the acceleration and braking.
Goodguys has always prided itself on ensuring its giveaway vehicles are road proven and perform as good as they look. This Monte Carlo is no exception. In fact, it got an impromptu break-in road trip on the way to its unveiling at the 2024 Summit Racing Nationals in Columbus last summer, when it had to be unloaded from the Goolsby Customs trailer and driven more than 500 miles to get it to its debut. It made the journey without a hitch. Since then, it’s been driven more than 1,500 miles on the 2024 Goodguys Hall of Fame Road Tour and has seen more than 1,500 additional road miles traveling to various Goodguys events.
In other words, this magnificent Monte Carlo is the sort of reliable, first-rate build enthusiasts have come to expect from Goodguys giveaway vehicles. Couple that with its crisp and clean ’80s styling, plus stellar performance from a modern Chevrolet Performance drivetrain and Roadster Shop chassis, and you’ve got an awesome Aerocoupe that is certain to make one lucky winner happy this summer. Just remember to bring your favorite ’80s hair metal Spotify playlist with you!
Check out this story in our digital edition here.
TECH CHECK
Owner: Goodguys Rod & Custom Association
Vehicle: 1987 Monte Carlo SS Aerocoupe
Engine
Type: Chevrolet Performance E-Rod LT4 from Gandrud Chevrolet
Displacement: 376 ci
Compression Ratio: 10:1
Bore: 4.065
Stroke: 3.622
Builder: Chevrolet Performance
Rotating Assembly: Forged
Camshaft: Hydraulic roller
Cylinder Heads: Aluminum
Induction: Eaton supercharger
Fuel Injection: Chevrolet direct injection
Exhaust: Ultimate Headers, MagnaFlow exhaust and mufflers
Accessory Drive: Wegner Automotive
Ancillaries: Holley oil pan, PWR radiator
Output: 650 hp, 650 lb-ft.
Drivetrain
Transmission: GM 10L90 from Gandrud Chevrolet
Rear Axle: 9-inch with Gear F/X FN988 centersection
Chassis
Frame: Roadster Shop SPEC
Front Suspension: Roadster Shop IFS, coilover shocks
Rear Suspension: Roadster Shop four-link, coilovers shocks
Brakes: Baer 14-inch discs, six-piston calipers
Wheels & Tires
Wheels: Forgeline 18×9 and 19×11.5 AL307
Tires: Michelin Pilot 255/35R18 and 325/30R19
Interior
Upholstery: Custom by Goolsby Customs using Moore & Giles leather
Installation: Goolsby Custom
Insulation: DEI Boom Mat
Seats: Original front buckets and modified rear
Steering: Flaming River tilt column with original wheel
Shifter: GM
Dash: Original with new parts from Dixie Restoration Depot
Instrumentation: Dakota Digital
Wiring: Painless Performance
HVAC: Vintage Air
Entertainment System: Hertz head unit with Audison amp and speakers
Pedals: Goolsby Edge Edition by Lokar
Exterior
Bodywork & Paint: Goolsby Customs
Paint: BASF GM Summit White
Grille: Stock with custom emblem by Intek Otto
Headlights: LED by Dapper Lighting
Taillights: Dixie Restoration Depot
Side Mirrors: Intek Otto
