RAREST G BODY MONTE CARLO SS
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It was during the summer of 1987 when I seen that odd ball SS color. 58U and 62I was added mid production according engineering book. Back then you wouldn't see many of the silver metallic but plenty of black, white and maroon. I agree if it wasn't advertised who would know about the color other than the dealer and me seeing it on the lot that day. This reminds me of discussions I would have with GN owners in the last 30 years about how you could order a 1987 Buick GN with 3.73 gears, less than a 100 made I was told and this happened in the beginning 87 production with no info to the public but the dealers knew about it. We had two GN's that had those gears at the dealer I worked at didn't have a camera but it was on the window sticker and spid sticker. Then at the end of 87 GN's production they all came with G80's and that wasn't even advertised.
Yet according to the 87 dealer brochure, 58 appeared available right away at the beginning of the model run in August of 86. So one place has it as a mid-year option, another place indicates it's available immediately. Dang GM. They know how to nail things down, don't they?
An amazing stat that I saw in the 1988 information is that the typical Monte Carlo buyers was made up of 20% college grads. The LOWEST percentage in the Chevrolet passenger car lineup according to Chevrolet Marketing. Meaning it would be below the Camaro buyer college grad demo. Hmmm. So, whenever you make fun of those Camaro guys for them being a mullet-wearing dumbazz...might want to check that.
An amazing stat that I saw in the 1988 information is that the typical Monte Carlo buyers was made up of 20% college grads. The LOWEST percentage in the Chevrolet passenger car lineup according to Chevrolet Marketing. Meaning it would be below the Camaro buyer college grad demo. Hmmm. So, whenever you make fun of those Camaro guys for them being a mullet-wearing dumbazz...might want to check that.
Agreed. Around here trailer parks are full of monte SS.... holdover from the Earnhardt days I suppose. Car of choice for that crowd.
No 3rd gens though. I guess price spike had to do with that? Dunno.
Actually, it kinda makes sense in a way that Monte buyers weren't necessarily college grads. Earnhardt and those guys in that era had monster followings in the NASCAR circuits, where Chevrolet Montes dominated most of GM's line up. College courses weren't typically important with NASCAR race goers. Buick, Pontiac, and Olds, although there, didn't play as much in that circle. There was also some G-bodies in the NHRA rounds back then as well, with Warren Johnson's Olds being a track terror. It may be of some significance of the last hurrahs of "win on Sunday, sell on Monday" thing. I know a few guys with monte carlos, even the newer ones, who were swayed by #3 enough for them to go buy a Monte. So it at least used to be a factor, regardless of education level.
I know where there are (used to be anyway) 4 G-body Monte Carlos are sitting outside trailers and houses, one's an SS and looks like it's been there a while. But they're not in trailer parks. But I don't think it has much to do with #3 anymore. It's likely more that it was their dad's car or grandma's car or something (who may have been influenced by #3) and they can't afford much in vehicle costs. I also know of three 3rd gen Camaros sitting outside trailers. I haven't been to any trailer parks lately, though.
I know where there are (used to be anyway) 4 G-body Monte Carlos are sitting outside trailers and houses, one's an SS and looks like it's been there a while. But they're not in trailer parks. But I don't think it has much to do with #3 anymore. It's likely more that it was their dad's car or grandma's car or something (who may have been influenced by #3) and they can't afford much in vehicle costs. I also know of three 3rd gen Camaros sitting outside trailers. I haven't been to any trailer parks lately, though.
And THIS is the PITA part about trying to restore the cars, or when selling it the owner makes claims to this, and yet, due to lack of anecdotal or corroborating manufacturer evidence of any kind, it's so hard to determine if restoring a car like that with 3.73 gears is proper or if someone monkeyed with the SPID sticker or whatever. With the brown bomber Monte SS's at least there's SOMETHING out there that proves someone approved it, and with very few eyewitnesses that such beasts even exist, it's more plausible than an L69 with an 8.5" Cutlass. 🙂
My self and the other mechanics that I worked with were shocked when owner of the dealership told us that those two GN's have 3.73 gears in them. That's when we walk over and looked at the window sticker and another mechanic was looking at the spid sticker and it was a true 3.73 cars. I think there's a member on TurboBuick forum that has one with those cars and documented.
I agree with you when it comes down to documentation is key like the books I have but your next best documentation are the individuals like myself and others that worked on these cars back then when they were new. It would be nice to have a few GM factory workers on the forum talking about how the cars where made.
That 1987 L69 with a 8.5 rear in a Cutlass, yup its documented what it was used for no clue.
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