Strip, Prime and Power – Part 3 of the Goodguys 2025 Giveaway ’87 Monte Carlo SS Aerocoupe
Take it off! Take it all off! Any custom painter will tell you they prefer to start each job from bare steel. That way they know there are no secrets hidden underneath previous paint, or problems that might come back later to spoil their work. That’s one reason why most top shops begin a project by having it media blasted, just as Goolsby Customs did to the Goodguys 2025 Giveaway Monte Carlo SS Aerocoupe.
In the last installment of the Goodguys Grand Prize Giveaway build, the Aerocoupe had rolled into Goolsby Customs and completely disassembled. That process continued until the body was just a shell sitting on the chassis, and the shop took it a step further by mechanically stripping most of the paint off the exterior. Jonathan Goolsby and his team like to strip large exterior body panels this way, as it allows the media blaster to use less time and pressure on the larger surfaces, avoiding excess heat and potential warping. The body then went to Coyote Coatings for media blasting, where paint was stripped from the underside and floors, and all metal surfaces received a quick dusting.
From Coyote Coatings, the bare body shell came back to Goolsby’s shop, where it was wheeled into the paint booth for an application of Polyuroxy, BASF’s epoxy primer that has urethane capabilities. This primer will seal the bare metal from corrosion and provide a durable foundation for future bodywork. Goolsby used two colors of primer – black for the tops and bottoms of the floors, and gray for the body panels. The black color makes a better base for the bedliner that will cover the bottom of the floor, and for the sound deadening material that will go on top. The gray works well on exterior surfaces because it allows you to see more imperfections that need attention, like pinholes, dents, or cracks.
While all this stripping and priming was happening to the Aerocoupe body, other team members were continuing to work on the new Roadster Shop SPEC chassis. As we mentioned in the last installment, the chassis was already powder coated gold when it arrived at Goolsby Customs, so it didn’t take much to get it up and rolling on Guniwheels.
Two key updates at the rear were getting the Rock Valley fuel tank powder coated black at Coyote Coatings, and installing the third member in the 9-inch rearend. The third member came from Gear F/X and is one of the company’s new FN988 setups, which uses a Ford 8.8-inch rear end assembly in a 9-inch-style drop-out center section. The benefit you get with this setup is quieter, more efficient gears with a higher pinion offset, coupled with the convenience of a drop-out center and the strength of the proven 9-inch axles and housing. The FN988 also benefits from a high-strength nodular cast iron case with forged alloy steel carrier bearing caps, safety wired ARP hardware, 1350 forged steel pinion yoke, and a 31-spline Eaton Truetrac differential.
Even more excitement came when the team began preparing the new supercharged Chevrolet Performance E-Rod LT4 crate engine and 10L90 transmission for trial fit in the chassis. The engine-and-transmission package came from Gandrud Chevrolet and will be 50-state emissions compliant for our Monte Carlo. To fit the chassis, however, the Goolsby crew first had to install a new lower-profile Holley oil pan and pickup. The low-profile aluminum pan will greatly improve ground clearance.
Once the engine and transmission were mated together and installed, the team also installed the new front drive accessory kit from Wegner Automotive. This will drive all the necessary accessories – alternator, power steering pump, A/C compressor – in a clean package that fits both low and tight against the engine. The brackets and pulleys came black anodized, which will help with the OE appearance once the engine is painted and detailed.
With progress happening on both the Aerocoupe body and the chassis, it really feels like the Goolsby team is building momentum on this Monte Carlo. They’ve got a few minor metal mods planned for the body, and lots of great components piling up to complete the powertrain, chassis, and interior. Stay tuned – the good stuff is just getting started on this awesome Aerocoupe!
Check out more details below or take a look at the first two build stories: Part 1 and Part 2.
Photos by Goolsby Customs
