Final Assembly of the Goodguys 2025 Giveaway ’87 Monte Carlo SS Aerocoupe at Goolsby Customs
It’s Assembly and Interior Time for the Goodguys 2025 Grand Prize Giveaway ’87 Monte Carlo SS Aerocoupe
The final stretch of any vintage car build is always hectic – especially when there’s a deadline. For the Goodguys 2025 Grand Prize Giveaway ’87 Monte Carlo SS Aerocoupe, the deadline for unveiling was the 26th Summit Racing Nationals presented by PPG in Columbus, Ohio, in mid-July this year. And while the weeks leading up to its debut were certainly frantic, the Goolsby Customs crew is well versed in getting things done on a tight schedule and delivering on time. As this month’s cover should attest, they got ’er done!
When we left off in our last installment, the streamlined Monte had received a fresh finish of BASF Summit White paint and a glossy clear coat that was beginning to be color sanded and polished. The Roadster Shop chassis – already outfitted with a Chevrolet Performance E-Rod LT4 engine and 10-speed automatic transmission from Gandrud Chevrolet – was treated to a fresh set of Baer disc brakes just before being reunited with the body. The team also bolted up the new Forgeline AL307 wheels – 18×9-inch in front and 19×11.5-inch in the rear – and Michelin Pilot 255/35/18 and 325/30/19 tires.
While finishing the paint and connecting the body to the chassis put the crew on the downhill slope, there were still plenty of things on the checklist to cross off. Thankfully, Jeremy at Goolsby Customs already had a head start on the interior. He had begun re-upholstering the front and rear seats in tasty brown Moore and Giles leather and built door panels using custom upper sections and pre-molded lower pieces with integral speaker pods from Dixie Restoration Depot. A combination of leather, BASF paint, and custom aluminum trim from Lokar’s Clayton Machine Works helped complete both the door panels and matching rear side panels.
Once the body was on the frame, the cabin work began in earnest by lining the floor and firewall with DEI Boom Mat sound deadening material and starting the electrical work by mounting the Painless Performance fuse panel and routing the wires. The Vintage Air system was also installed, and the team began reassembling the dash using new instruments from Dakota Digital, new trim pieces from Dixie Restoration Depot, along with a Hertz stereo head unit feeding an Audison amp and speakers. A Flaming River tilt steering column was also installed, topped with the factory steering wheel.
Many other new parts were used during the reassembly process. This included a new windshield and new door glass from Auto City Classic, and new LED headlights from Dapper Lighting. A host of new trim pieces – both inside and out – came from Dixie Restoration Depot, while fresh weatherstripping and seals came from Steele Rubber Products.
Needless to say, it was a flurry of activity in the final weeks, but it all came together beautifully. Not only that, but the car also proved its roadworthiness on the way to its debut, as mechanical issues with another vehicle meant the Monte had to be unloaded from its trailer and driven 500-plus miles to Columbus. It didn’t miss a beat the entire drive, reinforcing the fact that some lucky winner will be able to hit the road whenever and wherever they want next summer.
We’ll have a full feature – the full Monte! – in a couple weeks. For now, you can go back and check out the previous build stories to see the workd and details the Goolsby team put into this amazing Giveaway Car!
Goodguys 2025 Grand Prize Giveaway 1987 Monte Carlo SS Aerocoupe Build Stories: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5
Photos by Goolsby Customs
