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When you mix power, danger and speed with guys that have an unquenchable thirst for winning, something interesting is bound to happen. And after 1979s perfect storm of publicity kicked off the wild ride known as Sprint Cup racing, NASCAR was literally flooded with star gearheads, talented fabricators and octane-fueled business moguls. Of course, most of those shine-running good ol boys had been fighting it out weekend after weekend at small southern venues for years. But the media accessibility of the 80s, and a subsequent rise in popularity, firmly established the sports first household names and commenced its constant journey of technological transformation. Not surprisingly, many nostalgic stock car fans believe 80s racers, like this awesome Chevrolet superspeedway chassis, are the perfect combination of relatable street form and purebred track function. And, after carefully examining its seamless mix of common panels and tweaked mechanical components, we cant help but agree. If youre one of those old school circle track fanatics whos always wanted an authentic race warrior that actually resembles the car its based on, youve come to the right place. Forget some cheap decal package thats been whipped together in some backyard garage, RK Motors Charlotte is proud to provide you the rare opportunity to own a storied Terry Labonte Monte Carlo!
The 80s was a definitive time of transition for Americas favorite racing series. The brash, blue-collar culture that birthed the sport began to experience gentrification through bigger sponsors, better technology and an increasingly diverse fanbase. And it seemed the golden age of farm fresh, Eastwood-like drivers was giving way to a whole flock of new and equally colorful characters for fans to either love or hate. If you graduated from the school of hard knocks, you unabashedly pulled for The Intimidator, Mr. Dale Earnhardt. If you liked a driver who was as opinionated as he was talented, then Darell Jaws Waltrip would do. If you admired charisma and courage, Awesome Bill (Elliot) From Dawsonville was your man. And if you couldnt relate to anything about stereotypical stock car racers, Tim Hollywood Richmond was your next obsession. The point is: 80s Winston Cup competition was a tenure of immense talent and outrageous personalities. And, thanks to the rise of the sports first generation of mega stars, it would eventually grow into a 90s powerhouse that became both a middle-class ritual and a taboo upper-class indulgence.
That kind of cross-sectional growth made corporations eager to cash in on the sports increasing popularity. And the automakers, having already spent close to 20 years winning on Sunday and selling on Monday, initiated efforts to build fierce brand loyalty. Since its 1973 introduction, the Monte Carlo had been a solid success for parent company General Motors. And in fact, three of the four dominant drivers I just mentioned spent almost their entire careers behind the wheel of Chevys honorable knight. But any good racer knows that success ultimately begets more intense competition. And, despite Chevy maintaining their consistent championship streak well into the decade, Bill Elliot eventually led a re-energized Ford Thunderbird program to speeds in excess of 200 MPH. It didnt take long for that hair-raising performance to send GMs star division back to the drawing board. The only problem: GM had invested a lot of money in the production Monte Carlo and, like any major OEM, needed time to amortize costs before significantly altering the car. So, Chevrolet engineers borrowed a page from Chryslers playbook and went to work on a mild aerodynamics package that eventually resulted in the profile you see here. Dubbed the Monte Carlo SS Aerocoupe, and featuring an initial production run of just the 200 units NASCAR required for homologation, this legendary racer features a re-contoured rear window and a shorter rear deck that increase both airflow and downforce. Not only did the Aerocoupe help Chevrolet nab two of the series next three championships, it also kicked off development of the brands sport-dominating Lumina.
Since the boys at Chevrolet knew their Monte Carlo was a force to be reckoned with, they worked hard to partner with the sports top team owners and toughest drivers. Given his legendary performance in his own Holly Farms Impala, First Class Hall of Famer Junior Johnson certainly knew a little something about getting a Chevrolet around a race track. And when it came to defining tough and talented, there really wasnt a better fit than Texas Terry Labonte. As one of the biggest names of NASCARs golden age, Junior Johnson fought his way to widespread success on both dirt and asphalt tracks before winning 139 races and six Sprint Cup championships as the owner of Junior Johnson and Associates. Hailing from the humid winds of Corpus Christi, Texas, Terry Labonte would eventually win two Sprint Cup championships, both behind the wheel of a Chevrolet Monte Carlo, and officially earn the nickname Ironman because of his record-setting 655 consecutive starts. During their time together, this soft-spoken duo dominated Johnsons home track of North Wilkesboro, North Carolina in both 1987 and 1988, won the 1988 NASCAR All Star race here in Charlotte, scored victories at Daytona, Pocono and Talladega in 1989, and earned very respectable 3rd 4th and 10th place finishes in the 87, 88 and 89 Sprint Cup championship standings. Since this super cool Aerocoupe is an actual 1985 Winston Cup chassis that raced multiple seasons, its literally impossible to pinpoint its individual accomplishments. And while the cars current 1988 paint scheme is 100% faithful to the Labonte era, its also highly likely this chassis logged laps for three time Sprint Cup champion Darrell Waltrip and the late, great Neil Bonnet.
One thing is certain: whoever its driver was, you can rest assured that almost every aspect of this Chevrolet is accurate and authentic to how it rolled into the shop at the end of the 1988 season. For instance, the cars body still maintains a correct combination of basecoat paint and era-correct decals. At the front of that narrow and buttoned down body, a prominent mesh grille and small aluminum headlight fillers populate what is commonly referred to as an SS nosepiece. At the top of that nosepiece, a traditional cowl induction system rides in front of a glass windshield, a window net thats clipped via old GM seat belt latches and what appears to be factory B-pillar glass. Below that glass, wind-cheating side panels frame familiar black wheels and old school 28x10-15 Goodyear Eagle Stock Car Specials at the edges of superspeedway car-specific exhaust pipes. And behind those meats, a shortened aerodeck hangs a moderately sized trunk spoiler between an extended plexi hatch and a sculpted rear valence. Take a look inside Juniors traditional red interior and youll immediately notice a raised, and subsequently more aerodynamic, floorpan that is specific to superspeedway cars. Theres an authentic seat thats bolted between a simplistic Shroeder steering wheel, a familiar Hurst shifter and old school Simpson Race belts. In front of that seat, a primitive dash hangs a tilted Jones tachometer and Stewart Warner accessory gauges beside a Banjos Peformancenter switch panel. And below that dash, a vintage RJS fire suppression system rides just south of a proven MSD ignition box ...For more information please call the seller. 
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STOCK/INV. NUMBER:
132992
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