How to tell them apart

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    Ok, I'll assume you are already able to tell the 5 generations of Monte Carlos apart. We'll concentrate on the differences between each model year of each generation.

  • 1st generation: 1970-1972
  • 2nd generation: 1973-1977
  • 3rd generation: 1978-1980
  • 4th generation: 1981-1988
  • 5th generation: 1995-present

    1970

  • single round headlamps
  • round parking lamps
  • no hood ornament - just a "hood spear"
  • Packages: 2-Dr Sprt Coupe, 2-Dr Sprt Coupe SS
  • Engines: 350, 400, 402, 454
  • Transmissions: 3-spd man, 4-spd man, Powerglide, TH-400, TH-350

    1971

  • rectangular parking lamps
  • hood ornament
  • grill had finer mesh than 1970
  • single round headlamps
  • Packages: 2-Dr Sprt Coupe, 2-Dr Sprt Coupe SS (last SS until 1983)
  • Engines: 350, 402, 454
  • Transmissions: 3-spd man, 4-spd man, Powerglide, TH-400, TH-350

    1972

  • no hood ornament
  • parking lamps moved from bumper to grill (vertical)
  • Packages: 2-Dr Sprt Coupe
  • Engines: 350, 402, 454
  • Transmissions: 3-spd man, Powerglide, TH-400, TH-350

    1973

  • single headlamps
  • Packages: Landau, Coupe, S Coupe

    1974

  • standard shoulder seat-belts added
  • Packages: Landau, S Coupe

    1975

  • split bench seat option added
  • Packages: Landau, S Coupe

    1976

  • dual stacked rectangular headlamps
  • Packages: Landau, S Coupe
  • Engines: 305, 350, 350, 400
  • Transmissions: TH-350

    1977

  • Monte Carlo medallion moved from grill to hood
  • added horizontal ribbing to taillamps
  • Packages: Landau, S Coupe
  • Engines: 305, 350
  • Transmissions: TH-350

    1978

  • single headlamps (rectangular)
  • bumper integrated into body
  • Packages: Sport Coupe, Coupe
  • Engines: 200, 231, 305
  • Transmissions: 3-spd man, 4-spd man, TH-350 or TH-200

    1979

  • hard to tell from 1978
  • tailights: 79 wraps around the corner while 78 is separated at the corner
  • Packages: Landau, Sport Coupe
  • Engines: 200, 231, 231, 267, 305
  • Transmissions: 3-spd man, TH-350 or TH-200

    1980

  • dual side-by-side headlamps
  • turbo engine option had hood-bulge
  • Packages: Landau, Sport Coupe
  • Engines: 229, 231 turbo, 231, 267, 305
  • Transmissions: TH-200C, TH-250C, TH-350, TH-350C

    1981

  • dual side-by-side headlamps
  • Computer Command Control added
  • Packages: Landau, Sport Coupe
  • Engines: 229, 231 turbo, 231, 267, 305
  • Transmissions: TH-200C, TH-250C, TH-350C

    1982

  • hard to tell from 1981
  • Packages: Sport Coupe
  • Engines: 229, 231, 262 diesel, 267, 305, 350 diesel
  • Transmissions: TH-200C, TH-250C, TH-350C

    1983

  • no bucket seats
  • bench seat was blue w/ white only (SS)
  • Packages: Sport Coupe, Sport Coupe SS (back again!)
  • Engines: 229, 231, 262 diesel, 305, 305HO, 350 diesel
  • Transmissions: TH-200C, TH-250C, TH-350C

    1984

  • buckets seats were blue only
  • bench seat was blue w/ white only (SS)
  • SS's now had a "sport" steering wheel, while 1983 SS's had standard steering wheel
  • Packages: Sport Coupe, Sport Coupe SS
  • Engines: 229, 231, 305, 305HO, 350 diesel
  • Transmissions: TH-200C, TH-250C, TH-350C, TH-200-4R (only 3 made)

    1985

  • new pinstripe design package
  • Packages: Sport Coupe, Sport Coupe SS
  • Engines: 231, 262, 305, 305HO
  • Transmissions: TH-200-4R, TH-200C

    1986

  • 3rd brake light added
  • oval type side mirrors changed to "aero" type mirrors
  • aluminum wheels added to SS (15")
  • LS now sported single composite headlamps
  • Packages: Sport Coupe, Sport Coupe SS, Sport Coupe LS, Aero Coupe SS
  • Engines: 231, 262, 305, 305HO
  • Transmissions: TH-200-4R, TH-200C

    1987

  • new pinstripe design package
  • mid year change, "lay-down" spolier added sometime in June we speculate
  • Packages: Sport Coupe SS, Sport Coupe LS, Aero Coupe SS
  • Engines: 231, 262, 305, 305HO
  • Transmissions: TH-200-4R, TH-200C

    1988

  • all 1988 Monte Carlos were actually assembled in 1987
  • 1988 was the last year for Monte Carlos for 6 years and so far still the last year for the Monte Carlo SS
  • the last Monte Carlo was built on Friday December 11th 1987 at 5:29PM
  • Packages: Sport Coupe SS, Sport Coupe LS
  • Engines: 262, 305, 305HO
  • Transmissions: TH-200-4R

    1995-present

  • someone else is going to have to handle this section

    COLOR OPTIONS (1983-1988)

    1983

    no non-SS info for this year...

  • exterior: white (SS), metallic blue (SS)
  • interior: white/blue (SS only)

    1984

  • exterior: white (SS), metallic blue (SS), black, silver, light fern, dark fern, beige, light brown, dark metallic brown, light maroon, dark metallic maroon, bright silver/white, dark blue/light blue, dark fern/light fern, dark brown/light brown, dark marooon/light maroon
  • interior: dark blue (SS), dark brown, fern, maroon, sand grey, dark blue/white (SS only)

    1985

    same as 1984 except...

  • exterior: no silver/white, add silver/dark maroon, add silver/grey
  • interior: no dark blue/white (SS only), no dark brown, add saddle

    1986

    same as 1985 except...

  • exterior: no dark metallic brown, no silver/dark maroon, add medium metallic brown
  • interior: no changes

    1987

    same as 1986 except...

  • exterior: add light metallic brown (SS - rare!)
  • interior: no changes

    1988

    same as 1987 except...

  • exterior: add medium metallic grey, add dark metallic blue, no light metallic brown (SS), add black/grey, add grey/silver, add dark maroon/metallic maroon
  • interior: no changes

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