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I just did this about a month ago and have been meaning to make a LONG post detailing my notes; this will have to suffice for now. On your '87, I believe you have flexible hoses to the evaporator, and I am sure you will be able to follow Art's pictorial instructions successfully.
On my '93, with the hard lines, I was very concerned about cracking a line. I fought with my AC for months last year due to just a teeny tiny stress fracture in the aluminum fitting on the low-pressure hose; I did NOT want to go through any of that again. Even after loosening all the lines under hood, I was not comfortable with the amount of play I had, so I opted to go the "chainsaw" route of heater core replacement. Here is a post on Turbobricks which inspired me: http://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=128416
User "Cavin" has several photos. I did the exact same thing with my own heater core, but instead of gluing the pieces back on, I used a plastic welder with great success.
Unless my AC is already discharged or non-functional, I will never try to remove a heater box again in order to get to the heater core. I was able to weld the pieces back together, with the few small places I could not reach filled with silicone. In your case, you might try to remove the whole heater box, but I think by chopping the top of the heater box off, I could have done the job in one day. It certainly requires much less disassembly.
I also strongly recommend going to Home Depot and picking up a roll of Armaflex insulation tape. It is a closed-cell insulation which is almost identical to the stuff that Volvo originally used, both in the heater box, and to tape up electrical connectors to quiet rattles. You might have to double it up to get a tight fit for the new heater core, because it is a bit thinner. I believe the air flow in my heater box is now better than ever because I was liberal in the use of foam to seal up the cracks.
As for heater core brands, I got a Vista-pro heater core at Advance Auto for less than $50, whereas FCP groton wants over $100 for a Visteon - Google searches seem to indicate that they are the same company now. I pressurized the new heater core to 15psi and dunked it in a bucket of water - no bubbles. I am confident it is as well made as any aftermarket option.
Good luck! It is a miserable job in the heat and sun. Not even cool concrete against your back, or the shade of the hood to keep you cool.
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