Chevrolet Camaro 1982 - 1992 - Buyer's Guide - 58

Book By Its Cover
When I started researching the third generation Chevrolet for this Affordable Muscle story, it was one of my least favourite muscle cars. It seemed tasteless, gaudy and unbearably soft. Yet, after delving far deeper into the F-body machine via piles of literature, videos and images, I have a whole new appreciation for this icon of the 1980s.
If there is one car that is soon to become a true-blue classic, it’s this one — whether people realise it or not.
Out With The Old
First introduced in 1970, the second generation Camaro was a popular car and sold well over the next decade, but by the early 1980s it was well and truly showing its age. A new Camaro was needed, a machine that would bring the ‘ultimate muscle car’ into the modern world.
When launched, the car had its good and bad points. On the downside, due to the 1979 fuel crisis the third generation Camaro holds the dubious honour of being the only Camaro ever to have been offered with a four-cylinder motor. The 2.5-litre ‘Iron Duke’ made a whopping 67kW, and predictably it was none too popular on the sales floor.
But there were many pluses, too: factory fuel injection, five-speed manuals, four-speed autos and, most importantly, the third gen Camaro was an astounding 227kg lighter than its predecessor.
First released in 1982, the new Camaro was offered in three trims: Sport Coupe, Berlinetta and the range-topping Z-28. All three proved an instant hit. Car & Driver magazine crowned the injected V8-powered Z-28 its car of the year for ’82, and that same year saw the machine chosen as the official Indy 500 pace car, of which more than 7000 replicas were sold.
Evolution
Over the next decade the Camaro evolved in an effort to keep up with the competition in terms of styling, handling and performance. In 1982 the most powerful option available was the Cross-fire V8-powered Z28 at 123kW (165hp), but by the third generation’s final days in 1992 that figure had nearly doubled, reaching 201kW (270hp) thanks to the 5.7-litre (350ci) L98 motor. Both five-speed manual and four-speed auto transmissions were introduced in 1983, while interior and exterior aesthetics continued to improve as the 1980s gave way to the ’90s.
IROCkin’
Way back in 1974 a new race series was born. It was dubbed the International Race of Champions, or IROC for short. Initially, the single-make series used Porsche 911s, but after a few years its organisers realised the cost of purchasing and maintaining the German sports cars was simply too prohibitive. Which is where Chevrolet came in. The Camaro (then still the second generation) was chosen to replace the 911 and, soon after, the series took off in popularity. By 1982 and the introduction of the third gen Camaro, the series was running strong, and the organisers decided to hold on to the Chevy stalwart and make the move to the newer cars.
It is no surprise, then, that in 1985 GM decided to capitalise on this brand loyalty by offering something special to buyers, and thus the legendary Camaro IROC-Z was born.
The IROC-Z sat above the Z-28 as the top-end model for 1985 until 1988, when it replaced the Z-28 altogether. It featured vastly improved handling, tuned port injection taken from the Corvette, unique decals and big (for the era) 16×8-inch alloys. Over the five years of production 166,000 IROC-Zs were produced, but due to their aggressive and desirable nature — thanks to accidents and thefts, in other words — few genuine examples are left today, making them very desirable.
Buying Guide
So you’ve found yourself a nice Z-28 or IROC-Z… But, with decals and dress-up parts so easily available, how do you know you are about to buy the real thing? This is a common problem, and thankfully someone has gone and made it easy for the rest of us and built an online Camaro VIN number decoder. This can be found at www.camarosource.ca, and may just save your bacon. Simply enter in the VIN number of your prospective new car and it will break it all down for you, instantly letting you know whether you are looking at the real deal or a tarted-up base model.
Once the authenticity has been confirmed, make sure all the usual checks are carried out, but pay special attention to the floor and under the doors, as these are the most common rust areas. Finally, if the car is sporting a five-speed manual, make sure you put it through its paces — the T5 box used is not renowned for its strength.

Chevrolet Camaro 3rd Gen: Built 1982-1992

Engine options: 2.5-litre (151ci) four-cylinder; 2.8-litre (173ci) LC1 V6, 2.8-litre LB8 V6; 3.1-litre (191ci) LHO V6, 1982-1983: 5.0-litre (305ci) LU5 V8; 5.0-litre (305 ci) LG4 V8, 5.0-litre L69 V8, 5.0-litre LO3 V8, 5.0-litre LB9 V8; 5.7-litre (350ci) L98 V8
Bodies: Coupe, soft top, targa top
Prices: Prices vary depending on the age, condition and specifications of the car