copsrat

Hello all,

I recently purchased an 89' IROC from a local seller for $1,500. Fresh engine work with receipts, paint is a little cheesy (was factory light blue), with VERY few options. Would like to know for certain that it is an IROC and, in doing so, have looked up all relevant RPO codes. This vehicle is a Z-28 coded, LB9 305, 5 speed manual trans car with the 115 MPH speedo and 5,500 RPM TACH. It was ordered with the blue IROC color pachage. What I would like to verify as accurate is the fact that this car has fewer options than a mid-70's Russian made taxi cab. It has no air, no power windows or locks, no A/C, and no visible dash emblem(s) depicting IROC. I hve read about the DX emblem delet option, which (I think) is an RPO code for this car. All body panels still have the VIN sticker, and all match the RPO build sheet VIN and the dash VIN. With no A/C the engine compartment is much cleaner (and I assume the car is a little lighter), having only one cooling fan vice two. The meat of the question is, have any of you seen a car in such a configuration? Thanks! Be sure to visit the link to view the car!

View 1989 IROC

M Randolph
63&64 Nova SS
67 Chevelle SS
89 IROC-Z

billsfirebird

iTrader: (1)

looks like the rims are 15" too? Is that assumption correct? Boy that is a bare bones Camaro. Im not a camaro expert but it appears to be legit, from all the info provided.

Hmmm.. My guess is that the original owner opted to remove conveniences to save money on the total purchase price......


This is better left up to someone more knowledgable than me.

Interesting find by the way.

bill

labrat

The RPO code Z-28 is the code for Iroc-z in 1989. You do have an Iroc-z.

Looks like somebody must have changed your dash emblem.

Irocs could have very few options.

The first Iroc I ever looked at was like yours except it didn't even have a tpi. It was the basest Iroc I have ever seen, I don't think it had one single option. Not even sure about the radio since it had an after market stereo.

JamesC

iTrader: (5)

I just checked the Camaro White Book. Note the following RPO's for 1989:

FZAB (IROC-Z base group)
FZA1 (IROC-Z coupe group 1)
FZA2 (IROC-Z coupe group 2)
FZA3 (IROC-Z coupe groud 3)

FZAB had RPO UM7 radio. FZA1 had A01, B84, TR9, UA1, and UM7. FZA2 same as FZA1 plus AU3, A90, B34, B35, CD4, C60, K34, N33, UM6, less UM7. FZA3 same as FZA2 plus AG9, A31, DG7, DC4, D42, TT4, UX1, less UM6.

JamesC

copsrat

Hello James, Labrat & Bill,

Thanks for the reply(ies). I've looked at the dash and don't see any sign(s) of any emblem(s). I'm not certain, but I think this car was ordered sans the interior emblems and stickers (as found near the rear of each door). If I remember correctly, it was DX?? something (for ensignia delete).

In any case, I would find it suspect if GM allowed a customer to order the flagship model of the Camaro series without at least an interior IROC emblem (in spite of having no other options).

One benefit of a non A/C, manual trans car, is that it is bone simple for late 80's design. The radiator is unobstructed and the view on the pax side is open without the A/C compressor.

Still, kinda wierd to have a muscle car (in its time) without any signs as to what it is or was.

Thanks again for the input!

labrat

It still should have a red Z-28 emblem with Iroc-z beneath it on the passinger side dashboard, where your car says CAMARO now. I doubt (but don't know for certain) that that was part of the stripe delete option.

cubfanbudman

My 88 Iroc has the DX3 stripe delete option. It is also pretty bare bones, no power anything or cruise, but it does have air. I thought the stripe delete just removed the striping and the Iroc-Z door decals.

Abubaca

iTrader: (3)

I agree, stripes and decals only....emblem should be there.

No air vents at all!!! ...Never seen that!

...and it looks like they forgot the plastics on the "A" pillars too.

I bet the dash is out of an earlier car. I think the ERS was only on earlier cars as well. Could be wrong though.

iroc22

That sounds like my old 89 IROC-Z vert minus the removable top and I had the IROC-Z decals (DX3 was an option). The one thing I hated the most was the 15" wheels. I changed them. But yeah that car was bare bones. Does your IROC have rear 6x9 speakers or just two front ones?

My current DX3 optioned IROC-Z is much the same except it has G92 and power windows. I love having no options; especially A/C. I dont need all that stuff to weigh me down when Im racing down the track.

copsrat

Hello again all,

Thanks for the replies. Do have the rear speaker, and they appear stock. Delete option on the vent(s) is factory, and the VIN sticker is on the back side of the pass side lower dash. The missing IROC logo is a funky thing. FYI the RPO's for this one... AR9, A01, B84, C41, D34, D35, D7L, D80, D88, E5Z, E7Z, E9Z, FE2, GU4, G80, IPB, J50, K68, L89 (LB9?), MM5*, M39, NA5, NP5, N65, PF2, QYZ, TR9, T96, UA1, UB3, UM6, UQ1, U25, U26, U29 (?), VAN, VK3, V73, WY8, W62, Z28, 1AY, 1SB, 1SZ, 16P, 2YQ, 6ZW, 7ZW, 8NL, 82B, 821, 829, 989, 86A, 9NL. Some may be incorrect (dying streamlight and no glasses), but it would appear no DX? delete option. Interesting...

Thanks again to you all!

copsrat

One more thing,

I think the code that reads E7Z is most likely E72, which isan increase in body length 18". Why would that be? Is there a station wagon IROC?

Just kidding on the wagon thing, I'm not quite that dense. Would be interested to know what the 18" extension would represent.

labrat

Looks like your car should have stripe and Iroc decals on it. Looks like the car been messed with by the previous owners a bit.

It does have a decent drive trane though, LB9 with 5 speed and posi, could use steeper rear gear ratio though.

iroc22

As I said before DX3 was an option so its likely your car was repainted. Look for the obvious signs like overspray on the rubber seals and that sorta thing.

That's a great car for a buildup.

avro206

Thats a nice colour!:hail: Don't let the missing IROC interior emblem bug ya--car is 14 years old and has history.

As others have hinted at, an RPO must contain 3 digits--hence DX by itself means nothing.

IROCZTWENTYGR8

iTrader: (1)

Probably 1 of the lightest Third Gens around LOL.

billsfirebird

iTrader: (1)

I got you beat on that one.

copsrat

Hello all,

It seems as though the apples will fall when the tree is shaken. After crawling around the car, I noticed a small bead running from left to right, about in the center of the wheel wells. Looks like the original VIN sticker is not present on the hood, nor on the fenders. The old paint color still visible matches the original paint, but the car has clearly been in an accident (a fact I am not fond of). The A Pillar covers were removed and all is original there, so the damage appears to ahve been limited to the front 18~24" inches or so. While the dash sticker bears the original VIN sticker, I suppose that one could replace it and "re-stick" the sticker onto the new part (or ony replace selected parts of the dash).

In any case, will begin the process of looking for a parts IROC in order to get a complete front clip from the firewall to the bumper (the inner sheet metal). It would be much more appropriate to have the repair be at the firewall than in the middle of the wheel well (although the repair is not visible from the top (engine compartment)).

Now on to research the dash. Any ideas if a non A/C IROC would have vent deletes?

Thanks!

M Randolph
63 & 64 Nova SS's (for sale)
67 Chevelle SS
89 IROC

Asracer

I was reading you guys and even though I'm no expert in either Camaros or Firebirds, may I suggest that this type of car could be this:

Here in Canada, we used to have GM/Player's racing serie back in the 80's and the beginning of the 90's with only Camaros and Firebirds racing together. These cars were running with TPI 305, T-5 and bare interior like yours. The only difference I can see between your car and theirs is the rear dics brakes.

It might have been a special order from a racing nut



Charles

avro206

Yes--non a/c F-bodies did not have vents. I serioulsy doubt anyone would order that car for the Players Challange seires.

It would be missing quite a bit of stuff. The engines were all balnced/blue printed, suspension mods, oil cooler and the deeper 3.45 gears are the main differences.

IROCZTWENTYGR8

iTrader: (1)

ROFL

OK, I will rephrase. It's 1 of the lightest V8 Third Gens around.

iroc22

Yeah but all the Player's cars had the G92 package. My IROC-Z is identical to the Player's cars in everyway, but here's the catch: to be a true Player's car it has to have a certain RPO code IIRC either A4U or R7U. Hopefully Mark_ZZ3 will chime in here anytime to verify the RPO codes and what years the RPO codes differentiated.

avro206

I don't know about that G92 being a requirment for a players car. My 87 was an A4U Players car and it did not have G92---but did have the 3.45s

iroc22

I thought the only way you could get 3.45 gears was through the G92 "performance axle package".

avro206

you'd think so.....thats what I don't get about G92---useless option doesn't mean anything....?
At least not in 87

MechCD

18 inches isn't a whole lot if they didn't add it all in one place Like if GM added a few inches to the mid section,a nd then to the front etc... If it was all added to the rear, the back seats might have more leg room, something I'd want. Or maybe the trunk is bigger. By chance can you find another Camaro and park by it? The extra length should be pretty apparent

3rdgenstm

Wow, what a lot of information. I had to read this 3 times to understand everything.

What I know about IROCs is this: a bare bones IROC had nothing on it. It was literally engine and doors.

Now you wrote the original color was the light blue. I didn't think you could get the IROC in light blue but only the Bright Blue metallic which is a darker shade. Someone correct me if I am wrong on that.

ERS was available in 1989, mine has it.

Thought I would pitch in.

3rdgenstm

I think that 18" length increase doesn't apply to Fbodies. If you look at all the RPOs in the database, they are all the RPOs for GM production. If you look at the E5Z and E9Z RPOs, those have to do with the speedo. Maybe the E7Z is another speedo RPO that has not been uncovered. I have RPOs on my sticker that I can't find either. Probably early/ late production info that never was documented outside GM. A lot of times GM issues service parts to dealers. These are parts that cover a variety of vehicles, but might not be exactly what was on it from the factory. Where I am going with this is, that RPO may never be used again except on the production line.
I don't know, I gotta get back to work.

avro206

I saw his pics. He just refers to it as light blue but it is really " IROC blue" (bright blue metallic) Definately no extended legnth options---thats for mommy---err minvans!

87WS6

iTrader: (1)

Are you ever going to get rid of the Duke and go V8?

Morley

Yes, if you ordered the car without A/C the only dash vents you got were the two in the center. This is how I ordered my 85 and all I have are the 2 centers and the foot vents, operated by 2 pull/push handles under the steering column.

billsfirebird

iTrader: (1)

Probably not, financially speaking. I don't have a budget to work on my car, well, except for gas and oil.

aaron7

iTrader: (7)

This is how my barebones Iroc came thru stock:

15" Z28 rims (not 15" Iroc ones like the 16's)
115 speedo
No power anything

Only real options are the rear defrost and the AC. I do have foglights and the TPI though.

There were Irocs with TBI engines in 88/89, so be glad you don't have that!

avro206

Tell me about it! I had an 88 IROC TBI--it really sucked.
15" Z28 wheels, no posi and that lamw 185km/h speedo. A real disgrace to have IROC emblems/stickers on it. All IROCs should have been TPI period.

FYI- foglights came standard on all IROCs unless they were a !LE car.

labrat

Ya, Like I said in an earlier post.

The first Iroc-z I ever looked at was a 1989 with NO options.
It had a TBI, a 5 speed, no power, no air, 15" wheels, etc.

If it had at least a TPI and G92, I would have considered buying it.

aaron7

iTrader: (7)

Testing my 3rd gen knowledge... G92 is performance rear axle right?

IROCZTWENTYGR8

iTrader: (1)

You got it.

Kat

iTrader: (4)

No! G92 was a package deal! On 305 cars it got you posi, steeper gears (3.23/3.27's for the auto and 3.42/3.45 for the manuals) and the L98 cam in the 305. Also the higher redline tach and the 145 mph speedo.

For the 350 cars, it just meant you got posi and the better gears (3.23/3.27's ) (I think, that is only what came with it for the 350 cars lol)

Kat

aaron7

iTrader: (7)

You're right... I should have known that! I got that package

But... there is another part of that package that you are forgetting... know what it is?

Kat

iTrader: (4)

Z rated tires and no speed limiter? OR is it the console clock?

Ok looked it up. 4 wheel disc, aluminum spare and possibly the aluminum drive shaft

Kat

iroc22

Oil cooler too.

avro206

A note on G92 and the higher gears.

My 87 didn't have G92---and yet it had 3.45s and was raced in the Players Challenge series.

Maybe that changed 88 and up though.


350 didn't automatically get you higher gears either.
2.77s wete standard equipment fora few years at least.

aaron7

iTrader: (7)

Still missing one thing: the 5500 rpm redline tach!

If you had the G92 with the 305 TPI, T5, and the L98 cam (the non-peanut cam lol) you got the higher redline tach.