brian44t

I live in Minnesota and am looking to buy a Camaro this spring or summer. I want a very driveable project that I can keep forever. What year(s) are best among the Gen 3 Camaro's? I have mostly seen 84-88 models for sale. Do non IROC/Z28 cars have considerably less value? Which is most durable and will be the least likely to cause problems, the automatic or manual transmission? Are t-tops desirable or are they a source of problems? Which cars have the best rear differential and how do I spot it? Are there things I should I watch out for and how much should I pay for a car in average condition?

Thanks - Brian

Convoy25

iTrader: (3)

on a lot of these questions the answer begins with "it depends"

IMO the "best years" are more or less one's likes/dislikes or preferences. the earlier years are carbed and the later have TPI or TBI.

more horsepower is added as the years go on
the later years have 350s

the non irocs/z28s could have less value, but since our cars are as old as they are, it depends on how the previous owner(s) took care of it. you could have a Z28 that was driven to hell and treated like crap or a sport coupe that was taken well care of.

parts for these cars are very common now, you could buy a sport coupe and make it look like a Z28 or Iroc, i know someone from here did that.

i dont know too much about transmissions but my guess is each can have their fair share of problems. hopefully someone else can come in here and correct me or fill us in.
and again, it depends on how it was driven, and when it was shifted while driving.

as for t-tops i constantly hear about them leaking.

again for the rears i think it depends on what you want to an extent. there are different gears and some have posi (which i think is nice)

rear ends are from what i heard, the weakest part of the car.
on it i think its stamped with whats in it.

watch out for rust.
it also depends on how much work you want to put in it. if you want to fix up the whole thing, then you can buy somewhat of a beater. if not, then look for a cleaner, well taken care of camaro.

make sure it runs ok.
ask about the car, how was it driven? how often?
look at the mileage, the higher the mileage there will probably be more problems. my car is a little over 100,000 and im replacing stuff left and right.
most of them i hear are around 80,xxx-100,xxx
unlike that lucky s.o.b that got that 85 IROC that had 4 or so miles >.<

these cars are running for a few thousand, some people you can talk down the price

when you get the vin decode it

http://www.camarosource.ca/php/camar...year=1984&tm=1

there is a site to do it.
afterwards you can come back here and check, or stay on that site and look at the specs for the year of the car, that will tell you what engine is in it (if they didnt swap) and the rear end (again if they didnt swap it)

AmorgetRS

iTrader: (6)

If you are keeping it forever the desirable part is up to you. However, generally t-tops are considered desirable by the general population and they are a source of problems due to leaks, however leaks can be fixed.

scottmoyer

The 84 L69 is a desirable car, as is any year IROC-Z. Your best bet is to get the 350/auto or the LB9(305)/5 speed models. For some reason, 1987 seems to be a popular year for the IROC-Z. I believe it has to do with many 1st and many lasts for the car. It was the 1st year for Bose, leather, 350, and option packages while it was the last year for Norwood built cars, last year of the preferred IROC rims, thinner door moldings, mandatory performance, etc. From 1985-1987, the IROC-Z shared the performance limelight with the Z28. The Z28 was available in base trim to fully loaded, while the IROC-Z was always an upgrade package on the Z28. That doesn't mean the IROC-Z came fully loaded, but it did have a better suspension and handling over the Z28. In 1988, all Z28s were IROC-Zs so you now have base level IROC's with 15" rim options and barebone accessory packages.

Leaking ttops is an easy fix. it's called - replace the weatherstripping and adjust the tops accordingly. These cars are mostly 20+ years old and need this to be done anyway.

If you plan on keeping the car, consider an 87 Z28. While not the most desirable today, I believe it will be as it was the last year sharing the road with the IROC-Z and you just don't see 'em. I have started looking for an 87 5 speed TPI Z28 and haven't found any worth looking at.

As for the rear, I have heard the Australian built Borg-Warner rear is the better rear. How true that is, i don't know. There is usually a stamping or a tag that identifies it. It was also a 9 bolt cover pattern instead of the 10 bolt.