ConvertiblesDiscussed here are problems and solutions to convertible specific questions, including difficult to find part numbers and other convertible tech help.
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1987 First year for ASC's Production program for GM, ASC would have made several pilot cars to see if the project was conceptually doable. There are many 86's running around out there I would guess from the numbers I ahve seen around 100 or so were made. Of course ASC also claims that the 1987 - 1989 Firebirds were part of GM production program, so I really do not know what to believe.
From what I have read app arently ASC did not plan to make the car for GM rather it was an attempt to compete with some of the other companies making convertibles from 1982 thru 1986, Gm apparently liked it so much that they contracted ASC to make them for them sence they were making just about every other Convertible for GM at that time anyways, including the C4 Vette, Sunbird, Cavilear, Riviera, Eldorado etc...
John
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I own an 84 Z28 that was converted by a company called Matrix3. It was done in 84 when the car was new. The story I have been told was they converted 500 cars in an attept to get a contract with Chevy to do the 87s. I have found 3 other owners on CarDomain. They have all been altered, mine is stock except for tires and radio. I currently have 68,000 miles on it. A company named Choo Choo Customs produced 743 convertibles in 1986.
i just purchaced a1986 irocz converted by matrix3 ANYONE heard of an early iroc conversion?also i understand that matrix quit the f-body in 85?!?
i just purchaced a1986 irocz converted by matrix3 ANYONE heard of an early iroc conversion?also i understand that matrix quit the f-body in 85?!?
GM had no such program to convert early third gens. The program Offically started in/for 1987.
Apparently they did at least one 1986. Keep in mind that some 1986 cars are made in 1985. It would depend on your sequence number.
I guess another possiblity (albeit unlikely) was that someone had a wrecked convertible took the pieces & parts and converted another car. I have considered doing this in passing only.
Im new at responding I usually just rear your comments so Im hoping I did this right. I have an 83 camaro z28 two seater convertible. I am guessing that this car was made by the Stiletto company than. I am wondering where I can get info on this car .Also I take it that the vin # doesnt read the same as the 86 you had been talking about? Is this a rare car?? Thanks
Trey - We need to see a photo of this '86 convertible by Matrix3! Post it here! Of all the 4-seater pre-87 f-bodies I have seen, I think Matrix3 is the most common....still rare, though. Every Matrix3 F-body I have seen were '84 & 85 models. I have also seen '83 model Corollas and Celicas made by Matrix3.
mdpiens - I am not too sure about those stiletto cars. They are very uncommon. If you do not have documentation that it is a Stiletto, then it is probably a normal AutoForm 2-seater. There should be a sticker in the door jamb with a set of numbers that start with "AF". Let us know what you find, and please post a photo!
TAdan - As for the third brake light, my experience has been that if the car ('86 & later) was sold new by a dealership, already converted into a convertible, then federal law required a center-mount brake light. The coach company would find an off-the-shelf aftermarket exterior-grade center mount light to mount the the trunklid. If the car was converted for a customer, after the new car sale, then the customer could opt for no light to be mounted for a cleaner look.
i just bought a 1984 Matrix 3 which has the federal automobile conformity tag on the driver door post and the serial number last 4 digits matches the automobile vin. all corresponding paperwork back to new when it was converted from the factory and sold through a dealer in LA. I know it is factory because of the paper work and title stating convertible. i even have the matrix 3 envelope that was included with the new car purchase. only 63,000 miles .... real hard to find out information on these cars and what the potential value will be in years to come.
I believe those were hardtops ordered through a dealership, factory shipped directly to Matrix, shipped back to the dealership, and then sold.
So, it was an aftermarket conversion, which the dealership sold.
It may have been an AUTHORIZED conversion, it wasn't a factory convertible. The VIN will show it as a hardtop.
I wasn't trying to say you were wrong really, just trying to clarify the difference between an OEM convertible & a dealership done, aftermarket, conversion.
Yes i understand that no convertibles were made in 84 but since the factory sent it out and was titled as a convertible it kinda makes it an authorized factory convertible. i am thinking of restoring it but wonder about the amount of money to drop in it. i think i picked it up for a pretty good price 4,200.00 and it also came with the Gran Touring interior which was an option. believe it or not A/C still blows cold. he also said the wheels on the car came from the factory and were also an option.
Yes i understand that no convertibles were made in 84 but since the factory sent it out and was titled as a convertible it kinda makes it an authorized factory convertible.
Nice car....really nice car. I have done a ton of research on the subject of the post-factory convertible, and to call it an "authorized factory" convertible is incorrect. The factory did not authorize anything about the conversion. The dealership had Matrix3 convert the car and to save shipping, it was directly shipped to Matrix3, instead of the dealership. If you had bought a car new that the dealership had put in a sunroof, would you call the sunroof a "factory option"? No. On the other hand, I have a hard time calling a car that was purchased new from the dealer as a convertible, an "aftermarket" conversion. Cars that have been converted after the point of original sale to the consumer would more appropriately be call "aftermarket"
It's just a technicality, but the correct term should be "coach convertible", or "dealer option convertible". (Type in "coach convertible" in Wiki for the full story).
what do you guys think about lets say 5 years down the road...i know it's all speculation but i bought for 4200 i am thinking maybe up to 10k to restore even though it is in good shape but the paint needs to be done. i heard these were 25k in 84 almost 10k over sticker for the convertible. i don't see many around and being a 5.0 L HO / grand touring interior and last year Z28 (switched to iroc in 85) they maybe pretty special. any comment on the rims that the guy told me were also special order optional?
what do you guys think about lets say 5 years down the road.
They were not that expensive when new...more like $5K-$8K extra for the conversion over the price of the rest of the car.
I would place future pricing at about 20% higher than the same car without the conversion, same condition. Seems cheap, but that is my prediction. There just isn't that high of a demand for them. Does not mean they don't deserve to be higher...they just have not been showing much collector interest.
Last edited by slimwhitman; 06-18-2008 at 07:53 PM.
Reason: Automerged Doublepost
If anything could be considered a "Factory Authroized" car then the Pontiacs from 1986 - 1989 that ASC did for dealerships were.
The fact that your Title states "Convertible" is interesting, but so does mine. Not really sure how all of that works but apparently the DOT does not pay attention to the VIN, which would indicate a Vert or hard top.
I guess one thing is for sure that a Vert should be worth more than a hard top of the same given year. As for the value of some of the aftermarket conversions its really hard to say. The Matrix3 conversion appears to be one of the more popular convsersions, but parts are still hard to come by so that may hurt the value.
Its really hard to say what the value will be...
Being an 84 Z28, what engine does it have? if its an L69 (G) then it has more potential for value than an LG4 (H)
havent been on the site in a while,still have the 86 matrix3 iroc convertible.i have opened a carlot in the last several months and do not see the time needed to restore the car so i have put it up for sale.anyone interested can call 615-578-7635as you can see in the background,huge f-body fan!
