bigblackyj

I just bought an 86 Irock 5.0 HO. I've been looking into the car and it seems there were 74 made with the 5.0 HO. Only 11 available to the public. The rest were "race cars". So did I just end up with a super rare car? Is it worth putting back to a more stock forum? This car is beat up. It needs some work, I was thinking of making a stip car out of it, but need to know if this is a car that should be returned to stock forum? Thanks for you help and opinions!!!

FormerL69

iTrader: (2)

What is the 8th digit in your VIN?

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

What's an "Irock"? Never heard of such. I DO know about the "IROC" cars, so named because Chevrolet licensed the use of the name of the International Race Of Champions series; but that other is a new one on me.

The 85 L69 cars were not anywhere near that "rare". I could be wrong but I seem to recall a couple thousand of them being made. By that time the L69 wasn't "top of the line" any more, since TPI was introduced that year, and consequently wasn't popular as an added-cost option.

None of these cars (well, VERY few, anyway) have ever had, have now, or will ever have, the kind of value that older cars have. People are so used to watching the price of 60s muscle cars go through the roof that they just sort of automatically assume that if they wait long enough, these will do the same thing. They won't. Has nothing directly to do with "these cars" as such; the same is true of the Mustangs, Vettes, and whatever else, from the same time frame. The reason is that the entire "car culture" had already vanished during the 70s, and NO car from about 73 or 74 on will EVER occupy the same "romantic" place in people's minds as the pre-oil-embargo ones. I would leave that notion COMPLETELY OUT OF your considerations about this car. Do what YOU want with it, for YOU. Above all, DO NOT spend a whole bunch of money "restoring" it, on the hallucination that you'll recover it by selling the car; YOU WON'T. You might as well throw that money in the trash, you have just as good a chance of ever seeing it again. Spend whatever money it takes to make the car what YOU WANT FOR YOURSELF, but leave "resale value" out of it because that it the road to a rude, VERY EXPENSIVE disappointment.

cosmick

I thought all the '86 L69s were for the Players' Challenge racing series.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

Sorry, I saw "85"... don't know #s for 86. Can't be too many, but that doesn't change the basic premise of the situation.

If in fact it WAS a Players' Challenge spec car, then it's REALLY been rode hard and put up wet... not a good resto candidate AT ALL, at least not if you intend to drive it. Basically every functional part on it has been stressed to the max and then some, and now has about 3 complete normal lifetimes of aging on it.

That said, I have a hard time believing (though my "knowledge" of the Players series is pretty thin) that one racing series would spec a car with another racing series' badge on the side. But I could always be wrong. (just watch me for awhile... I'll be "wrong" quite a bit)

Still would like to know about this "Irock" thing.

Da Spudro

All bashing of the improper spelling of IROC aside... You do have a rare car. I have never actually seen an 86 "G" IROC before, I'd be interested in seeing pictures, thought it'd probably look similar to mine only with a rear hatch third brake light. I have an 85 "G" IROC and while I agree with some of what was said above, I don't on other topics. No one in the 50's 60's or 70's thought the tri five chevies would be worth what they are today, but they are. While some would argue but they were classics, so technically are our cars. The truth is you never know what will become valuable and what won't. I do know learning from the past that a sub top level of a car is never worth what the top teirs are worth...and example would be the 57 Chevy 150 vs BelAir. while there are fewer 150's in existance now because they were used as beaters and demolition derbie cars, they aren't worth what a BelAir is worth.

That being said I agree with the point of don't get focused on trying to make money out of the car. Chances are you won't as proper restorations are expensive, and some parts near impossible to find. I would say if you want to keep it original, do so, if not then don't worry about it. If it turns out the car becomes valuable then restore it to original at that point if that's what your into. I have tossed up restoring mine to original, but then have also tossed up the idea of doing a carbed LSX with a 6 speed....

In either case, enjoy your ride while you have it.

bigblackyj

Ok, I know it's an Iroc. I got excited when I read that there were only 11 available it the public on Wikipedia. Now after a little more digging, the 8th digit is an H, not a G. So there has benn an engine swap or intake swap or something. But this thing has 5.0 HO badging all over it? Any ideas on that? Thanks for all the advice, and the ribbing on my mis-spelling!

mr396

Welcome to the best third gen site on the web. Don't worry about the spelling. You can learn a lot about the third gen camaro. If you have any questions don't be afraid to ask.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

8th digit H = LG4 Base model. DEFINITELY NOT the L69 aka HO.

What makes you think something has been swapped?

Sounds like somebody bought a bunch of stickers and slapped em on it. Typical poseur behavior. NBD.

WORRY about the spelling. It matters. Learn what the car's real name is, and why. At the very least, copy the stickers on the door accurately.

mr396

I thought there was only one perfect man on this earth "JC" but I guess there were two.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

You, and who else?

mr396

I am far from perfect.

bigblackyj

it's a carbureted 86. So engine has to have been swapped. Or my title doesn't match the car?

cosmick

If I could get a legit Players car, I'd restore it to pre-race condition, with all the stickers and stuff, then not drive it. Much. But the VIN H is all that matters, not the H.O. stickers. And stickers are no guarantee of H.O. engine swap. A stock LG4 is done by 4500 RPM, a true L69 will pull 6000. Unless someone attached an L69 to the LG4 1.87" exhaust manifolds and single 2.25" cat.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

The "H" motor by definition comes with a carb. It's the LG4. It was available in these cars up through 87, and even later in some others.

Having a carb does not, by itself, indicate swappage in any manner way shape or form.