hey guys.. im new here, and im thinking of buying a 3rd gen camaro

all i know right now is its an iroc, and its either a 87 or 88

im gonna take a look at it soon.. but im wondering about things i should look for.

its a car that needs some work.. so im expecting some bad spots.. but i really would like some info on where things usually go wrong.

also, can you guys give me some info on the iroc camaro?

thanks a lot!

 

Check really carefully for rust. Look underneath the car, try to peek inside the wheel wells with a flashlight and behind the front fenders, and under the hood. All over the strut towers.

If you see rust (major rust like rot) especially on the subframes or strut towers or firewall leave the car. Its not worth buying a rusty car, just to find out how much work it is to fix (some impossibe) then you will be looking for another camaro.

When you go for the test drive, look for the check engine light. It should come on then shut off when you start the motor. If it stays on, the motor has a code to read. If it never comes on, they took the bulb out because they wanted to sell the car. Bring a small metal paperclip just in case, you can jump terminals A & B on the ALDL port if the SES light is on, and it will flash the code so you can see what might be wrong. Kinda like a ******* code scanner.

Under the hood, check the oil and antifreeze to make sure they are not mixing. On the oil dipstick, if it is milkshake looking or really foamy, leave the car (unless you are ready to do a motor). Check the AF to make sure its green. Check the Brake fluid, too. If its black, it needs a flush (mine is black and still works fine, but it is not good). Check the brake lines and fuel line under the car too.

Outside the car, look for rust too. Check inside the wheel wells, rust can start under the sheetmetal and one day you will get a hole in the paintjob. Also, rust on the rear sections of the car and roof is hard to repair because you cant replace the whole panel it is all part of the body. The front fenders and hood and bumpers can be replaced at a price. Open both doors and make sure they dont sag when open, and close okay.

Take off the t-tops if equipped. Check the weatherstripping for cracks or rot, and make sure the t-bar isnt rusted. That would be a bad place for rot.

Inside the car, check to make sure the steering wheel isnt loose. Push/pull on it in all directions. It shouldnt move at all (mine does a little but it is supposed to be real hard to tighten so I never tried. Check the carpet in the floor pans for dampness or mold smell too. That will indicate a leak. A leak will cause the floors to rot from the inside out too. Pop the hatch to make sure it works, and power windows. Check all the outside lights.

When you go drive the car, listen for wierd noises. Dont hesitate to put it through its paces (dont beat on it though its not yours yet) but make sure it does what you want. Also, if the milage looks unrealistically low, check the brake pedal or clutch for excessive wear from shoes/boots. Remember, it is normal for these cars to be squeaky and rattle inside. Noises like loud clunks, grinding, motor knock, are not good.

Finally, bring a friend with you to look at it. When you go drive the car, have them check under where it was parked for any leaks. They can also help you look for problems while you are inspecting it.

 

if its ttop or vert, check the floors. other places- underneath, wheel wells, and on high mileage cars check the strut towers for rust. keep in mind if theres lots of surface rust then theres probably more rust hidden somewhere. also check the doors for sagging (shot pins) and the ttop bar for rust.

 

Also, the 88's have IROC-Z decals all over the place, and have the serpentine setup, whereas the 87's have all Z28 decals with one dash IROC-Z logo, and a serpentine/v-belt hybrid. Oh! And the 87's and 88's have different wheel styles, and IIRC, that's when the accent stripe, door ding stripe, and IROC-Z sticker all changed as well.

 

Slow did a well job pointing out what to look for. You may also want to look for major structural repairs like signs of intensive welding or structural cracks, as well as body panels filled with excessive amounts of bondo. If you see any this car probably had excessive rust or had been in a heavy accident. Stuff like this is hard to spot if the repair was done right, but I wouldn't want to buy a car that's been in a major one (accident).

It's a good idea to bring a friend when looking over a car. On start up check the tailpipes for any excessive blue or white smoke. People may tell you it's normal for an older chevy like that to puff blue smoke on start up, but I have a chevy right now that I have rebuilt and maintained meticulously and haven't seen blue smoke on start-up for years. Just make sure that when you test drive the vehicle under moderate driving there isn't any smoke (blue or white) from the rear of the car.