I am looking into a 1987 Camaro. it is in mint condition, is a 5 speed manual, has t-tops, and has 120xxx miles on it. it also has an 800 dollar stereo system in it. the buddy of mine that is going to sell it to me wants 3500 for it. is that a reasonable price. i have been looking for one of these cars for a long time, but im not sure what they are going for. so if you could give me some advice, that would be great

 

I would say thats a little high, does it have any performance mods? any rust? check into things like that, tires, brakes, so on.

 

if the car was in great shape, good paint/interior, no leaking, and needed absolutely nothing to put on the road to use/enjoy, i would offer $3000...$3500 is a bit high but that is just my opinion.
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and if it's a base model camaro and has a v6 take another $500 off.

 

it is a base model camaro, but it has a V8. it has absolutely no rust. i don't know if the t-tops leak, but it doesn't need anything to be driven. i dont think it has any performance mods, and the paint is still in great condition. also the tires have about half tread left, and i don't know about the brakes, but i assume they are good too.

 

I would probably pay 3000 maybe A little more, but not 3500.

 

agreed...maybe a little less...kinda hard w/out pics...it's also a base camaro...87 which mean's it's carbed...might get a lil brownie points if it were fuel injected...and depends if it's heavily optioned or bone bare minimum...and it's extremely hard not being able to see it in person...my honest suggestion is stay in the 2500-3250 range...and i can't remember if it's 87 or 88...but it's close to the cut off range for them but check out www.kbb.com...it's kelly blue book, and try and get a value from them...and be honest...don't overglorify it. just my honest opinion.

 

yea, its an 87. it is fuel injection. i don't have any picks. i went to look at it only once. he says it is a very good car. i think i will talk him down to 3250, maybe 3000. thanks guys, i reall appreciate it. i joined this site after reading some of the posts. you guys really seem to offer good insights, and i thought this would be a good site for when i get a car, and i have questions.

 

Hmm that sounds fairly reasonable but like others I would pay $3000 for it...get some pictures of it if you can, that will help alot...To me $3500 doesn't sound like anything much considering I bought my car for $7000 (seller was asking $10,000) but thats Canada for you, cars are just generally more expensive...but I love my 90 Trans Am GTA because its in really good condition (no rust...only tiny speck in areas where water collects), 150,000+ km's...about 80,000 miles for you americans...5.7 TPI that has been rebuilt 2 years ago for $5000 (that was a bonus...have receipt too) and its a GTA which makes it all the better...anyway hopefully you decide on something that will make you happy...Josh

 

by the way, that is a hot looking car. i don't really care for the trans ams. dont get me wrong, im not putting them down, but i just like the 'maros better. personally, i think t-tops is the only way to go. i also don't care for convertables.

 

Couldn't have said it better myself...for some reason convertibles look terrible to me when up because of that "fabric look" or whatever it is it just doesn't fit in with the rest of the car...I rather take a t-top or hard-top any day than a convertible but thats my choice...

 

Im not sure about the engine in the car. it could be a 350 or a 305. but i am about 75% sure it is a 305. also, since i just joined, i don't have a clue how to make a signature. how do i do that. and change other profile options

 

If it is a 5 speed then it is not a 350 unless it has had an engine swap

 

if it's a base camaro it's supposed to be the basic 4 barrel carbed 305...if it's truely FI then it was swapped in as that is what was special about 88 is the introduction of the LO3 TBI FI v8. And if it's base model reguardless of year you never got the 350...so again it all depends on what was swapped in if the 4 barrel carbed 305 isn't still in there. FYI: 4 barrel carb 305 and TBI 305 look nearly identical, then again that statement is offset by the fact that in 88 you also got the serpentine system installed.

 

Id say it has has some swaps done.....by the time a car reaches 20 years old its amazing to find one bone stock with all the oem equipment

 

suprisingly mine was still all orignal...i guess i'm the molestor . Then again i'm using all GM '88 parts so gotta give me some credit lol. But yea, by the 20th anny of these cars your hard pressed to have a fully original car. Basically in the end, if you like it...get it...but try and low ball it to save yourself the money cause with any car this old...your guaranteed to have expenses once you acquire it.

 

some ppl like the sport coupes, if it was mine and i was gonna buy it, id be hunting and iroc body kit and a 350 setup

 

i was looking for an iroc. but i don't have much to spend, and this car is in mint condition. and hey, this will work for a 17 year-old pickin' up chicks

 

it will pay for itself in no time, lol

 

i also have a 1998 Pontiac Bonneville that i drive now. i am going to keep it for winter, because i wouldn't even dare to let the 'maro see the snow and salt. so i am going to be out some money for a while. i paid 4000 for my bonneville, and that was in mint condition too. so we'll see how it goes. i am also so thankful that my dad is a machinest and i know how to use the welder and other tools, so if i do have to do work on my baby, i will be able to with no problem.

 

Irocs arn't really expensive, I just bought a good conditon 89 for $650, it's only a tpi 305 but for the price I had to have it.. perfect body, NO T-TOPS, all I had to do was rebuild the trans. If you have some mechanical ability you can get a 3rd gen really cheap in good shape if they need a little mechanical work. A solid body is the most imporant thing with one of these cars, everything else is just nuts and bolts. Trust me if you arn't mechanically enclined at the moment you will be after owning your camaro for a while I don't mean that in a discourging way at all these cars are tons of fun to own and work on. Plus they're plentiful and cheap!

 

yea, this car was perfect and i am willing to pay for it. plus i know the guy that is selling it so if i have a problem with it, it can call him. plus i wanted a t-top and 5 speed. i was looking at cars for sale online and if they were autos, i didn't even look at them. also, i want the t-tops and i can't stand the convertables, and i want a car that has a removable top. the t-tops look so cool, and if i get a solid top, i might as well drive my bonneville.

 

if your lookin to get girls.......get a mustang, if you wanna go fast buy the camaro

 

??? If you want to go fast, get a 3rd gen...If you want to get the girls, definitely get a 3rd gen.

 

I'm sorry but that statement is false in so many ways...while it may be partly true because theres always a possibility for everything, not just camaro's are fast, nor do all girls just like mustangs the most...I bet they like mustangs the least because you can drive around the block and you'll always see one...anyway get a 3rd Gen period and you'll receive more than your share of looks and positive comments...that is if the vehicle is in good condition and is an eye-catcher...anyway just my input don't hate on me lol...Josh

 

picked up way more in my stang.......the camaro just has a M*llety look about it

 

Lol...this isn't "Keys to the V.I.P." where we see who can get the most girls in what car...

 

nobody was tryin to......dude said he wanted to pick up girls so i told him of my experence

 

Lol oh ok then...sorry dude didn't mean to offend...never saw that post about him wanting to pick up chicks...anyway I think you can still be successful in picking up chicks in a camaro or trans am just as long as it looks nice...apparently they just like shiny, cool looking cars...thats what one girl said when we were having a discussion about this lol...Josh

 

alright. yall need to knock it off. i will have not and will not ever buy a mustang. i hate the look and the third gen is exactly what i am looking for. i am 17, and i can guarantee ya that i will have the hottest looking car in the lot. so i don't think i will have a problem. the mustangs look like any other car nowdays, so it doesn't pay to get one. i would get a VW Jetta over the mustang, and i will never drive a VW either. so what does that tell ya?

 

the camaro will suit you just fine.......

 

T-tops get old really quick.. but they are cool to have.. I havem, I had em off about 2 or 3 times in the 6 years I've had the car.. the only downside is that t-top cars tend to flex more (which bends the car), which leads to leaking t-tops which leads to rusted out floors. Make sure you check to floor pan well. If you get the maro some subframe connectors are must.. which is also true about all f-bodies regardless of top configuration.

 

see, if i had t-tops, they would be off all the time in summer, and in winter i would park the car. so i would get alot of use out of them. i don't want a convertable because i don't like the soft top look, and i need some sort of removable top. besides, i don't need to worry about my hair getting messed up either, i am a guy, so t-tops are the only way to go. IMO.

 

Yep, T-Tops are killer! But before you buy the car pull the tops off and have a really good look at the edges around the whole opening where the rubber weather stripping is attached. They can be pretty rusty. If where the rubber tucks into the center bar is rusty the whole bar can be changed out. But if the roof itself has corroded it can be an expensive repair. Heed 89RS and check the front floors carefully. It's also worth checking for stress fractures to the front frame 'round about the steering box and the same area on the opposite frame. Crawl underneath and have a look at where the front fender attaches to the rocker panel (behind the tires). Alot of garages lift these cars from that point crushing metal. This often leads to a rust hole in the rocker panel that you can only see from underneath. And like 89RS said, subframe connectors are a must!

 

yea, this spring i will go look at the car again. i will look it over, i will pull the tops, and i will crawl underneath and look over the chassis. i don't know what work he all did to the car, but i know that the engine is a 305. im not looking for something big, the 305 will still smoke my friends cars. heck, my bonneville will smoke my friends cars. i just want to make it a bigger lead

 

Looks like we are in the same boat. My Camaro has turned out to be a fun learning curve. I was nothing but a Saturn tuner until a few weeks ago. Now I'm both chevy/Saturn. But it is hard when you crack up your newly purchased Vue and have no DD to get parts. But they'll both be back on the road soon! GL With your car.

 

Tell him to keep the 800 system and offer him 2700.

Or look for a hardtop or convertible. Over time, ttops get very annoying. T-tops leak, rattle, let more sun get in your eyes, fly off if you forget to bolt them in. Plus, the t top bag for storage is not that great. I like my hardtop car a lot more than my ttop. I suppose thats personal preference though but figure i'd give you a warning.

 

i dont really know where you are located, but there are z28's and rs's listed down here all the time, and i've seen a couple of them go for 500$ hell i picked up my parts car with flowmasters and a pioneer system for 600$ it might worthwile to look into other areas and find out how much for towing or shipping...

 

yea, with the t-tops, ive weighed the costs, and its worth the sacrafice. i won't go with a convertable or hardtop. now he's having second thoughts of selling the car, so i don't know if i will be able to buy it. i might have to start looking around pretty soon. winter is killer! i can't wait till spring! im in wisconsin, and we are supposed to get more snow soon . i hate the snow and winter

 

http://tampa.craigslist.org/car/568341309.html

http://tampa.craigslist.org/car/567961575.html

http://tampa.craigslist.org/car/565660684.html


and i got my rs 8cyl running for 700, so check around

 

hey, thanks guys. i will have to start looking around. i guess i will wait till spring and look to see whats for sale around me, and if theres nothing i will have to look out of state. actually it might be better to get one out of state, it will probably be in better condition, rust wise. i don't mind mechanical work, but i do not want to deal with rust.

 

Your defiantly going to get some rust. I just finished brake line work and backed mine out for the first time in 2 weeks. My God. I had to sweep and mop up about a pound of my car! GL in your search.

 

You need to really look the car over, check the fender lips in the wheel wells, and under the car for rust, if the underside is rusty stay away, and if you have the oppournity, put the sill plate off and look under the carpet for rust. It tends to hide on these cars and can be a real mess sometimes.

Grab us some pics of the car if you can, inside, outside, under the hood ect

 

i don't think i can get pics till spring. the car is a little too far to drive out. also, i just want him to think about selling the car to me. i don't want to bug him, he might get irritated and not sell it. i really like this car and i want to buy it. he takes really good care of it, and he has had it for a while. this car is his baby, and i want to make it my baby. the car is a dark red which i think looks really good on the car. i should talk to him agian.

 

I bought my 87 IROC from a dealer in Richfield (I think), WI for about $3200 ($2800 plus the tax since he was a dealer). It's a 130,XXX mile dark red hardtop with a 305 TPI, 700R4, and a 2.73 limited slip drum brake rear end. I wanted a hardtop for the extra rigidity since I autocross the car. There was a little surface rust on the underside of the car (nothing visible from standing next to it), the paint only had a few chips in it, and a small dent in drivers side front fender. The only thing that doesn't work is the A/C. It has power everything and it all still works . Everything is original except for the head unit (Sony). Pics can be seen in my VBgarage.

I live in Milwaukee, I'm only 16, and I have a Ford Tempo as a winter beater.

Welcome to the boards!

 

Hey, that sounds like a sweet car. i was trying to stay away from the dealers, because of the tax. i'd rather pay a little less and use the money i saved from the tax to put into the car. but i don't plan on racing the car at all. i am just using it as my summer daily driver, so i am going with t-tops. but i think i will check around the dealers and see what they got, man i love this car, and the snow is killing me! and we keep getting more!!!!!!