87 convertible

my question is ,how rare is the 1987 lt sport coupe convertible. its the 20th anniversary edition,it has the dash pouch,and also on the drrivers door it still has the sticker from where asc did the conversion. i have been thinking about selling it, but i have had it for 8 years now. it needs a top. i am just curious to what your feedback on this car is and any one else. thanks

cs2000

In '87 Chevrolet officially made 263 sport coupe convertibles, of that total very few had the LT option, the true '87 "factory Authorized " convertibles were converted by ASC and had a 3 in the 6th digit of the VIN. I have one of the 263 S.C. convertibles, mine is not a LT. My car was sold new at Capitol Chevrolet in Nashville, Tn. It was special ordered by a women who after the order was placed , lost her job and did not want the car. It then was purchased by a women who gave it to her daughter for a high-school graduation present. These cars still are not fully appriciated, they are not as desirable as the IROC and Z converts, but they are rare and a lot of fun. Just my opinion, if you do sell it, please make sure the buyer knows what it is and how rare it is, it would be a shame to see a car like this get into the hands of someone who will molest it.............. Chris.. '69 Sport Coupe, '77 Type LT 350-4speed 19k original miles, '87 Sport Coupe Convetible 1 of 263 and '95 Z28 convertible 18k original miles, one owner (me)

Willie

iTrader: (1)

Chris nailed this topic right on the head (as usual!!). 1987, had the most variants in the Camaro line than any other year:

Sport Coupe
Sport Coupe w/Convertible option (RPO Z08)
Sport Coupe w/LT option (RPO B4C)
Sport Coupe w/Convertible & LT options
Z28
Z28 w/ Convertible option (RPO Z08)
Z28 w/IROC-Z option (RPO B4Z)
Z28 w/Convertible & IROC-Z options
RS (California only)

Unfortunately, production figures were recorded only for models and single options, not multiple options (I call these option combinations):

Sport Coupe: 83,890
Sport Coupe w/Convertible option: 263
Sport Coupe w/LT option: 8,557
Z28: 52,863
Z28 w/Convertible option: 744
RS: 6,618
RS w/Convertible option: Not available

Note: Only the 1,007 (263 + 744) convertibles were equipped with the "20th Anniversary Commemorative Edition" label and designated with a "3" in the VIN (sixth digit). And because GM released the convertible late in the model year run, all advertisements were pulled (some dealer literature being the exception), making this the unknown anniversary Camaro!

Sport Coupe w/Convertible & LT options: Who knows! Absolutely positively less than 263. The only educated guess I can make is to use the ratio of LT's to Sport Coupe's: 8,557 / 83,890 = 0.10 or 10.0 percent. Applying this percentage to Sport Coupe convertible production: 263 / 0.10 = 26. This says that of the 263 Sport Coupe convertibles, 26 have the LT option. My guess is less than this, probably on the order of one dozen or so. This is the lowest production figure of all regular production third generation Camaros!! So you are the lucky owner of one such vehicle. Do you have any pics???

Z28 w/Convertible & IROC-Z options: Same as above -- who knows! These are educated guesses based on the same reasoning as above. Ratio of IROC-Z's to Z28's: 38,889 / 52,863 = 0.74 or 74 percent. Applying this percentage to Z28 convertible production: 744 / 0.74 = 547. This says that of the 744 Z28 convertibles, 547 have the IROC-Z option, or only 197 are true, bona-fide Z28 convertibles. As above, I believe that there are far less Z28 convertibles because of the fact that when the convertible was re-introduced (the prior year was 1969), most customers and dealers ordered them with with IROC-Z option, simply because it was the hottest selling car at that time. My guess is around 50 - 75. I am the fortunate owner of one of these! And with a 305 TPI / 5-speed too!

87 convertible

i do not have any pics downloaded right now,but i will get some on. right now i have the interior and dashboard out of it,as well as the carpet. i am replacing the carpet. but i will get some pics and get them on. thanks for your help and knowledge.

Willie

iTrader: (1)

You're welcome.

I only know of two LT convertibles in existence. Here is a pic of one:

87 convertible

man what a gorgous car, i wanted to put a pic of mine on,but it does not compare to yours right now. i am going to bend over now so you guys can line up in kick me in the ?? a few years ago i got the bright idea to go to 15" rims and actually sold the factory rims. that was before i knew about this web site,man how stupid can one get.

Willie

iTrader: (1)

man what a gorgous car....

That is a beautiful car, but it's not mine. I own an '87 Z28 convertible (pic below). Never mind the not stock polished IROC-Z wheels. I still have the original wheels but I happen to like the 16-inchers much more....


....i wanted to put a pic of mine on,but it does not compare to yours right now.

So what? The condition doesn't matter. At least you OWN one!!! That's all that counts!


i am going to bend over now so you guys can line up in kick me in the ?? a few years ago i got the bright idea to go to 15" rims and actually sold the factory rims.

That's okay too. With diligence, you can find another set. FYI, the 1987 LT wheels pictured above were optional and very rare. They are the "old" gold Berlinetta wheels painted argent and appeared on the 1987 LT only!! Just find a set of gold Berly wheels and repaint them!!


....that was before i knew about this web site,man how stupid can one get.

At least now you know more about your car and its rarity. It sure beats going through ownership of a car and finding out AFTER you sell it, right??

Willie

Jim85IROC

iTrader: (2)

I never get bored of looking at pics of Willie's cars.

bigals87z28

gotta love that look willie... got to love the look



now, to get IROC rims... hehehe

87 convertible

I don't want you guys to think this car is a figmant of my imagination, i was finally able to get a few pics. hers the dash pouch.

87 convertible

heres one of the lt ateering wheel

87 convertible

This is on the drivers door.

bigals87z28

lets see the car!!! so far it looks sweet! gotta love 87...

87 convertible

and here is the car. thank you guys for all the response's .i have been looking at all the pictures you are posting,and the cars are gorgous.The only reason i have even thought about selling this is i am at a stand still right now as far as funds are concerned. i know by looking at all your cars how much potentiol my car has.i did not realize how few there were . Its also great knowing that there is a site like this you can go to to find out such things. thanks again.

bigals87z28

are thoes fogs stock? i have never seen them on a LT?

i dunno if you did it, but i took the liberty of decoding your vin... just in case you wanted to know...

Made in: United States
Manufacturer: General Motors
Make: Chevrolet
Carline Code: F-Body
Carline Series: Camaro (all models)
Body Type: 2 door convertible
Restraint System: Manual belts
Engine Code: 305 ci V8 LG4 (1987)
8 is the CHECK DIGIT
Model Year: 1987
Assembly Plant: Norwood
Production Sequence: 159609


and willie... i didnt know your car was a 5spd? I was always under the impression that verts came with autos and 305's... but i have heard of 5spds in later verts... oh well... car is still nice1

87 convertible

as far as i know they are stock, i should have wahed the car before i took the picture,the hood looks a mess. i have not altered the body in any way.

Willie

iTrader: (1)

are those fogs stock? i have never seen them on a LT?

Believe it or not, the fog lamps were part of the LT Option Package 4. It was the only way to get them on a Sport Coupe in 1987. This package also included options otherwise not available on a 1987 Sport Coupe, such as a power driver's seat. This is definitely a rare car!! Keep it if at all possible!!!


and willie... i didnt know your car was a 5spd? I was always under the impression that verts came with autos and 305's... but i have heard of 5spds in later verts....

Well, I'll tell you what I know to be fact. In 1987, the 5-speed was finally available with the 305 TPI. On the Z28 coupe, these were the drivetrains available:

305 carb (auto and 5-speed)
305 TPI (auto and 5-speed)

Note: The 350 TPI was an option only with any of the IROC-Z option packages.

The choices were limited on the Z28 convertible:

305 carb (auto only)
305 TPI (5-speed only)

I do not know why this is true. In 1988, this limitation was lifted.

Willie

87 convertible

my car does have the power drivers seat, power mirrors,ac ,power windows, the drivers seat has quit working though. i honestly believe that it still has the original top and paint. one thing i did notice with this car i really have not noticed with others is that each panel has the vin number on it,example the hood on the inside,the trunk lid on the inside,the doors etc.i see some long days and nights on ebay,but you all have inspired me to get the funds and get this car back in a-1 condition.with the help of everyone here,and this site i am really looking forward to my car looking like new again. if you guys do not mind i will keep you posted with the updates on this car. looks like the 84 firebird may have to be sacrificed so the 87 convertile can live. thanks again .

labrat

Nice car definetly worth keeping and restoring.

All 87,s had the vin numbers on the panels it was an anti theft thing.

Now there are three known LT verts

Bill Speed

I am a Firebird owner and fan over the Camaro, but also an 80s ASC conversion. I'd been turned onto this site via a guitar maker site message board. Two other guitar players owned F cars and knew this site... Wow, huh?

Anyway, I find it a bit amusing when I first posted I was told I didn't have a factory convertible and there couldn't be a 350 TPI convertible with auto trans in 1989. Took more then a month to find the info that's on here now... at least, in my case, the members helping me first may have been lacking info. Either way, it turned out great as I needed help above what most do, my car being a theft recovery, there was no knowing what it had gone through during it's history.
-Bill

87 convertible

i am a firebird fan as well, i have a 1984 with a 350 in it. and man will she scoot. the 350has a factory gm aluminum intake ,holley quadrajet,headman shorty headers and y pipe, we have had this bird for 10 years now, i just redid the engine last summer,that was before i knew about this site,i should have been putting the money into the convertable. i am only lacking about $90.00 in my car fund for the new top. you said your car was a theft recovery,you going to restore it? i am going to try to attempt to put the top on myself. some guys on the parts wanted board gave me some good leads on where to get the top reasonable. take care.

marineengineer

Keep your 87 LT Vert alive. I too am in the same position with money as you are. But even my Lady will not let me sell my 87 Z-28 Converible, 1 of 12 known to exist. So, I fix what I can, wait for more money and fix some more. It will be a labor of love, I assure you. But when you take your Vert out for a Sunday Topdown Wind-in-your hair ride, it will be worth every drop of blood you put into taking your car back to 1987 showroom condition. I can't wait for that day to come. We may not be as fast as an IROC or a TTA, but we have style.

Bill Speed

I need a top but the guy who offered via email didn't get back to me...what up wit dat??
You can tell by the patch job in the pic above... I used clear plastic and tucked it under the rear bow! That after failed other attempts. Works good though...except the sides hehe
The rear quarter and bumpers have bruises and bits of rust as I needed winter transpo.. I know I hate to say it too hehe
I got an offer to buy yesterday in fact. No ones throws a figure my way, so I reply 'not selling' However, for a price, everythings for sale?!?
hehe
Bill

87 convertible

hey bill, i posted a thread in the parts wanted board here on this site,and man you would not believe the reponse's i got in my e-mail, i have saved a couple,one guy sells the canvas top with the plastic window for $300.00 thats actually the best price i have found yet. i have done the plastic in the rear window as well works ok for a while but down here in the south the heat eats it up. take care ang good luck with the car.

87 convertible

i know exactly where you are comming from, and you are right .i need to take the baby steps method and do what i can a little at a time.i also agree with you about rather having style than speed.There is a story how i got this car,my wife and i were looking for a car,she was off work one day and called me up one of the local car lots we have delt with in the past knew we were looking for a car,as we have test drove a couple of the cars they had,anyhow they called her and told her they had the car we were looking for, we bought our firebird(which we still have) from them. i told her to go check it out ,i did not even know what kind of car it was at the time. i told her do not sign nothing just look at it and when i got off work if it was a decent car we would check it out better.anyhow she shows up to pick me up in this 87 convertible,i instantly fell in love with the car, it only had 69000 miles on it.looked almost brand new still.she told me the lot left her drive it up to pick me up,after driving for about 5 miles she asked me how i liked it, to make a long story short she had bought the car before she even came to get me. and we have a deal the firebirds hers and the camaro is mine,did i mention the firebirds for sale????????

badjuju342

i've got an'89 rs 'vert.somebody told me that there was less than 500 made for this year.does anyone know if this is true or not?i really would like to modify this car but i don't really want to do that to a fairly rare car especially one w/87000 miles.

87 convertible

if i were you i would start a new thread on here,and title it question for willie , like you i did not know what i had,or how rare it was until i found this site.willie in my opionon is a genuis when it comes to camaros and the history of them.( i think he has 30 weight running through his veins instead of blood) if any one can tell you what you have,its willie and everyone else on this board.i was thinking about selling my car until i started reading all the feedback from the othere members. with the economy the way it is ,money is tight i figure its gonna take me about $2000.00 to get my car back to where i want it, which includes a new top, new carpet,new paint job, my goal is to keep the car original.i finally had enough for a new top,but i do not have a garage, i figured if i put a top on it now ,it would still be out in the weather, so tomorrow i am taking that money and i am buying a fully enclosed portable garage to put the car in. its money i would rather spend on the car,but in the long run i think the garage will be better right now because at least the vert will be protected from the weather.i would ask the man (willie) about your car though. take care.

Bill Speed

$300 for the top with frame was the offer
I got... I just needed some pictures. Oddly enough...still no response.

I'm bidding on a front clip currently. The seller of the 89 GTA tells me that there were only 50 of the GTAs and he'd adament about it, as he says he has talked with someone from ASC. The total is around 300 give or take 50 hehe

Hope we find better info... these are awesome cars...but as an aside that I'm curious about...

Which 80s car gets your vote for best GM? Firehawk, ZR 1 Vette, or Grand National GNX?

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Bill

Bill Speed

I have to apend that to include the first Firehawk in the EARLY 1990s and not the 80s... oops
Bill

87 convertible

you talking speed or style? wasn't there one year where the buick gn was the fastest production car made? as for the vettes,i have not been fortunate enough to even ever ride in one, alot of people i work with "claim " to have owned vettes,and they said they are not a comfortable car to ride in,but like i say thats just "hear say".for style i have to go with the firehawk.i have the camaro,but i also have a 1984 firebird. i pulled the 305 out of it and dropped in a mildy built 350.we do not have state inspections in south carolina,so you can pretty much do what you want to to your car,and not have to worry about emmisions testing and such.my little bird scoots pretty good. although i need to put a heat sheild on the starter,the shorty headers put off to much heat and after you dive it for a while the starter drags. about the top your talking about ?$300.00 for the top plus the frame, is that new? thats a good deal. let me know if you don't mind. i got my door panels off to now,i am going to recover the top half like the guy did in the technical articles section. thanks bill, take care

Bill Speed

I thought about it at work and realized I neglected the '89 Turbo TA!! How thoughtless.
That qualifies more then the Firehawk although the 3rd gen version is my personal favorite. The 89 Turbo was lighter and less wind resistant then the GN so it certainly is one of the best 80s rides.

Bill

Bill Speed

I was told the top and frame for $300, but I forget now. That email got lost and he never got back so I have to keep looking.
I'm still waiting on the front clip auction but money is week by week, very little.

:~()
Bill

87 convertible

good luck on winning the bidding for the front clip.i know what you mean about the funding to buy parts for our cars. my camaro fund,which i keep in my pay pal account is now down to $160.00 in order for me to build it back up i have to take that and buy a new digitel camera so i can get back to selling on ebay. i am not plugging ebay ,but it's a good way to make extra money to fix up your car. we just go to yard sales and fle markets buy the stuff cheap and sometimes turn a good profit.one example is i bought a 70mm ford mustang throttle body at a church yard sale for a dollar ,put it on ebay and got $ 114.00 other than getting a second job it's the only way i can fix up my car. take it easy

Bill Speed

Sounds like you got a great deal selling and finding in that case.
eBay is one of my favorites, but I haven't sold there yet...still trying to figure what products people really want (maybe not the ones I bid on, but often they go beyond what I'd like to pay.
If you can find rare items (OOP records, CDs, Lasers) or top of the line, discontinued electronics, they still have a fan base I've found.

87 convertible

as a seller it's hit and miss, sometimes you do good and other times it stinks. i also find that you do a whole lot better selling in the winter months. i guess people are more apt to stay indoors when its cold out and stay on the computors more. take care