I'll try to make a long story short here. I appreciate everyone's time.


When I was around 10 my dad purchased a 1990 IROC-Z Convertible for my mom. From the second I saw it, I absolutely fell in love with it. It was, and still is, the most favorite car I have ever been in.

To make a long story agonizingly short, a year after purchasing it, they traded it in on a Jeep. The Z sat on the dealers lot for at least a year before he finally sold it to someone else.


I am now in a position to recapture a bit of my childhood. The car that I am looking for is:


1990 IROC-Z Convertible
Black with a single bright blue line along the bottom
Automatic Transmission


I have seen only one like it, and it might have been it. I know that 90 was a 1/2 year, looking for only one color combination is going to be tough, and finding one in good shape with somewhat reasonable mileage is going to be real tough.

My question is: How tough is it going to be?

Probably tough but you never know. I can't even find the car in my sig in mint condition and it doesn't even seem like a big task or a rare car, but it's almost 4 years of looking. (and I have a limit of about $8,000 too!!) Sometimes I feel like settling for something close like a different color or something but I don't know if I could.

My advice to you is to take any 87-90 black IROC convertable in mint condition, if that's what you are set on. Waiting for the absolute perfect one will more than likely make you crazy and frustrate you beyond belief. (got experience with that ) I also wanna say that nice IROC's are popular/sought after and will sell real fast if not overpriced. www.AutoTrader.com is probably your best bet. When you find one and the ad sounds/looks good, call right away and go see it, don't wait, not even a day. Chances are someone will be faster and get it before you. It's happened to me before and it's not fun. I've seen them advertised for 2 days and I call the 2nd day or a few days later and get the "just sold it" BS. Also, make sure you go after a 305 TPI G92 car whether it's an Auto or 5-Speed. There were also no 350's in convertables ever, don't be fooled by someone claiming that they have one stock. Once you get the car, have SFC's installed. Have fun, hope you find it.

Good luck on finding the cars you guys want. I am about to feel your pain. My wife wants a black 92 25th ann. Z28, black interior, t-tops, and an auto. in good shape so she can put white stripes on it and have a complete opposite looking car then my white 92 with black stripes. I am always on the look out for third gens so I will try to keep you guys in mind if I run across anything like what you guys want.

I have one, triple black with a leather interior. No stripe though, since it was painted by one of the previous owners and not replaced.

She wants a T-top car no convertibles! It has to look like this but black (the stripes are gonna be painted on later)....

Too bad you don't have the VIN (did your dad keep paperwork on it?)... you could put the VIN into something like Carfax and see what inspection stations it's been too and drive around that area and do a stake out for that car... and probably get arrested in the process.

There was one for sale here in La Crosse two years ago. I had a chance to buy it. Frankly the price vs. the condition steered me elsewhere. But it was black with a blue stripe and automatic.

i agree with kerryismygirl89, hunt the exact car down... if its still in nice condition... start offering the guy insane amounts of money.. get the exact car of your dreams back... how crazy would that be to own a car years after your guys sold it again

I know the feeling, I let a silver 83 Z28 with CFI and lots of options go in February of 2000. I haven't seen a similar car around since. If you do have the VIN from the one your parents owned do a title search or get a CARFAX report to see if you can locate it.

Welp, just about 12 years later and I finally found one. I was close many, many times. Most recently with a car in California (Im in PA) where the owner was a bit shady - it's actually listed on here, I found it on ebay.

The car I purchased is a 91 with about 21k miles on it. Original everything, including the paint and top. Updated GFX instead of the blue stripe, but that's A-OK considering the mileage, price, and location about an hour away.

My kids call it the speed car. I just started dating my wife in college when I made this thread.

Wow glad you found it. Now keep us updated!

Sweet. To bad it took so long, but congrats on finding one.

Cool story!

I'm proof that original cars can be found! https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/memb...ine-again.html

Yes! Great story/find. Thanks for coming back to update the thread.

Glad you were able to find one. Are you going to add a blue stripe?

Lost a sweet 85 iroc in 1997 to a goof ball in an s10 who didn't stop for a red light and rear ended me going 60. Took me 15 years to the month to find another one like it, but I did and she's in the process of being put back together.

My GOODNESS. I replied to this 12 years ago and somewhat recall it! Congratulations! That was way too long of a time lol. I myself wound up finding the car I searched 4 1/2 years for the very next summer after I posted this. It too was in a different state and I've had it ever since.

I finally got around to registering it and getting it inspected. Chevy dealer (which ironically is actually the closest service station to my house) called when they were done and said it had a bit of a crowd when it was doing the emissions test. Apparently a really well preserved 3rd gen isn't something you see every day, and some thought it wasn't going to pass with that 25 year old OE emissions equipment.

It did. No issues.

Nice find there. It's interesting to see how much attention a well preserved F-Body gets these days.

Great to hear you got her back!

My top vert color combo you have there. I remember an older gentlemen at a liquor store I worked at back in the early 90s that had an 89 very in that very color combo your dad had. Looked so sick with that blue stripe. The Z28 you found is gorgeous in its own right.