This guy in Hemmings claims he has a "Rare" 87 350 Vert. Wonder how "Rare" it really is?

I posted his ad below:

Year / Make / Model City / State / Date Posted
$ 24,998 1987-1987 Chevrolet Camaro Third-Generation Volo, IL

1987 CHEVROLET CAMARO
THIS IS ONE OF THE TWO 5.7 LITER IROC CONVERTIBLES MADE. FULLY DOCUMENTED AND YOU'RE BUYING IT FROM THE ORIGINAL OWNER, A COLLECTOR THAT SPECIAL ORDERED THIS CAR. THE BOOKS SAY THE 350 WAS NEVER BUILT IN A CONVERTIBLE BECAUSE THE COMBINATION MADE THE CAR TOO HEAVY WHICH PUT IT IN TO A DIFFERENT EPA CATEGORY WHICH MEANT NEW TESTING THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN EXPENSIVE. THIS IS THE 9TH IROC CONVERTIBLE BUILT AND 1 OF 2 THAT DID GET FITTED WITH THE 5.7 350 ENGINE. COMES WITH THE ORIGINAL BUILD SHEET, SALES INVOICE AND SHIPPING PAPERS. A LOADED 44,500 MILE, ALL ORIGINAL CAR IN MINT CONDITION. THIS CAR WILL BRING HUGE MONEY SOMEDAY. ALSO AVAILABLE 12 MONTH 12,000 MILE WARRANTY ON MOST CARS ONLY $899.00. DON'T FORGET TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR RECORD BREAKING FINANCE RATES".
Options and Accessories:

5.7 MOTOR
POWER LOCKS
POWER WINDOWS
POWER TRUNK
PULSE WIPERS
A/C
TILT
FOG LAMP
POWER ANTENNA
GUAGE CLUSTER
CD STEREO
DOCUMENTATION

 

get the vin number from the seller, that will tell all.

It's rumored that there were Camaro vert's with 350's in them, but they were T-Top coupes bought by a private party and then shipped to ASC for conversion. Not authorized by Chevrolet.

So they would have a 2 in the vin instead of a 3.

 

I'd have to see proof that a private party was able to send a car to ASC. Everyone here says it never happened. Even mine went through GM channels.

Anyway, I wonder about the authenticity of that. Get the VIN. Verify the engine code, and the check digit. The seller sure doesnt have his story straight though, the 350 and 305 are almost identical in weight, not sure where he was trying to go saying that the 350 was heavier, thats just plain BS.

Definitely get the VIN though or let someone here follow up, I dont think anyone has found an ASC converted Camaro with a factory installed 350 yet.

 

in 87 (the first year of factory/ASC production) not all factory verts had the convertible digit in the VIN... some real verts still had the coupe number.

 

i agree get the VIN, and that will show you the real side of the story...

 

When I saw the location of Volo Ill, I decided to check the Volo Auto Museum website to find this car. I found it. It wasn't listed in Hemmings online anymore.

I called them to get more info and they were closed. They open tomorrow at 10am. I'll call 'em then. I also noticed the leather seats are incorrect. Don't all 87 leather seats have just the front surfaces leather and the rest is a fabric? Like my car? This car has full leather seats which I don't believe to be real. I also noticed that the car doesn't have the 20th anniversary map pocket on the dash!

http://www.volocars.com/showroom/sho...w=new_arrivals

 

Therefor an aftermarket customer conversion.

My information comes from the Camaro White Book. That states that ASC converted customer owned cars into convertibles in 86 and 87, and that some of them were 350's.

Now the White Book could be wrong, but somehow I doubt it.

I have fabric and leather, it's the only way they came fron GM.

 

Hey Scott, '87 was full leather. In '88-'89 it became leather seating surfaces.... '90 went back to full leather.

 

Looks like the armrest is covered in same leather, too. Custom job through and through.

 

I've been to the Volo Museum. They get all sorts of stuff in there, from originals to low mileage modified stuff, to old junk. The guy I talked to seemed to know the cars though.

 

I was referring to the seat itself, not the front leather and the rear seats in fabric. My seats are leather on the seating surface and fabric on the back side of the seats. They are still original. The door panels are of the same fabric as the seat backs.

 

That's what I meant too, the seat is all leather, the sides and back are fabric.

 

They look recovered to me. Generally replacement and repaired upholstery doesnt fit right. Notice all the wrinkles near the beads.

 

weight difference between 305 and 350? A load of crap, its all a lie.