i'm actually more interested in how you arrived at '82 being the most desireable year for a 3rd Gen on account of it being Motor Trend's car of the year - given the fact that many improvements were made in the following years.

 

That pretty well sums it up for me too. I'd also like to add '87 was the last year for the Z28 as it was introduced to us in '82 with the contrasting rocker panels and striping.

 

Among the camaros i like the 87 IROCs with the first gen wheels, i like the leather seat looks, 86 had god awful seats. 350 of coarse, plus standard with rear disc brakes on L98 iroc plus optional on z28 too. They look the best in my opinion, only thing i dont like about the 87 year was that it was serpentine/v belt setup on the car. As for the firebirds interior they hardly changed but i prefer the air bag wheel on the TAs. My favorite year would be 1990, due to the updated MAP and ecm, gained 5hp and kept the 80s body style with the new interior update such as the airbag, cup holders in the door.

I own a 91 and while it took a while for the front noise to grow on me, i grew to like it in its own way. 89 for the firebird is a close second to 90 for me.

 

The thread title is 'Most desirable year', not 'Most improved year'.

'82 was the first year of the 3rd gens. Collectors tend to focus on 'first', 'last', 'least built', etc.

'82 was nearly all new, designed on a clean sheet of paper but within 70 Lbs of the 1967 Camaro. They sold well, second only to the '84s in terms of sheer numbers built.

'82 was also the only 3rd gen year to be selected to pace the Indianapolis 500. The actual pace car and a backup were built at Van Nuys, a first. The '67 and '69 pace cars were built at Norwood.

Want me to continue...?

 

As far as desirable IROCs give me a '88 drop top in yellow. Very uncommon and few exist to this day.

 

89 as well for me for Trans Am's. Rear pbrs, decent rear end, Steering wheel with the buttons, 85-90 styling, ttops with the L98. 88 comes in close second with the digital dash and subwoofer system

Really epitomised the 3rd gen /80s era for me. GTA opulence (88 cars) With 90s introduction of the airbag and the 91+ banshee stlying, seems like the platform was more soldiering on as the 4th gen was queueing up to take over.

I hear the comment above about the 82 cars being closest to what the designers wanted, and that means something. Aero, jet fighter styling. Clean and purposeful. lol, then the 80's got into full swing

I have a '90 BTW

 

I think with the variations from year to year, the best year will be more a matter of opinion than fact. The later years had the most improvements and the best performance, but lost some of the features people liked from the earlier cars (IROC package, interior, etc.).

For me, I prefer the 91-92 cars because they have the best performance combined with styling I prefer. However, for styling, it gets complicated... I prefer the 91-92 RS/Z28 ground effects, but I like the RS wedge spoiler over the Z28 wing.

 

my assumption (and i believe the assumption of most) when presented with the OP's question, "which is the most desireable year for a Third Gen?" is that the question was asked in terms of, ["if i were looking to buy a Third Gen, what year should i look for, as in, which is the best car?"] not in terms of ["if i were a car collector, what are some of the 'According to Hoyle' collector's notes that i can apply to Third Gens, as in, what year of Third Gen would be best suited for my Historic Automotive Museum?]

if you want to get the best looking (subjective) and best performing (objective) Third Gen for your money, 1982 aint it. if it were an election between 10 possible candidates (82-92) by an educated, informed electorate, 1989 would probably win (objective).

 

Remove styling from the equation (both interior and exterior) since it's totally subjective...

...what makes 1989 objectively the best year? Best performance? Best options available? For some reason I'm not seeing it...

 

It's funny how you are all comparing showroom STOCK cars if you never want to modify anything then maybe an 1989 would be the best ...

Luckily for me and my "old school" style build, the '82 has many desirable traits (carb fuel system, 4 speed thats less prone to gernadeing than the T5, and now old enough to be inspection and emmissions exempt in UT! ... And I've never been outrun by a TPI car )

NOW if I'm looking into doing a LS1/4L60E/T56 combo car, then a later car with a FI fuel system and hydraulic clutch is way more desirable !

I think end useage / combo needs to be decideded before desirability comes into question ...

Drag car: Sport coupe that came with a V6 ?
Museum piece: Rare color IROC, or pace car, or 25th edition, or ?
Street machine / driver: ANY 1982-1992 F car is a great platform to start with as long as Summit/Jegs has your shipping address

Anyway Maybe that gets my .02$ out without being to confusing

~DaVe

 

because objectively speaking, in this thread, 89 is carrying about half the vote.

if i had to venture a guess, i'd say it has something to do with it having the best available performance with MAF metering...

 

1989 Anyone?

 

Nevermind.

 

your also screwed if the MAF quits on you while driving, and your car wont run at all. There the most trouble some problem on TPIs that i read in the TPI section. You hardly read much about the MAP cars having issues with fuel air mixtures with them. yes there cheaper i get it, but it was not as faulty as the MAF sensors were.

 

what? did i miss something? did i say something offensive?

 

i prefer MAF for it's tunability, as do most people apparently. and i'm really just reporting the facts here, 89 seems to be the preferred year by a pretty overwhelming margin, and MAF is sometimes reported as one of the reasons why.

personally, its not like i'm saying "there's 1989, and everything else is s#!+, but if someone were looking for to buy a 3rd Gen and didnt know what to look for, i would say to look for something '89-ish. personally, i'd recommend anything from about 87-92, and that includes the later MAP metered models.

 

The ones I believe are rarest, most sought after, most collectible, most Valuable are the '82s for being the first year of the redesign. The '85s for being the first year of TPI, the '87s for the first year of 5.7. the '89 TTA for being 1 year only. The '90 Camaro for being the last year of the Iroc name with the 5.7 & body. The '92 for being the last of the thirdgens and for having the 25th anniversary badge on the Camaro with the 5.7 & the '92 Trans Am GTA 5.7 being the top lowest production t/a only like 35 or sum made in black fully loaded car. And the '92 Hawk

 

Also the 15th anniversary I believe was '84

 

82's and 84's, the most valuble? honestly, man, alot of that sounds a little mis-guided to me.

 

as for my own taste, the '87 IROCs are fine, but i dont really care for the convex wheels and typically X over silver, two-tone paint found on 87 Formula and Trans Am models.

 

1989.....Yes i am bias because i own two of them. One of them being a 1989 white G92 L98 hardtop which i have had in my driveway for about 3 hours. Brand new to me only 12K miles! Its liek xmas!!

So yes 1989

 

No. I just went and looked up the objective facts for myself. 1989 had the LB9/T5 and L98/A4 packages. They represented a hp bump over the 88s. The LB9 in the 89 is as powerful as it was through the end of the run in 92. The L98 picked up 5 more hp in the 91-92 years, but 5hp is almost negligible. The differences are MAF and 3.45 rear gears versus 3.42 gears. Minor stuff that isn't a huge deal IMO. Performance-wise, 89-92 should all be the same, so as far as I can see, the only thing that makes 89 more or less desirable is the subjective stuff like styling.

As far as options like radios, power stuff, etc., I have no idea.

 

yeah eh, I don't know how someone could overlook that!
Anyway, I like an 89 GTA/Formula and for the Camaros... I like an 87 IROC-Z

 

yeah, i think MAF is probably the main thing. and on the Firebirds, they had finally gotten away from that two-tone paint. i dont find there to be more than a negligible difference between say, an '88 and an '89, but all those minor improvements add up to, in the minds of alot of 3rd Gen'ers, 1989 being a pintacle year.

i'm not sure, but the big rear brakes may have been unavailable or less common until '89. and they may have started doing a different paint process for less fading and oxidation. maybe somebody with who is more well versed in that sort of technical data can confirm or debunk that.

 

I agree with the majority on this one, 1989 is the best year because the 3rd gens were finally fully developed with the addition of the dual converter exhaust and the aluminum calipered rear brakes.

But in 1990, that big ugly air bag steering wheel was added, and I just couldn't live with looking at that hideous thing every moment. My 1992 Formula had one of those steering wheels, and it was just gross.

 

87-89. Personally 82's are cool too.

 

IIRC 1990 5.7 cars made 245 hp as well as the '91-'92s.

 

Yeah... it's pretty much a performance plateau from 89-92 with subjective features like styling motivating people to pick 89 etc.

 

i have always been torn between 89 and 87. always tough to decide between them.

 

If you remove styling from the equation performance wise 89 is at 240 with the L98 and 230 with the LB9. Both engines have 5 hp less than 90-92 models which is NOT a big deal! What sets them apart from 90 to 92 is that you can get the stronger 9 bolt with PBRs and the full 1LE package too.
A lousy airbag and 5 hp is not gonna sway people towards 90 to 92's, but a stronger 9 bolt and a tuner friendly maf will. 89 has all of the same performance goodies that 90 to 92's have and if you throw styling back in its a landslide!!! A 89 is JUST as capable as a 90-92 but with the true Iroc Z interior look and best performance goodies that were available with the 90-92's. Count the 89 votes and it's the most desired camaro on this thread by a margin.

 

ahem.... and more so for the Firebirds.

 

Decent, higher end 1982's, are kind of hard to find now. I started shopping "used" for third gens around 1988. 1982's were the least valuable at the time and project grade automatics were plentiful. Lots of transmission and engine issues. A great number of these cars didn't make it to ten years of age. The values through the 90's and early 2000's was so terrible, many that managed to survive were sold to kids and to small track racers (death sentence for most). I still see them getting parted out and crushed. Supply and demand. Eventually not too far off there will be more demand than supply for the first year. Later years have enjoyed a far better survival rate, even if they were made in smaller numbers. How many 1991 Formulas or GTA's are available right now? Far more than comparable 1982 Trans Am's.

 

mmm, i sorta disagree. sounds to me like you (and others) are confusing rarity with desireability. in a sense, its like saying that a 1979 Fox Body Mustang (first year) is more desireable than an '87 LX or GT. it isn't. its more rare, but its less desireable. in fact, its more rare because its less desireable. far fewer people desire to have, keep, or restore a '79 or any pre-'87, 4-eyed Fox body for that matter, - and so it is with the 82-84 (and to lesser extent, other pre-'87) F-Bodies.

i have seen in this thread, that some, in a subjective way, feel that the earliest models were the purest form of what the designers had envisioned. okay-(bowling ball wheels and big rear window wipers)-whatever. and for sure, some early-model owners and fans are gonna feel some kinda way about what i'm saying, but facts is facts. to a far greater and much more real extent, performance was compromised on the earlier models. and that affects the way people remember Third Gens in general.

 

Ha ha we are all never going to agree on what year is the most 'desirable'. That term also further splits us when we talk about people that prefer a Firebird or a Camaro.

On the basis of strictly dealing with a 100% factory stock car - I agree with the focus on the '89-'92 model years of cars. At that point (if optioned correctly) they could be optioned with many of the factory go-fast parts. Most of the bugs had been worked out by that point in time as well. Different people are going to like different years and models for different reasons.

If we start talking about modifying the car then the whole equation changes. It won't take that long to see that (just on this website alone) there are cars that are 100% bone stock and some that have really been hopped up through various levels of performance modifications.

So yes on the basis of performance and originality as the top priorities I feel that the '89-'92 model year cars hold the torch on that one - if we are talking about 100% stock cars.

Once someone starts modifiying the car the entire equation changes. I like Z28's and IROC's. There are a lot of sleepers on this site as well. Someone could get a RS, Z28, IROC, Trans-Am, etc. and leave it looking mostly stock and really increase the performance. These cars were blessed with the small block Chevrolet V8 engine. It is very easy to increase the performance on this kind of engine to the level that you and your budget will allow.

So when we start talking about whats desirable or not thats a highly personal question. Ha ha even if we go that direction everyone on this website is not going to agree on which year (even for a moddified car) is most desirable. So the question then becomes what is desirable to you? Go after that. The car is yours, this is a free country and you can do what you want.

 

[quote=yaj15;5331493]

of course thats true. but it isnt necessarilly about everyone coming to a 100% consensus. its about, when a lay-person, or a person interested in buying a 3rd Gen for the first time asks you, "at roughly what time-frame were these cars at their best?" or "around what model year should i look for?" to say, "89-ish" is a safe answer, and has been shown to be generally accepted here among those of us who know best.

 

I definitely get the reasoning for wanting an 89 with the MAF system in it, but that's not going to affect general desirability in the market place as a whole. It's like saying 87 is the best year because it has roller cams. Thats a huge deal for guys like us, but it probably doesn't mean much to an appraiser.

I'd say the only years that aren't special are the 83, 84, 86, and 89 models.

The 83-84 models because theyre pretty much the same as the 82's, maybe with minor tweaks.

The 86 models were probably the low point of the whole generation. Goofy one year only parts, flat tappet cams, and the lowest power ratings in a while, transmission availability limitations, etc.

The 87 was the first year of the 350 and roller cams, and the LB9 T5's were cool too.

89 was mostly the same as 88, especially visually, dont really see any good reason to choose an 89 over an 88 for desirability reasons.

The 90's were a neat last ditch half year thing to get a few more IROC's out, that's always going to be a neat hybrid year car.

The 91 and 92's are pretty much the same, but one year is the first year of the makeover, and the other is the last year of the thirdgen and the 25th anniversary.

Now if we're talking pure performance desirability and best to work on, best base platform for a great car... I'd go out of my way to get an 87-92 car with a preference to 89-92 because of the better performance options over those years, even though we are pretty much the only people who are even aware of those options.

 

[quote=InfernalVortex;5331972]

actually, i think you're making the case for '89 being the 'most desireable' year.
first of all, what this whole thread is about, is the the market place as a whole coming to guys like us and asking our advice. it's definitely not about what our cars appraise for. that's why people here are saying ["look for an 89-ish IROC or Formula"] not "look for a '92 Firehawk."

and which one of those years has the more tuneable Mass Airflow Metering? Bingo!

then...we would be the people to ask. and those who know, tend to agree...

 

[QUOTE=Linson;5332094]No disagreements... just a matter if you're talking about desirability from a collectability angle or a hot rodder angle. An 89 isnt going to mean anything special for a collector. A 90-92 car will because Speed Density setups made more power from the factory.

All the most valuable cars are completely stock and low miles. That means the tunability of MAF systems isnt really a factor unless you're a hot rodder.

 

I give many thanks for everybody that replied on my thread. Everybody has made good points and opinions on what would be considered the most desirable year thirdgen to own. Some have gotten off topic thinking this thread is about value, collectability and rarity. Very few thirdgens are considered rare. Does it make them valuable? No. Out of the few rare thirdgens out there, even fewer would considered valuable. How valuable? Probably not enough to be worth more than $30,000. And that would be a prestine unrestored car with probably less than a 10,000 miles on it. I doubt that any thirdgen will be worth $50,000 to $100,000 plus, in the years to come. These cars arent hemi cuda convertibles, 427 Z28's or 454 chevelles from the late 60's to early 70's which some people like to compare thirdgens to. I didnt buy my iroc as an investment but for the love of the car. I like driving it and working on it and knowing that there isnt any car made that looks like a thirdgen. Now that being said, I agree that the 88 and 89 thirdgens are practically the same. The only things I can think of right now that are different is 89 had the cold start injector delete and vats which the 88 cars didnt have. I also consider 91's and 92's basically the same car with no differences between them. Atleast the camaro's. Not forsure about the firebirds. You also get the arguement about MAF and MAP sensors. Which one is better? Each one has high and low points. MAF is more accurate for measuring airflow into the engine and people like them for tunabilty. Downside, it goes bad, your engine doesnt run or runs very bad. MAP isnt as accurate at measuring airflow in the engine as it uses engine vacuum to calculate how much air is going into the engine. Goodside is that the engine still runs if it goes bad. Does either one give you more power or mileage? Probably not. So, either system will do for most thirdgeners. Probably get alot of arguements for all of this LOL. The thing is, this thread is about what year thirdgen you wanted to buy when you wanted to buy one and did you have to settle for a different year if you couldnt get the one you wanted. It seems that 89 is the most desirable/popular year to have as from everybodys posts. I say dont buy the car thinking its going to be worth something in the future but buy it so you can have fun working on it and have fun driving it.

 

Oh heck,

Might as well throw in the 85 Camaro....The 1985 Camaros brought on a slight redesign and a new era of performance in the Camaro world. They would all get new front bumpers, but the Z28 and the newly introduced Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z28 also had extended and redesigned ground effects, a new hood, new taillights, and a new rear bumper to accomodate the valances.

 

Too bad your combo is vaporware...no such thing as a yellow 88 IROC

 

The most desirable years will be 89-92. Picking an individual year is a matter of preference or a case of "I own that year and I think it's the best." The performance is the peak of thirdgens and is about the same from 89-92, with very minor and almost negligible differences across the span. Also, in this year group you have the rarest and most desirable options available:

Firehawks
1LEs
R7Us
B4Cs
TTAs
L98 A4s
LB9 T5s
N10
IROC-Z
Formulas
25th Anniversary Edition
Heritage Package
'verts

Also, the beauty of it is you can choose your favorite thirdgen styling features... you can get the IROC-Z look, the 85-90 gfx, the 91-92 gfx, the new interior with the new gfx, the new interior with old gfx, etc. The only "looks" that aren't represented are the 82-84 and some of the color/interior schemes from 82-88. I think you also miss out on a few rare 'bird features like the digital dash.

 

For me it comes down to the looks more than the performance when I buy a 3rd gen. Mostly because i'm most likely going to change the engine and trans anyway. With that said though. I'm not a fan of 82-84 F-bodies for the most part. For Birds, it has to be an 85-90. The best looking 3rd gen camaro is a 91-92 Z-28 Hands down. I don't mind 91-92 Birds but prefer 85-90.

 

1987 was the last year for the yellow IROC-Z, is that correct? That was my main reason for including the '87 in my list of "most desirable. My "dream IROC" would be a 1987 yellow w/ tan leather interior, power everything, T-Top, 4 wheel disk brakes, 350 TPI or even 305 TPI w/T5 tranny. By no means a performance giant, but my favorite from an appearance point of view.

 

i have a '90 iroc , but if i would were to get another camaro, it would be somthing before '87 because i like carbs, im not a big fan of tpi or tbi , im not good with computers, i like simplicity. but at the same time i like its stock 210 hp. but for looks thats tough, you cant really go wrong in our 10 years but i do fancy a 91,92 fender/side "scoops".
but at the same time, i wouldnt have a problem getting a trans am, just a nicer quality car. but it is to each their own , and were all one big family after all

 

I agree it depends on personal preference. I prefer the cars that you don't see every day like the 82 pace car or the 87 LT convertible that I own.

 

*Borg-Warner rear axle *RS available in only California

so you have a borg-warner rear axle?

 

[quote=InfernalVortex;5332573]A 90 to 92 f-body had 5 more hp than a 89 and as far as you thinking that it will be more desirable to collector for having 5 more hp is a complete joke!!!89 to 92 are the best years and its all about personal preference from there. Choose your year carefully buddy before you drop a line, I personally feel that 89 is a desirable year cause of the 9 bolt, pbr brakes, 1LE, deluxe interior(same like 88-92), maf, dual cats, and the OG iroc interior look. Thats my honest opinion, but if your down for 90-92's thats cool as well!

 

I have a soft spot for the 82-83 TA's. Nothing to do with the performance, or lack there of. It's the looks of the things that have me hooked. The less is more body style, with a more streamlined appearance, and less plastic on the outside. The PMD seats on the 82's are just too cool! I never owned an 82, but did own THREE 1983's, all bought new. 1st one was totaled at one week old. Number 2 was a true lemon that was caused when the factory installed an iron duke radiator in a V-8 car. There was a factory recall. The engine cooked itself, and although GM finally fixed it, it got traded for a new K-5 Blazer. It had been worked on so much, it would never be right. Number 3, was bought at the end of the 83 model year, because I really missed the first two. I kept it for 20 years. It was virtually trouble free. Now I have an 86 WS6. Not the best year, as the HP on the TPI's were not that impressive. That goofy third brake light mounted on top of the hatch glass looks like someone superglued it on as an afterthought. The rubber spoiler is just plain crappy! My car has a very unique history, and it only has 29K actual miles on the clock, so I will have learned to love it despite its shortcomings in design. It is a good car mechanically, fun to drive, and gets lots of positive comments from the general public. It even has four first place show wins, however to a true thirdgen fan, it is not the best year. The 87-89 Camaro IROC's and Z-28's get my vote as the best all around thirdgen. I have never owned one, but hope to one day. Best look, performance, and quality in my opinion. However, opinions are like butts. Everyone has one, and everyone's is different. As for collectable, find a special editions whatever with low production numbers in prisitine condition, low mileage, and unmolested. Those are the cars that will increase in value. Pace cars and such.

 

[quote=lozantius82;5335080]