looks like the third gens did pretty well

1984 z28 with 2,600 miles $18,000
https://www.mecum.com/lots/FL0117-26...et-camaro-z28/

1985 z28 with 10,000 miles $11,500
https://www.mecum.com/lots/FL0117-26...et-camaro-z28/

1986 iroc with 25,000 miles $14,000
https://www.mecum.com/lots/FL0117-26...camaro-iroc-z/

1988 iroc conv. with 1,400 miles $27,500
https://www.mecum.com/lots/FL0117-26...z-convertible/

1991 camaro rs with 20,000 miles $9,000
https://www.mecum.com/lots/FL0117-26...let-camaro-rs/

 

Did VERY well.

 

1992 z28 conv. heritage with 97,000 miles $7,500
https://www.mecum.com/lots/FL0117-26...8-convertible/

1989 turbo ta with 50,000 miles $12,000
https://www.mecum.com/lots/FL0117-26...urbo-trans-am/

these were the nice original cars that i saw ..

 

That TTA was a deal.

 

Both of these went pretty cheap, IMO.

 

It'd be fun to pull down all the mecum stats and options and do some cost modeling... would be interesting to see if we could determine a trend and get a prediction tool.

Just glancing at the cars, it appears mileage and condition are the biggest factor in sale price. If the year was 1992, I'd pass over each car due to options. But in 2017 it's hard to find the options you want plus good condition, so I'd gladly take any of these if I had the cash and garage space.

 

The options are the biggest deal here. Of all of the low mile cars listed in post 1, the prices reflect the lack of options. The '85 Z28 is nice, but it's a 305 auto with limited options. It doesn't have ttops, power windows or power hatch. We can't tell if it has AC, cruise, etc. The '86 IROC-Z doesn't have ttops, does have a repainted front end, but is also a 305 Auto. The '91 is an RS. It doesn't have ttops or any real options, except the upgraded engine. If that car had ttops and more options, it would have sold for more.

The '84 Z28 has the best engine option, which includes other performance options, ttops, and an upgraded interior. For '84, power options weren't that big of a requirement, so I feel that car did well and is optioned fine. The '88 IROC-Z is very well optioned, has the upgraded engine and is a convertible. Looks like ttops, vert, and engine upgrades really help the value. But we already knew that!

 

t-tops dont add value to these cars .. its all preference .. i buy and sell irocs and talk to collectors all the time and a lot of them think hard tops bring more money .. but who knows , again its all preference .. convertibles are always on the top of the food chain though, same with irocs and tpi motors do also ..

 

one thing that i know for sure is the third gens are light years away from the grand nationals ..

 

1989 turbo ta with cloth interior and 994 miles for 37,000

https://www.mecum.com/lots/FL0117-26...urbo-trans-am/

 

1987 gta 43,000 miles $9,000

https://www.mecum.com/lots/FL0117-27...tiac-trans-am/

 

Strong $$ for that car, being a 5.0L auto, wrong radio, terrible hood gaps, and emblems not quite where they should be (close but not right) so it's probably a repaint.

I think they all did well considering how many of them there were in one auction. There is a B4C car coming up at Barrett Jackson this Tuesday (Same car that sold at BJ NE in June 2016) so it'll be interesting to see what it sells for with no reserve.

To continue on the comments from about, I think mileage, condition, and powertrain are most important, then color combo. Just my opinion though...

Similar to late 2nd gen TAs, in general, a 4.9L (naturally aspirated) or 5.0L car will not bring what a 6.6L 403 auto car brings, and those generally do not bring what the higher horsepower 6.6L 400 4-speed cars bring. I think it applies to these cars too... Highest HP available - L98 cars and LB9 5-speed TPI cars especially with the performance rear will be the better investments for the future (and the TTA too of course). I'll never buy another 305 auto car again. Just my opinion though

 

Third Gens did really well this auction. Out of 17 cars up for auction (14 Camaro's and 3 Trans Am's) 13 sold. 2 sold for over 20k, 6 sold for over 10K and 2 of the ones unsold had bids of 20k and 11k. The cheapest (Car with salvage title and put up for bid twice) sold for 4,250 and the highest price paid was $27,500 for a low mile Camaro IROC Convert.

More than the prices paid, the fact so many sold brings up the visibility, viability and should impact future prices.

 

What in the heck is this crap?

https://www.mecum.com/lots/LS0916-25...et-camaro-z28/


https://www.mecum.com/lots/LS0916-25...et-camaro-z28/


Whats wrong here?
https://www.mecum.com/lots/WA0614-18...ro-rs-z28-b4c/

 

Whats wrong here?
https://www.mecum.com/lots/WA0614-18...ro-rs-z28-b4c/[/QUOTE]

It may just be a personal preference thing, but anytime I see a wheel change (regardless of the automobile) it's a red flag. And that shifter...

 

Seattle is a hot bed for cheap 3rd gens. Even this time of year you will find several for sale in all conditions. Not surprised prices are low. Lots of competition.

Mecum did its first auction in Louisville last year. A lot of deserving cars either didn't sell or sold low at that auction.

Watch auctions much, and you will notice there are good markets for our cars and weak ones. Neither of these auctions are in a known hotbed market for 3rd Gens.

The fact that more and more 3rd Gens are showing up for auction is a good trend. Until collectors, rebuilders and the public see value they can make money on, 3rd gens will be a fringe car at auction. The more they are seen, and the more they sell this perception will change in our favor. Its getting better. The last 2-3 years has seen an increase in auction sales for 3rd Gens. Lets hope this trend continues and leads to higher prices.

 

It may just be a personal preference thing, but anytime I see a wheel change (regardless of the automobile) it's a red flag. And that shifter...[/QUOTE]


And the hood

 

That column change probably means someone peeled the column. People will swap the whole thing over including the wheel to save time.

 

I'd Want To Know Why The Factory Steering Wheel Was Removed.

 

The first car had bad paint. The car's mileage can't be correct because nobody would allow a car to get into this condition with the lows miles that they are advertising. The louvered head light covers I've seen out west back in the day. I haven't seen them for a long time though. If the car was truly low miles, it won't have this modification done on such a new car. People add mods like this after they've had the car, and driven the car, a bit. The Z28 rocker emblems were faded, the front turn signals aren't clear, the bumper paint is shot, and the paint behind the front tires is worn down. That black car sold for big money in that condition.

The red '92, same owner. I don't believe the mileage disclosure. The car doesn't appear to be a 3300 mile car, so it might have sold right for what it is. A 103k mile Z28!

The white B4C has the wrong shifter, wrong steering wheel, wrong stereo, flaws in the wheel coating, wrong hood, and who knows what else. When collectors see changes like this, they question the validity of the car. I'm surprised it did as well as it did.

 

Those wheels are the correct ones for a B4C. The hood and the other stuff is wrong, though! Also missing the BSM.

Edit: realize you were probably talking about the steering wheel, not wheels.

 

I'm glad it bid up to that! Would love to see what the mileage is and if it ever saw service, but no indication from the listing. My guess is it saw service and somebody "cleaned it up" to the state we see in those photos for sale.

Regarding the other two, the 90-92 odometer will show 100k+, so if the mileage is incorrect then the odometer has been tampered with. Very possible, but I have seen low mile cars that looked far worse than the mileage suggested due to poor storage conditions. They both look like they sat in the sun for a long time. With Kentucky plates, they may have been sitting in a field or an unpaved shed/garage. Tall wet grass and dirt may explain the faded rocker panels. Interior photos would help, but they're absent.

The mods, I can go either way - could be something done after time (a sign the odometer is off), but then also look at all the new gen 6 Camaro people that have aftermarket parts before they even have the car. I bet those headlight louvers were awesome back in the 80s/90s. Now, not so much . Maybe this is the thirdgen's version of the new Camaro's color change halos.

 

Looks promising! I'd like to see what the '86 in the original post would have sold for with an L98 option.