I think IROC has more instant nostalgia value to people and that is worth money. Go up to someone that knows nothing about cars and say IROC-Z and the response is, “Oh wow, my friend in high school had one of those!” Or “Everyone wanted one of those in high school, you’d get so many girls”. Etc..

Say GTA and they don’t know what you’re talking about and don’t remember them instantly. If you showed a picture they’d say, “oh yeah, I guess I remember seeing those”

The IROCs stood out and are remembered, good or bad.. But nostalgia is king.. People will pay for nostalgia and that’s what people want..

That’s why the Bandit T/A brings money, because it’s nostalgia..

Other than that you have to have a following in a different way like Grand Nationals and GNX.. People that used to race remember those cars (usually getting beat by them).. so they bring good money for those memories even though many “non car” people still can’t picture a Grand National off hand.. The Turbo Trans Am gets a boost in price for having that motor, but they weren’t remembered at the track as much as the Grand National.

I’d even say the 1991-92 Z28’s don’t bring the money that the IROCs do because they weren’t instantly remembered the same way. Everyone in high school didn’t want a “91 Z28”.. They wanted an “IROC..”

The guys I knew that were into racing preferred Formulas too.. The GTA was seen as luxurious and stylish but not so much “fast”.. We always thought of them as “cool” and close to a Corvette.. Non car people even back in the 80s/90s would confuse GTAs with Corvettes..

I do also think Pontiac’s absence from the market hurts the appreciation of those cars. Like them or not, the newer Camaro has a following. I know groups of 5th and 6th gen owners that hang out together and go on cruises, etc. The Camaro name is still alive and well and people are thinking about the generations actively. At cruise nights and shows there’s always people that want to get all the generations lined up.

I never see third gen firebirds represented at shows.. only 2nd gen..

I think things could happen to change that, but something like a big popular movie character driving a GTA would have to wake up the public to those cars.. I do think IROC prices will bring up awareness to 80s cars in general and T/A prices will follow as IROC prices followed the Grand National..

Monte SS prices are starting to go up too..

I’m actually surprised how bad the 5.0 Mustang prices are doing in comparison, but the cars don’t show that well and their usefulness as a cheap way to get good track times is pointless now when a new Camaro SS can break 11 seconds off the lot with minor tuning.. You have to be fast, or really cool looking to bring money.. The build quality and interiors on the Fox body was pretty bad..

Thats my pocket change on that..

The IROC racing series has some to do with popularity, plus the fact that IROC Camaro’s were everywhere and Trans Am’s/GTA’s were much less popular.

It’s just the iconic nature of the car.. it was “the” car of the 80s.. When they came out everyone wanted one..

The IROC in 1985 was one of the best looking cars of the era. I knew Vette guys that bought IROCs because they preferred them. It was ahead of its time and Car and Driver Author at the time said,

“It is very fast, and very good at all the things we expect sports coupes to do. In terms of price-performance ratios, it is probably a better buy than its stablemate the Corvette…The Camaro looks like a hundred- thousand-dollar car, and if we saw Camaros as seldom as we see Ferraris, we’d probably pay that for it.”

Compared to the Mustang it looked like a car a decade more advanced in design..




The GTA looked amazing, but came out 2 years after the IROC and wasn’t produced in the same numbers as far as I know.. I always felt like the guys with Firebirds liked Camaros ok, but there were subtle things better about the Firebirds that certain car guys were drawn to. The GTA was nicer and more luxurious and the Formulas were lighter and faster from what I remember owners of birds saying big reasons why they preferred them.

A car, a song, etc becoming iconic and nostalgic is out of any individual’s control.

Mustang was always cheaper.. I’m sure Ford Escorts outsold IROCs too but it’s a combination of things that make it a classic.

Many guys I knew that bought IROCs loved them and saw them as future classic cars even at the time.

Most of my friends that bought Mustangs just wanted a cheap, fast car they could make into a 13/12 second car as cheap as possible..

I do not see Foxbodys at cruise nights and car shows almost ever. I think they maybe got more beat on than the Camaros and they really don’t have what it takes to be a “classic” IMO. I’m not trying to be mean but I just notice IROCs turn heads and Fox Mustangs don’t..

I actually see clean GTAs holding pretty good parity on asking price with equivalent miles/conditions IROCs in my area....maybe ya save a few $100 sliver on reduced “fame” factor but not a ton by any means.

The IROC will always be more readily recalled by Joe Q Sidewalk as 88 aptly described...however let’s not forget the Italian R*tard Out Cruising and all the other slams that are also occasionally remembered (by non car enthusiasts usually) too.

Conversely a really clean GTA today instead gets the “mystery” factor- not readily recalled positively OR negatively by the majority of folks yet screams a killer 80s aesthetic that has them going “wow- what’s that??!”, in no small part due to the wheels. The GTA stands out from all the boring I4 crossovers on today’s roads even a bit more than an IROC or C4, imo.

The Mustang name in general has a bigger following, but in the 80s the Fox mustangs just weren’t super awesome looking or built well..

I remember sometimes thinking, “Oh is that a Ford Escort off in the distance?” And then hearing the Flowmaster “Whooo Whooo” sound and saying, “Nope, It’s a Mustang..

I was a mustang fan as a kid and the first car I looked at buying as a teenager was a 1987 Mustang LX 5.0. I couldn’t find the car on the car lot because it was so bland.. The interior felt like I was in my Mom’s Taurus.

I saw a 1985 Z28 with TPI and T-Tops on the same lot and that instantly settled the debate.. My dad (not a car guy) said of the Camaro, “That thing looks like it eats road”.. The 85 Z28 looked like a million bucks and the 87 Mustang looked like 500 bucks..

I agree.. I think the IROCs are getting a little overpriced too soon because of their instant nostalgia factor and the Firebirds are a better buy right now. They are priced fairly and climbing in value steadily.

They definitely turn heads and have a classic car appearance and are uncommon.

I do think the fame the IROCs have like you pointed out can also be bad because of the infamous “I Reak Of Cologne” stereotype.. Firebirds don’t have jokes and haters, but like some say, If you’re getting hated on, you’re doing something right..

I never thought much about it, but yeah, the first time I sat in an F-Body I did feel super low and looking over that long hood..

It felt like a real sports car, aggressive and stylish.. I remember thinking, “this feels like a Corvette”. It might feel awkward and scary to some people, but I thought the feeling was awesome and what I was looking for..

The Mustang was closer to driving a Taurus or Escort.. Very “family sedan” feeling which I guess was easier to get used to for average consumers. The price was much better too.. IROCs were expensive and GTAs even moreso, right?

I know an IROC convertible sticker price was in line with a Corvette but weren’t loaded GTAs as well?

I’m not saying there isn’t a following, but the prices are not going up. Collectors and classic car aficionados don’t seem to be interested in the Fox body. The general public dismissed the Fox Body.. The newer generation Mustangs have a big following and I think are better future classics than the new Camaros..

I’m actually surprised because I think the Fox following used to be huge through the 90s. They just haven’t aged well and there’s no demand for them.

Another underperforming car is the early C4 Vettes.. They didn’t age well and there’s no demand..

I agree with you 100%.. That’s why the Fox’s were so popular and were at the track more than the IROCs.. But as a classic car the IROC is the winner.. With new cars doing 11 seconds stock no one cares about a 13 second car that looks like an Escort..

People either want to cruise a classic that turns heads and defines a decade or buy a new car that instantly tears up the track..

I think that’s why the Fox is not a great classic investment..

Guys interested in the track now will get a Hellcat, LS swap, Roush Mustang, etc.. No loyalty when it comes to track times..

I think a TTA still has room to go up in value.. most cars aren’t good investments and even exotics people spend big money and end up losing when they sell. If they will appreciate it will be long term.

My IROC doubled in value according to what I see. I can’t believe how cheap I got it for, but that was when low mile cars were in the low teens and museum quality ones were under $25k.

I didn’t buy it for investment, but that’s why you should buy cars you like, keep them in good condition and see what happens..

Looking at it as an investment if you like Firebirds, now is the time to buy.. IROCs I think have hit a ceiling and we will see prices drop again before they eventually go up long term. They won’t be able to move all the cars at these hyped up prices and they’ll come back down a bit.

I think Grand Nationals have been at a ceiling for a little while now and I know people having a hard time selling nice ones.. They won’t budge on price though..

I think Monte SS could be a good buy right now.. I’ve toyed with the idea of buying one..

I think the TTA went up a lot since the 90s, but it hit a ceiling and the IROCs caught up..

I think Formulas and GTAs will have room to go up but probably will never have the over hyped prices.. that’s probably not a bad thing..

I guess I see Fox’s going for cheap around here.. Maybe that’s changing..

I was seeing 87-93 5.0 fox’s With 30-40k for $8k-10k within the past 12 months..

Now looking it looks like you can get a decent one in the mid teens and the verts are surprisingly cheap..

The LX hatch 5.0 are really cheap.. The GT and Notchback seem to bring better $$

I see a couple low mile examples in the 20s..

I always distiguished between Trans Am and GTA, but maybe some people don’t..

Yeah, I am surrounded by C3 Corvettes. They are everywhere.. C4 too.. I feel those prices are lower because so many people babied them and there’s a ton of inventory for sale from people that don’t drive it, or want a newer Vette.

The “pony cars” all got modded and raced to death so to find a bone stock preserved car is rare.

I’m surprised how much cheaper the Mustang convertibles are.. It’s interesting..

I think with Mustangs the following were guys that went to the track and those guys don’t like convertibles..

I think with F-bodies there were track guys and guys that just liked to cruise in them.

If I was looking for 1/4 mile times I wouldn’t get a Vert..

I knew more guys with F-bodies that kept them Bone stock and wanted to preserve the car and with Mustangs it seemed like those guys couldn’t wait to start modding the hell out of it to collect time slips.. Not a convertible crowd I guess..