I've been searching for my first thirdgen for about 6 months now. Havent found the right one yet, but i'm being very picky and patient. I've gotten lots of advice from people here on what I should pay for what, but it seems like cars here in the bay are quite expensive. I'll see a car go up on craigslist with what I believe to be a high asking price (often double blue book). Before I know it, the car is gone. I'm basically looking for any t top car 87-90 IROC-Z, 91-92 Z/28, or 91-92 RS (love that 91-92 body style).

Example. There was a T Top 91 Z/28 LB9 auto with 170k miles. Went for 3500 before I could even take a look at it. I thought this was crazy.

There was a T Top 1992 RS L03 Auto. It was 100% stock, even exhaust and in pristine condition. Once again, went for $4500 before I even got a chance to see it. Too much?

Are my views on the value of a thirdgen skewed? Am I going to have to bite the bullet and "overpay" for one? Could this just be a phase since the 09 Camaro was announced?

 

i think they are going up in value now and i think thats very cool.

 

i checked on craigs seen a pretty nice 88 i believe burnt orange color with 18 inch iroc rims original owner car fresh engine slp headers borla exuast couple of goodies for 4,000 i thought was a good price

 

seen a white 91 or 92 z28 LB9/A4 HT for sale on craigslist for $3000

 

Saw that one. I'd jump all over it if it had T Tops. T Tops are very important to me, with our long hot summers. Plus the look of a thirdgen with the tops off is oh so sweet. I may consider checking it out anyway.

Saw that one too. Havent had a chance to check it out yet but I know the front end has been wrecked and it does show slightly.

If a car goes up on craigslist I know about it, I check twice a day and one rarely slips by. I'm just trying to get some thoughts on prices from you guys.

 

Smogged and ready to go.

http://www.craigslist.org/eby/car/140266138.html

 

I paid 5k for my stock 88 IROC (no T-top) 5.7 700R. What sold me on the $ was the list of maintanence. Since then I have painte it with new 2 1/2" Harwood cowl hood. Went through most of the suspension (Bilstien shocks, moog ball joints, sway bar, pan hard bar, etc.) and new BFG's. Been very happy with mine. Would never want T's though. Too much body flex w/out sub frame connectors and I hate leeks!

 

You know what, I always hear everyone b!tch about this problem and my car does not creak, or leak.

True that some cars do but it is usually due to neglect of the T-top parts (bushings / locks / weather strip). It is not like GM said let's make all the **** cars the T-Top ones.

I will agree that a hardtop looks great and has better structural rigidity than a T-Top at the dragstrip, but NOTHING beats a hot summer night at 2AM with the T-Tops off looking at the stars while you blast down the freeway.

 

Sounds like the start to my wifes romance novel. J/K To each there own. I do like the looks of the conv. and T's. Well most 3rd gens are sexy when restored properly.

 

How hard is it to fix body panels like fenders and hoods that dont line up right? Like remains of a poor repair job after a wreck, you know the look. I'm sure it varies, but is it usually something that can be done?

 

Oh come on...

I guess one just needs to experience a nice T-Top car first

Darkshot, lining up body panels is time consuming but a relatively easy task. A Maaco job for a daily driver can make a car look like new for cheap! Every car varies though.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Darkshot
[B]I've been searching for my first thirdgen for about 6 months now. Havent found the right one yet, but i'm being very picky and patient.
Have you checked out thirdgenusa.com?

 

ill sell you my t top car its an 84 with 92 gfx its a z28 with vette engine in it. ill give u the l69 the engine scrub tires plus a new set of street tires custom exhaust 5 spd with new clutch and resurfaced flex plate. 373 gears its black and silver with strobe lights in the fog lights. all for 4gs

 

bling bling strobes!

 

I'm going to check this one out soon actually. It fits within what i want. L03 but hey now, its gonna be a DD. Can always change that down the road if i really get the itch. For now I need something dependable that can really teach me about cars, making simple repairs and stuff.

http://www.craigslist.org/eby/car/141664691.html

Asking a high 4100. What would you guys say is a fair price? Or the most i should pay if it is truely pristine when I see it?

 

I've seen IROC's with TPI go for less.

IMHO it all depends on how much work you want to do.

But I sure wouldn't pay $4100 for an RS.

 

i have an 89 iroc ill let go for 4K

99K orignal miles clean

red 350 with a 5 speed converted of course

 

Yeah Andrew, wait around until you find a good car at a good price. $4100 is way too high for an RS. If you're paying those price ranges, consider getting a newer fourth gen.

If you wait, she will come! A clean IROC should be able to be had for under 4k

 

Stop spreading your evil 4th gen disease!!!

 

I've completely lost what little desire I ever had to get a 4th gen, so back the **** off with that catfish **** The only 4th gen i'll ever own will be junk in my side yard, with all the important parts on my 3rd.

And also, I thought I made it pretty clear that I knew 4100 was too much for that car...which is the precise reason I said this:

And lastly...you say a clean IROC can be had for under 4k, well that is exactly the point of this post. Any clean IROC i've ever seen is in the range of 5 or 6k, at which point I decide to wait him out, but before I know it, somebody comes and pays full price for it. Like I said, I saw a clean RS with 156k miles go for $4500 less than a week after it went up. Which brings me back to where I was when I made the first post.

Maybe I am just getting impatient after all the looking and all the cars i've turned down, somebody calm me down

 

If I can talk him down to around 3, should I go for it? He already reposted the ad for less money, so at this rate he's dropping it quick.

 

Andrew-

Don't be fooled by those here that are eluding to cherry thirgens for dirt cheap. ie: 3500.00-4000.00

When I bought mine back in 95' the guy wanted $9k. it had 28k miles and was a loaded g92 5.7 auto.

a non t-top car.

I thought this guy was high. I looked at that ad for two weeks and kept saying that. Finally, I went to look at it. The guy told me I was the first to come see it, but he had tons of calls over two weeks.

I paid every cent. Did not make offers.

My car had no jacking dents underneath. no rust. no scratches, all records. no cracks in the dash.

You get what you pay for. Throw out that blue book crap. it is wortheless here.

Stay clear of mods, repaints, mis-a;ighned panels, cracks on the dash at the vents (improper jacking techniques)

and yes, t-top cars that have been driven hard make noise and have flex. look for sagging hinges.

Parts are going for more money to restore now, steer away from cars that need alot of interior pieces.

 

Darkshot,

I bought my 84 Firebird with 60k original miles on it for 2100 here in the Valley.

It was owned by a little old lady since 85 and owned by her sister before that. I got all the maintence reciepets and there was nothing wrong with the car.

Infact, she kept it garaged. Had the oil changed every 4k miles and the interior? Immaculate.

I went ahead bought it, gutted it, rebuilt the front suspesion, swapped out the headers, cat and muffler, did a complete colour change both interior and exterior...

Put in an addition 2k since last April. And I'd repeat the entire thing over if I had to. Just keep your eyes open... You'll find what you want!

<3

 

So you're saying that a cracked dash isn't just a cracked dash?

My T-Top car has been driven very hard and doesnt "make noise" or "have flex".

IMO parts are cheap for a thrdgen, you just have to be savvy and hawk the yards.

Like I said earlier, it all boils down to how much you want to pay, and if it is what you want. Deals do pop up all the time, there are IROC's and Z28's under $3k on CL. I wouldn't pay even $2500 for an RS.

My IROC cost me $600.

 

Sure there are IROCs and Z28s all over craigslist for under 3k, even under 2k. But most of them are ****ed up. Wrecked, or obviously previously wrecked, interior completely destroyed, completely modded out (I dont want mods, I want to put my OWN mods on, not inherit somebody elses) or have 200,000 miles. I had one guy try to tell me the oil was changed every 50,000 miles. Anybody who truly has a "clean IROC" knows what they have and are going to be asking a lot for it. I hear all this talk of a "perfect condition original IROC w/ low miles for 3k" but I have NEVER seen one. Where exactly should I be looking? Because I must be looking in the wrong places. My IDEAL car would be a low miles (like around 100k) 87-89 IROC-Z 5.7 with T Tops. But the only ones I ever see are asking $8000+. So with this I feel I have to settle for less. My price cap is $4500. I get so confused with everybody on this site telling me what I should be finding and to "hang in there" but I am just not seeing it. I have looked at every single Camaro (and every Camero, too) that has popped up and CL, Autotrader, local paper, etc etc etc in the last 6 months and havent seen what you all are saying I should be seeing.

 

Darkshot, there's an 89 iroc (I believe) in the paper here in Fresno. I could call the guy and get details if you want me to. Or send you the number. Depends. I don't know too much about Camaro's as I'm more of a FB fan. Let me know.

Asking price 3700 and paper says low milegage, doesn't state how much, "immaculate shape both inter. and ext."

<3

 

AKA, cracked dash pad, worn driver side seat

 

And now we all know that the cracked dash means improper jacking techniques, so the frame will need to be replaced, not the dash

 

Alright twiddle dee (Brandon) and twiddle-duh (Vinny)...

I was just trying to be nice here... Ya' know? Some ppl actually do it once in a while in helping each other out!

Now why don't you both come to FresYes to come repaint my rims for me?

Or better yet... Wash my 68 for me too.

 

Dont you mean buy a 4th gen?


i hated replaceing my frame on the car

now i got to get rid of the sign that says the fram has been changed out :P

 

I checked out that car I posted (scroll up) earlier today. First look was amazing. Interior was amazing. Fired up and drove it around. Noticed a jingling sound coming from the front end when I hit a bump. Didnt pay much mind. Was with my dad, he took it out on the highway for a good 10 miles. He noticed the car "floating" a little bit. Took it back to the guys house and checked out the front end. The jingling noise was the end links for the sway bar, they were completely shot and just hanging there rendering the bar useless. Also the tie rods were loose and you could jiggle them around. I looked under the hood after getting off the highway and the engine was BLEEDING GREEN out from under the intake manifold, left side and right side right in the front of it. Is this likely to be a gasket, or a warped/cracked block/manifold? What could cause a 135,000 mile L03 to bleed green out from under the manifold? I guess it must have had the **** beat out of it because I thought these engines were longevity champs. The car has an amazing non wrecked body, would be great for a swap but I think when I outline the problems and offer him what the car is really worth he will just blow me off and screw over the first person who fails to notice the issues. Thoughts? Whats it worth? A grand? 1500?

 

Well you have just experienced what I would like to call :

REALITY

These cars are closing on 20+ yrs old. Do NOT expect mint condition in your price range.

 

intake maniflold gaskets are easy to swap, i bet thats the issue since thier is water jackets to both sides of the front of the intake manifold. could even be a leaking thermostat housing. and front suspension is really cheap to replace for these cars. endlinks, ball joints, all about 20 bucks a peice if that. if everything else is sound, i say pick it up if thats all the issues. however it is an l03 and it needs to be swapped for a real engine anyways.

 

Thank you, that was a very helpful post. I suppose if I do end up picking it up, I will fix the intake real quick first, then concentrate on the suspension. The L03 did not seem the be running too great, I heard what sounded like a bearing noise, like a wooshing noise like running water from a faucet or small metal ***** rolling down a piece of sheet metal coming from the engine. This could have just been one of the accessories, but i'm not sure. I'll ride the L03 into the ground for as long as possible while I concentrate on fully rebuilding the front end and save up for the motor work.

vindeezl: I realize i'm not going to find perfect, but I guess I thought coolant seeping out was a much bigger deal than it is, I didnt realize it was an easy fix as TraviZ has pointed out to me. And after shopping for parts I realize that the front end is not as big of a deal as I thought either. This is actually a very nice car.

That being said, would I be crazy to offer 2500?

 

It might be an easy fix, it might not. Without seeing it firsthand all we can do is guess, but for a competent mechanic, yes intake gaskets are easy.

If it is nice and is what you want, pay what you are willing to pay. I can't make it any clearer than that.

 

i agree, pay what you think its worth. if you feel your paying more then what you want to for that particular vehicle, then dont do it, offer him what you want and if he says no, leave it at that.

easier said then done though.

 

sold my camaro today for 4gs even gave him my pro5.0 shifter

 

sold my camaro today for 4gs even gave him my pro5.0 shifter

 

sold my camaro today for 4gs even gave him my pro5.0 shifter

 

Wow triple post!

Go for the gold!

 

Find a car yet? I've changed my plans about pulling the engine and tranny from this since I can't get anyone to buy it as a roller and I've no time to part it out. A good vacuuming on the inside and you'r in pretty good shape.

Engine is an LO5 (350) crate with just under 60K miles on it, the tranny has less than 20K on it and was put together with some upgraded stuff. I cold put you in touch with the previous owner for details.

I'll also toss in an IROC hood (needs some work) and everything you need to convert to TPI.



http://home.earthlink.net/~passnb4u/1991rspics/

$2000/obo and you can now be a Camaro owner too

 

I am going to agree with this completely. Almost all of our cars have been put through some sort of abuse in the nearly 20 years of existence and the ones that are truly nice are going to comand a premium. I got lucky and found mine as a police impound. The body was straight, the car was modded but not so heavily that it couldn't be reversed, and the interior needed some panel replacement but nothing huge. My suggestion is find the best car in your price range and run with it. Most of the extraordinarly nice cars you see on this site people either paid top dollar for, or have owned for many years and have put countless hours into them. I currently own the latter of the two descriptions. Besides why buy a car and it not have little "personnality quirks" just gives you more time to spend with it. I guess I look at it that way because I have never owned a new car. *shrug*
-SmallTires

 

There ARE clean cars for 4k. Not mint, but clean. I myself was going to buy one a few years ago, but ended up getting my T/A. He wanted $3800. Completely stock '89 IROC-Z, L98 G92. Red with T-tops. 70k miles. Mike remembers that car I'm sure. I would have bought it, but couldn't get a bank loan for it.

You WILL find a deal, just have to wait and look.

Don't bother looking for a "mint" car, because the prices are high. Most of those cars have been garaged their entire lives, have 30k miles and the only sunlight they see is in carshows. You will not be able to afford one of those. 4k dollars will get you a sweet ride, but it won't be a showcar.

Also remember these prices are only for top model thirdgens. An earlier Z28, or a Z28/IROC-Z with a lower engine option will be worth less. Consider getting a clean body with low miles, but with a different engine. All 305 parts swap to a 350.

 

These type of posts are disturbing to me.... I would laugh at someone if they offered me 10 grand for my car, let alone the 4k range you guys are talking.... I know these things are not great value holders, but man, it is hard to think how much of an investment has been made for nothing more than sheer enjoyment.


On another note, I came across a guy yesterday that is selling a 92' RS for 2k obo... The car is in OK shape, but has definately seen better days. Supposedly runs and drives great though. I can get you the # if interested.


Jason