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-   -   How many third gen camaros left?? (https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/history-originality/728106-how-many-third-gen.html)

Redvert88 01-07-2016 09:49 PM

How many third gen camaros left??
 
Anyone know where we can find data on the number of third generation camaros still left on the road? So many have gone to the crusher, junkyard, been wrecked, or parted out. Thanks for any intel.

jharrison5 01-07-2016 10:25 PM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 
That's a hard one to do. You could go with DMV records, but some cars won't be listed because they're not licensed. Plus you would have to go state by state and that wouldn't include any that are not located within the US.

B4C5.7 01-07-2016 10:59 PM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 

Originally Posted by Redvert88 (Post 5994432)
Anyone know where we can find data on the number of third generation camaros still left on the road? So many have gone to the crusher, junkyard, been wrecked, or parted out. Thanks for any intel.

Even at a 60% attrition rate it is still a heap of cars left.

Eric-86sc 01-07-2016 11:36 PM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 
They built 1.2 million. I like to use this comparison. They built 600,000 first gens and how many are still out there? Projects are constantly listed all the time along with all the cars that flood shows. They built twice as many third gen camaros and they're half as old, there's still a ton left.

okfoz 01-08-2016 07:56 AM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 
I would think around 1/4

IMissMy86TA 01-08-2016 08:14 AM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 
:iagree::iagree:

Originally Posted by okfoz (Post 5994501)
I would think around 1/4


Bob88GTA 01-08-2016 09:40 AM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 
That's a really good question that is impossible to answer.

Take the lowest production year for the 1982-1992 Camaro/Firebird. Just in that year, there were a tad over 20,300 Firebirds and a tad over 35,000 Camaros produced. Which brings up another question.........why so few in 1990 compared to the other 9 years?
Hmmmm..

bjpotter 01-08-2016 09:46 AM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 

Take the lowest production year for the 1982-1992 Camaro/Firebird. Just in that year, there were a tad over 20,300 Firebirds and a tad over 35,000 Camaros produced. Which brings up another question.........why so few in 1990 compared to the other 9 years?
Hmmmm..
Isn't that because they shut down production in late 89/90 to begin production of the last two years of third Gen's?

Bob88GTA 01-08-2016 09:50 AM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 
Don't know, I always wondered. Someone on here knows.....John????

bjpotter 01-08-2016 10:15 AM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 
When I bought my 91 Firebird and needed help with the Vin I was told my car was built in March of 90. I was also told the first 91's were built in late 89 for testing with production started for the 91 in late Jan or early Feb of 1990.

bjpotter 01-08-2016 10:21 AM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 
With the 1991-1992 models of Firebirds and Camaros GM changed their production methods to tighten up the bodies so they don't rattle as much as earlier versions. This production change caused the company to shut down production early on the 1990 model year. I believe they only produced them from April to December of 1989. John may have better info. But I seem to remember this much.

chazman 01-08-2016 11:04 AM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 

Originally Posted by Bob88GTA (Post 5994528)
That's a really good question that is impossible to answer.

Take the lowest production year for the 1982-1992 Camaro/Firebird. Just in that year, there were a tad over 20,300 Firebirds and a tad over 35,000 Camaros produced. Which brings up another question.........why so few in 1990 compared to the other 9 years?
Hmmmm..

4 month production run.

okfoz 01-08-2016 11:06 AM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 

Originally Posted by Bob88GTA (Post 5994528)
That's a really good question that is impossible to answer.

Take the lowest production year for the 1982-1992 Camaro/Firebird. Just in that year, there were a tad over 20,300 Firebirds and a tad over 35,000 Camaros produced. Which brings up another question.........why so few in 1990 compared to the other 9 years?
Hmmmm..

The answer is actually quite simple. 1990 was a partial year, it was not even a half of a year. Normal production is from August/September from one year to the next... for the 1990 Model year, they started in August/September, and then the last car rolled off the line on December 31, 1989... Starting around February of 1990, they started production of the 1991 model year...

What might really bake your noodle, is the fact that the first 1991 13 Firebirds and the first 1991 13 Camaros were actually produced on October 30th or 31st of 1989...

Actually I believe that the total number remaining may be fewer than 1/4, just based on the number of cars I see A) in Junkyards, and B) On the road. Granted most of what is left are cream-puffs or just holdouts not yet junked...

John

bjpotter 01-08-2016 11:30 AM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 
If you are talking about registered and licensed vehicles, I bet its under 100,000. There are a lot of them sitting in pastures, back yards and under tarps stuffed in the corner of a garage. Some may still be road worthy, but have sat unused for sometimes a decade. :idiot: I'm talking about USED cars, not pristine low mile examples.

About half of the cars I saw this fall with the price survey I did, needed something to make them drive worthy or were one problem away from the junk yard. This resource is rusting away quickly now. As was lamented in an earlier post, there are fewer and fewer good junkers to pick from at the yards. :(

okfoz 01-08-2016 12:34 PM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 
It would not surprise me to see less than 100,000 Camaros and 70,000 Firebirds based upon how many I see of them any more. Of course most of what is left is not driven on a daily basis, so the chance of seeing them is scarce just because of that alone.

TylerSteez 01-08-2016 05:47 PM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 
there's not enough around to see one every day on the street but there is enough around to see 2-3 a month

irocracer87 01-08-2016 06:37 PM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 
There were 1,517,623 Camaro's and 817,444 Firebirds made between 1982 & 1992. OR if you add them together 2,334,067 3rd Gen F-bodies. I would guess that there's still half of them still around.

LiquidBlue 01-08-2016 08:38 PM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 

Originally Posted by TylerSteez (Post 5994686)
there's not enough around to see one every day on the street but there is enough around to see 2-3 a month

Funny you say that, I seldom see Camaro's around Austin, and never see any Firebirds. 3rd Gens that is.

bjpotter 01-08-2016 10:42 PM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 
All of last year I saw 3 Camaro third gens on the road or parked around KC until the week between Christmas and New Year. For some reason, I saw 4 during that week. Two of them were convertibles! It was cold and lots of salt on the road. My car has been parked since mid December.

I have seen only 2 Firebird third gens here in KC in 3 years. At most I see 5-10 third gens for sale at any given time on CL locally. I still believe we are talking about 100K or less licensed and registered Camaros left.

Again there may be more that "could" be licensed but are stored or parked at this time. I saw a lot of cars that would fall into that category this fall in CL ads across the country.

TylerSteez 01-08-2016 10:59 PM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 

Originally Posted by LiquidBlue (Post 5994728)
Funny you say that, I seldom see Camaro's around Austin, and never see any Firebirds. 3rd Gens that is.

That's odd, in Connecticut ill rarely see a firebird drive by but camaros are usually the ones I see.

Eric-86sc 01-08-2016 11:02 PM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 
Reading this thread it seems sighting third gens relies heavily on location. I'm in nj and there are always numerous third gens listed on craigslist at any given time. There are quite a few drivers out there as well. I see at least 1 car a week when I'm out driving around and it's not the same cars over and over either.

vinny R 01-09-2016 08:01 AM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 
I have had my car for 8 months now and have only seen 3 others on the road.
the funny thing is if you include mine 3 of the 4 are arrest me red. I also heard somewhere that the limited production in 1990 was due to the contract fallout with IROC. Instead of rebranding the cars GM decided to introduce the 91 early as they where already tested and in production. Not sure if this is true just what I read somewhere.

AmpleUnicorn88 01-09-2016 08:14 AM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 
I see a third gen camaro that isn't mine or my buddies every week. Sometimes I see 2 or 3. I think I have seen 2 third gen firebirds on the road ever. I have an 88 and an 87 Iroc that needs a full resto(left neglected for years). We were seeing 1 or 2 in junkayrds we were going to for awhile and then they stopped. Then somebody on here mentioned of one that had a bunch and we checked it out and there were 5. Still there and almost complete still and they have been there for a few months. There is supposedly another one that has 3 firebirds as well. Then we started seeing them pop up at a bunch of different junkyards. The lower end of the motor I just pulled came from an 89 bird at a junkyard we have never been to before that day.

sofakingdom 01-09-2016 05:50 PM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 
Depends on what you mean by "still left on the road".

(no, I don't mean LITERALLY "left on the road", like FORDs...)

If you could get all 50 states, all CA provinces, all foreign countries, etc. to cough up their registration data in some analyzeable form, you could be pretty precise about how many are LEGALLY driving around. Good luck with that.

That still wouldn't tell you how many are driving around ILLEGALLY (a significant fraction of the ones I see are doing exactly that), how many are parked in garages or in front of trailers or whatever in desperate need of a louder exhaust or their rear suspension jacked up higher before they are capable of being driven, etc. etc. etc.

Kind of an inane question at its core really. ;)

All the same, I'd be REAL surprised if there were even 10% of all that were produced, left uncrushed; let alone 25% still driving. That's just ludicrous.

86blackiroc 01-09-2016 10:20 PM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 

Originally Posted by Eric-86sc (Post 5994464)
They built 1.2 million. I like to use this comparison. They built 600,000 first gens and how many are still out there? Projects are constantly listed all the time along with all the cars that flood shows. They built twice as many third gen camaros and they're half as old, there's still a ton left.

That logic has some flaws though. First gens started gaining respect again when they were only around 15 years old. Third gens are around 30 years old and still don't get much respect. So even though there was twice the production, there has probably been twice the junking/parting. Beside that, first gens were junked in a time when a lot of them sat around for several years and then someone else later bought them as a project car. This day and age, when a car gets junked, it usually ends up melted down and turned into pork and bean cans.

bjpotter 01-10-2016 01:20 AM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 
A very long time ago I saw a chart made by either an insurance company or from a dealership. It grafted out the % of average car loss per year, per model. I don't remember the actual numbers but do remember in general how it went.

From 1-5 years starting at 2% and rising to 4 or 6% of a particular car will disappear each year. Wreaked or stolen or worn out, they no longer exist. This increased to between 10 - 12% by 10 years. I don't remember it going any further than that.

Granted this was for all cars sold, not for more desirable cars. However, even taking into consideration a declining % average as fewer and fewer cars are around, after 25-30 years you are at or near 10% of all of that car left. It will level off more or less when mainly collectors and lovers own our cars. But that is a way off yet.

TylerSteez 01-10-2016 11:09 AM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 

Originally Posted by TylerSteez (Post 5994760)
That's odd, in Connecticut ill rarely see a firebird drive by but camaros are usually the ones I see.

Actually saw this beauty last night when I went to the movies,
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.thi...e18677a59.jpeg

IMissMy86TA 01-10-2016 03:28 PM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 

Originally Posted by TylerSteez (Post 5995121)
Actually saw this beauty last night when I went to the movies,
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.thi...e18677a59.jpeg

very nice. so rare to see them nice.

Slater126 01-15-2016 10:23 AM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 

Originally Posted by okfoz (Post 5994560)

Actually I believe that the total number remaining may be fewer than 1/4, just based on the number of cars I see A) in Junkyards, and B) On the road. Granted most of what is left are cream-puffs or just holdouts not yet junked...

John

As good a guess as any. It would be very difficult, if not impossible, to actually quantify it. I suppose if you had every VIN number of every 1982-92 F-Body made you could run them through the CARFAX database and back out the ones that had salvage titles or insurance total loss. But people junk cars without salvage titles all the time, and total losses get rebuilt. So really, there's probably no way to get a 100% accurate number. 20-25% survival rate is probably a good rough estimate.

It would be easier (relatively speaking) to get a still-registered number, but that wouldn't account for stored and project cars, of which there are probably many.

okfoz 01-15-2016 11:31 AM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 
In Michigan I know that I can technically "Total" a car that is 7+ years old and I do not get a salvage title. I purchased a totaled 1983 Camaro FROM A JUNKYARD, and it still has a clean title. I have VIN's from cars in junkyards that do not show up as being totaled, or have any issues with, one was burnt to a crisp.

With that said Carfax & Autocheck are good, only when they find something. They are not perfect, and honestly at this point, the only way to really get the information would be to go to the DMV of every state and see who is getting plates every year... Those that are tucked away inside a barn will not show up, those that have historical plates probably will not show up either because they do not have to register them every year.

John

bjpotter 01-15-2016 11:52 AM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 
Today I saw the 5th Camaro I've seen in a month. This time it was one those rotting in a driveway under a tarp. I spotted the wheels then could make out the bottom part of the rear bumper. It had 2 flat tires.

Yesterday I met a man whose family owns a local salvage yard. He may rent an apartment from me. I got his card and he is going to put me on a list to call when he gets cars with the parts I am looking for. Says he gets 1 - 3 3rd gens a month and more 4th gens. I'm looking for the 4th gen seats with lumbar support. He said he sees fewer and fewer 3rd gens and they are getting rougher and rougher. Lots torn down or failed projects. Owners just want them out of their sight.

GCrites80s 01-15-2016 09:28 PM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 
With scrap metal prices down fewer cars will be junked. I can't believe how many SN95s I see out on the road. And you see them out in the snow all the time! I probably see 5-7 times as many SN95s as 4th gens in general.

3rdgenparts 01-21-2016 06:49 PM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 
Here in SF bay area thanks to no REAL winters (Snow/Salt) I see third gen's almost daily, Actually neighbor down the street has a nice '89 RS he drives daily.

I do see more Camaro's then birds though


Dave

okfoz 01-22-2016 07:44 AM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 

Originally Posted by 3rdgenparts (Post 5998448)
Here in SF bay area thanks to no REAL winters (Snow/Salt) I see third gen's almost daily, Actually neighbor down the street has a nice '89 RS he drives daily.

I do see more Camaro's then birds though


Dave

Camaros outsold Firebirds almost 2 to 1. There were also about twice as many Chevrolet Dealers than Pontiac Dealers. Camaros were less expensive to purchase...

ZsTransAm 01-24-2016 10:02 AM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 
I don't see many of them here in Wisconsin where the salt has eaten them all up. I see one or two third gens a month in the summer and half the time they are not too great condition and will probably go to the junk yards in the next few years. I would guess theres more like 10% of them left on the road but theres no real way to know.

3gencam 08-06-2018 12:21 AM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 
So now we fast forward more than 2.5 years and I wonder if 3rd gen f-body cars are finally getting respect? In the Dallas area today I NEVER see these cars on the road anymore. I can't remember the last time I saw one. Same situation in the local junkyards - I rarely see them there. If they are there they are picked clean within a few weeks. Over twenty years ago the local pick in pulls would have about 20 each - mostly 4 & 6 cylinder SC's.

zman1969 08-07-2018 01:54 PM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 

Originally Posted by 3gencam (Post 6241949)
So now we fast forward more than 2.5 years and I wonder if 3rd gen f-body cars are finally getting respect? In the Dallas area today I NEVER see these cars on the road anymore. I can't remember the last time I saw one. Same situation in the local junkyards - I rarely see them there. If they are there they are picked clean within a few weeks. Over twenty years ago the local pick in pulls would have about 20 each - mostly 4 & 6 cylinder SC's.

X2 in Dallas too rare sight very few in yards same for fourth gens! my estimate is there about 500 left - all of the owners are on this board :)
I dont see many of these as "classics" except few 1Le's, TTA and there will be some nice ones that survive, my 87 was pretty nice and went downhill since my son overheated it and paint is done again(was painted twice when I owned it) but soon its coming back!

3gencam 08-07-2018 02:23 PM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 

Originally Posted by zman1969 (Post 6242349)
X2 in Dallas too rare sight very few in yards same for fourth gens! my estimate is there about 500 left - all of the owners are on this board :)
I dont see many of these as "classics" except few 1Le's, TTA and there will be some nice ones that survive, my 87 was pretty nice and went downhill since my son overheated it and paint is done again(was painted twice when I owned it) but soon its coming back!

LOL! :thumbsup:

okfoz 08-07-2018 04:27 PM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 
If 90% of them are gone, that would mean that there are still 151,762 Third Gen Camaros and 81,744 Third Firebirds still out there...

scottmoyer 08-07-2018 04:33 PM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 
This is the dumbest thread I think I've seen. It was determined years ago that the only way to know is to check motor vehicle records for registered vehicles. That doesn't cover the cars in storage and not registered. There is no way to know how many are left, so let's just leave it at that.

okfoz 08-07-2018 04:38 PM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 
:iagree::yup:

Drew 08-07-2018 04:42 PM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 

Originally Posted by scottmoyer (Post 6242636)
This is the dumbest thread I think I've seen.

But there's a thread where someone is claiming a 305 makes more torque than a 350!

scottmoyer 08-07-2018 04:46 PM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 
Really Drew? We want to compare semantics on which thread is dumber? Can we take a poll? :D

kentuckyKITT 08-07-2018 05:30 PM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 
Well, I can't answer the original poster's question because I don't own a Camaro, but of the 817,444 Firebirds made between 1982 & 1992, I have 3 Firebirds driving and registered. Hope this helps someone else in their quest to figure out how many are left!

tigerss 08-09-2018 08:10 AM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 
Id guess 30-40% are still left maybe 50. Theres still a lot in crappy condition in peoples yards.

okfoz 08-09-2018 10:53 AM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 
Based on what I see on the road, it used to be I would see one every day, they were everywhere. As time went on you would see a few rusty ones, and a few nice ones... now the only cars I see are the 3 my neighbor has, the 2 I have in my barn and the 4 parts cars I have in storage. Other than that I can go weeks without seeing one.

88IROCvertZ 08-09-2018 11:33 AM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 
I hadn’t seen one in Eastern Massachusetts in 10 years. Maybe one or two on the road in 10 years. Everyone switched to leasing Hondas, BMWs, Audi, or CUVs and Subaru. If you drive less than 12,000 Miles/ year you lease and keep getting new cars shaped like dinner rolls.

Out in rural New England you see some beat up faded examples around here and there. Maybe 1 parked on a lawn on a 3 hour road trip.

At the cruise nights people come right over and say they’ve been going to cruise nights for years and have never seen another IROC.

When I was looking to buy one it seemed there were a lot in the Midwest for whatever reason.

I would have thought there would have been more in the South and California, but I think in places without winter they racked up more miles. Someone that garaged the car seasonally and had a “daily driver” or “winter beater” might have a nicer kept, lower mile car than someone who could drive it every day 365. Car guys in winter climates are pretty meticulous and Winter is a good time to put the car up, pop the wheels of and clean them, detail the brakes, front end, do repair and maintenance, etc..

I found a lot in warmer climates had higher miles and were in decent shape unless they were in a collection of cars where they’d be low mile factory original.

I used to see maybe 10+ third gens/ day and had 4 in my neighborhood growing up. I would guess it’s 5-10% that’s still around based on what I see (I know that’s probably not correct).. which would also explain why they have surpassed C4 prices.. C4s were babied, garaged and never driven in winter so I see a few every day.


Drew 08-09-2018 12:53 PM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 
Well, if the average forum member has 3 thirdgens, and there are over 200k registered members... Than we can roughly approximate the number using the Mr Owl/Tootsie Pop equation...


88IROCvertZ 08-09-2018 03:04 PM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 

Originally Posted by Drew (Post 6243089)
Well, if the average forum member has 3 thirdgens, and there are over 200k registered members... Than we can roughly approximate the number using the Mr Owl/Tootsie Pop equation...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYpTd-r6oe0

This might make sense actually.. I’d say maybe average of 2 per member since most have 1 and some have sold theirs and are no longer active while a few have collections of Third Gens.

roughly 30% survival rate

I’d bet C4s are at an 80% survival rate

In New England the survival rate is much lower..

88IROCvertZ 08-09-2018 03:05 PM

Re: How many third gen camaros left??
 
The owl got us up here..


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