So I just bought this car from a local yard to have for parts and as a back up chassis for my dirt car. Any ideas the year. And look over the ugly. It has a good trans and chassis. That's what I needed.

Vin plate is rusted. Looks like an lg4. I figure 85ish. How can you tell? No title.

 

IDK, but i'll guess 84.
i've found stickers with the vin number in strange places like behind fenders, bumpercovers, etc. i guess it was for chop-shop prevention? might find some paperwork under the carpet also?

 

85 or 86 if most of the visual clues are original. The front bumper with nearly flush turn signals and small vents came out in 85. 84 would have still had a dual pointer speedometer. Does it have a 3rd brake light?

 

it's an '85 or an '86-if it's an 85,it's a later build '85 since it has the multigroove style alternator belt instead of the v-belts used on early '85s.If it has an electric fan,it's an '86.3rd brake light atop hatch would also indicate '86

 

Can't tell. The serpentine belt is 1988 on up, as 1987 on down had V belt. The front bumper cover is 85-87, so there's already a discrepancy.

 

Think 87 was the only yr with that wide belt & v belts.

 

My 87 has the wide and v belts

 

Hi 3rdgenmaro. Start at the RIGHT side of the vin and count back eight digits and compare that digit to this chart.

al

 

My bad. My 87 has both belts also. Forgot about that. It's definitely an 85-87, but door panels, seats, etc have been replaced, so using interior design is not gonna work.

 

fan1701, vin plate is rusted beyond being able to see it. It has the electric fan. Not sure but I'll check on the 3rd brake light.

So it sounds like it may be 86 or 87, 87 if that was the only year with the dual belts. Thanks guys.

Car was originally red best I can tell. Then somebody painted it green and added some kind of cloth/vinyl type top with a foam backing. Even put it over the t-tops. Looks like custom seat covers and door panels and a terrible body kit. Would have been nice if it had had an interior worth parting out. I doubt there is much of a market for the black and green seats and door panels!

But now I have a working trans, all of the stuff to swap from t-5 to an auto, a factory carbed intake if I go from TBI to carb, a fairly rust free shell, and some stuff I should be able to sell.

 

86 used the serp belt on the alternator too. The difference between 86 and 87 accessories is the alternator. 86 used the same old SI alternator, 87 used the CS. The alternator pictured is the SI. 85 was still entirely V-belts.

Look for the 3rd brake light on the outside, top of the rear hatch. Generally it's an 86 only feature, but 87 Sport Coupes without a rear spoiler still had the brake light on top of the hatch. 85 didn't have a 3rd brake light.

This is one of those things that really doesn't matter too much. There's not enough difference between an 85-87 Camaro to cause too much trouble.

 

Maybe soaking the plate with penetrating fluid can remove some of that rust.

 

I'll get someone to check the brake light.

I think soaking it and alittle rubbing would bring the VIN out, I may try it next time im messing with it.

The year doesnt really matter that much to me, but I am curious now which heads it has. Right now my dirt car has the stock l03. Combining the two may make a decent legal motor. Or just using the best heads with the TBI intake on a 350 shortblock......

 

I don't know what year GM started to do this, but some body panels (underside of hood, jamb side of the door, etc.) have labels applied with the VIN printed on them.

Edit: If whatever is under the hood is original to the car, looking at the alternator I'd say the car is an '86 model year. 1985 alternators still had the v-belt; micro v-belt came out in '86. 1985 and 1986 used the 12SI unit (which the car in question has); in 1987 GM started using the CS130 units.

 

No 3rd brake light. Does have a spoiler.

Door jamb stickers are shot. Underhood stickers are there but didnt see VIN or anything marking the year. Just had 5.0 on one.

 

SPID label? Looks like the console lid is gone...Didn't Fisher Body put a tag under the hood on the core support?

I'm going with 1985 as well. 1987, I believe, was the first year for the CS130 alternator which this does not have.

 

85,......

While anything can be swapped, converted, or modified, all we can do is guess based on what we see. All 85-87s used the 'ribbed' alternator belt, but in 87 the upper alternator bracket was much smaller than the 82-86 bracket.

87 Alternator bracket:


If the cluster is original than it might help figure out the year,..... 82-85 Camaros had a "BRAKE" warning light will be on the bottom right side of the cluster; Starting in 86, the BRAKE warning was moved to the far left of the telltale warning indicators.

 

Correction: Looking at drive belt applications for 85-87, it appears that carbureted engines got the v-belt, FI cars got the micro v-belt. My statement above is incorrect except for the change in alternator types. Apologies for the confusion.

As John stated, it's all predicated on what we're seeing in the photo. No telling what sordid histories some 3rd Gens have.

 

Its 1985 or older. They started the 3rd break light in 1986. I got a v6 firebird in 1986 new and the sales guy said all new cars now have a 3rd break light mandatory for that year.

 

I don't know about all third gens, but on my 88 the vin on the inside of the fenders and rear impact bar, possibly other places.

 

Not 87 because of style of canister control valve. Valve covers appears edge bolt. Air injection controls are also not 87. I'm going 86 based on the belt comments for the alternator. Does the rear hatch have power pulldown motor?

 

I'll do some digging around this weekend on the car. Thanks guys.

 

One of the stickers under the hood says 86 after I cleaned it up. Make sense?

 

Looks a little better with the glued on body kit took off. The fake roof crap they put on disintegrated the top roof layer between the t top and windshield. Rest of the roof looks ok. No 3rd brake light but found some glass in the spare wheel well so the hatch may have been replaced at some point.

Thanks guys

 

good call on the 3rd break light. Curiosity has me wondering if there is wiring to it from the back of the roof. That would confirm its an 86 or newer. In general isn't there a build sheet somewhere in the car?

 

I'll work alittle more on it next weekend. I'll try and take a peak then.