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Hello, new to the third Gen Forum so I apologize if I put this in the wrong area. I am looking to buy a '87 IROC and need some advice. When I talk to friends about this idea everyone thinks I'm crazy and having a mid life crisis... Yes I know the third gens are not the best vehicles. They squeak, rattle, are under powered, but so did every other vehicle in the 80's. It was just the way it was. But if you grew up during that time, there is just something to love about the IROC's and they have not lost their appeal. I have always wanted to have one, just never got around to it until now.
So the point of this thread. I stumbled upon an 87 IROC which I know is not a rare vehicle, however......... 2 owner car, purchased locally. 350TPI, t tops, black, pretty loaded, no power mirrors or power antenna but everything else. Only has 20,000 km (12,300 miles). All original including exhaust, etc. Tons of documentation supporting mileage and history. Never seen snow and I could not find any signs of rust or body damage. This is truly an untouched, unmolested, not screwed with IROC.
I started looking though the vehicles for sale on this forum for comparison and became discouraged with what (the people who love and understand what these vehicles are about) are willing to pay for them. The owner wont sell it for less than $16,000 (I estimate to be $12,000 US).
Is this too much for this vehicle? ( I understand pictures would help greatly and I apologize) I know on paper these vehicles are considered "classic vehicles", but no one thinks of them in that way and I feel currently they are under valued. I am not buying this vehicle to sell and make money, but rather have something to enjoy.
The other concern I have is with it being totally original and low mileage, am I gonna be afraid to drive it and enjoy it? They are only original once, and low mileage once. This vehicle is both.
Looking for advice on the price and if anyone has ever bought a vehicle they were afraid to use and regretted it later? Is this the one to get or do I look for something a little more "user friendly"? Thanks for all the help.
If the car's as nice as it should be for 12,000 miles, $12,000 US is not a bad price. That being said, the car should need next to nothing if you're going to pay that though. If it needs paint, which it may as GM did not do great paintjobs back then, I'd deduct considerably. I personally prefer the '87 IROCs to all other years, as you couldn't get the 5.7 on '85-86 cars, and I don't care for the wheels that they used from 1988-90.
They're only original once, but if you baby the crap out of it, and don't put more than 1,000 miles on it a year, it should look and drive great for years to come. My father bought a 2003 Corvette with 14 miles on it in 2011, and drives it a few times a month. It now has about 3,500 miles on it, and still looks and drives like new. That being said, if you're looking for a daily driver, buy something with far more miles on it.
Paint a body look good. I anticipate having to replace things such as belts, hoses, maintenance things after all it is 30 years old. It wont be a daily driver. There seems to be lots of iroc's for around the $5000 range with reasonable mileage and fairly good condition that I'm sure would all be good vehicles. I do like the fact it is original and low mileage, just want to be sure it is a fair price and I am not buying out of "emotion". I think $12 is fair, but there is a lot smarter people on here that know what the market for these vehicles are. Thanks again for the suggestions and feedback
Fluids certainly. I "think" my plugs have been changed, and my serpentine too when a new alternator was installed. And one of my heater hoses. But everything else under my hood..plug wires, radiator hoses, radiator...are all still 29 y.o. date coded originals. I'm gonna run 'em until they give me trouble, then try to replicate them as best I can when I replace them. It's only original once.
I can't believe I'm reading this on THIS forum. A 1987 IROC-Z 350 with 12k miles is worth a lot more than $12k. The '87 was the only year to have all performance related options mandatory when ordering the 350. If the car is loaded as you say, and has absolutely no issues other than belts and hoses, the car can be worth up to $20k in the states. It all depends on where you are.
Hagerty says a good condition car is worth about $12k. An excellent condition car is somewhere between $16k-$34k, depending on ttops. Where does this car land being that Hagerty doesn't provide a mileage option? There is no way I would sell, or even consider selling, my '87 IROC-Z even for $20k.
if it is what you say it is , it is worth 12k all day long .. with 12,000 miles that car should be all original and in pretty mint condition .. if its not , pass on it ..
Thanks for all the advice. Everybody has said what I have thought about over and over again. It is just reassuring to hear it from someone that has one of their own parked in their garage. My wife doesnt understand the attraction to the IROC even though she is into older classic cars. Every time I bring up this vehicle she goes on youtube and finds that MR. LUBE commercial with the guy in a black Trans Am singing "turn me loose". If you havent seen it look it up, its funny as hell and makes me laugh every time even though I know she is making fun of me.
I have been dealing with this owner for 4 months now. He advertised the vehicle for sale in October, then decided not to sell. We finally talked again this week and I am trying to arrange meeting with him this weekend. With everything that has been said if I can pry it out of his hands for the price we originally agreed to it will be coming home in a trailer with me. I will keep you up to date and if it ends up in my garage I will post some pictures.
MR. LUBE commercial with the guy in a black Trans Am singing "turn me loose". If you havent seen it look it up, its funny as hell and makes me laugh every time even though I know she is making fun of me.
UPDATE!!!!!!!!! So on the coldest day yet this year, with blowing snow I finally met up with the owner and pried it from his cold dead hands. Brought it home in a trailer and drove it in the garage. So now I cant say it has never been winter driven (haha). Really happy with the vehicle. Gave it a quick wash and happy with the paint. It has a few rock chips in it that will need some care, but overall didnt find any door dings or areas of concern. The vehicle has been lowered 2 inches which made it a chore to get into the trailer. The owner included the original springs and the factory 16" tires. So if I decide to put it all back to bone stock I can.
She's a beaut, Clark. The chrome Irocs have gots to go, but thats easy enough. It's funny though, if the aftermarket Iroc wheels were clear coated machined aluminum like the stock wheels, they'd look a lot better.
I agree with Drew. The aftermarket IROC wheels need to go. There wasn't much chrome on the 80's cars, so it doesn't flow well with the car. You did good with your purchase if it's what you initially stated as the asking price. Good looking car.
I think the rims look big just because the car is lowered, they are only 17". I may end up putting it back to factory ride height and stock wheels. If I am too scared to drive it and always worried about draggin then whats the point of having it.
I have no buyers remorse, other than like I said I should have bought an IROC years ago instead of waiting. The owner stuck to the $16,000 canadian that we agreed upon earlier.
There is a 1987 IROC just south of us in Alberta with only 5,000 km. The dealership is asking $49.900 for it. So maybe the low mileage pristine cars are on their way up in price. Here is the link, hope it works:
The car on kijiji is the sister to my car, only black. It appears to have the Bose stereo, L98 350, leather, ttops, overhead console, auto dimming mirror, etc. I would assume that the car was originally priced around $21k US in 1987, just like mine. That's why I stated that I would never let my car go for cheap these days. I've found only one car that had a higher window sticker than my car in 1987. It was $15 more, because it had the black door edge trim.
Happy to say I have the car up on the hoist today and the underside is in as good of shape as the shinny side. No evidence of rust, no marks, nothing has been touched except for the lowering springs and I dont think this vehicle has seen any rain. I found the contact number for the original owner and gave him a call. Chatted on the phone for an hour. Still remembered every detail about the vehicle even after selling it 17 years ago. Seemed like a real nice guy who truly cared about how he looked after this vehicle.
Just getting it ready for storage. If anybody needs any pictures of anything to help them out with assembly, how things were routed or located, clips etc, let me know. I am sure this forum is loaded with all the information possible but just thought I would throw out the offer out in case someone is searching for something.
Only bad part about the deal! Nothing worse than buying yourself a great present you can't completely play with for a few months.
I'm looking outside at the end of an Ice storm. It will be at least 2 more months before I get to take my Formula out for a ride.
Every day she looks at me saying "So are you going to get behind the wheel or what?" Keep us up to date on the car. Like me, I'm sure you can't wait to....
I saw the news about the ice storm. Family is driving through the States right now and it is chasing them. For the few months of not being able to drive it, it will give me time to give it a good clean, polish, change all the fluids and just sit and have a beer while looking at it. For those who said the 17" chrome wheels had to go well here it is back on the originals......the wheels are in really good shape.
And a few pics of the underside, needs a good detailing. I know the front cross member didnt come painted but I have to change that, looks terrible. Looked at every body panel and they still have the VIN identification sticker in place.
This is honestly the best thirdgen deal I have seen in a long time, I think you stole the car, I definitely would have paid more for it if I knew about it! Absolutely beautiful!!! Congrats! '87 is my favorite year of the bunch, I have one similar to yours with 11k miles. Keep us posted on driving impressions when the weather gets better.
This is honestly the best thirdgen deal I have seen in a long time, I think you stole the car, I definitely would have paid more for it if I knew about it! Absolutely beautiful!!! Congrats! '87 is my favorite year of the bunch, I have one similar to yours with 11k miles. Keep us posted on driving impressions when the weather gets better.
Agreed on all counts - I'd have paid more too.
Just look at that interior!!! IMHO the best third gen interior made.
Thanks for all the positive comments guys, means a lot. I have always wanted a thirdgen, but for some reason this is the ONLY one I have ever went to look at. There was just something about it that I can to go and see and once I saw it, it needed to come home.
Its funny how plans change once you start spending time with a vehicle and it "talks to you". Months ago before I brought it home I was thinking about different exhaust, window tint, blah blah blah. I didnt want to do anything extreme, just change a few things.
Now that it is home and we have spent some quality time together it is gonna stay bone stock, no changes. It even has the original spark plugs in it so any parts I buy I will try to source from GM. As I go through it over the winter I will post some pics and I'M sure will be asking some questions. Again if anyone needs any specific picture of something to help them on their project let me know.
Croz, the car is a magnificent find! I hope the weather warms soon and you can get the car out and have some fun. I think the car looks fantastic.
FWIW - in my experience most of these 25+ year old cars need about $1500 to $2000 dollars of maintenance and love after sitting. Fluids, tires, AC, being typical plus a minor issue or two.
Yup, that's my experience as well. It will get a through going through before it rolls out in the spring. I have been pondering this for a while and cant make a decision so I will throw it out there for opinions: Due to the mileage and not knowing the condition of the fuel tank (how it was stored, etc), should a guy remove the tank and have it sent out for cleaning or just drain it in the spring, fill it with fresh fuel / filter and hope it is all ok? The car drives fine and the previous owner was driving it last summer so at this time I dont suspect any issues. Am I just being way too OCD and overthinking this?
I would call a friendly GM dealer and ask them to check the VIN for any outstanding recalls or safety recalls. It can help get a fix on some of the cars service history. GM will likely stand behind the car and do any safety related recall thats still outstanding.
Our last two third gen Camaro's, both cars had been well cared for by the owners.
91 Black RS Convertible: 109,000 miles in tank fuel pump failed after being driven 170 miles or so. Gas tank was clean, no rust or other issues. Replaced fuel pump, strainer & sending unit.
91 Z28 109,000 miles, fuel tank filler neck leaked when filled up with gas. Filler neck patchex in two places with JB weld at some point. JB weld was old. Checked GM safety recall from 1994 for gas tank, it applied to this car based on VIN, but repair had been done in 2008. New tank required, old tank was nasty looking, decided to replace fuel pump, strainer since was already into fuel tank.
If I buy another 3rd Gen, dropping tank checking filler neck & doing a new fuel pump & strainer will just be part of service for the car unless owner can show its already been done.
I would call a friendly GM dealer and ask them to check the VIN for any outstanding recalls or safety recalls. It can help get a fix on some of the cars service history. GM will likely stand behind the car and do any safety related recall thats still outstanding..
The dealer will look at you like you have three heads or give you the blowoff
when you ask about ANY recall for a 25+yo car !!!!!!!
As far as them being required to repair it forget that too!
Since the recall is over 10 years old they DON'T have to bother repairing it!
Read the NHTSAs rules and notices closely!
Its been posted here before....................
01-05-2017, 11:47 AM
