I don't know where else to put this thread for visibility and help. I'm looking at a 1985 Iroc-Z with an alleged 60k original miles, and the seller has priced accordingly. I'll get to the shocks in a minute, hang in there. Problem is:

-The car is being sold by a family member from the deceased owner's estate. They state there were zero paper records - service history or anything else - documenting the car. Not a lick of evidence. None.

-The Carfax shows mostly consistent registration history until about 18 years ago when it was parked. It was definitely parked. The tires are completely rotted and you can tell the car has been sitting. However, there is not a single mileage reading recorded on Carfax. Part of this is due to electronic record keeping by our state didn't start until at least 10 years after the car was new, and by then, the odometer was already exempt from reporting.

-The car appears completely original including emissions equipment. Hoses have been changed, and it appears the AC was rehabilitated at some point. Not sure if it's 134a swapped, but it has the newer style AC compressor (early 80's had those big chunky pulleys on the Harrison compressor, not the thinner style pulley/clutch).

SO I'M TRYING to determine if the car has 60k, or if it's just a very well cared for 160k. Pedals, steering wheel, and driver's seat bolster are all in good condition, but I've seen a bunch of IROCs over the years where this is true and they have well over 100k miles, but the car has been lovingly cared for. The exhaust system appears to be original and isn't rotted in the typical low spots - bends for the tailpipes and muffler where condensation collects.

THE SHOCKS in the rear appear to be the original yellow Delco shocks with the proper logo. They look old, really old. This may be the best and only evidence that the mileage could be original, but have no idea how long these shocks could last, or if they could be rebuilt, or if they were just widely available into the 2000's and he could have already replaced a set with replacement yellow Delcos.

Besides the shocks, are there any other parts you can think of that would definitely NOT likely survive 100k? Are there any markings on these shocks that indicate manufacture date?

 

I wouldn't focus on the shocks. Get it up on a lift and wiggle around the steering components, check out the condition of the bushings and such. Most people don't fake the bottom of the car very well and 100k miles tends to leave some minor road rash.

Alternatively, take pictures and we'll tell you.

 

Tell us your location when you post pics, as well.

The underside of a car with 60k miles over 40 years in Michigan or upstate New York looks ALOT different from 60k miles over the same time frame in Arizona.

 

The pictures I have are...bad. They're screen caps from crappy cell phone video. First I'm trying to determine if I'm driving 2 hours to go see the car. Pacific Northwest, so I expect surface rust from condensation and rain, and nothing more. Looks like every car native to the area that's been driven occasionally in rain and 40 years of ambient air. But is that 60k or 160k...


RH front suspension and pulleys from underneath

Orig exhaust. Fuel filter recently replaced

Says the rear rotors are original (?)

Steering and control arms

Says the front rotors are original

Rear shocks, springs and links

 

When the IROC-Z was released in 1985, one of its hyped features was the "race-inspired" "Delco"-Bilstein rear shocks, and they were Bilstein yellow. There's been some evidence here on TGO that the yellow Delco-Bilstein shocks eventually became black Delco shocks at some point near the end of the IROC's run in 1989 or 90, and if that's the case, then it's likely that the yellow Delco shocks on that car are probably original. Replacements were probably only available during those 4 years, and then only through dealerships.

The original intermediate pipe and torque arm look pretty clean. Those rear rotor hats look clean too. If they're original, then it looks as if the wheels have never been removed or haven't been removed for decades. I still have my original rear rotors. They don't say "outboard only" on them, but they have a minimum thickness rating stamped into them. Mine are 87, so that could've changed between 85 and 87.

For a car that's spent 40 years in the wet pacific northwest, its undercarriage looks about as good as can be expected for a 40-year-old used car, at least, from what we can see in those pictures.

Although, the rear lower control arms are pretty rusty. They should look like that torque arm. My 87's came painted, and even today, they still look clean and newish. That's either an example of what Sofa said about the condition of a car in a wet region versus the condition of a car in a dry region, or maybe they didn't come painted from the factory in 1985.

 

That yellow rear shock looks suspiciously like a Monroe shock absorber. Since Monroe made the suspension components for the 80s GMs they could very well be Monroe shocks.

 

The front steering parts can reveal a lot. I can't tell from those pics, but it looks factory. get a close up pic of the idler arm, tie-rod connectors and center link bolts. My factory center link bolts did not use cotter pins, you can see engraved lines on the side of the bolts. Factory idler arms are 2 or 3 pc units. tie-rod connectors have a very unique shape, which in one of your photos it looks factory.. At 60K, shocks can go out. they can go out just sitting around for years. Mine did. I've read people mention of odometer getting mis-aligned. not sure if this is when it rolls over, or someone took it apart to lower the miles and put it back. sounds like no one cared enough to mess with doing that just to make this sale. Are the spark plug wires numbered? Are the spark plug holders in place? I've read the Bilstiens can be rebuilt. I think the Bilstiens were available until not too many years ago, by many, that means I don't know.

 

What I was REALLY referring to, is the damage that comes from road salt. There is nothing else nearly as destructive, except seawater (which is the same thing anyway I suppose).

That doesn't look like 160k miles of PNW weather to me, especially not along the coast. Looks like the car would have had to have been on the east side of the mountains like in Yak or Bend or Spokane. I'd be inclined to think that a 60k claim isn't too far-fetched.

 

I was going to look at the car yesterday but the seller replied and said someone is buying it -- but they're sending a deposit in the mail, and taking a loan against their home to pay, and they'r not local, apparently. I've mentioned I have cash and a flatbed trailer, so let me know if that falls through. He said he wants to give her the benefit of the doubt before selling to someone else. That's fair -- and I think there's a good chance I'll be looking at the car soon. But maybe not.

Good call out on identifying original tie rod and steering links and to look for OG spark plug wires and retainers. The rear shocks do actually have the Delco logo - they're not Monroe branded, although some Monroe's are yellow. Frankly I'm shocked the factory shocks lasted even 60k miles, if they are factory.

 

The most obvious place to look is the odometer as my car at least came with an odometer that read up to 999,999.9 kms. I'm not sure if the milage odometers are the same.


The second place I would look would be the gas and brake pedal wear. This is what 56,000 Kms or about 35,000 miles looks like on an original GM brake pedal. Notice very little wear on the left side of the gas pedal or on the right bottom corner of the brake pedal.


Spark plug wires are another good indicator as the original wires won't likely last 160,000 miles.
These are original in 1986 2.8L V6 Packard 7mm wires.

 

Thank you.

Sadly, GM put 5-digit odometers in the 1983-1989 cars. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but 1982 Camaros for the US did have a 6-digit odometer, and then they switched to 5 digits the following year for US models. The US Camaros didn't regain a 6-digit odometer again until 1990 when they updated the cluster and added an airbag for the driver. Just like the IROC didn't get a 145mph speedo until mid-1986. This '85 I'm looking at still has its factory-correct 85mph speedo.

 

My rear Delco/Bilstein shocks are original and have 56k miles on them and I can definitely tell that they need to be replaced. They're not completely worn out but they're definitely showing their age.

 

Your rear shocks look like original Delco/Bilsteins.