Hi guys, I'm new to the forum.

Well, this car appeared on craigslist and I jumped on it because I've always wanted an IROC-Z.

The price was $4700 but I was able to lower the seller to $4100. The body looks great aside from the fact that they painted the lights (should've just covered the tail lights if they wanted the "blackout" look) and rims to be black. I intend to replace the lights, when the funds are available, and put a cover on the tail lights instead.

The Good:
It's an '87 IROC-Z Z28 with t-tops
The engine was rebuilt and has 55xxx miles on it
The title is clear, the vehicle hasn't been wrecked
It's an automatic transmission
The exhaust sounds great
The paint and body look good (I only noticed one small dent)
The engine is the TPI version of the 305
The radiator, spark plugs, and wires are new
The owner installed a new flowmaster exhaust and tips
Seems to run well from a short test drive (out of respect for the owner, I didn't punch it)
The hatch motor still works
Power windows work
Power seats backwards and forwards still work
The T-Tops have locks on them to prevent them from being stolen (I'm unsure if this is a standard feature as it's my first IROC-Z, if I get it)
Has the auto-adjusting mirror (though I didn't check for functionality)
Already has an aftermarket modern radio in it
The A/C works (I believe, but haven't tried it yet)
5% window tint all around and 25% on the front
Steering column feels solid, not shaky at all
The doors are also solid and don't wobble up and down
There are no chips or cracks in any of the glass
There's still 80% of the tread on the tires
I'm sure it's a legitimate IROC-Z Z28 (though I'm checking the VIN tomorrow to be absolutely positive)
The interior looks good aside from the driver's seat

The Bad:
The check engine light is on (I'm going to check the codes tomorrow)
The body has 184xxx miles on it
The car idles at about 1000 RPM (after I check the codes I'll know whether it's the TPS, IAC, EGR, vacuum lines, or something as bad as the cams timing, though I suspect the issue to be less significant than the latter)
The tail and head lights were darkened with paint (it was just a dumb way to go about it, IMO. You can hardly see the right tail lights during the day)
Power seats up and down do not currently work
The drivers seat is a bit torn up (but can be replaced)

I have no idea if the tranny has ever been replaced or worked on.
Also the owner doesn't seem to know very much about cars in general, I'm not sure if that's good or bad for me. But I know the previous owner was his brother and I intend to speak with him tomorrow.

I know I'm being picky, but I want it to be a black IROC, not any other color; and it has to have T-Tops, which is why this particular listing was so eye-catching to me. I haven't owned an IROC before but I've done a significant amount of research learning about them, their common problems, fixes, and so on.

The pictures provided in the ad are below.


















Do you think it's worth it? I really want it, but I don't want to spend more than it's worth, and I don't want to lowball the seller either! What price seems good to y'all?

I'm thinking of offering him $3000 cash, and see his reaction, depending on what the check engine code(s) turns out to be.

 

Personally think $3,500 ish is fair. Nice looking car. Only concern would be the condition of the trans. Bad thing about wanting a specific older car is you don't have to many options.

 

I think around 3500 is fair, I personally wouldn't want to pay more than that for a 5.0/ auto.
But ultimately, if the car is clean, you may want to snag it at a higher price strictly for your very narrow desire for a black IROC with T-Tops.

 

does the guy have any proof of the engine rebuild? how about other maintenance records? if its really in the shape he says, 3500-4000 sounds reasonable. I personally always strongly reccommend a trip to your trusted mechanic for a good once over on a car. better to spend 80-100 for a full inspection than to drop thousands on a money pit with a ton of problems. and believe me I learned the hard way, im now 7000+ into a car I dropped 3k on. and the car is currently sitting with a bad trans in it. dont make that mistake.