Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you look at a car when it’s new and find it fails to excite you, but after a few years, you’ve grown to genuinely like it? That probably sums up my feelings for the Third Generation Camaro. When Chevrolet unveiled it, I found the Camaro underwhelming and not particularly attractive. Maybe it was because its styling marked such a radical departure from its predecessors, but it didn’t hit the sweet spot with me. However, four decades have passed, and my feelings are somewhat more mellow. I’ve grown to realize the importance of the Third Generation Camaro to the American performance car sector, and I find the crisp and aerodynamic styling pretty appealing. The attraction increases markedly if the car in question is a performance derivative with a low odometer reading. Our feature car ticks both those boxes. This is a 1986 Camaro IROC-Z, and its odometer shows an incredible 18,000 documented miles. It presents beautifully, but it needs a new home. Located in Huntley, Illinois, you will find the IROC listed for sale here on eBay. The owner has set a BIN of $34,750, but he leaves the door open for interested parties to submit an offer. This car’s appeal can be gauged by the fact that with plenty of time left, there are already eighty-seven people watching the listing.
Finished in Code 40 White, it is hard to fault the presentation of this IROC. The paint holds a beautiful shine, and if there are any flaws in either the panels or paint, they don’t reveal themselves in the supplied photos. It appears to be rust-free, with no visible issues and nothing mentioned by the owner in his listing. The original owner spent a not inconsiderable $846 on the glass roof panels, and these appear as immaculate as the rest of the exterior. One weak point of cars from this era is the tendency for the sun to wreak havoc on plastic trim. However, that hasn’t been the case with our feature car. The fit of the bumpers and distinctive aerodynamic features is perfect, with no evidence of warping or discoloring. The tinted glass appears excellent, and there are no signs of stains or oxidization on those beautiful 16″ alloy wheels.
The original owner ordered this IROC-Z equipped with the 5.0-liter TPI V8, a TH700-R4 transmission, power steering, and power brakes. The V8’s power output of 190hp might sound feeble by modern standards. However, thanks to a relatively light overall weight and excellent aerodynamics, this Camaro should cover the ¼ mile in 15.9 seconds before winding its way to 137mph. The vehicle runs and drives perfectly, making it a turnkey proposition for potential buyers. Its trump cards are its odometer reading and documentation. The odometer shows 18,000 genuine miles, and it appears that the owner holds supporting paperwork. He also has the original Window Sticker, Bill of Sale, factory paperwork, and titles documenting the mileage.
Apart from the CD player occupying the spot where the factory radio/cassette player should be, this Camaro’s interior remains original and unmolested. Its overall condition is also indicative of a low-mile survivor. The cloth seat upholstery shows no evidence of significant wear, while the remaining upholstery, plastic, and carpet are equally impressive. There are no issues with the dash and no signs of UV damage. The only flaw I can spot is a couple of scratches on one steering wheel spoke. Not only does it present exceptionally well, but the interior comes fully loaded. The buyer will find themselves the owner of a Camaro with air conditioning, power windows, power locks, a power hatch release, power mirrors, a rear defogger, and a leather-wrapped tilt wheel.
It is hard to fault the overall presentation and condition of this 1986 Camaro IROC-Z. The owner makes claims about the increasing popularity and values of these classics, and that’s a claim that I would generally take with a grain of salt. However, in this case, it is a claim that withstands scrutiny. Regardless of condition, examining recent sales results reveals an increase of around 20% over the past two years. That trend shows no signs of easing and actually appears to be accelerating. The reality is that the BIN on this car is right at the top end of what a buyer could expect to pay. But when you consider its condition, history, documentation, odometer reading, and equipment levels, it would seem justified. It’s also worth noting that if the values continue to climb at their current rate and the IROC is maintained in its current state, its value could top $40,000 in two years. If that happens, that would make this an excellent investment. It’s a point worth pondering.
That is a lot of money for a 16 second 1/4 mile. Add in the cheapest looking plastic interior of all time and an automatic transmission and the next owner will be very surprised when they try and sell it.
Technically it’s a 15 second car, but Adam is simply stating the specs of the car. No serious racer actually runs a 305 unless that’s a class limitation. That said, this does sound like a lot of money to ask.
I would not recommend buying this with 20% annual increases in the bank. For years, these languished in value (says a former third gen owner). They’ve been driven up recently as you point out but so has everything else. You could just as well see a market correction rolling back those increases.
All of that said, this is a pretty nice example, though the price seems pretty high for a 1986. 5 years ago, this is a $15,000 car. If I’m gonna be spending $30,000 plus, I’m probably going to look at the later the later TPI 350 models.
It’s nice to see one of these that hasn’t been molested and screwed-around with by 10 different owners over the years. I would think if you were looking for this generation Camaro this is one of the better finds out there. The price of these will continue to increase as Gen X and Y start to have disposable income and can afford the cars they listed for in their youth. When’s that going to stop? Hell we still see muscle car prices rising thanks mostly to baby-boomers who can afford toys.
Even at this price this could be a good investment
Gen Xers are in their 50s!
Nice IROC but not $35 nice… 2 years ago this was a $12k car.
I said 15k due to the very low miles but I may have been a little optimistic for a 1986. That’s the least desirable IROC. 5 years ago you could get a nice 1989-92 1LE for 15k.
Why does this matter? Because whenever there’s a rapid run up in prices caused by geopolitical forces, it usually adjusts back down to the natural progression. So buyer beware!
First off, this is no barn find. This was pampered since day one. It may be a Florida car now, but it was sold new in New York. Doesn’t matter. From what I see of the underneath photos, this car was hardly ever even washed. It may have been a $12,000 car not so long ago, but the reality is how bad someone wants it and how much they are willing to pay. I like these, but not 30 large plus.
A little rich, but where will you ever find another this nice? Most of these got trashed by high schoolers and are long gone. The 305 is fine with me, though I agree, a 350 would be better. In that era, we were pretty pleased with it. Besides, the big rival was a Fox and they all had even smaller 302s.
Actually there have been a few low mileage IROCs on BF in recent months. I remember a black one recently with less miles and a lighter asking price. If I had an extra $30k laying around, I would offer that…enjoy it for a year or two…then sell it and at least break even.
I could never own this – I don’t have a mullet.
Had one. Hard No. Cheap cheap car when new. Sloooowww as well. Handled ok though. Any 5.0 Mustang that wanted to embarrass me could.
Is that muffler & bigger diameter catback exh pipe going to give the engine more hp & torque? I remember reading that too much flow can actually decrease hp & torque.
Very comprehensive gauges, good visibility out, & much better looks & proportions than the last two 21st century gens, IMO.
Last year one could get an all blue interior? I like it.
It has ‘common mushy thirdgen steering wheel syndrome’, where the foam under the leather turns to a mashed potato consistency. You can tell because the leather cover is twisted.
Back in the day, my favourite car was the ’81 Z28. When the ’82s arrived, I was aghast! What an ugly car! I never liked them. But in recent years, I’ve grown to appreciate these 3rd-gen Camaros (not enough to have any desire to own one, however). 4th gen and later? Forget it.
Now, you guys can argue about whether this nice IROC is worth 35K until the cows come home. It’s all pointless. There are old-car value guides everywhere, but the plain truth is that it’s the market that determines what a car is worth. A car is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. And this seller will find a buyer to whom this car is worth 35K. I knew someone who bought one just like this brand-new. I’ll bet if she saw this one, she would wish she had the money to buy it!
Don’t forget the old-car value guides show you what the market has been paying for the car, which, like you say, is what determines the value.
Good point, but that refers to past sales, none of which is likely to be an exceptional example such as this one.
In the 80s, as a used car mgr, I would buy cars at the auction. All the buyers had their trusty little black books in their hands (me included). However, when a real looker came on the block…in excellent condition…with exceptionally low mileage, we would put the black books back in our pockets and bid.
I have a 1985 T-top Camaro IROC Z-28 305 TPI with 29000 actual miles. Owned since 1986. I’m the second owner. The Camaro had just 6000 miles on the odometer when I purchased it in 1986. It has the original black exterior paint with red cloth interior. Everything is original on the car except for battery, tires, and two rear speakers. First year for the IROC and I’m waiting for the value to reach in the mid 40-thousand-dollar range.