To inject further interest in the Camaro, Chevrolet introduced the IROC-Z in 1985 to commemorate Chevy’s participation in the International Race of Champions (IROC). The car would begin as an option on the Z/28 and become the whole series a couple of years later. This 1988 edition, in convertible form, has been in storage for the last 15 years and may or may not run. It certainly needs a bath and new tires, but what else will it take to get it going again? Located in Green Lane, Pennsylvania, this drop-top is available here on eBay where the bidding is in a holding pattern at $3,499.

Roger Penske is credited with starting the IROC series, which consisted of equally-prepared cars that placed on-track performance squarely on the shoulders of the drivers. In 1975, the IROC governing body selected the Camaro as its baseline car and Chevy held that position until 1980 when the series took a break. When they returned, the third-generation Camaro Z/28 emerged as the competition car. Chevy created a street version of the car that drew from both the Z and IROC and called it the IROC-Z for 1985. This resulted in a higher-performing, better handling Camaro that John Q. Public could buy. The marketing pundits at GM would refer to it as the “Camaro that thinks it’s a Corvette.”

If you bought an IROC-Z new, it would cost you an extra $659. That upcharge would give you larger 16-inch wheels with 50-series tires, halogen fog lights, a five inches lower body than with the regular Z/28, and a special graphics/paint package. Engine choices, depending on the model year and order preference, varied between either a 305 (215 hp) or 350 V8 engine, both with fuel injection and an automatic transmission. During its six-year tenure in the Chevy lineup, the IRCO-Z would receive several awards, such as “Rookie of the Year” and “Ten-Best List”.

A convertible joined the line-up in 1987 and never accounted for more than four percent of Camaro production. Specifically, in 1988, Chevy built 3,761 IROC-Z convertibles out of 96.275 total cars, which included the seller’s automobile. So, the IROC-Z drop-top might be considered rare today now that more than 30 years have passed. 1990 would be the last for the IROC-Z when Chevrolet decided against renewing its contract with the International Race of Champions. Chrysler would then get into the act by fielding the Dodge Daytona as the sanctioning body’s car.

For whatever reason, the seller says this car was last driven in 2006 and then retired from public view. We don’t know why that occurred. Was it because of a mechanical issue that will still be present or because it was just forgotten about until recently? Given the amount of dust, dirt, and the presence of flat tires, it’s apparent this car hasn’t been touched or moved in a long, long time. Perhaps the black paint could be coaxed back to a shine and hopefully, there’s no rust that we can’t see. The interior is “messy” according to the seller, and the dark photos tend to support that.

Given its dormancy and near 100,000 miles on the odometer, the next owner is likely going to want to refresh/rebuild both the motor and transmission to expect any kind of reliability. A Camaro coupe from 1988 is likely a $12-14,000 car at best and the IROC-Z in convertible trim might double that number. If you could buy this Chevy and make it running and presentable again, you could have a nice Cars & Coffee automobile because it’s a convertible.