I recently had a co-worker enlist my help in the search for a clean, original third-generation Chevrolet Camaro. It seemed like a simple enough task, but my research led me to find that many of the 1982-1992 Camaros had fallen victim to a hodge-podge of “cheap” upgrades. This 1983 Z28 example presented here is one that managed to buck that trend. It is available here on Barn Finds Classifieds in Dunbarton, New Hampshire with an asking price of $9,500.

The third-generation Camaro was in its 2^nd year of production when it received some slight mechanical upgrades mid-year, including a new 5.0 HO engine (available only with the 5-speed manual transmission) and a 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive replacing the 3-speed automatic. There were a lot of buyers who selected that Z28 option, as 62,650 of the 154,381 Camaros built-in 1983 were Z28s. Other than the standard V8 engine, the Z28 received a number of appearance enhancements over the base 4-cylinder Sport Coupe and 6-cylinder Berlinetta Camaros.

The seller tells us this Z28 received one repaint many years ago and adds that aside from some scratches here and there, it’s held up well. It appears to be painted the simply named “Dark Blue” with silver trim, which was one of the more popular color options in 1983, as nearly 16,000 left the factory painted like this one. T-tops are absent, but you benefit from the myriad of standard Z28 exterior niceties. As for rust concerns, the seller says there is “absolutely zero rust.”

Inside you’ll see a Z28 interior in excellent condition. The seats look grey, but the door panels look blue. Hopefully, someone with a more keen eye for color can determine which color it actually is. The driver seat has been reupholstered and the car comes with OEM-licensed upholstery for the passenger seat, but the seller says it does not need it. A couple cracks in the dash are noted and an aftermarket CD player has been added.

Under the hood is the original 305 cubic-inch V8. It’s typically said in jest, but I really think you could eat off of this engine — it’s that clean. Power is sent to the rear wheels by a console-shifted automatic transmission. The seller has just performed some maintenance, including oil change with filter, new air filter, and new spark plugs.

The seller says this Camaro has covered just 91k miles in the past 37 years, with only 18k of those in the last 23 years. As mentioned in my opening, clean, original 3^rd generation Camaros seem few and far between. This is one of those exceptions and the seller tells us “The car run and drives excellent and needs nothing!”