By 1980, time was catching up with the Second Generation Camaro. A new model was waiting in the wings for 1982, and this knowledge saw sales figures plummet. That was disappointing, especially considering the Z28 featured the most powerful V8 to grace a Camaro engine bay since 1974. Our feature Camaro presents beautifully for its age, with only a few minor flaws preventing it from achieving perfection. It has a low odometer reading and would suit a meticulous buyer. The seller listed it here on eBay in Milford, Michigan. They set a BIN of $37,900 with the option to make an offer.
It is hard to find fault with this Camaro’s exterior presentation, although the seller admits it received a repaint in its original shade of Dark Claret. It is unclear when this happened, but it retains a beautiful shine and no evidence of glaring faults. The panels are straight, and there is no exterior rust. The seller climbed under the Camaro with their camera, providing shots of spotless floors. It is a victory when you consider that these classics could develop problems, especially if they spent their life in areas prone to damp weather and snow. This car has spent most of its life in Canada, making the solid condition particularly noteworthy. The graphics are crisp, the glass is excellent, and the color-coded wheels are as impressive as the rest of the exterior.
Considering the BIN figure for this Camaro, I feel being ruthless about flaws is justified. The interior presents well, but it isn’t perfect. Closely examining the photos suggests some faults in the driver’s seat vinyl. It could be an optical illusion, but the base has what appears to be a developing tear, while the seat’s back outer edge is discolored and worn. It isn’t horrendous, but it may justify cover replacement if it deteriorates further. The remaining upholstered surfaces are pristine, as are the dash, pad, and console. There are no dirty marks on the carpet or evidence of wheel wear. The lack of air conditioning is unsurprising, considering the car was delivered to its original owner in Canada, but popping out the glass roof panels represents a good compromise. A retro-style stereo occupies the spot earmarked for the factory radio, while power windows and a tilt wheel should help to improve occupant comfort.
This Z28’s drivetrain configuration is the most desirable Chevrolet offered in 1980, with its 350ci V8 sending 190hp to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual transmission. The power delivered by the small-block was the highest available since 1974, allowing this Camaro to cover the ¼-mile in 16.1 seconds. It was a long way from the glory days of the early 1970s, but it is indicative of how The Malaise Period bit into engine performance. The seller claims it has 34,000 miles on its odometer, but they don’t mention supporting evidence. They say the Z28 runs and drives very well, and they have a video they will happily forward to interested parties showing the car in action. For an enthusiast seeking a turnkey pony car, this one shows promise.
It is fascinating to examine the sales figures to ascertain how dramatic the news of an impending new Camaro was. In 1979, Chevrolet sold 282,571 Camaros, with 45,137 being a Z28. In 1980, those numbers dropped to 152,005 and 45,137. The freefall continued in 1981, with many believing that the once great pony car went out with a whimper. The 1980 Camaro Z28 remained unappreciated for decades, but values have climbed dramatically as a new generation of enthusiasts views them as affordable. Recent sales results place the BIN for this car at the top of the current market, and it could be slightly optimistic. If the odometer reading is verifiable, that could help its cause, although the seller may need to compromise if they wish the car to sell promptly. Would you be prepared to hit the BIN button, or would negotiation be your strategy?
This generation generally does little for me, though if Santa were to leave this very striking example in my driveway, I would be a very happy elf.
This for near $38k or the ’67 for (so far) less?
Silly question, huh… Well, to me it is. But, as
Fahrvergnugen stated, as a gift I’d treasure it.
Welll, 67s are an inferior car, and a dime a nalf dozen.
This car, regardless of year, looks awesome, great color, great condition, T-tops, a 350, 4spd, i think power windows, .. ya, id take this over a 67 no hesitation.
For 38k, ya, gotta love a Camaro.. and thats just whos gonna buy it; probably after a lil haggling :)
45,137? Hmm. That said, this is one beauty. Not sure if it’s $38K pretty but I wouldn’t turn it down if I had the winning lottery ticket.
And a 140mph Speedometer!!!
Oh wait, it’s in Km/hr
never mind
Heck my late model 68 Firebird 400 HO, had a factory 160 MPH speedo in it. And it would do it, no problem!!! And no Km/hr about it….
Yes we know it would do it because you said so. I would have to doubt that story.
One positive selling point is that this is the last year before computers. 1981? I would avoid it like the plague.
Nice clean chebby.
One thing strange about these is thec”rough” feeling steering wheel.
Not comfy in the hands like a leather covered one.
Wonder what they were thinking when they designed those hard,rough steering wheels?
Very clean indeed. I would just question one thing from the write up. The writer stated it has a factory 350cc, coupled with the four speed manuel, sending 190hp to the rear wheels.
I’m not a mechanic, but the hp that car dealers advertise is crank hp, NOT rear wheel hp. My mechanic who works on my go fast charger to subtract roughly fiveteen percent to get the rear wheel hp. Thus putting the 80Z28 closer to 160rwhp verses 190twhp…
I should quit criticizing the price of collector cars these days and admit “I Just Don’t Get It!” Maybe I should take advantage and sell the two I have.
67 Camaro’s inferior? A dime a dozen? Where do you live?
He would not know. He has never owned a 67 Camaro. Probably does not know some 67 Camaros had 350 small blocks.
The 350 was introduced and was standard equipment on the SS optioned cars in 1967.
” or would negotiation be your strategy?” Always!
In 91 i bought a 78 & felt the same about it but my main endevor was picking out a brand new motor from the summit racing catalog. I prepped up the bay while i waited for it to get delivered to my place. The process was so fun & when i sat in the car after all that work i turned the key & it roared to life. Once i came back to earth i ventured out w no hood. T – tops off 4 speed & a nasty hi rev hipo small block. 1/2 hr later i pulled into my driveway & turned her off. My cheeks hurt so bad from smiling. By the way, i changed the wheel not long after.
I had the exact same Z28, same year, same copilot, T tops, only difference was the rims, mine had air and the slush box. Great memories, sold it to buy a house
Second Gen Camaro was an automotive masterpiece. A Ferrari for everyman. The original was built during less regulated times but its Novalike styling was never anything to write home about.
I prefer the “Deluxe Camaro”, the Firebird. 🙂
Never thought I would see a disco era Camaro being sold for 3 times the price when it was new. It’s a nice looking car and finding one that came with a 4 speed is pretty few and far between. The second generation Camaros are bad about rusting in the lower quarter panels and rocker panels. They are also famous for water leaking into the interior and corroding the floor pans. They are also rather pudgy. My 1978 had 3700 pounds on the registration. My 1972 was quite a bit lighter but was still 3400 or so.
Yep, and compound those issues with t-tops!
I’ve owned 3 Camaro’s with t-tops & have never had any issues. As long as the weather stripping is kept soft & locking hardware kept tight, they are trouble free. At least the Fisher tops are, I can’t vouch for the Hurst conversions though.
Nice car by severely over priced, this era of muscle cars are going to be the thing now, but this era lacks the performance pedigree and the romance of the previous generation.
This would be a nice car at a third of the price
Absolutely beautiful example! I likewise have a 1980 Z/28 with t-tops & 4 speed that I’ve had since 1985, but it’s in no where near this pristine of condition. But I was also 20 when I bought it & I beat on it like a rented mule. Is it overpriced? I don’t know, considering the market. Where are you gonna find another one this nice any cheaper?
The t-tops, besides increasing the potential of rust, is the amount of structural rigidity lost when you cut away the roof rails. Sure, the factory adds additional supports in this area, but you still lose a significant amount of strength between the A and B pillars. A basic street driven car or collector car isn’t a real issue, but in an accident or rollover you give up a good amount of strength. A car with a built engine or generally driven aggressively will twist the chassis every time you hit the gas. All that being said, other than the 70-73, this is the better looking of the Z’s, the horizontal grille makes all the difference!
Oh man, that thing is pretty. I love the color scheme and the color matched wheels really set it off. And a 4 speed? Holy cow! If I were wealthy enough to be a collector I’d add this to my warehouse and then immediately start adding subtle but noticeable performance improvements to make it as fast as it looks. Really good looking car, and the interior is as nice as the exterior.
Beautiful color and a stick..I always liked those wheels too. Wild price but if it has 38k, could be worth it someday.
The rope steering wheel is comfortable, 350 and 4-speed is not under powered, T-Tops are fun and these cars drive great ! Attention getter !
Actual “rope” would be more comfortable than that hard, rough steering wheel 🤣
If it was a good idea, other manufacturers would have made their wheels like that.
And I had rough hands from working in a warehouse back then too!
I know this seller, a thorough in person inspection is highly recommended.
Those definitely were not underpowered. I was a senior in high school in 1981, and had a friend who had a 80 Z28 with the 350 4spd, I had a 79 Trans am with the olds 403 with the automatic.
We would race, I never once beat him off the line, but from a 70mph roll I did.
He let me drive it once, loved the functional air induction vents, they would click/ clang ( open and shut) when you would rip it through the gears…lol
Great looking Zed-28, in a killer color.
As far as the HP/torque ratings in the mid/late seventies, I always say “beggars can’t be choosers “….for an original OEM performance car.
These did handle great, and cornered like a limpet! 😉
Best to the new owner, enjoy!
@David Ross
“Heck my late model 68 Firebird 400 HO, had a factory 160 MPH speedo in it. And it would do it, no problem”.
HAHAHA!!! What have you been smoking?
At least your honest Ricky…lol
It cracks me up how non-gear heads, or normal people, respond to me sometimes when I may ask them ” how fast have you had it up yo”…
My favorite response was, and still is, well…the speedometer goes up to…lmao
I had a friend with a 79 Trans am, speedometer only went to 100, but had the Pontiac 400, with the 400 4spd, car was good stock to 130mph…
Also had a friend with a 80 z28 growing up, speedo only went to 85mph…similar situation…
I know it goes both ways though. I just find it funny just based on where the speedometer tops out, people automatically think, that’s how fast their car should top out…smh
Very nice example. Love the exterior color not so much for the interior. Not sure if there was an option 🤔. A little pricey high for me about 10 grand less.