sgp0511

I mean to all of us on here, our cars are obviously desirable, but the collector market is all about the 60s-70s muscle. I rarely ever see anything on tv or whatever, and when i do people usually knock them. I usually hear remarks like oh its just an 80s camaro or firebird, a smogmonster blah blah, not worth anything. but my question is why?personally i think the third gen firebird is the best looking muscle/pony car period. I would prefer a 3rd gen over 1st 2nd or 4th gen anyday, dont get me wrong i still like them but the third gen is just badass. another thing ive noticed is i will see more 50-70s cars then a third gen, and when i do which is like 1 per 5 months, its usually really ragged out. I mean cmon, our cars "conquer the wind", to me it was way before its time. how cool would it be if the new gen camaro was based on a third gen? my drunk rant for the night.

cmk-2

iTrader: (1)

Just give 'em time. I bought my 1978 Trans Am 20 years ago in good condition for under $7,500 now they are in the teens and higher. Just wait another 5-7 years and people will think and pay differently then now. We are just ahead of the curve.

GCrites80s

This is life in America. The '50s, '60s and early '70s will always get top billing for the next 20 years in everything no matter what because the Baby Boomers youth experiences are considered the most important. And granted, some really important things happened culturally when they were young such as the Civil Rights Movement, muscle cars, the Beatles, Vietnam etc. In the motorsports realm the LS engines and the late SN95s were seen as the big turnaround even if the 350 TPI was really what got things going again.

Despite the fact that the '80s kind of rule pop culture today that doesn't mean everything from the '80s does. There's a lot of bands, TV shows and movies people still forget. So in the USA the important years are 1955 to 1973 and 2000 and up. Over in England, they have all kinds of magazines that celebrate the late '70s through the '90s such as Popular Sportsbikes an Retro Gamer. Here if you like those things you're left high and dry.

Generation X, early Millenials (pre-'85) and Boomers born after 1960 are unimportant to marketers here.

GCrites80s

I think another issue is that a lot of us 3rd genners are still having a hard time gaining traction disposable income-wise whereas in that 5-7 year time period that is likely to change.

bahsarie1

Also there are still a lot of ours around.

mantaguy

iTrader: (5)

5-7 more years,I'll be dead

GCrites80s

That kinda depends on location. Here I rarely see V6 cars that aren't 91-92 RSs. Most of what's left are Z28s, V8 RSs, TAs and Formulas. I rarely see IROCs. Once the SUV thing happened our cars were out due to poor winter weather performance and rust. This happened by the mid-2000s. I also don't think normals like how the interiors disintegrate so quickly with daily use.

sgp0511

well its also kind of a plus their not all that popular because a 3rd gen f body can be had for pretty cheap even a nice one. I remember my first experience with one, i was proly 15 and riding my dirtbike with some friends out in this corn field, and we were passing a popular spot to dump trash and what not and there was a blue 3rd gen iroc out there, first thing i do is see if it had a key and sure enough it did, no front seats but i hopped in and tried to crank it over and whn it didnt start i look under the hood and there is no motor there. everything else was basically there though other than engine and front seats. me and a friend tried pushing it deeper in the grass to hide it so no one else would see it while i tried to formulate a plan to take this thing home.unfortunately when i told my dad he said no was hes going out into a corn field and pulling that thing home as it was proabably stolen. next day me and friend went out there to try and drag it home with his 4 wheeler, and we discovered it smashed to pieces laying upside down. guess some other people found it and had some fun with it. it was the saddest thing seeing that camaro smashed up sitting on its roof in that field. next day it was gone. my guess is someone stole that thing, snagged the engine and dumped it, then after it got smashed up someone got it to take to the metal scrap. my 2nd run in with one was when i almost traded my 87 blazer for this 92 camaro, i didnt know a thing about f bodys at the time, it had a dented oil pan which caused the crank to hit it and have a knocking sound, atleast thats what he said, decided to keep the blazer instead.

RTGTA

I'm sure the third gens are going to have their day soon. Look at the big auctions with the rare animals of our breed (TTA, 1LE, etc) and what they have started to pull in dollar wise. I have read/been told that the IROC's will be on the same level as the old SS's eventually due to the limited production run and low survival rate. Also, when I had my IROC appraised in August the vehicles he used for comparison to calculate value were listed for up to $35,000.00. Don't worry my friend, our time will come!

bjpotter

In the classic car market the real money is for investment not for a mid life crisis buy. Some of our rarer cars do bring good money (25 - 50k). The 60's 70's cars that bring good money are also the rare ones. Those same cars can be had fairly cheap if they don't have the right motor. Small V8 classic Camaro's can be bought for well under 20K at the auctions. Common cars of almost any brand or year rarely increase in price very much. Most times there worth more for parts than as a whole or a starter for a clone.
The exception that makes me laugh are the classic Mopars. Most people who bought them in the day, bought them to race. Outside of the drive train they were junk. I never saw a new Charger, Super Bee etc that ever came "Well put together". Body panels were never square, paint jobs were bad, Hoods lined up wrong, and ***** would fall off or break. My brother's friend bought a new Super Bee to race. The three of us spent an entire afternoon shimming body parts for a photo shoot the day after he bought it. The guys that rebuild them do a great job. They NEVER looked that good new.

sgp0511

its funny when people knock chrysler products, because from my own personal experience, 65 coronet, 99 durango and 03 ram, those vehicles were just of a much higher quality than any gm product ive owned, 87 blazer, 88 bird, 96 blazer, 99 bird. i mean the 65 is all original, no broken ***** or anything, compared to any of my gm products, there was always something rattling or squeaking on the interior. my 99 bird was the funnest car i have owned but man that interior! i touched on of the vents on the dash and crack it snapped off. the plastic in that thing was just shoddy. but hey i loved that car lol.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

Has nothing to do with "baby boomers", "a few more years", or ANY of that.

It has more to do with the time that they were born into.

And it's not just "our cars" on here. Mustangs, Vettes, the jokes that Mopars became (how about the Dart "Swinger" for example), ALL of em.

The whole car culture ENDED, never to return, with the decrease in performance caused by emissions, then the nail was driven into its coffin in Oct 1973 by the Arab oil embargo. It was as sudden and as final as the cops raiding a party.

In that short couple of years, all the glamor of "cars" in general disappeared; but most especially, muscle cars. In 74 - 75 - 76, people could not GET RID of those old things fast enough; it suddenly cost 4 times as much to drive them as it did before, AND you couldn't even get the right fuel for most of em any more. You could snap up GTOs, Gran Torinos, SS Chevelles, Chargers, Mustangs, ALL of em, for next to nothing. People simply quit wanting things like that. Meanwhile the public stream of consciousness (to the extent that the general public can even be considered "conscious") moved on to other things. Where cars are concerned, a "status symbol" changed from a 400 HP taxicab, to some little foreign thing; first a BMW or Mercedes, then when Toyota Nissan and Honda introduced the Lexus Infiniti and Acura lines in around 88 - 90, those, as well.

Then on top of that, due to the utter crap being produced by the American car companies as their empire came crashing down but the greedy unions and the complacent lazy management both failed to "get it" all through the 70s, imported cars of FAR better build quality than ANYTHING coming out of Detroit flooded the market, and people's opinion of the Big 4 (soon to become the Medium-size 3) went from worship, since that was all they'd ever known and they were proud of being Americans having just beat the rest of the world in the most brutal wars ever fought, to contempt. I know PLENTY of people who gritted their teeth and bought their first hated "jap" or "kraut" import for no other reason than the lower expense of fuel, and discovered how crappy the crap they'd lived with their whole lives before was, and TO THIS DAY won't even CONSIDER buying a domestic branded car.

It's not that our cars aren't "good"; it's not that enough time hasn't passed; it's not that there aren't/weren't enough people around of the right age group at the time; NONE of that.

The kind of value that the old muscle cars have will NEVER come to our cars. Don't even hallucinate that for a second, ESPECIALLY not with your wallet open.

Which, in my humble opinion, is a GOOD thing. It means we here can buy them easily, enjoy them for what they are, and not have to worry about "value". We just get to have fun.

tim78

I'm starting to see more and more 3rd gens on the road 3 years ago my insurance co. valued it at $700 I put it back on road last year and they said it was $3000. more taxes but the value went up

ray jr

iTrader: (2)

take a look at what the eighties corvettes sell for .. now thats sad

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

No you're not; you're just noticing em more. They STICK OUT more in a see of jelly-bean shaped anonymous blobs. For every one that appears in a junkyard, there's one less on the road; and no new ones are being created, so you do the math.

No it didn't. They just figured out a way to charge you more, and you, feeling like you had been handed a compliment, bit off on it. Don't make me quote David Hannum on the matter.

sgp0511

around where i live you rarely see a third gen anything anymore. As a kid of the 90s i remember seeing third gen camaros all the time but i dont remember any birds, and to this day i still dont see them. but when i do they are more burnt out than axl rose in a GNR concert nowdays lol

tajoe

iTrader: (1)

Lots of correct opinions above. People usually remember fondly their "youth" years. 1st girlfriends, 1st driving years, and 1st cars. After WWII, the country was "high" on life. The economy boomed, Detroit learned how to build better cars, and the public ate it up. Women stayed home to raise kids, 1 car family. Men went to work, and wanted some excitement after the war, drag racing, stock car racing, even SCCA racing flourished.The high performance car market came to be. And Detroit capitalized on this for almost 20 yrs. Then, (as mentioned above), EPA, insurance, OPEC stomped out the fire with such aggression, the public had no recourse than to run away from the HP car market as fast as they could. So even though the best engines (at that time) coming out of Detroit became more and more powerfull right up to 1970, when the compression went away, and they started experimenting with emissions and safety, cars got heavier,uglier (in my opinion), and had much less power all the way to the mid and upper 80s. late 70s and early 80s were pathetic in power production and drivetrain reliability, compared to the previous decades, it's no wonder car enthusiasm diminished.
Now, a lot of us "baby boomers" that remember cars of the past, have a hard time excepting vehicles from these "unpopular times". But the younger generation who didn't live them, (born in the 70s and above) will "fondly" remember their youth of the 80s on up, and the "original" high performance cars will become "antiquated", and laughed at as old fashion museum pieces. They're already 1/2 there.
But I will agree, the 3rd gen F-body styling was a definite improvement over the mid to late 70s GM cars, (in my opinion), and make fine road cars. That's why I own one, and can't wait to get my project up and running. So don't despair,because Mecum, or Barret Jackson isn't raking in the dough on these fine cars. Once again, (as mentioned above), it makes it more affordable for us to participate with these cars. Enjoy

skinny z

That and the fact that they made 1.5 million 3rd gens over 10 years.

chazman

iTrader: (4)

I think that has a lot to do with it. And out of those, many thousands were simply parked in a garage and used as a weekend/summer toy. Like mine, for example.

You can still buy a mint, barely used, 3rd gen for 12-15K. Or a really incredible example for 20K. Until the vast supply of these mint low milers gets exhausted, the prices in general aren't going to go up much. And why would anyone want to do a rotisserie restoration, which may cost 50+K, if you can still buy a like new original for 15-20K?

puma1552

iTrader: (1)

1) Our own community doesn't value them - biggest problem right there.
2) Still too many in trailer parks driven by Joe Dirt - further drives down the value.
3) '60s/'70s cars are collectible because they were the first time people realized cars could be worth something. This only happens once in history. Secondary and tertiary attempts to duplicate value to different eras of the same product simply doesn't happen. Part of this is because too many people then sock away cars and in 25 years there will be no shortage of low mile cream puffs from people expecting to cash in. Think you'll have any problem finding a 2,000 mile '12/'13 Boss 302 or '13/'14 GT500? You'll have your pick, I guarantee it. The '60s cars are valuable because nobody knew they'd be valuable, and virtually none were preserved as a result.
4) Our cars are further devalued by today's performance. Stuck between '60s romanticization and 2010+ ***** to the wall do-it-all performance and comfort. In between are our slow, uncomfortable, poorly built cars. Cars built today certainly are not helping the values of our cars built yesterday.
5) Build quality was outright garbage.

Honestly driving a Brembo 5.0 every day, it's tough to see the desirability of my LO3 that I've had almost 16 years. I like it, but I'd have to be out of my gourd to realistically prefer it over a '60s car or a car built today.

The cars with few exceptions will never be worth big money, but if we could at least value them amongst ourselves by having a little respect for ourselves and our cars, they could at least not drop below a bottom value of $5k.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

So, explain how the 57 Chevy, the single highest production # car model in history until the 65 Mustang, is so desirable. That is, if high production numbers drive down value, then explain how 2 of the highest evah are also 2 of the most sought-after, with the highest value, today.

That sounds more like something that would come from the imagination of a Firebird person than a Camaro one.

Puma is close on acoupla points, except in some that he confuses the effect with the cause. His point #2 is the one most conflicted that way. The effect is that large numbers of these cars are in the hands of "socio-economically challenged" owners; the cause is that they're not "sought-after" in a way that would artificially inflate their purchase price above that of any other car of similar age and condition. They're cheeeeeeep because they're old and wore out, and that's why people without the ability to buy anything newer and less wore out, now own so many of em. It's not the other way around, like he proposes.

He is absolutely right however, that no one could have predicted the value trajectory of 60s muscle cars, least of all, 60s muscle car owners in the 60s. And also, about the build quality; I would add also, the design quality. Hubcaps that fall off (15" Z28 wheels, they were falling off driving down the road within 3 years of their build); the same stooopid crap pot-metal door handles that would break off if you tried to open the door after a freezing rain; interior held together by sheet-metal screws run into plastic without any hardware to back up the threads; the list just goes on.

But despite all that, these cars were AWESOME when they came out. I still remember the first Indy 500 pace car I saw: it about knocked my underwear inside-out. Just an AMAZING improvement over the same tired 12-yr-old wore-out used-up overdone with plastic saggy crap hung on the old body with gaudy laughable sticker packages and no functional improvement that the 2nd gen cars, ESPECIALLY the Firebirds, had become. There are SO MANY things about these cars that are superior to 2nd gens... the rear suspension, the interior room, the handling, the cargo space, the reduced excess pointless nose length, the bloated weight due to inefficient use of materials, ... these cars are just better from the get-go even if still deficient. Then when the L69 came out, the FIRST post-oil-embargo drive train that actually could hold its own with the unmodified 60s cars that were left, I just HAD TO have one. Traded in my 79 Z28 4-speed on one. But that didn't, and doesn't, really apply to the general public.

So yeah, I like these cars, and will probably continue to like them for myself, forever; but I'm not stewpid enough to kid myself that the bulk of the car-buying public will share my enthusiasm. Frankly, I don't expect the "car" as we know it to be around for much longer, anyway; I'm expecting that before another decade is out, anything that requires actual human guidance and knowledge to pilot it, will be regarded as a museum piece unfit for any actual serious road use anyway, too dangerous to the rest of the road-using public to be on one, kinda like an old horse buggy is today. And sure, those are in museums; but that doesn't mean they're "valuable", "sought after", "desirable", or any of the rest of that, either.

GCrites80s

'57 Chevys have flattened out. They're not losing value, but they're not going up either. Today's collector car market is all about Muscle and limited production European cars rather than flagship models. Look at E30 M3s lately if you want a shock.

redneckjoe

i have to agree, we're lucky they're not sought after more right now, or we'd pay more for certain parts and cars.

i was thinking back in 1988 i bought a 84 z-28 for $5,000. that same year i picked up a 71 malibu for $400! the value on those 2 cars swung big time! as much as i like 3rd gens, i'd rather have my chevelle back. i can pick up a cheap 3rd gen easy enough.

i'm the guy keeping the value down guys. joe dirt ******, on a dirt road, flat black car, etc, lol. your welcome!

the younger crowd doesnt seem to like these cars often either or think much of them unless its modified. all i hear is, my civic, wrx, camry, etc., will eat one of those old cars for lunch. and they might be right? but i do think its a beautiful looking car and get compliments about my car very often. i always get the, " i used to have one of them in high school! "

bjpotter

I was talking about the muscle cars from that era. Chrysler put everything into performance and everything else was as cheap as they could do it. The Superbird paint jobs are a good example. The front end, body and spoiler were all painted in different places. The colors never matched. Many of my brother's friends were drag racers. Mopar's were cheap and easy to set up. "Disposable" as I heard many times in the day. Race on Sunday, Buy on Monday!

As for other years, lets not talk about K Cars...
But if you offer me a Viper ...Well...

bjpotter

Another way to look at the desirability is their value compared to other American sports cars of the day. Our rarest third gens rank high compared to most others. That include the Corvettes of that era. 80's Vette's with under 50,000 mile can be had for under 10K usually closer to 5-7K. Mustang's sell for under 15 - 20 for the rare ones and under 5K for the common cars. Grand Nationals and Monte Carlo SS's don't go over 25K and nice one's go for under 20 all the time. I've seen 3rd gens at Mecum sell for over 25K and many over 15K. Common cars for 5 - 8K.
Will it ever match more popular era's, probably not. Am I glad I can afford to own one... YOU BET!!!

skinny z

I hadn't realized that they also 1.5 million 57 Chevys. Hang on a second...they didn't. I just re-read the '57 production run stats and they prodcued 1.5 million Chevys. All Chevrolet models.
However, that said, yes I realize it's not just production numbers that'll drive a price down but, and you have to admit, if they made 1.5 million 1957 two door hardtops, then the value may be diminished just a little. Still there's no substitute for nostalgia...witness the 60's Mustang.

chazman

iTrader: (4)

Yes, new cars are faster, brake better, rattle less, etc. But there is a certain charm to driving a 3rd gen. The driving experience isn't filtered by various electronic nannies. When you are driving a 3rd gen, there is not doubt that you are driving the car, directly and unfiltered - rather than what the ECM's programming allows you to experience on a new car.

Long live the 3rd gen.

chazman

iTrader: (4)

BTW, our cars are not desirable compared to what? You're going to pay as much for a 3rd gen as you would for any other '80's sporty car in the same condition. The only exception being something exotic like a GNX.

skinny z

What I like is building a car that competes with a new car on all of those levels (not that I've done it yet...) And you can do it for less up to a point.
But that has little to do with "desirability".

sgp0511

Those 57 Chevys are kinda ridiculous tho bc I still see those and first gen mustangs all the time literally. I think when people think of an American classic either of those cars come to people's mind. Reading all these replies is making me see why our cars don't stand out like the original muscle because their stuck right in the middle of the og muscle and new muscle. I mean if u compare 3rd gen to 71 Chevelle and a 15 hellcat, I'm sure most people would choose one of those over a 305 bird or camaro. But I'm all about the underdog, I would love to see a modded third gen destroy either of those. But I def don't thing cars as we know them will be a museum piece in our lifetime, maybe we will see more alt fuel cars but self driving cars may come as google is working on that but I'd say that will be very very slow to catch on. Alot of the older people on here seem to think us the younger generation is all about our Hondas blah blah no that's not true as there are many many of us who still like our American muscle as Detroit is back firing on all cylinders. In fact I think it's mostly the old folks I see out there drivin Hondas toyotas and what not. I thought the old folks were supposed to be about all American products but that's just not what I see

sgp0511

If Chevy made the next gen camaro after a 3rd gen I'm sure the 3rd gen values would go way up, I mean look at a 70-74 challenger now after then new challenger was made, the prices on those 70-74 challengers are just crazy

sgp0511

Someone with photoshop or drawing skills should draw a modern look third gen I would love to see that

GCrites80s

A lot of guys under 22-25 are into Hondas and Toyotas because they have to be. Insurance and parents aren't down with the fast stuff for people that age. Finances also affect what they get; a lot of them got those cars cheap or even for free as hand-me-downs. Many owners aspire to own legit fast stuff such as WRX/STI/Evo, Camaros, Mustangs, almost every remotely sporty car made after 2008 when power numbers skyrocketed etc. Or their goal is to make their existing Honda fast through forced induction. I'm not going to crap on a 300hp+ Civic -- that's fast on the street unless you're hanging around big money street racers. Also, you wanna talk about something that's going to be expensive as hell in 15 years? Unmolested Integra Type Rs.

Right now the 3rd gens are in that strange middle ground. The white trash thing is dying off here since the ones that were that way have just died; it's been too long. You can't get to work in one of those anymore. Early 4th gen is in the "Death Zone" now. Late 4th gen will never be since they are worth too much and very well-respected including the fantastic late V6 cars.

sgp0511

I'm in that 22-25 range and that's just not true, finances are low as I have a family and child and I pay for insurance and everything and really insurance isn't even that bad, no friends my age have Hondas or toyotas, one has a 14 challenger another has a 99 gt mustang another with a 11 camaro, so it's really just preference. We're not all into tuners it's just older ppl stereotyping our generation. Back on subject my question is what is the most valuable/rare bird and camaro 3rd gen?

Linson

great post.
to answer your question, the most valuable/rare 3rd Gens would have to be: 1) the 91-92 Formula Firehawk and 2) the 89 Turbo Trans Am.

a while back, a guy was trying to sell a 1 of 1 for '89 Carroll Supercharging Formula. it was in decent shape and he wanted 17K for it. i kick myself every day for not pouncing on that. i just didnt know what it was at the time, and by the time i did, he sold it to some "buyer" in Arizona. i think there were two or three others built in '87 and '88. not sure where to place those as far as value, but i think 17K was a steal.

as far as the Camaros, i dont think that they made any truly remarkable ones (in the more desireable/collectable/valuble/expensive than the top of the line sense.) thats not saying anything bad about Camaros, it just so happens that only Pontiac, on a couple of occasions went way outside the box with Third Gen performance.

that is unless i'm wrong, then someone will correct me.

okfoz

35-25 years ago a 1960's car was worth nothing
25-15 years ago a 1970's car was worth nothing
15-5 years ago a 1980's car was worth nothing.

I remember back in the 1980's you could pick up 1st gens for next to dirt.

John

okfoz

In this order: (The masses car)
91-92 Firehawk
1989 TTA

Camaro really did not have a Special edition of any kind with power like the Firebirds, so really you are stuck with the 87-90 IROC 350 or 305/MM5 or the 91-92 Z28 350 or 305/MM5

John

GCrites80s

I can't find original V8 Thirdgens in my area cheap anymore. Even in 2013 there were lots of running $500-1000 cars. Now $2500 is the minimum and a lot of them are really bad. The good deals might still be found by asking around, but as far as craigslist goes be ready to pay. We'll see if summer brings out some cheaper cars.

Eric-86sc

iTrader: (18)

I don't think you can use craigslist to price these cars. At least near me most any car on cl is overpriced and stays listed for up to months at a time. The real fair deals are found through word of mouth or sitting in someone's front yard with a for sale sign on it. eBay is another bad price indicator and survival rate counter due to the fees. I think it costs like $200 or something like that to sell a car. There is no reason to list a 500-1500 dollar car on eBay since a sale will yield a pretty small final sale price. This gives the "illusion" third gens, especially trashed ones, are disappearing when in reality they are out there just not visible to the public.

dmccain

iTrader: (2)

I guarantee you the prices will go up. Never to the prices 57chevys or maybe 67 Camaros bring but I definitely see them on the rise especially stock unmolested cars. And oh yeah, I remember seeing pretty nice 67-69 Camaros going for $6500-8500 back in the early nineties. Hmmm... Im seeing really nice third gens getting that kind of coin now also. Just something to think about..

okfoz

But you have to remember, the 1967 Camaro and the 1957 Chevy has a 20 & 30 year head start.

For all you doubters.. apparently some have an appeal

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chevrolet-Camaro-2dr-Coupe-Z2-1986-iroc-z-28-camaro-t-toptime-capsule-9-282-original-miles-by-gas-/221681205264?forcerrptr=true&hash=item339d3ac010&item=221681205264&pt=US_Cars_Trucks&rmvSB=true
$32,000 and 72 bids?

Joe Tag

iTrader: (4)

I think the car being from gas monkey is the sole appeal driving the price that high. I don't doubt our cars will eventually bring decent cash, but it will be a while.

okfoz

I will concede that the majority (yes I said the majority) of 3rd gens are going to be like V6 1st gens, or V6 second gens for that matter... not worth a whole lot.

With that said I made a list of cars that have the most potential to being more valuable than others. It is pretty straight forward

Firehawks,
TTA's
350 IROC
350 GTA
350 Trans Am
350 Formula
LB9/M5 IROC
LB9/M5 GTA
LB9/M5 Trans Am
LB9/M5 Formula
LB9/A4 IROC
LB9/A4 GTA
LB9/A4 Trans Am
LB9/A4 Formula
L69/M5 IROC or Trans Am

And of course Convertibles are in the mix somewhere

Anything less than that really is not going to have a ton of value. Of course if you have a 1LE or a Players Series car, or some sort of special edition that will help some.

But the majority of cars with LG4, L03, V6 and the laughable I4 cars... Stop hoping that they will be worth tens of thousands of dollars, they will not be any time soon...

Like most any other car, the performance cars usually outpace the values of the basic cars...

Here is the list I have compiled that have the most potential... not in any order other than production figures.

1 (1992) SLP Firehawk Convertible - SLP
1 (1992) SLP Firehawk T-top - SLP
1 (1989) PAS TTA Notchback
1 (1989) PAS TTA Test Car with Hardtop & Leather Interior - TTA Website
1 (1989) PAS/ASC TTA Convertible Test car, Cloth Interior - TTA Website
1 (1989) ASC/PAS TTA's Convertible, Leather Interior - ASC - TTA Website
1 (1987) VHO Formula - Silver - Dealer Modified - Awaiting hard confirmation
1 (1989) VHO Formula - Dealer Modified - Confirmed find
2 (1988) VHO Formulas - Dealer Modified - Magazine Article states 3, but rumor has 1 1987 and 2 1988s.
3 (1988) Trans Am 1LE
3 (1989) PAS TTA's Test Cars with T-Top & Cloth Interior ( A fourth was made into a convertible See above) - TTA Website
4 (1986) Trans Am L69/M5 (NON Players) - Mark Players Series
4 (1988) Camaro 1LE - White Book
4 (1990) Trans Am 1LE - Compnine.com (confirmed)
4 (1992) Trans Am 1LE (NON R7U) - Mark Players Series
5 (1992) Players Trans Am R7U - Mark Players Series
6 (1991) SLP Firehawks (Hard Top) - SLP
9 (1991) Players Trans Am R7U - Mark Players Series
9 (1989) Trans Am/GTA LB9 Convertibles
13 (1986-1991) Tojan Convertibles
14 (1990) Players Trans Am R7U - Mark Players Series
15 (1989) PAS TTA's Hardtop & Cloth Interior - TTA Website
------------------107 cars above this line .0048%--------------
16 (1989) Formula LB9 Convertibles
17 (1992) SLP Firehawk (Hard Top)
17 (1989) Players Trans Am R7U - Mark Players Series
20 (1988) Players Trans Am A4U - Mark Players Series
22 (1986) Players Trans Am A4Q - Mark Players Series
22 (1987) Players Trans Am A4U - Mark Players Series
22 (1992) Formula 1LE (May include some Firehawks)
24 (1989) PAS TTA's Hardtop & Leather Interior
26 (1989) Trans Am 1LE
28 (1990) IROC L98/A4 1LE
29 (1992) (US Sales) LB9/M5 GTA - gtasourcepage.com
30 (1992) Players Camaro R7U - Mark Players Series
32 (1991) Players Camaro R7U - Mark Players Series
34 (1990) IROC LB9/M5 1LE - Compnine.com (confirmed)
37 (1983) Daytona Trans Am LG4/M5 Hardtop
39 (1989) PAS Hard Top TTA's - TTA Website
------------------522 cars above this line .0216%--------------
43 (1989) ASC Formula 350 convertibles - Research
46 (1991) Formula 1LE (May include some Firehawks)
46 (1991) Base Firebird Convertibles W/M5 Trans - Red Book
53 (1987) Players Camaro A4U - Mark Players Series
53 (1991) Trans Am 1LE (does not include R7U)
63 (1986) Players Camaro A4Q - Mark Players Series
65 (1989) Players Camaro R7U - Mark Players Series
71 (1988) Players Camaro A4U - Mark Players Series
74 (1986) Camaro L69 (11 were Non Players Cars)
------------------1,037 cars above this line .0436%--------------
78 (1990) (US Sales) GTA LB9/M5 - gtasourcepage.com (PHS)
86 (1992) 1LE Camaros (Non B4C non R7U)
104 (1988) ASC Firebird Convertibles (Trans Am, GTA, Formula, Firebird) - ASC
104 (1991) Trans Am Convertible LB9/M5
111 (1989) Camaro 1LE
116 (1983) Daytona Trans Am LU5 (CFI)/A4 - Hardtop
123 (1986-1991) Tojan Hard Tops (includes T-top cars)
143 (1989) ASC L98 Trans Am & L98 GTA Convertibles
144 (1992) (US Sales) L98 GTA's - gtasourcepage.com (PHS)
164 (1991) (US Sales) LB9/M5 GTAs - gtasourcepage.com (PHS)
174 (1987) ASC Pontiac Firebirds (Trans Am, GTA, Formula, Firebird) - ASC
187 (1989) PAS TTA T-Top & Cloth Interior - TTA Club
190 (1992) (US Sales) Trans Am W/L98 - gtasourcepage.com (PHS)
195 (1991) Camaro 1LE/L98 (includes B4C cars)
205 (1985) Camaro IROC LB9/A4/G92
263 (1987) Camaro RS, SC & LT Convertibles - White Book
283 (1991) Camaro 1LE/LB9/M5 (includes B4C cars)
295 (1990) Camaro IROC LB9/M5/G92
366 (1989) (US Sales) GTA LB9/M5 - gtasourcepage.com (PHS)
403 (1992) (US sales) Formula 350's - compnine.com???
451 (1991) Trans Am Convertible LB9/A4
------------------5,105 cars above this line .230%--------------
483 (1983) Daytona Trans Am LG4/M5 - T-tops
502 (1985) 1C5 "California IROC" - TGO
571 (1992) Z03 Heritage Camaro Z28/L98 (all had G92) (571 not complete number)
589 (1992) Camaro B4C all with 1LE
592 (1991) Camaro B4C (note not all B4C cars were 1LE cars in 1991, 1LE equipped B4C cars will have more value)
595 (1990) (US Sales) GTA W/L98 - gtasourcepage.com (PHS)
607 (1992) Camaro Z28 LB9/M5/G92
662 (1983) Trans Am L69 5.0 H.O.
718 (1988) GTA Notchbacks L98/A4, LB9/A4 & LB9/M5
729 (1990) RS Camaro Convertibles
------------------10,583 cars above this line .455%--------------
733 (1991) Camaro Z28 LB9/M5/G92
744 (1987) IROC-Z Convertibles
777 (1992) Trans Am Convertible A4 & M5 - PHS
809 (1988) (US Sales) GTA LB9/M5 - gtasourcepage.com (PHS)
904 (1991) Base Firebird Vert W/A4 Trans
------------------------------------
1,254 (1992) Z28 Convertibles LB9 A4 & M5
1,265 (1992) Firebird Convertibles
1,294 (1990) IROC-Z Convertibles
1,321 (1989) PAS TTA T-Top & Leather Interior
1,321 (1991) (US Sales) GTA W/L98
1,321 (1984) Trans Am Recaro (Y84) L69
1,665 (1985) Trans Am L69 5.0 H.O.
1,500 (1984) Trans Am 15th Anniversary
1,864 (1983) Daytona Trans Am LU5(CFI)/A4 - T-tops
1,859 (1988) SC or RS Camaro Convertibles
1,900 (1990) Formula, GTA & Trans Am W/L98
------------------------------------
2,384 (1987) Formula 350's
2,497 (1985) Z28 L69 5.0 H.O.
2,415 (1990) IROC-Z Hard Top L98
2,562 (1992) RS Camaro Convertibles
------------------------------------
3,038 (1992) Z28 Hard Top L98
3,203 (1991) Z28 Convertible LB9 A4 & M5
3,223 (1983) Z28 L69 5.0 H.O.
3,245 (1989) RS Camaro Convertibles
3,280 (1987) LB9/M5 GTA's
3,761 (1988) IROC-Z Convertibles
3,940 (1989) IROC-Z Convertibles
------------------------------------
5,329 (1991) RS Camaro Convertibles
6,080 (1991) Z28 Hard Top L98
6,360 (1982) Camaro Z28/Z50 INDY Edition
6,554 (1989) (US Sales) GTA W/L98
6,606+ (1992) Camaro Z03
6,913 (1988) (US Sales) Hard Top GTA W/L98
7,051 (1984) Trans Am L69 5.0 H.O. W/M5
7,818 (1987) (US Sales) Hard Top Trans Am & GTA L98
9,206 (1983) Trans Am LU5 (includes some of the Daytona Trans Am's above)
--------------------------------
10,793 (1988) Formula, GTA & Trans Am W/L98
12,105 (1987) IROC-Z L98
12,116 (1988) IROC-Z L98
12,370 (1989) IROC-Z L98
13,037 (1982) Trans Am LU5
13,041 (1989) Formula, GTA & Trans Am W/L98
16,869 (1985) Trans Am LB9
18,037 (1984) Trans Am L69/A4 (includes some of the Anniversary & Recaro T/A's above)
19,847 (1983) Camaro Z28 LU5
--------------------------------
21,176 (1986) Trans Am LB9
24,673 (1982) Camaro Z28 LU5
32,836 (1985) Camaro Z28 LB9
46,374 (1986) Camaro Z28 LB9
52,457 (1984) Camaro Z28 L69 (Auto & Manual)

kymmee

I agree with everything that has been posted regarding the most "valuable" type 3rd gens. I would add that an MSE T/A, Recaro, DT500 or 84 15th anniversary Trans Am would be slightly more collectible than your average LG4 or crossfire.

ray jr

iTrader: (2)

EBay is a bunch of bs.. everybody jacks there bids up .. I watch a 1987 2,000 mile iroc 5.0 5speed for sale for a year at 20k and had no luck ..

sgp0511

does anyone know where the first camaro and firebird third gens are? what about the last? heres a video of the last camaro, i wonder where it resides today?

JT

iTrader: (1)

The last ThirdGen Camaro is still owned by Leonard, a member here on ThirdGen.org:
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/member.php?u=40974

The content in the YouTube video that you linked, specifically pictures of the Leonard's 1992 Camaro, was lifted from his website:
http://www.last1992camaro.com

sgp0511

ok well i think leonard should post some recent pics of his car if he already hasnt

sorrys70

people say they suck because in all honestly ..... they do. the joy of the third gen ownership is making a mediocre car awesome. ( and i love my car ive owned it for 15 years.)but im a realist im not ashamed of it nor do i try to claim that is a amazing performance car. it isnt. the stock orignal camaro is a woeful slow rattletrap piece of gm haLFassing. but thats not the point . third gens are great because you make it your own . its just a great feeling when you make a slow cheap piece of **** faster than a 911. thats why they are so lovable. everyone loves an underdog its A fact. because they arent rare supercars they will prob not be worth over 5k until they are 45 years old . and i like that . its a blue collar car . its a car id hang out with if it was a person. old 60s muscle are now like a fancy upper class snotty car. the third gen camaro is a Marlboro red and jack Daniels kind of car and that's why a terrible/undesirable car is so sweet. i actually fear the day that a third gen is a Barrett Jackson car it will be the end of the party.

sorrys70

dude! i did the same thing to my third gen lol! i used a dent puller and some quick steel to fix it hah drove it for years with a patched oil pan