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History / OriginalityGot a question about 1982-1992 Camaro or Firebird history? Have a question about original parts, options, RPO codes, when something was available, or how to document your car? Those questions, answers, and much more!
OK so I'm looking at an 85 z28 iroc a guy has for sale with the rare quartz center console clock option. It's a 4 wheel disc car with power everything, an lg4 option 5.0, a t5 world class, and weirdish interior because the seats looke lIke red bride racing seats that say camaro instead and the door panels have the same thing going on. I went to see a guy about how much an engine rebuild would cost and I told him it was an 85 iroc and he said no way. He called a buddy up at gm hq and ran the Vin and said it was a test run production car with 1le, iroc, and z28 parts that were scheduled for the 86 model. Is this a real thing or is this guy just full of crap and it's just a well optioned car? Ps. The seller says it was a one owner by a woman and she ordered it custom from the factory. Below is the rpo sheet from the console.
Looks like a fairly normal car to me. Non T-top, bottom-option engine, has the IROC package which was mostly trim. Doesn't appear to have WS6 listed separately in the RPO codes which most IROCs seem to have (don't know if it's included in B4Z or what), or even F41, so it didn't come set up as a "handling" car. Has GU5 gears which is 3.23 if memory serves; no posi. Has disc brakes.
Doesn't look particularly "well optioned" to me. At least not compared to other cars. All it really has is trim; IROC and the Lear-Siegler "Conteur" interior. I don't know the RPOs for some of the other options like PW, PM, PS, PHR, RWDF, etc. off the top of my head, so I can't tell if it has any of those.
The 1LE blah blah blah drivel is just that, drivel. Ignore that. Who knows about the "custom" thing. Doesn't look like what a typical woman (or anybody else) would "custom" order given the opportunity, based on my limited knowledge of women, but there's lots of women that aren't "typical" anyway, so that's not authoritative.
It might be an OK car; wouldn't be one I'd buy, myself, though. No LG4 for me, or those crappy cast-iron-caliper Saginaw brakes. But that's just me.
But if it's a nice car in good condition, and you like it, then that's the most important thing. Just don't get all worked up about it being "special" somehow. Doesn't appear to be.
OK because the guy I was talking to tried to tell me that only 500 irocs were made in 85 and they were all tpi. But I already new that was a bunch of bologne. But I didn't think the disc brakes would be normal on a non 1le car.
There were 21,177 IROC-Zs sold in 1985. You could get them with an LG4, L69 or LB9, (TPI). The J65 was a regular option. If it's a nice car at a fair price, buy it. But know this: the seller is either lying to you or is simply full of crap.
OK so I'm looking at an 85 z28 iroc a guy has for sale with the rare quartz center console clock option. It's a 4 wheel disc car with power everything, an lg4 option 5.0, a t5 world class, and weirdish interior because the seats looke lIke red bride racing seats that say camaro instead and the door panels have the same thing going on. I went to see a guy about how much an engine rebuild would cost and I told him it was an 85 iroc and he said no way. He called a buddy up at gm hq and ran the Vin and said it was a test run production car with 1le, iroc, and z28 parts that were scheduled for the 86 model. Is this a real thing or is this guy just full of crap and it's just a well optioned car? Ps. The seller says it was a one owner by a woman and she ordered it custom from the factory. Below is the rpo sheet from the console.
an lg4 with no posi .. please tell me your not paying alot for this car
I'm on the fence now about buying it. If it was an lsd car with discs I'd be all over it. But the interior is uncommon. I'm not buying to hotrod but rather to enjoy. I may swap out the rear for a posi or lsd if I get it but I will keep the original for value sake.
A non-posi carrier has NO value whatsoever, to make it worth "saving".
It doesn't seem you're listening: this seller is PUMPING YOUR ANUS FULL OF SUNSHINE. Ignore EVERY WORD he says. It is all very short on, or devoid of, FACT; but very long on BS.
Q: Ya know how a used-car seller is lying?
A: His lips are moving.
Q: Ya know how he's stabbing you in the back?
A: He's smiling.
You've already caught him in a lie. If he'll lie to you about something THAT EASY to verify, what makes you think that ONE SINGLE OTHER WORD he says, especially the stuff you CAN'T verify, has ONE OUNCE of truth in it?
There's nothing about that car that's particularly "special", "uncommon" let alone "rare", "memorable", "valuable" in the sense that it will reward preservation, or any such. Especially not, that you can't find AHELLUVALOT MORE OF in some other car. Which of course is not to say, hack it up and don't leave it original or anything of the kind; only, there is no financial reward in doing so. Put another way, YOU may care that it's "original", but NOBODY ELSE will.
If it's a nice well-kept car in good condition with low mileage, then it at least has that kind of value. It's one of these cars (3rd gen) so we're all in favor of you getting it and keeping it nice. But it's NOT a "test production car", "1LE", or any of the rest of that; and even if it were, the rest of the car is so lowly that nobody else would ever be interested. If YOU like the car, buy it, and enjoy it; just leave off all the "value" and "special" notions, because that crap will only lead you to spending your money foolishly and losing it in the end, while this seller profits from draining your bank account in the event. Which is EXACTLY what will happen as long as you go about this with all those stars in your eyes.
In fact posting up the mileage and some pics of it might help us bracket its value fairly closely, to help you decide whether it's the right car FOR YOU. All that other.... is just diarrhea of the mouth.
A non-posi carrier has NO value whatsoever, to make it worth "saving".
It doesn't seem you're listening: this seller is PUMPING YOUR ANUS FULL OF SUNSHINE. Ignore EVERY WORD he says. It is all very short on, or devoid of, FACT; but very long on BS.
Q: Ya know how a used-car seller is lying?
A: His lips are moving.
Q: Ya know how he's stabbing you in the back?
A: He's smiling.
You've already caught him in a lie. If he'll lie to you about something THAT EASY to verify, what makes you think that ONE SINGLE OTHER WORD he says, especially the stuff you CAN'T verify, has ONE OUNCE of truth in it?
There's nothing about that car that's particularly "special", "uncommon" let alone "rare", "memorable", "valuable" in the sense that it will reward preservation, or any such. Especially not, that you can't find AHELLUVALOT MORE OF in some other car. Which of course is not to say, hack it up and don't leave it original or anything of the kind; only, there is no financial reward in doing so. Put another way, YOU may care that it's "original", but NOBODY ELSE will.
If it's a nice well-kept car in good condition with low mileage, then it at least has that kind of value. It's one of these cars (3rd gen) so we're all in favor of you getting it and keeping it nice. But it's NOT a "test production car", "1LE", or any of the rest of that; and even if it were, the rest of the car is so lowly that nobody else would ever be interested. If YOU like the car, buy it, and enjoy it; just leave off all the "value" and "special" notions, because that crap will only lead you to spending your money foolishly and losing it in the end, while this seller profits from draining your bank account in the event. Which is EXACTLY what will happen as long as you go about this with all those stars in your eyes.
In fact posting up the mileage and some pics of it might help us bracket its value fairly closely, to help you decide whether it's the right car FOR YOU. All that other.... is just diarrhea of the mouth.
The seller didn't tell me all of that incase I didn't put it in plain English in the original post. The only thing seller lied about is it being a posi with 3.73 gears. And honestly that's not a biggie because I can swap that out. It does have the luxury interior and the clock which is rare because it was the final year and they only made 809 with the clock. And the fact it has 4 wheel disc is also a nice bonus because it's the first iroc I have found here in Texas with an lg4 t5 and 4 wheel discs. Is it valuable? of course not. Is it interesting? yes. And it has everything I want with the exception of t-tops (which i can live without) and posi 3.73. But anyways thanks for helping understand the car is not a test production car. That's all I wanted and that's what I got so thank you.
The woman who ordered that particular car must have owned a dealership if she was the original owner because the RPO 1AY is a dealer ordered car. Where as if it had RPO 1AZ it would be a customer ordered car?
It is still nice that it has the Z06 seats and clock. I like those interiors.
Personally, I like the interior, but detest the clock... in a car w digital radio w digital clock THAT WORKS and actually keeps accurate time sitting right there a few inches away, that old mechanical clock has no place. "Rare" isn't a factor; not everything that's "rare" is desirable; sometimes things are "rare" for good reason, as in, when the cars were new, no one wanted that feature or at least wanted it bad enough to pay for it. But, to each his own; if you like it, then ... you like it, and you as the prospective owner are the only one whose opinion matters. Mine certainly doesn't make or break your deal.
Not sure why having LG4 and those particular disc brakes together matters; butt hay, see the above. Again, personally, I would consider those 2 features as deal breakers, and would likely not accept the car as a gift let alone pay money for it. See the above. Now, if it had the better (89-up, PBR) disc brakes, I'd put up with a car with nothing better than the LG4, since it's easier for me to take that worthless hunk of scrap out and throw it away and replace it with something non-embarrassing, than to find a good replacement rear core to put decent gears and a posi in. But that's just me. See above disclaimer.
Just don't pay too much for it thinking it's going to somehow be an "investment" because of "rare" and all that, because that will simply make you lose money. Buy it to enjoy it, and nothing more.
If you REALLY want a carbed 85 IROC that actually has "value", look for a L69 one instead of that stripped-down un-optioned one.
The woman who ordered that particular car must have owned a dealership if she was the original owner because the RPO 1AY is a dealer ordered car. Where as if it had RPO 1AZ it would be a customer ordered car?
It is still nice that it has the Z06 seats and clock. I like those interiors.
Yup, just the fact that it has the LS Conteur interior and stick, makes it an interesting car to me.
If it was one of the L69's I would say ****** it up, being an LG4, it better be a really nice car. It has the FE2 suspension, WS6 was NA on the IROC, WS6 is a Firebird only thing. It is an IROC,
So what you have there is a Base IROC with LG4
The only Special car in 1985 I can think of was the California IROC, but I do not remember what the RPO was for it off the top of my head.
OK so I'm looking at an 85 z28 iroc a guy has for sale with the rare quartz center console clock option. It's a 4 wheel disc car with power everything, an lg4 option 5.0, a t5 world class, and weirdish interior because the seats looke lIke red bride racing seats that say camaro instead and the door panels have the same thing going on. I went to see a guy about how much an engine rebuild would cost and I told him it was an 85 iroc and he said no way. He called a buddy up at gm hq and ran the Vin and said it was a test run production car with 1le, iroc, and z28 parts that were scheduled for the 86 model. Is this a real thing or is this guy just full of crap and it's just a well optioned car? Ps. The seller says it was a one owner by a woman and she ordered it custom from the factory. Below is the rpo sheet from the console.
Why is the VIN FL484890? Shouldn't that first 4 be a 1 or a 2?
AF9 is Lear Driver Seat. I assume AF9 encompasses all four Camaro Camaro Camaro seats. B18 is Custom Interior which added the matching Camaro Camaro Camaro door panels, and possibly some other minor interior trim.
Lear Sielger interior, 5 speed, and IROC make this car interesting to me, more than any of the other option on it. AC is nice, too. As built this car would still be fun to drive. Heck, I'm finding the handling alone on a standard Z28 makes it fun to drive. Add a five speed and it doubles. It depends on what you want to do with it. I drive my Z28 a lot, and every ride is an event compared to the Outback or Camry. And on weekends it goes to shows. Leave the 85 IROC 5 speed Conteur interior LG4 hood shut at shows and you still have an interesting car.
BTW, there is something funky with that service parts identification sticker. Note the extra white paper sticking out the top.
In 1985, the Camaro last 6 digits started with 100,001 and around 120,000 they seemed to have changed to a 4xx,xxx. The Firebirds went from 2xx,xxx to 6xx,xxx as well... The reason is unclear.
All I know is this was for the Van Nuys cars only... The most logical reason would have been to differentiate it from another car with a similar VIN but even that does not make sense... Van Nuys cars were L, and Norwood had the N...
One thing to look at is the sticker's corners are rounded, the extra white thing behind the SPID has square corners... So it does not look like a remove and replace. The back sticker might be something completely different, like a center console ID tag. But like mentioned before, make sure the SPID matches the VIN on the car, it is not normal to have that.
Main take-away I would like to get across to the OP is, to be careful of WHY he's buying this car, along with HOW MUCH TO PAY. (or ANY antique, special-interest car such as ours are now, for that matter) It's not a question of "buy it" or "avoid it" as, recognizing that EVERY WORD he's been told about this car, is A LIE: from the seller, from "a guy", from "a guy"'s "buddy at GM hq"; EVERY SINGLE WORD. He has come here, where knowledge and expertise and long-term daily familiarity with these cars can be found, and been told THE TRUTH, but still wants to believe the lies. This is not a good sign. It tells me that he REALLY LIKES what lies he's been told, to the point that he finds the truth unpleasant. We call this state of mind "fantasy land". It rarely ends well.
In my opinion, backed by many decades of experience of my own and even more of watching others around me, the ABSOLUTE WORST reason to buy a car, ANY car, is the idea of "rare" and "investment" and "value". When you dip into that territory, it's a bit like buying stocks from a stockbroker (as opposed to, "through" a stockbroker); the expectation of ALL future increase in value has already been factored into the price, meaning, you are paying for whatever increase in "value" is likely. That is, SOMEBODY ELSE, a professional at that, is reaping all the benefits of any projected future appreciation in value, leaving none for you the casual part-time investor.
The easiest way to get into FANTASY LAND with cars is to fall for the idea that just because something is "rare", it is automatically "valuable". Fantasy land is when you fail to realize that "value" is determined by what SOMEBODY ELSE will be willing to pay for the thing at some point in the future, and that THAT is totally unrelated in any manner way shape or form to what YOU are willing to pay NOW.
A classic case in point is when people talk about a 69 Camaro or something, "look how much those are going for now". They think that all of that change in price is "appreciation". Fact of the matter is, if you took the $4000ish purchase price of that car when new, and bought a mutual fund with it and just sat on it, odds are you would have about TWICE what you'd have if you bought that car and parked it in a climate-controlled garage. And that doesn't even count the cost of keeping it; renting or buying the space, running the heat and A/C to keep it comfy, and so forth. The equation gets EVEN WORSE when you look at buying one with miles on it and having to "restore" it TOO. There is NO WAY to make money unless you can buy it CHEEEEEEEEP.
In the end, the reason to buy a car is because YOU like it, so YOU can enjoy it. Buying a car because you think it has "value" and you're somehow going to "profit" on it is almost a 100% guarantee of losing money. That goes DOUBLE for a car that's NOT a top-of-the-line, fully optioned, (or zero-option in some cases... stripper race packages for example) and has "rare" "last year available" options. In today's terms, that would be like going to the dealer and finding that all of this year's cars have radios with Bluetooth, except this one over here that's been sitting on the dealer lot that doesn't, and they can't get rid of it; and then 30 years later, hallucinating that since that car is now "rare" because it has this "last year available" thing, people are going to be falling all over themselves to get it. Ummm.... NO. Not "no" really, HELL NO. Having spent PLENTY of time on new-car lots in 1985 looking at THESE CARS and their variety, I can assure you, that's EXACTLY what this car was: the one that sat on the lot and was one of those specials you see in August on TV in the ads that run during NFL preseason games or baseball, for $x000 below dealer invoicemust accept delivery from dealer stock. Not the best way to pick up a car with "value".
Again, this PO needs to be rational and think with his brain instead of with his "like", otherwise he's gonna get SKINNED.
Last edited by sofakingdom; 11-13-2015 at 12:37 PM.
11-11-2015, 06:39 PM
