( 
)
Many times I've come across third generation (1982-1992) Camaros for sale on ebay advertised as being an "IROC-Z", or some other trim level that I seemed skeptical about. There are a few things to remember:
The main thing to remember is that the IROC-Z was introduced in 1985, and no earlier. IROC decals for the doors are easily purchased and put on, and I recently found a "1985 IROC-Z" for sale, but the VIN didn't match up - it was a 1984 model, the year before the IROC. This is a trick used by some sellers (listing cars as an IROC-Z or Z28, when the car is in fact an RS) to prey on unaware buyers looking for that "top-of-the-line" Camaro.
The last year for the IROC-Z was 1990, when the contract with the International Race of Champions was not renewed by GM, thus resulting in the 1991 model being introduced early in 1990. This marked the return of the Z28, which was last produced in 1987.
Things to remember are that the IROC-Z was produced between 1985 and 1990, and the Z28 was NOT produced between 1988 and 1990.
The website camarosource.ca offers a VIN decoding device, available here:
http://www.camarosource.ca/php/camaro_info_db/index.php?act=decoding
The breakdown will tell you what the year of the car is, what the body style is, and what engine the car has. The engine list is available here:
http://www.camarosource.ca/php/camaro_info_db/index.php?act=engine_specs
with a "jump to" list in the right-hand corner for the year.
So for example, if you were to see a "1991 Z28" and you decoded the VIN, and you find that the engine is an L03 V8, you would know from the chart that the L03 was only offered on the RS trim level.
The 2.8L V6 was offered up until 1990, when it became a 3.1L. There were no 3.4L V6's or 3.8L V6's offered in any third generation Camaro, so any such engine is either not original or wrongly listed.
The only engines offered in third generation Camaros were the 2.5L Inline 4 (1982-1986), the 2.8L V6 (1982-1989), the 3.1L V6 (1990-1992), the 5.0L (all years), and the 5.7L (1982, 1986-1992).
Remember to CHECK BEFORE YOU BID. Before you bid on any third generation Camaro, check it out and make sure the VIN matches up with the listing. If anything is off, DON'T BID - ask the seller why first. In some cases, this may even deter a false listing, as they'll realize someone has caught their intentional "mistake" and and they may correct it. There may be some discrepancies, in which case you may be able to visually spot the differences, if for example the VIN shows a V6 but a V8 is listed, and a V8 is present in a picture of the engine bay. In this case, just ask the seller if there was a swap done.
Lastly, rare options such as the "B4C" (police package) are also rare, and you should ask for a picture of the RPO codes to verify there is actually a "B4C" option listed. There is also the 1LE option,
Follow these guidelines and avoid being scammed or tricked into buying something that's not what it's advertised as.
The main thing to remember is that the IROC-Z was introduced in 1985, and no earlier. IROC decals for the doors are easily purchased and put on, and I recently found a "1985 IROC-Z" for sale, but the VIN didn't match up - it was a 1984 model, the year before the IROC. This is a trick used by some sellers (listing cars as an IROC-Z or Z28, when the car is in fact an RS) to prey on unaware buyers looking for that "top-of-the-line" Camaro.
The last year for the IROC-Z was 1990, when the contract with the International Race of Champions was not renewed by GM, thus resulting in the 1991 model being introduced early in 1990. This marked the return of the Z28, which was last produced in 1987.
Things to remember are that the IROC-Z was produced between 1985 and 1990, and the Z28 was NOT produced between 1988 and 1990.
The website camarosource.ca offers a VIN decoding device, available here:
http://www.camarosource.ca/php/camaro_info_db/index.php?act=decoding
The breakdown will tell you what the year of the car is, what the body style is, and what engine the car has. The engine list is available here:
http://www.camarosource.ca/php/camaro_info_db/index.php?act=engine_specs
with a "jump to" list in the right-hand corner for the year.
So for example, if you were to see a "1991 Z28" and you decoded the VIN, and you find that the engine is an L03 V8, you would know from the chart that the L03 was only offered on the RS trim level.
The 2.8L V6 was offered up until 1990, when it became a 3.1L. There were no 3.4L V6's or 3.8L V6's offered in any third generation Camaro, so any such engine is either not original or wrongly listed.
The only engines offered in third generation Camaros were the 2.5L Inline 4 (1982-1986), the 2.8L V6 (1982-1989), the 3.1L V6 (1990-1992), the 5.0L (all years), and the 5.7L (1982, 1986-1992).
Remember to CHECK BEFORE YOU BID. Before you bid on any third generation Camaro, check it out and make sure the VIN matches up with the listing. If anything is off, DON'T BID - ask the seller why first. In some cases, this may even deter a false listing, as they'll realize someone has caught their intentional "mistake" and and they may correct it. There may be some discrepancies, in which case you may be able to visually spot the differences, if for example the VIN shows a V6 but a V8 is listed, and a V8 is present in a picture of the engine bay. In this case, just ask the seller if there was a swap done.
Lastly, rare options such as the "B4C" (police package) are also rare, and you should ask for a picture of the RPO codes to verify there is actually a "B4C" option listed. There is also the 1LE option,
Follow these guidelines and avoid being scammed or tricked into buying something that's not what it's advertised as.
Guide created: 10/29/07 (updated 08/24/09)
Thank you for voting. If your vote meets our 
