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Cars in Taylor Swift Music VideosCool Car Find: 1986 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z
Check out this 1986 IROC Camaro, a third-gen classic with bold styling, performance upgrades, and a 5.0L V8. Look back at its history and what makes the IROC an 80’s icon.
The Raddest Pony Car
For the better part of 60 years, the Chevy Camaro was one half of an epic American pony car duo. Unlike the Ford Mustang, however, the Camaro has departed after six generations of rear-wheel drive performance excitement. Over that span, there has been no shortage of special Camaro models that were desirable when new, and coveted today. One that stands out, especially for those who came of age in the ‘80s, is the IROC-Z. It debuted in 1985 on the third-gen F-body Camaro and has since gone on to easily qualify as one of the raddest rides from the ‘80s and ‘90s.
The Third Gen Camaro is the Stuff of Champions
A nod to the International Race of Champions (IROC), this Camaro also had a Z tacked on the end to connect it with the Z28 on which it was based (period marketing alternately lists it as the IROC-Z and IROC Z28). It’s important to note that these were exciting times for the Camaro.
Just 3 years earlier, the all-new third-generation debuted with sharp-edged styling that was radically different from its predecessors. Design highlights included a steeply raked windshield, beefy ground effects, and a compound-curve rear window within a hatchback tailgate that was both a first for the Camaro and high-tech stuff at the time.
The 1982 Camaro Z28 earned Car of the Year honors from Motor Trend, and Car and Driver dubbed it the best handling car in America for 1984. So, when the IROC-Z landed in 1985, it had a solid foundation, and to ensure a strong all-around final product, Chevy pulled out all the stops.
These IROC-Zs featured a factory-lowered suspension with special Bilstein dampers, fatter sway bars, a “wonder bar” chassis brace, and, of course, a hotter engine. All IROC-Z models came with a 5.0L V8, but the standard setup had a 4-barrel carburetor. To enjoy the full 190 horsepower and 285 lb-ft of torque, however, required opting for the TB9 variant with its Tuned Port Injection system.
A Price-to-Performance Powerhouse
Regardless of powertrain, which could be paired with a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic depending on engine choice, the IROC-Z also looked the part with its special decals and 16” wheels that were the largest of any Camaro at the time. All of which added up to a 10 Best win from Car and Driver in 1985, with praise like, “The Camaro looks like a hundred-thousand dollar car,” and “In terms of price-performance ratios, it is probably a better buy than its stablemate the Corvette.” Heady praise for a pony car that cost less than 12 grand at the time. It also helps explain why these particular Camaros are so sought after by a certain population in the Gen X/Millennial demographic.
This Cool Car Find
Which brings us to the cool car find on tap today, a third-gen Camaro IROC-Z. Currently on sale for about $26,000, it looks like a 1986 time capsule thanks to its largely original condition. Showing only 75,000 original miles, it is said to retain its factory paint and those must-have IROC-Z bodyside gradient decals. The wheels look to be in excellent shape and the interior nails the RADwood vibe in bright red cloth. It has a tape deck, sweet T-tops, and that Z28 IROC-Z dash badge. Did we mention the red interior?!
According to the seller, this killer Camaro has been the recipient of some $15,000 in overhaul work to the water pump, ECM, steering system, suspension, and brakes. They also note the exhaust system has been worked on, which is shown in the fat dual pipes exiting the back.
To find such a coveted modern classic like this 1986 Camaro IROC-Z in what looks to be virtually original condition is not an everyday thing. And considering how other popular cars from the era have continued to appreciate – like the Mazda RX-7 and Fox body Mustang – it seems to be a reasonable price point. For the lover of modern classic high-performance cars, this sweet IROC-Z is not to be missed.
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