 The third generation Camaro / Firebird is a car I have often desired. As a child, growing up in the 80's I couldn't possibly have not been influenced by Knight Rider. Every Saturday it was right in front of me, Michael Knight battling various scum bags in K.I.T.T, his trusty sidekick.
Stopping at knight rider though, is missing the appeal of this fantastic car. Built for 10 years from 1982 to 1992, GM shifted millions of the so called 'thirdgens' to enthusiasts all over the world. They have done everything, from killing bad guys, to pacing the Indy 500 (twice) the thirdgen has always had a performance accent. These pace cars are highly prized among collectors, the 82 Camaro was covered in graphics to mark its pacing of the 66th Indy 500, and with the modifications that Chevrolet did to the standard (and at that point brand new) Z28 the '82 pace car was an impressive beast.
More impressive though, was what happened when Pontiac were chosen to pace the 73rd Indy 500. The V8's available in 89 were good, but Pontiac was seeking handling as well as performance, and the weight needed to be shifted further back.
The answer came in the form of the fearsome Buick V6 Turbo engine from the GNX. More powerful than the 360 V8 but considerably lighter and shorter, this engine made the 89 73rd Pace Car a fearsome weapon, with low 13 second ¼ mile times right off the showroom floor. There was one problem with the TTA (as it was known) though, racers in the Indy 500 complained that the highly tuned official pace car was as quick as their race cars up to 100 mph, and if they were caught sleeping, they had to work hard to keep up with it!
To celebrate Pontiac being chosen to pace the Indy 500, there were 1555 official pace car replicas built, featuring the Turbo Buick V6 engine. All of these cars were white, and had a tan interior. The only options on these monsters were leather and T tops, and almost all cars had them. The other neat feature of the TTA was the sticker package that came with the car, but not applied, it was your choice, fool everyone into thinking you had a white GTA, or put the stickers on, and let the world know you were driving a legend. The TTA remains one of the most desirable late model American cars ever.
One of the other keys to the success of the 'Thirdgen' is the enormous aftermarket industry. Whatever you want, from a sticker to a supercharger, if it's made, it's made to fit the thirdgen. This aftermarket parts industry is fantastic news for those buying a thirdgen, no matter what you buy, it's almost guaranteed to be in some way unique.
Typical modifications (if you are starting from a standard car) would be the usual air filter and exhaust, then perhaps a cam. Even the basic V8's (the carb fed LG4 and the throttle body injection LO3, TBi for short) have more than enough punch for normal driving, you wont be getting blown away by XR3's, that's for sure. The Tuned Port Injection (TPI) cars start at 200 BHP and just go up from there.
The model history is quite simple, there are three basic types of Camaro, the base Sport Coupe, the luxury Berlinetta, and the sporty Z28. all others are sub models of these. One of the most common variants is a variant of the Sport Coupe, called the R.S. The R.S. is often mistaken for a different model, but is, in fact, little more than a Sport Coupe with a body kit and different wheels. The RS was available in 2.8 V6 (later 3.1 after 1990) or 5.0 TBi V8. they were available with either 5 speed manual or 4 speed auto transmissions.
The RS is a good starter Camaro, because the 170BHP LO3 engine is less likely to get you into serious trouble than some of the hotter V8's, although the deliberately under rated power (its in reality close to 200BHP) will still bite if provoked, so care is still necessary. The RS started out as an option on the Sport coupe, but became a model in its own right in 1987 when the sport coupe gained the nose and skirts as standard.
The other common variant was the IROC-Z. Introduced in 1985, the IROC was an option package for the Z28, comprising stiffer lower suspension, 16 inch wheels and a host of chassis changes, the IROC was built to handle. One of the biggest giveaways for the IROC was the "wonder bar", a large brace going from the steering box to the chassis. This bar stiffened the whole front end, and improved the handling immensely.
The Berlinetta and Sport Coupe models were dropped in 1987, to leave just a base model known as 'Camaro'. The base Camaro lost the distinctive tri-slatted nose of the Berlinetta and Sport Coupe, but was not especially popular, the RS and IROC finding favour with buyers.
The body styles were reviewed twice. The first change came in late 84, for the 85 model year, the nose was smoothed off, and the Berlinetta and Spot Coupe models got much smaller and smoother vents in the nose. The Z29 models got larger skirts, and the small vents in the nose at the very bottom of the bumper were removed.
The body then stayed the same until 1990, where the side skirts were changed to include more of a scooped look. The dash was also subtly changed in 1990, the round instruments being replaced by quadrant type gauges, and all the edges being rounded off.
People thinking of buying a thirdgen Camaro of Firebird should look for a few simple things. Many of these cars were stolen in the States, there should be one key for the doors and boot, and one for the ignition. (although there may be a good reason if there is not.) Look for signs of a hard life, although trim isn't especially hard wearing, and seats can often wear through on the bolster in less than 100 000 miles, if a more generously sized driver has owned it.
Other things to look for are fake Z28's and IROC-Z's (there is a VIN decoder on www.thirdgen.org to determine what you are looking at) although fake RS's are less of a concern, as they were only cosmetic modifications anyway. The rubber transmition mount is quite weak, listen for a thump coming from the trans tunnel when you get on the throttle in a hurry, it's a cheap and easy fix, and should cost no more than £30 fitted.
Beware of cars with polyurethane suspension and engine / trans. mounts, they can squeak badly, and can transmit a lot of vibration. Squeaks and rattles from the interior are common, and not too much of a problem, you are doing well if you find a car that doesn't. T Tops can leak, and often do, how much of a problem this is depends on how bad it is, a little dampness around the edge of the sun visor after heavy rain is acceptable, but drips will lead to a foul swamp smelling interior quite quickly, if this is the case, check floor pans for rust carefully. Use this to negotiate a couple of hundred pounds off the price, replacements can be very pricey.
It is also desirable to find the T - top bag present and correct, as well as the space saver spare wheel and jack tucked away in the trim on the right hand side of the boot, these items are often missing. Service history is nice, but few cars have it, and its not the end of the world if its missing, although the spark plugs tend to get neglected as they are quite difficult to get to (access from underneath) they need changing every 20 000 miles.
The final check of importance is the SES (service engine soon, or on pre 84 models, Check Engine) light. Often, the bulb has been removed due to a sensor fault, people see the light come on, panic, and remove the bulb. The system is useful, and cars with it all in tact always seem to run better, and be more reliable. The only cars not fitted with this system were the non fuel injected Canadian built cars, if the speedo isn't in KPH, and there is no SES light, the bulb has been removed, or has blown.
None of this is to say these are bad cars, far from it, a good thirdgen Camaro or Firebird, is a supremely satisfying car to look at ,listen to, and most importantly, to DRIVE.
Phil Harrison (Philoldsmobile)
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