Enthusiasm for the third-generation F-Body has waxed and waned over time. At launch, it was a remarkable performance vehicle with a newfound focus on handling; svelter, and faster than ever before. But as time went on, it became easier to get hung up on the embarrassing base trims and their pathetic Iron Duke engine, or the archaic-seeming four-speed manual and three-speed automatic offered at launch. By 1985, the IROC-Z hit the scene and quickly became the must-have F-Body, and 35 years later it’s time to reexamine the mid-1980s Camaro with fresh eyes (and a new wave of ‘80s nostalgia, thanks to several seasons of Stranger Things).
This particular example, currently available on Bring a Trailer, even looks like it could easily be used on the set of a period TV show. It’s remarkably clean considering how many F-Bodies—as they depreciated—became irresistible teenager hoon-bait. This one is in the kind of shape that makes you think the 15,000 or so miles on the odometer are legit.
And just look at it! The straked hood vents, the inset headlights with black surrounds, the pinstripes between the ground effects and the sills, and the striped-and-faded IROC-Z graphic itself, which looks like it was etched onto the car by a state-of-the-art ’80s Cray supercomputer.
The IROC-Z was also the first Camaro to squeak under the seven-second mark on its way to 60 mph. It knocked it out in 6.9 seconds courtesy of its fuel-injected V-8 that was good for 215 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of twist. By 1990, the IROC-Z could do the deed in 5.8 seconds, thanks to the sneaky 1LE options package that deleted the air-conditioning and added heavy-duty Corvette front disc brakes, an aluminum driveshaft, aluminum spare wheel, unique shocks, and extra fuel tank baffling—plus an optional 5.7-liter V-8 that put out a wholesome 245 hp and 345 lb-ft of torque.
But 1990 was the final year for the IROC-Z, and the model ended as Chevy’s sponsorship of the race series lapsed. Despite its high profile in our collective memories, that makes the IROC-Z one of the shorter-lived of the Camaro variants. The first-year example you see here isn’t the most powerful or collectible, but it looks like the perfect moderately-priced, low-mile muscle car for an enthusiast looking for something special on a budget.
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