Third-gen (’82-’92) Chevrolet Camaros seem to get short-shrift in the desirability index. They turn up here on Barn Finds from time to time but are considerably overshadowed by the two previous generations. I have some anecdotal reasons such as build and material quality as well as lack of power (a four-cylinder engine in a Camaro?). Are those really legitimate reasons or is it something else? Let’s find out by reviewing this nice-looking 1989 Camaro IROC-Z convertible and see what makes it tick. It’s located in New Boston, Michigan and is available, here on eBay for a current, no-reserve bid of $11,200 with thirteen bids tendered so far.

Camaro came in two favors in ’89, the standard RS (Rally Sport) trim level and the IROC-Z (International Race Of Champions), performance version. Body styles were two, a coupe and a convertible, and total ’89 output reached 110K units with about 7K of that total being of the convertible variety.

Originally purchased by a GM employee, this Chevy has been owned by the current owners since the mid-nineties. With only 32K miles on its life clock, this Camaro spent a good number of years in proper storage. This past summer saw this Camaro’s return to daylight and assignment as a sales candidate. It certainly presents well and the images don’t reveal any shortcomings. The seller does state, “The no rust body has its original paint, stripes, and emblems- there is some paint checking on the rear of the driver’s door. There is a paint spider on the right front fascia corner, with a small tear in the headlight area… There are a few minor dings and paint chips but nothing that stands out for the age of the car“. The seller adds, “I was able to replace the original top with a NOS factory top as the original had some wear and the rear window was starting to yellow- this top is like new“.

Power is provided by a 170 net HP, throttle body fuel injected 5.0 liter (305 CI) V8 engine, coupled to a four-speed automatic transmission. The exhaust system has been modified with a deep-tone cat-back semi-dual system and we’re told that the car runs and shifts great. Of note, the original rear axle assembly has been replaced with one donated from a five-speed manual transmission equipped car that features a limited-slip 3.42 geared differential and disc brakes.

The interior looks pretty good though the seller mentions, and the image documents, wear damage to the driver’s side seat back, specifically the outer bolster. The degradation is supposedly due to slipping in and out of the seat but it seems exceptionally worn for a car with only 32K miles. Other than that foible, the rest of the environment is bright and clean. The overly plasticky dash is sharp-angled and oh-so typical for the era. The seller mentions that the A/C system is complete but is no longer functioning with loss of refrigerant, while in storage, singled out as the primary culprit.

OK, so what’s to like or dislike about this IROC-Z Camaro convertible? Well, its styling is subjective of course, and it does seem like a perfectly nice convertible but…It is a product of the time and while its power is middling, there were more powerful engines available. But still, it just doesn’t seem to reach liftoff. So, let me ask you please, vote for your favorite Camaro generation, one (1967-1969); two (1970-1981); three (this one 1982-1992); or four (1993-2002)?