Rescued After 30 Years In Storage: A 1986 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 IROC-Z

This is a 1986 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 IROC-Z that spent the last 30 years in long-term storage with just 13,000 miles on the odometer. Thankfully the car was rescued last year, given an extensive servicing, and put back on the road.

This car is one of the rarer IROC-Z examples of the third-generation Chevrolet Camaro, this was officially called the IROC-Z Sport Equipment package, and it included a slew of upgrades – adding a further $659 to the price of the car.

Fast Facts – The Chevrolet Camaro Z28 IROC-Z

• The Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z was a special high-performance version of the third-generation Camaro named after the International Race of Champions – a race series that pitted drivers from different disciplines against one another in Camaro silhouette race cars.
• The third-generation Camaro debuted in 1981 and was produced until 1991. It was based on General Motors’ F-body platform, and they were the first Camaros with a number of features including factory fuel-injection, 4-speed automatic transmissions, 5-speed manual transmissions, and hatchback bodies.
• The IROC-Z package consisted of more sporting suspension, thicker sway bars, uprated alloy wheels, Goodyear Gatorback tires, IROC decals, and a body kit. It was the top-of-the-line Camaro at the time, ahead of even the Z28 performance package.
• The IROC-Z Camaro was only sold from 1985 to 1990, running for the same length of time the Camaro was used as the official car of the International Race of Champions. Today they’re enjoying a surge in demand, fast outpacing many other American V8s from the same period.
• The car you see here is a remarkable original survivor that spent over 30 years in storage with just 13,000 miles on the odometer. It has now been given a comprehensive servicing and it’s being offered for sale out of Georgetown, Texas on Bring a Trailer.

The Arrival Of The 3rd Generation Camaro

The third-generation Camaro debuted in 1982 with a significant job ahead of it, it was the car that needed to bring the Camaro back to its performance glory days of the 1960s. This was to be no simple task, emissions regulations had severely limited engine output – but manufacturers were slowly getting better at producing cleaner engines that could still throw you back in your seat.

When it debuted in 1981 for the 1982 model year, the Camaro shared no panels in common with the second-generation Camaro it was replacing. It was 500 lbs (227 kgs) lighter, offered better handling, better performance, and much to the delight of everyone at General Motors, the Z28 Camaro won Motor Trend’s coveted Car of the Year award for 1982.

This new version of the Camaro offered a number of firsts for the model, including factory fuel-injection, 4-speed automatic transmissions, 5-speed manual transmissions, and hatchback bodies. The inclusion of the hatchback made the car surprisingly practical, with its 2+2 seating and relatively generous luggage space by sports car standards.

Over the course of its production run, the available horsepower and torque figures would slowly improve, climbing all the way up to 245 bhp towards the end of the run. This may not sound like much today, but it was a significant improvement over where things had been just a few years prior.

The styling of the third-gun Camaro was widely acclaimed at the time of its introduction, it had been styled by a team led by Jerry Palmer and it seemed to capture the essence of the 1980s better than almost any other American car in its class.

Depending on the year, it was possible to order your new Camaro as a standard hardtop, a T-top, or as a convertible – the first time a convertible Camaro had been offered since 1969.

The fourth-gun Camaro would arrive in the 1993 model year to replace its predecessor. The styling was drastically changed for the new decade and it certainly wasn’t to everyone’s taste. it remained in production until the 2002 model year, then the Camaro was cancelled and production ceased.

Above Video: This is a 1985 comparison between the IROC-Z Camaro, Mustang GT, and the Trans Am.

The model would be revived in 2010, with a new retro-styled example that took its styling cues from the first, second, and third-gen cars.

The Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z

The Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z was a special high-performance version of the third-generation Camaro named after the International Race of Champions – a race series that pitted drivers from different disciplines against one another in Camaro silhouette race cars.

For a time, the IROC-Z was the fastest Camaro money could buy, even outpacing the legendary Z28 model. Officially named the IROC-Z Sport Equipment package, it added $659 to the price of the car and included a number of upgrades including uprated suspension, thicker sway bars, upgraded 16″ alloy wheels, Goodyear Gatorback tires, IROC decals, and a body kit.

Good examples of the IROC-Z Camaro are now highly collectible, often beating out the contemporary Corvette in the valuation stakes.

The 1986 Camaro Z28 IROC-Z Shown Here

The car you see here is a 1986 Chevrolet Camaro that benefits from having both the Z28 and IROC-Z packages installed. Interestingly, it spent over 30 years in storage with just 13,000 miles on the odometer, before being rescued in 2013.

Once removed from storage the car needed a thorough servicing to get it back on the road, this included replacing the temperature gauge, thermostat, fuel pump, all fuel injectors, spark plugs, intake gaskets, sway bar end links, and tires.

It’s now being offered for sale out of Georgetown, Texas on Bring a Trailer with an owner’s manual, service records, a clean Carfax report, and a clean Texas title in the seller’s name. If you’d like to read more about it or place a bid you can visit the listing here.

Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer