This 1982 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 is an incredible survivor, with just 23,000 miles on the clock. The seller reports that the Camaro has spent most of its life under a cover in the garage and it absolutely shows. It is a matching numbers example and equipped with a three-speed automatic transmission paired to a 305 V8. The factory paint work and decals all appear to be in excellent condition, and it looks downright sharp riding on white-letter radials and factory alloy wheels. The third-generation Camaro is gaining steam in the collector car marketplace, and bidding for this time capsule here on eBay is just under $10,000 with the reserve unmet.
The Camaro looks period-correct in all the right ways, down to the California blue plates and rear window louvers. These cars really do speak to a time and place in the muscle car landscape: while the drivetrains began to suffer, the styling got louder. Louvers, CB radios, decal kits – anything and everything to make the classic Chevrolet muscle car look like it hadn’t lost a step despite being a shadow of its former self. The formula worked, as plenty of owners like this one still kept the underpowered muscle car under wraps, counting on a potential windfall as a collector’s item.
Of course, that didn’t happen – but we’re still tickled to see a pristine example of a car that is known for being a target of abuse and modifications. The interior is in time-warp condition with a surprising maroon color considering the exterior – I was absolutely expecting to see black upholstery inside. The dash is, of course, not cracked and the cheap plastics all present very well. The seller reports that the air conditioning works and has been converted to R134, and the only other modifications from factory condition are new tires and a fresh AC Delco battery.
As you would expect, it runs and drives like a new car, according to the seller. It’s certainly not the most desirable configuration of a Camaro from this era, but for some collectors, they just want the lowest mileage or the most unspoiled car they can find. The seller has listed a reserve on this Camaro, which I hope isn’t much higher than $15,000; while the Camaro is pristine, it’s far from the most desirable spec out there. Still, when looking for a true survivor, beggars can’t be choosers, and there’s a good chance this is the best 1982 Z/28 on the market today.
Real flashback to 1982.
What a sharp design this body was. I remember when this new Camaro came out, and being wowed by the sleek design.
3100lbs, 145hp, 240ft/lb , 3 spd auto, 3.23 gears. Friendly enjoyable cruiser.
Yup, hard to believe that it wasn’t so long ago that everyone was excited when the F bodies and Mustang were rated at over 200 hp. That was a big deal at the time. Now that is an unimpressive V6 rating
Correct me if I’m wrong, but that looks like a black Cali plate to me. It may just be the lighting tricking me but the blue ones are very vivid.
California stopped issuing black tags around 69, but brought them back a few years ago for “collector cars”. They look neat, but do they carry the same significance as ones that have been on a car since the 60’s?
In 92 a friend of mine ordered a maroon 5 speed T-Top Z28. He waited months for it since the tops were on a production hold. He eventually cancelled the tops and got the car in early summer. A couple weeks later, we took it to the Carlisle PA summer swap meet. Saturday night we were at a light in down town Carlisle. With all these cars and car guys hanging around town, he blipped the throttle a couple times, the light changed, he let the clutch out…..and stalled it in the middle of the of the intersection! I laughed so hard I nearly wet myself. 30 years later I still tease him about it!
I miss the edit feature this site use to have. My friend ordered an 82, not 92, and it had a 4 speed, not 5 speed.
As gbvette62 points out, these are the newer reproduction black plates. If this car had its original California plates, they would be blue and yellow in the 1AAA123 format.
All California license plates issued since 1963 are still ballad so long as they are on their original vehicle and the vehicle has been continuously registered.
I think the original blue plates had only 6 spaces not 7
Ballad? I think you mean ‘valid’
I had an 82 Z28, 305 4 speed. I put 411’s in it and it was still slow as a snail.
Seller is asking $22,500 on the Craigslist ad for this car: https://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/cto/d/san-diego-1982-camaro-28/7465943918.html
That’s a little high, but not unreasonable. Someone swapped out the black wheel caps for chromed ones. Normally I dislike garish mods like this, but damn they do look good on this car. Silver Z28’s had the aero skirting painted dark grey (instead of silver) for more contrast, making this car a bit more distinctive looking compared to others. Someone really babied this car.
Gorgeous car, IMO!
But not only is it an slush box but also only three speeds… remember when Jeremy Clarkson always called James May “Captain Slow” on Top Gear?
*Why did it take manufacturers so long to realize that they should add more gears to their automatic transmissions? It seems like an easy way to add performance and improve gas mileage. We had the technology back then…
~Lothar
I thought all the Z/28 cars were Crossfire injection. Was the injection an option on the Z/28 or was the 4bbl a California thing? Been a while since I’ve seen one this nice. Hope the owner does well on the sell.
Yes I believe it was an option on the z28
Correct, the 305 with a 4bbl was standard in the Z28, and optional in the base and Berlinetta models. The Cross Fire injected 305 was only available in the Z28, and required the automatic.
Thanks! Even though these were new when I was a senior in high school, my knowledge of early 3rd gens is sorrily lacking.
Seller is asking $22,500 via Craigslist ad: https://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/cto/d/san-diego-1982-camaro-28/7465943918.html
That’s a little high, but not unreasonable. Someone swapped out the black wheel caps for chromed ones. Normally I dislike garish mods like this, but damn do they look good here. Silver Z28’s had the aero skirting painted dark grey (instead of silver) for more contrast, making this car a bit more distinctive looking than others. Someone really babied this car.
Had one. 4 speed. Car had that crazy speedometer that was in MPH and KPH. Being the cheap person I was, got my hands on a .62 speedometer drive gear box and used the KPH side to judge speed since I had this stupid idea that I could extend the warranty. That said, it wasn’t a very quick car but compared to so much else, it had legs and could run at higher speeds than most on the rest. Those were the days of the 55 mph interstate limits and got a few “energy speeding” tickets. This body style came to life when the TPI engines came on along with the 5 speeds with the hydraulic clutch linkages. That first year where the other engine options were the 2.8 V6 and the Iron Duke were “interesting” at best. This one looks great.
For a lot of years I hated these cars! After being head-over-heels for the ’81s, this was a huge disappointment. The design never grew on me. I still like the previous generation better, but in recent years I’ve developed something of an appreciation for the ’82-’92 models, mostly because I think the ’93 and newer Camaros are just plain ugly, and I’m sick of seeing the retro-design ones.
Regarding the discussion on license plates: Here in Ontario, the province stopped stamping the year on plates after 1973. After that, car owners had to get a sticker for the plate that showed the month and year of expiry, and could drive unlimited years with the same pair of plates (I had one set of plates from 1985-2002). About a dozen years ago, year-of-manufacture (YOM) plates were made legal in Ontario, and I acquired a pair of original 1965-issue Ontario plates for my ’65 Impala, that had never been out of the plastic before I got them. The plates cost me $90 from a website called yomplates.com (check it out just for fun!), and I had to send them to the Ministry of Transportation (along with a cheque for $235) for authentication before I could register them on my car. I’d like to know what exactly they did that cost that much money, because the plates were back in my mailbox two days after I sent them out. I think all they did was deposit the cheque!
That is my old car. I can assure everyone that the car is absolutely EVERYTHING that it appears to be. I sold it with the original wheels, and on the sidenotes of the ebay auction, it says that the original wheels, black center caps, and lug nuts are included with the car. I sold it in 2018, and I don’t think the car has had 200 miles put on it since. It needs nothing. There is hardly a flaw anywhere on the car. The interior is a 1982 only color, and is literally like brand new. It was sold new in Rochester, MN. I bought it from the second owner, who was 71 years old. That color combo is literally IMPOSSIBLE to find. Whoever buys that thing is going to get an EXCELLENT example of a great American classic!
Redline on speedo at 55 mph?!
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/YjYAAOSwbK5iaN8B/s-l1600.jpg
Is that to save gas or the motor, or prevent a speeding ticket? lol (You are/were much more likely to get a “speeding” ticket in a 25 mph zone. Funny how the speed limit can/could jump to 35 mph or even 40! mph when you cross over into the next town & the neighborhood setting is exactly the same!)
That was sort of common practice back in those days. With 55 being the nationwide maximum speed limit several manufactureres put a circle around the “55”, or made 55 a different font, etc. Chevrolet just showed red above what the legal limit was at that time.
If you weren’t around at the time, the 55 speed limit was almost universally hated by most people. I remember celebrating somewhere in the 80s when congress changed it to all 65. Later they changed it again to let each state decide, which of course makes the most sense because driving conditions are very different between Maine and California, North Dakota to Texas.
I was around back then & my ’70 boxy falcon’s speedo had a “redline” starting at 70 mph – that was definitely a poor man’s speed warning. In the owner’s manual, it said the best speed for mpg was 45!! mph with automatic.
Now with high gas prices & lockup torque converters, i keep hearing that 50mph(not 55) is the optimum speed for mpg – that very well may be true, but don’t try that in the fast or middle lane of a highway!