I have the opportunity to buy an 82 camaro pace car. It is all there but needs a complete restore. Cross fire fuel injection is complete with air filter. It just had a back yard engine rebuild with nothing mic'ed or clearances checked. Just re-bearinged, hone, rings, cam etc.
The body has minor rear quarter rust but is generally OK. The floor seems good. It is all original other than the wheels have been changed to the gen III firebird wheel.
The interior needs the works other than the dash is good and the door panels are good.
My reason for this enquiry is I can't find any comparables as to this cars value. I can buy it for $2500.US (maybe less)
I see many thousands to follow to restore it. Any idea what this cars is worth now?
What about after a frame off restore?
Thanks for any advise,
Lee

 

The trick is you need to really like the car and want to do it for your enjoyment.... If you do it to make money off of it??? I do not recommend doing it. the time is not right. And it will be very costly. That car has alot of special interior pieces that are very costly.

It will take some time for that to happen... Collector cars really do not do well until they are 25years or older.

If you like it do it....

trying to make money on it. stick with a late 60's early seventies muscle car.... the people with all the money now drown those cars when they were young... they will pay good money for 68 camaro like they drove in High School! 10-15k

 

Holley is right. There's no way you're going to accomplish a genuine "restoration" and sell it for a profit... or even close. Restoring a thirdgen costs just as much as restoring a 69 RS/SS Camaro, and it's sure as hell worth WAY, WAY less.

A low mile (under 10,000 miles) pace car might fetch $12-14k. A 50k mile pace car, maybe $6-8k. 75-100k miles, $2-4k.

Those are all generic groupings, but you get the point. There's a couple people that will chime in and complain that the pace car was nothing special and that it was ugly, slow, blah blah blah. That's basically all true, but it doesn't stop the car from fetching more money than your run of the mill 82 Camaro. There's enough people out there that want the pace cars that their value stays above that of other early thirdens.

 

These cars arent worth near that much. A guy I know sold his 12k mile pace car for around $9000. A friend of mine is selling his 82 indy which has 30k I think, for somewhere around 7 or so. Check it out at iroczsource.com

 

I agree- cars are NEVER investments.

Third Gens make great cars to own and enjoy, but the market is down on them.



I say get it- if it does not need a lot of work.

Otherwise- look for an 89-92.

Steve

 

It's terrible but true

Cars are a horrible investment. Few people make money on them, especially thirdgens. There's millions of them still on the road.

Buy a thirdgen that YOU like and build it the way YOU want it to be. That's the real point of it all anyway, isn't it?

Good resale comes from a Camaro with a lot of options: A/C, power everything, T-tops, etc. A tilt wheel is absolutely worth its weight in gold, IMHO. Just get in and out of a thirdgen's driver seat a few times and I think you'll agree. A L98 never hurts, either

 

Thanks for the input you guys. I was quite taken with the car as I hadn't ever seen one. I agree that restoring a 69 Z28 would cost the same as an 82 pace car. Probably less as the parts are more readily available in repo.
I too like the older (prefer 70-73) Z28's more than the 3rd gen as seen on every street corner. But both rock and I'm sure in time the 3rd gen will come into their own.
Lee

 

YOur Right... In time they will come into the realm of collector car...But that will be several years away...

Of course if you keep it and make it nice... You will have a one of a kind car...And in 10 years!! Maybe 15 years if you still have it....WOW! that would be cool...

And with that much time and energy in it do really wanna sell??

Of course flip side....Which everyone has said before, "Damn! I wish I still had my ......camaro!"

Buy what you like....Because if your like me....YOu will have it for a long time...

I still have my car from High school....going on 13 years... And guess what still not done!! I have put about 15k in the car... of those 13 years...And I can see a easy 2k more.

check it..

http://www.fl-thirdgen.org/da%20beast.html

good luck...get that 70-73 car or keep the 82.

 

Honestly? I think in today's world- we'll all be good and dead before some of these third gens are collectors items.

I LOVE third gens, but that doesn't mean everyone else does.

The only reason early ones are worth anything is because they were first, and they came out in a period of time that has a strong nostalgia with people.

It's the same with antiques, guitars, etc...



So, as I said- if you like it, get it... Do not buy a car as an investment.

Later!

S.

 

82' pace cars are only of value, and only will be of great value in many years if their all origional. So Restore it to your own standards, and most importatnly have fun with it.