whats up everyone! this is my first post here, have a quick question that crossed my mind today for the first time about my 88 camaro 5spd, 305v8. t-tops etc.

besides emblems how can i tell if my car is a z28? because i always thought it was (theres no z28 tags except for the z-28 molded in the front plate mount)but i always thought of it as one its been in my life since i was a kid. but after posting pics on a non camaro related custom minitruck site one guy said the spoiler was an RS and not a z28 spoiler... and it got me wondering if its really an RS or ?. i always believed it was a z28 so i'm wondering how to/if you can tell if its a z28...

thanks,
mike

 

couple bad quality pics of it in the garage..








the car is mint though (newer paint) 74k original miles sat garaged for 10 years and now sits in my garage. love the car no matter what but i always thought it was a real z28

 

sorry lol i'm not much of a camaro historian could you tell me what i'd be looking for? all i know is it's the 5.0L V8 TBI

while doing some looking on a few camaro sites i found one saying that in 88 GM didn't produce a z28 model for camaros, only RS and Iroc-Z, is this site wrong?

 

http://www.chevy-camaro.com/faq/chev...o-faq-Z28.shtm

Looks like they made them in 88.

 

yea but it says the Z28 option was combined with the IROC option and could not be ordered separately. wouldn't that be an IROC-Z if they're combined and couldn't be ordered seperately (z28 and iroc) ? thats where i'm confused and actually am starting to believe my cars just a base camaro with some options 2tone a 305 5spd and t-tops..etc. but i thought some of these options were not availble on regular camaros...


what should i look for in my motor or vin??

 

http://www.phy.duke.edu/~hartley/iroc/iroc_specs.html

http://sethirdgen.org/vin.htm... this is going to be long...

LT option dropped. Z28 model dropped and replaced by IROC-Z (although
interior dash badge still read `Z28 IROC-Z', rather than just `IROC-Z'
as on exterior badges). The 16 inch wheels that had been standard
equipment on the IROC were restyled and now became an extra cost
option for the IROC. The standard IROC wheel was the old 15x7 inch
aluminum 5 spoke Z28 wheel and this wheel was also now standard on
the Sport Coupe. In 1988 only, this wheel rather than having only the
recessed areas painted gold or silver, was completely painted gold or
silver (for that `double-dunked' in paint look - ugh). The IROC-Z door
decals were moved from the front of the doors to the rear. Z28 exterior
badges were replaced with IROC-Z badges. The lower-body stripe was
reversed changing from black on bottom with trim color above, to black
on top with trim color below, now with a gap (of body color) between the
two stripes. Newly available DX3 stripe delete option eliminated IROC-Z
decals and stripes altogether.

Sport Coupe took on appearance of defunct Z28 except: `CAMARO' rather
than `Z28' exterior badges; body colored headlight pockets rather than
black; and gold or silver wheel center caps rather than black; the reg-
ular hood rather than the louverd hood; and the 1985-1987 IROC two tone
lower body stripe rather than the four-color Z28 body stripe. This was
the last year for the Sport Coupe and was the only year for this partic-
ular appearance. Early in the year, Sport Coupes came with a `shorty'
rear wing rather than a spoiler. This ungainly addition was discontinued
and replaced with the standard spoiler midyear.

Serpentine belt now on Camaro V-8's. Long-lived LG4 carbureted 305
replaced by the new LO3 throttle body injection 305. All Camaro TPI
motors bumped up 5 hp due to slightly higher lift/longer duration cam
profiles, additional valve seat angle, exhaust port/exhaust manifold
changes.

G92 (performance axle ratio) still available on IROC-Z convertible in
1988. G92 code was now available on the 350 (B2L) IROC-Z and now had
to be specified to get 3.27 rear end (was standard in 1987) as a 2.77
rear was now standard on the 5.7 TPI. J65 rear disc brakes, G80 limited
slip differential, and KC4 engine oil cooler were still required on
all 5.7 and G92 cars.

Secret showroom stock racing 1LE option (option level 0 IROC-Z) first
available. Only 4 produced.

 

okay all the evidence points to not being a z28 obviously and its definetly not an iroc-z.. i can't lie i'm a little disappointed LOL but still love the car. :-D

so what do i call it, an RS? sport coupe?

thanks very much for everyones replies.

mike

 

i'm thinkin sport coupe... but im not too familiar with 3rd gens (only thing i have ever owned that age was a 81 Monte with a 350 sbc )

 

yeaa i have a dropped 89 gmc s15 4.3L 2wd pickup that i plan to drop a 350 in this summer, but now i'm thinking of throwing one in the camaro instead. lol

 

Back in the day, my cousin had a 88 camaro just like yours. It had the same fin (an 88 fin only) and it had the 5.0 TBI with a 5-speed and t-tops.

It is a Camaro, base model. Not a RS, not a Z28 or Iroc. Just a regular Camaro sport coupe.

Still a fun car, though. Enjoy it!

 

Oh yea i definetly love the car, it has all the camaro options that i'd want and it looks mean as hell but in the far future (cause itonly has 76k engine is mint)but i do plan on either a 350 or a 305 tpi swap, would a 305 tpi swap be worth the trouble ? and could i do a direct Iroc-Z (or Iroc) 350 tpi swap with my 5spd tranny? since it said the camaro 350 tpi cars were only availvle in autos ? how much of a job would be a 350 tpi swap?

i've done some engine swaps in a few s10 blazers and older cars so i have a little, but not a lot of experience in swapping... but never swapped an auto motor into a manaul trans car?