Alright, I managed to stumble across a 3rd gen, 1983 8 Cyllinder Z28 Camaro a little over 125 miles away from where I live, it is $600(which seems awfully cheap, which is why I am hesitant), and I have little info on the condition aside form the fact that it needs some engine work and a new set of tires(all 4 are needed). It has T-Tops, which probably means general maintenance will be higher, but it will obviously be much more fun to drive in the summer. Only real thing is, I would assume more is wrong with it than meets the eye. I would like to know if it seems worth buying, or if I should pass it up, and wait for another one to come my way. I am going to inquire more information on it very soon, but I wanted some advice before jumping into the world of the Camaro. I don't have that much money on hand, but I have a car that will do what I need it to do for the time being, so there is no real time constraint. I am thinking about doing some of the work myself as my family in general is pretty good with cars, but I really don't want to get in over my head in parts and upkeep either. Can a few long time owners give me some advice on what to look for, and give me some information on general cost of owning this kind of car? Thanks in advance.

 

Check for rust and obvious signs of structural damage. The T Tops have nothing to do with maintenance, but they are going to leak. No way around that. Does the car start and move? 305's are a dime a dozen and easy enough to work on (even if you have to replace the motor) but a thrashed transmission will really be a pain. Now....you say you dont want to get in over your head in parts and upkeep.....assume that every square inch of this car will need to be gone over, replaced or freshened up. All those parts are almost 30 years old. Its all going to break eventually. Dont buy this car if you expect a daily driver.....

 

+1 on the previous poster. You more than likely won't be able to "fix" anything on the car, other than replace parts. If you are after something fun, then great....but expect almost everything wrong you could imagine, then be pleasantly suprised when it isn't that bad. Ask for specific pics of interior, quarter panels, floor pans, etc. to gauge condition before parting with your money

 

Do not waste your money on a camaro. I would go with a subaru. AWD for the winter and there 4 cylinders make more HP then a camaros V8

 

Yeah but nobody walks up to a 27 year old Subaru and says nice car

 

A lot of people do not like the look of the 1982-1992 carmaro.

 

Also throw in the fact that where the camaros weight is about 3,500 or higher the Subaru with more feet room and more trunk space and a more powerful engine only weighs about 3,000 pounds. Then we could go into MPG and yeah... I like the looks of the camaro more and how it sounds but thats where it ends.. Chevy F**Ked up the 1982-1992 camaros. Now if you are talking about the 1970's thats a BEAutiful car and I would buy one in a heart beat!

 

I guess I am saying just don't mess with that year of camaro. Anything newer then 1992 is great and anything older then 1980 is great too. If you are looking for a cheap fun sports car you can get a 1994-1998 Mustang GT pretty cheap. It makes 215HP with its 4.6L and is much faster then a 1982-1992 camaro. It is also VERY easy to find parts for. I would even say the easiest car ever made to find parts for.

 

^ Don't listen to RS camaro, his mother dropped him on his head much too often as an infant.

 

Don't listen to this guy he likes cars that are slower, underpowered, and get bad MPG. lol You can't argue that its a good car. It's just not. I mean you could but then I would just kill you with facts. So I guess if you want to try...