Hi everyone, thanks for having me!
I am a professed MOPAR guy, I currently drive a 2013 Charger SE as my DD...but, have had a few F bodies in my day, '83 Z28 that was swapped to a 350 and a '83 Trans Am t-top with the 305 CFI, and always love the 3rd Gen Camaros and Firebirds.

Well, I found a deal to good to pass up, a 1988 Camaro IROC-Z28 305 V8 auto TBI.
1 owner California car with 114k. Actually, I went to the Long Beach car show and swap meet today, and my wife went with me, which she never does. I went looking to score an old MOPAR for about 5k. I found a few, but they needed ALLOT of work, more than I wanted to tackle.

Well, she saw the Camaro first and fell in love with it, and we new we had to have it. This car is clean! Has good power, drives nice, will burn rubber easily, and everything works! Well, except one fog light is out, and the AC works OK while driving, but doesn't work too well when the car idles, I think it just needs a re-charge, no biggie. He gave me the car cover too. Has all the original manuals, and dealer serviced 100%. No original window sticker though:/
Best thing is, it is all original,(minus the IROC decals on the doors) not hacked up inside, no mods to the engine or body.

Dash and seats have been re-done, and one re-paint under warranty back in 1990 as the original clear coat, started peeling, so he told me Chevy repainted the car for him for free. Still looks good, very good paint!

I think we did good for $4800, (he was asking $5250) clean title, 1 owner car, garaged and covered it's whole life.

I am all up for ideas on squeezing out some more HP from it, so any suggestions are appreciated, but I don't want to stray too much form the stock condition. I am thinking a new perf. muffler for some better V8 sound to start off with.

He is getting it smogged for me,(California BS) and we will complete the deal tomorrow.
Here are some pics for your viewing pleasure. Now, I need a name for her!

 

Nice looking car, and welcome,
The L03 305 does not respond well to mods. The engines themselves are not very strong. They are only 170 hp and we saw a lot of these with spun bearing stock under warranty.

Cheapest smog friendly way to upgrade is to swap in a complete L98 350 that will get you 70 HP and 85 ft/lbs and the bottom end won't give up the ship the first time you over rev it a little. Complete engine/computers can be bought for around $1000 and should be a bolt in swap. The L98 was available from the factory in the Camaro and Corvette.

 

Welcome, Ledman.
Nice ride, good deal, and since Wife likes it, your life is good.
Rachel? Agree with Gorn, swap in a 350 CID under the TBI and let the ECM learn.
Yes, GM had a paint recall as my '88 Dually has been repainted three times and now the clear coat is coming off. But oh well, I believe it might be out of warranty...

 

I would do he whole L98 TPI system. Back then all the systems did not interlace like they do now. All you need it the engine/harness and ECM. It should be year correct and considered a factory setup for emission.

The block learn in the TB system will only adjust a little and would most likely pass emission at lower RPMs but I think you would giving up a lot of ponies in the mid range.

I know for States without tuff emission there are head/intake/Cam kits that can get to 250 ish HP on the 305 but for what they cost the whole L98 350 is a better deal. The biggest issue with the kits is they do not address the weak bottom end of the 305.

 

Thanks for all the advice everyone! I really, don't have the work space or all the know how to do an engine swap, I am not totally illiterate mechanically, but and engine swap I could never do by myself, and I am sure it would be a pretty penny to have a shop do it. This is when I wish I had real friends to help me. Still waiting on the seller to get it to pass the CA smog test, it failed today, just the tail pipe part...all the proper parts are on the car, so that's not the issue. The kid told me the smog station was just around the corner from his house, so he said he didn't let the car warm up properly, so he was thinking that's why it failed the tail pipe sniffer test. He can take it back Wednesday for a free re-test, so well see what happens...he knows if he can't get it to pass emissions I will not buy the car.

Any tips to help it pass the CA emissions testing?
Thanks!

 

UPDATE. OK, short and simple the car needs a new catalytic converter. The seller tried to get it smogged again, and it passed everything but the 15mph test on the rollers, hydrocarbons off the chart, but the 25mph test all within range. The car still has the original CAT on it. He said he has known this, and was trying to avoid the inevitable, replacing the Cat.
California law requires him to provide me a current smog on the car, so this is what he has to do to complete the sale, and he is 100% been cool about it all.

So, the seller is paying to have the cat replaced, and re-smogging it again tomorrow. Hopefully I will have the car Saturday, as we are planning to do the deal then, so I can come out to Frisco's on Sunday, and have you guys look over the car for me and give me some simple MOD ideas, keeping in mind, I want to try and keep it pretty original, but I have an open mind, but a small wallet lol

 

For anyone that cares...the car passed CA smog with the new cat installed. I am taking delivery of the car tonight! WOOT!