When I was 15 my friend’s sisters boyfriend used to give us the keys to his IROC and tell us to go driving for an hour when he would come over. We just thought he was being nice.
I remember in 1987 when I was 5 I was in the hospital for severe dehydration after a stomach bug. They couldn’t find my veins they were so collapsed and I was on the brink of death. A nurse suggested popsicles for me to eat because anything I ate I threw it right up. One of my sisters had a black 87 camaro iroc and she asked me what kind of toy do I want. I said a camaro like yours. She said what color. I said blue. Next day she came back with this exact same car in this video, I still have it. It’s about a foot long in size. Every time I see this generation in blue it always reminds me when I was in the hospital bed holding this car.
I ordered this car new in the fall of ‘87, burgundy with gray interior.....and I still own it! Tuned port, fuel injected 5.7 liter, 350 c.i. and unlike this one, it’s never been hacked up. 51,000 actual miles, never driven in the winter, never in an accident. Unfortunately, due to health reasons, I’ll have to sell it this summer. Great car, great memories, going back to my youth. Thanks for the video.
I love these cars. I had a really nice IROC-Z come into the shop. No dings or dents and the red interior was in mint condition. He asked us to replace his oil filter housing gasket. I could feel the steering wasn’t right when I pulled it in and when I put it in the air, I saw the driver side wheel shift a good inch or so. I shook it down and told him, “Hey man, you desperately need to replace that tie rod end.” He said he only had enough money for the gasket and I told him he should wait on the gasket and do the tie rod immediately. At some point in the conversation, I told him that the tie rod could let go in a day or in a month, but that it would certainly happen VERY soon. He told me to just replace the gasket, and so I did. After we closed up that night, my coworkers and I walked right to the bar next door. We walked back to our cars at around midnight and there is the Camaro on a flatbed being dropped off, with the entire drivers side smashed up and the driver side wheel just dangling free. What a shame that was. The owner and his wife were unharmed, luckily. But the car was banged up big time. It was totally avoidable.
They are fairly tough cars. This kid in college was trying to race me on the highway with his new Celica around 2001. I gave a little run and then let him fly by me. The next turn, was a 180 degree gradual turn, rated for 55mph for good reason. The kid was going at least 90....flew up on a car quick in front him almost rear ending it, panicked...slams the brakes...locks them up...hits the cement middle median...bounces to the right and lucky hit a semi dump truck...but luckily...he hits the legs of the trailer nearly going under it...bounces back to the left and hits the median again..like a pin ball. I am watching the whole thing unfold in front of me but I am approaching quick. His car after the second median hit is now sitting sideways on the highway right in my lane..I down shift and slam on my brakes but can't avoid him...I hit him in the rear driver's side...pushed his bumper WAY up into the middle of the car. I then coast off to the side. It crushed my core support but the car still ran. I would of drove it home but the cop that showed up, took my license. Good stuff...to be young and stupid again?
Same here. Class of 87. All the rich kids and these cars, and 5.0 mustangs, and a few corvettes, and the trans am GTAs. And the Mitsubishi conquest TSI. Great times.
Class of 87 also. I always liked 4wd trucks better but seeing this one here makes me wish I had it. As you said, the nostalgia of it. Tbh, I preferred the 79-81 Z28s.
@@FoodyTunes exactly right. I know a lot about cars as they are my passion. This is why I love wizard and Mrs. Wizard. Hard working passionate people about what they do.
High performance IROC obviously got a low performance previous mechanic. Glad the customer finally took this car to someone who knows what they're doing. Great job Car Wizard!
I still have the '87 IROC's more beautiful first cousin, the '87 GTA... both cars saw the return of the bigger 350"/5.7L V8 mid model year in Jan. 1987 to go with the 4?, V6, and 305" V8: i.pinimg.com/originals/0a/6e/92/0a6e925d76ea7b8a50b40ef04eb7a4b5.jpg
I think with the owner of that car arcing out AC with the battery doesn’t want to put shock hood shocks. The owner would be low performance obviously when I open the hood.
I bought a 89 RS with a 305 back in 1998 when i was in high school. Still own it to this day and every year its getting harder and harder to find parts to keep the old girl running and working. Thanks for giving this one the attention it needed. No one took care of these things back in the day and they are very fun summer drivers that deserved better.
That's really cool that you kept your car. My dad owned 2 '69 dart swingers in highschool, he bought the second one for parts. He sold them both before joining the air force in 1980. He brought those cars up at least once a month my whole existence and he is almost 60, I'm 25. Never sell your car. I actually tracked the owner down of one and he won't sell it to me he is the original guy my dad sold it to in 1980. I figured my dad would stop beating himself up if I got his car back You will regret it until the day you die if you sell your first child.
Hey Nick consider making your IROC parts. Consider it as a hobby taking cad and cam software lessons, you can copy existing parts or designing new ones for small cnc or 3d machines, while you go to work it will be printing for you or expect to be paid in case you do it for rare cars.
Had one in high school 87 350tpi iroc, traded it for a truck for work. Found the car a few months later completely destroyed with huge dents, a blown motor, and busted t tops. Was heart broke. Recently some 20 years later I picked up a 86 305tpi iroc in rough but fixable condition in the original blue color of this car. Looking forward to doing my best to bring it back to life :)
I saved a mint IROC, that my neighbor wanted to trade in for “Cash for Clunkers” in 2009. Sadly a lot of good cars were destroyed in the stupid program.
Same here in England. I went on one of ourhundreds if abandoned WW2 airfields that are used for storage when the Cash for Clunkers was in fashion after the financial crash and no lie, I saw things like Sierra Cosworths , I saw one Escort Cosworth, Evo 3, 4s and 5s, Impreza WRXs, BMW 328s, 540s, RX7s and some Audis like S1 and S2s. We didn't have any American cars besides Jeeps back then so fortunately no Americana was seen. Heartbreaking enough as it was. I spoke to a guy there and he said the owners were usually pretty old and just didn't know what they had. The Sierra Cosworths were a prime example.
Those IROC Z-28s were the cat's meow back in the late 80s!! Good times! The Wizard in his blue and black uniform shirt blends in with that IROC quite well, too.
@@muskokamike127 I've known since I saw the first IROC Z-28 what it stands for. It was a GREAT name/acronym for a car! International Race Of Champions!
@@maxcactus7 But it was a totally boring race. Take a bunch of famous drivers from NASCAR, CART, IMSA, etc and put them in cars that were exactly alike. No one could modify the cars they were given. The races turned into parades of everyone drafting everyone else for the entire race. Eventually Chevrolet dropped it and Dodge picked it up for a few years.
We ran my brothers stock 1987 5.7 IROC with no AC or power options against a stock 1989 Mustang GT and beat it handily. Then we put 3:73 gears and advanced the timing on the Mustang and it was and even race.
When I was a little kid our neighbor had a yellow Z-28 of this year. She had a crazy led foot. We’d be playing out front and you’d hear her from around the block. You ran from the street!
Damn that's a beautiful iroc. I have one too and I have had to do a lot of work to get it to my standards. At least when I'm done with it, it will be as fast as it looks. Cherish these cars as they are becoming the new muscle car classics.
Advancing the TPS is a common mod on Corvettes of this vintage. It makes them jump off the line and seem faster, and is supposed to trick the computer (speed density system - no airflow meter) into giving it more gas if the O2 sensor is negated by a 160° thermostat (hence the huge radiator) so it never goes into closed loop.
I tried every trick that came along on a Mustang of that era. None of it really accomplished anything. What did work was setting the car up to use the 300 ft-lbs of torque rather than turning rubber into dust and smoke.
@@rposton919 I did a few of the cheap fox mods. I remember bumping the timing to 14 degrees and removing the front sway bar. Don't understand how a missing front sway bar would help with weight transfer but it did.
I have a 92 z28. It was my dream car in High School. ( I’m 40 now). It’s soooooo hard to find a honest and common sense mechanic like yourself to work on these cars.... Keep up the great work. Damn I wish you were in California
Wizard...you are following the laws of Troubleshooting 101. 1. NEVER assume anything. 2. Always diagnose objectively as if it's the first time you have seen the problem. 3. All owner\user input is informational only and can add NOISE to your ability to properly diagnose and solve the issue. 4. Validate and verify the issue by reproducing the problem, executing the solution, and then validating the problem is verified as solved. 5. Process of Elimination is your best friend. 6. Sometimes repair is your only option over replace.
I had an ‘88 IROC back about 1999 or so. So many problems, but so much fun 😍 A 17 year old crashed into me and totaled it, but it will always have a place in my heart ❤️
I graduated in 1988. Worked for the local Chevy dealership after graduation. The Lordstown Plant was a few miles away. Seemed like everyone around here had one at the time.
I LOVE your videos exactly like this one.. please don't ever change this format and style.. Calm, focused, detailed... It's soothing and entertaining for people like me who love cars and are constantly wanting to learn more. So please don't ever change the way you do these videos... This, and the Buick 3800 video are my favorites.
I had the idle problem on my 89 and remember changing several parts trying to fix it. Spraying the mass air flow sensor with carb cleaner solved the problem. A $2 fix.
Sweet! Back to the '80s Saturday night in a beautiful blue IROC. NGL, I like GM cars. It's good to see you, Hoovie, JR (&Jay Leno!) among others appreciate them, too.
In high school I wanted an IROCZ so bad. After high-school I rescued a 1983 Z28 from the junkyard, replaced alot of hoses, belts, pulleys, changes carburetor to a Quadra jet 4 barrel, and took off all the stupid emissions stuff. It was a fun car. I will own an IROCZ sometime in the future as a project. Maybe I'll keep the TPI or swap a 383 stroker. This IROCZ in this video is so nice.
BARK!! The correct term Mr. Wizard is Bark, the kids today don't call it wood trim anymore. I love the wood trim as well but that is from the 70's when the wood trim was the top line model. I still add just a bit of it to my modern cars, but the grandkids called it bark, and it makes me laugh every time. THANKS for restoring my faith in honest mechanics and be safe and healthy sir!!!
@Joe Smith I wouldn't say "lame." He's just soft-spoken and a little awkward. However, I believe most of us have immense respect for him. But THAT'S what makes him so entertaining---apart from the content. He certainly has presence. And Mrs. Wizard is a perfect match.
That bad low flow muffler tucked up behind the rear axle? Definitely sounded decent but not a great design. Exhaust shops were rich from swapping these for true dual exhaust haha.
Back in '92, friend of mine had a red 87 IROC Z/28, and we were doin over 120mph on Highway 680 in Milpitas, Calif..a couple of mins went by, and he says "wtf?! Look behind us", and there was a car catching up to us fast, thought it was CHP at first, but nope....it was a little white dude is a 5.0 Mustang GT, so my buddy hit the throttle, hard, but it didn't matter, cuz it sounded like that Mustang chirped a gear as it went by us at the about 125mph....he was so pissed off, he traded in that IROC for a '93 Mustang GT, a car his oldest kid, a freshman in college, is begging to get every time he talks to him....🤘🏻🇺🇸
Informative video, I spent a few grand on my 85 Iroc trying to get my cooling fan to come on regularly. GM couldn't fix the problem, I tried an after temperature sensor part cost $23.00 plus labor and had a repair shop next GM put it in. Problem solved until the end of time! Wish I knew sooner. PS transmission shift kit and beefed up suspension really made my car fun to drive. Chirp the tires at stop light. Lol miss you IrocZ! 💯
My grandad was a mechanic for 50 plus years and was always honest..I do all my own work growing up around cars but good honest mechanics like this are a dying breed..Kudos to you sir
for the past year i've watched and liked every video and definitely cannot say that about any other channel. if wizard sees this, congrats on your empire expansion.
Great video, man! As a huge third gen fan and owner of 4 of them, currently, I am super happy to see that you know how to properly lift one! Most people would just try to lift them on the pinch welds, which folds them over and bows out the front fenders, lol. I also noticed the hood struts are installed upside down on that car. I've owned probably 40+ third gens over the last 30 years, and I have actually never seen anyone do that before. I wish you were closer to me, I would definitely send some work your way!
If you plan on keeping it try and find a Helms service manual. These are not the manuals sold in auto stores. This is the manual that the guy who can fix everything would have.
@@hockeyhelps3910okay I'll check that out. Whats funny is I just recently bought a Haynes book and even the camaros they were fixing had cracked dashboards. Lol
This was a trip down memory lane. I miss the '89 IrocZ convertible with the 5spd standard. I'm 6' 6" and she fit me perfectly. Not to many cars like that do.
Wizard is spot on about Hot Rod shops: If the engine's power is mostly stock, focusing on getting the car to operate the way the factory intended will give you better results than doing aftermarket "upgrades"
I understand the pain of not finding parts. I'm currently rebuilding my 79 iroc and it took me months to find a new condenser. And I lucked out and found an aftermarket one that's an exact fit. When I say lucked out I mean it since the company no longer makes them.
@@ZboeC5 I never see any Foxbodys or 3rd generation Camaros on the street anymore. They were everywhere when I was in high school. The Foxbody prices are skyrocketing right now. Camaros are probably going to follow.
I love 80s camaros and that one is incredible. An IROC z28 in that good of condition is definitely hard to find. Brings back alot of high school memories. What you said about teenagers in the late 90s and early 2000s with 80s and 90s cars like this one is 100% true. Now it's going to be harder to relieve our glory days lol
I had an 87 IROC T-tops, factory 350 tuned port injection, not the little 305. Thing was fast for the day. Same engine as the 87 Corvettes. Only mods I had were 2 inch drop, mild cam, headers, true dual exhaust and k&n filter. Those mods really woke that car up. Wish I never sold it, but needed something to haul kids around.
Wow, I was wondering when the supply chain issue of new parts was going to start taking effect on these older cars. I was always amazed at how you could get parts for seemingly any car, any year, any model, any trim level, even when they were getting scarce on the road. I guess we’ve hit that point where they’ve decided to stop making parts. Because if they’ve quit making IROC parts then you know you’re screwed if you’re looking for Baretta parts or some other less famous model.
Had a 1991 5.0 5 speed that had both the G80 and G92 options so yeah it wasn't a 1LE but could have been. Sucker was a rocket ship never really drove it that much had the same problem with the radiator but ours was stock tho never figured it out
@@ericspecullaas2841 Nice, had to special order my 91 1LE, took two Months. It was blue too. Only non-perf. option was leather seats. It was 5.7/700r which I figured could shift kit it later. As u said, quick. Beat Mustangs all the time. Where it is, have to ask ex-wife
@@snackler6102 I remember the day we went to buy it. He didn’t order or anything they just happen to have a blue one with a 5.7 and no power options on the lot. Had the ugly louvers on the back. He paid $18,500 out the door for the car.
@@67NewEngland there was as many made with the 5.7 as they was the 5.0 the only problem was you could not get a 5.7 and t tops together so if you got the 5.7 you got a hard top because gm would not put those two options together
My dad gave me an 86 IROC for graduation from high school. Loved the car. It had the 5 liter tpi, but would still roast the tires & do donuts at will. I was young & dumb & wrecked it. How I wish I had that car today. I now have a 2007 corvette, but still miss that car.
Great show Mr. WIZARD ! This generation of Camaro and Firebirds are my favorites. I was 16 years old in the 80s and wanted one but my insurance was way too high so i ended up with a 81 Chevrolet Caprice .
I’ve always loved IROC’s. Growing up in the 80’s and 90’s they were definitely the car to have. Although I’ll admit I never understood why people would buy an automatic when manuals were available from the factory.
Joe It's just disappointing to me to see a car like that with fun written all over it and then see that it's auto😔 A good 5 speed would make it so much fun. I guess the factory slipped up on that one.
@@MrBilldo426 - The small rear end they used couldn't handle the jerky torque of the 350" with a manual... just the 305" came with a 5 speed manual and nearly as fast as the 350" with 4 speed automatic... I still have the '87 GTA: i.pinimg.com/originals/0a/6e/92/0a6e925d76ea7b8a50b40ef04eb7a4b5.jpg
I bought a new black 1989 IROC-Z (factory decal delete), drove it that summer then up on jackstands. Learned to polish aluminum and worked on it about two years. Ceramic coated Edelbrock Tri-Y, stainless cat-back, billet pulleys, stainless screws and washers wherever possible, extreme detailing. Entered a lot of car show, always took a trophy. Sold it after 8 years with a little over 13k miles on it. Another one I should have kept. Fair winds and following seas to all.
@@orchids3332 my mom had a Malibu station wagon. I gained a WHOLE new appreciation for station wagons when I got to high school and started dating and driving.
Had a red IROC with t-tops and the 5.7L in my younger days. Ton of fun, the girl who would later become my wife loved it. I later picked up an all-black 90 Formula Firebird 5.7L (no t-tops) with the WS6 package that with relatively low-effort mods was a gorgeous, sleek beast for the time, but those t-tops (leaks and all) on the IROC made for great times cruising.
They have to make you a fresh condenser like when you're at McDonalds and they're out of nuggets so you gotta wait for those beautiful fresh hot nuggets
I love these camaros. Was fortunate to drive many of this generation camaro when working at a Chevrolet Cadillac dealership when in college. Very cool and a lot of fun.
There was a lot of that "peel-n-stick" woodgrain being done in the mid 90s on all types of cars. It sure made it look cheap in a hurry. And it was cheap to buy too.
And then when those cars start fetching higher prices, someone is going to think, "Hey, that's a nice niche spare parts market", and start making spares for it that almost fit.
Nope, but I have a VW Beetle that has had its front wings replaced one by one. Now the headlights aren't at the same height any more. I just treat it as part of the car's history (hitting a deer and whatnot), but more discerning people might be upset by such things.
MY friend and me were checking out a Red Iroc at night at a dealership in 93 or 94 that happened to be unlocked and started by just turning that ignition! We took it for a quick spin down along the river and did a few burnouts and brought it back. Also, when I was about 18 this 30yr old married lady let me drive hers around in the backwoods areas a little bit... Also in 96 I had that 383 Stroker FireBird Sleeper doing burnouts in my Cars playlist
Love that car in blue! My dad had a copper ‘87 IROC-Z with a 350, t-tops, and a Kenwood aftermarket stereo. I loved to ride with him in the car and have classic rock blasted out of the stereo. Sadly, both him and the car are long gone, but I definitely still have the memories!
My dad bought the original back in '85, in black. He purchased it on preorder(I think there was an actual waiting list to purchase it back then) with the Chevy dealership near us months before it was even rolled out to the dealerships. My senior year in high school('93) it became my car to drive everyday. Unfortunately, the car had a bad ending in a rain shower accident(car was totaled being too expensive to repair) when my sister was driving it home because we had just purchased a good conditioned used Acura Legend. I loved that car with it's big loud engine, t-top, sporty seats and the big fat wide front/back tires. Got a speeding ticket(state trooper pulled me over going I think 80, was lucky cuz I had slowed down from going 100+ before he got me) coming home from Ocean City Beach, MD. Now coming across this I have to dig up pictures we have of the car.
Never clicked so fast. Dad had a black IROC with a 350TPI...I later had a '88 305HO/5spd Hard top red IROC....both died honorable deaths...black one threw a rod and my red one got smashed racing on the highway...I miss you TPI. Today my Honda Van's engine puts out as much as these cars....but like Wiz....Not nearly as cool looking or sounding. I have one seen on in town running....very rare to see on the road. Plenty for sale for high prices though.
When I was 15 my friend’s sisters boyfriend used to give us the keys to his IROC and tell us to go driving for an hour when he would come over. We just thought he was being nice.
That's hilarious! How old were you when the truth finally dawned on you?
Exactly the type of thing an IROC driver would do.
He was being nice, but it wasn't limited to just you guys
And then cigarette butts, cans of natty light and mullet hair was found in the bedroom
Father material right there. Kids are distracted and the lady is pleased
I remember in 1987 when I was 5 I was in the hospital for severe dehydration after a stomach bug. They couldn’t find my veins they were so collapsed and I was on the brink of death. A nurse suggested popsicles for me to eat because anything I ate I threw it right up. One of my sisters had a black 87 camaro iroc and she asked me what kind of toy do I want. I said a camaro like yours. She said what color. I said blue. Next day she came back with this exact same car in this video, I still have it. It’s about a foot long in size. Every time I see this generation in blue it always reminds me when I was in the hospital bed holding this car.
Rather off topic but when you were dehydrated were you experiencing hot/cold flashes along with severe sweating? Glad to hear you still have the car.
how did ur veins collapse?
Cool story. Thanks for sharin!
Sounds like a cool sister
I ordered this car new in the fall of ‘87, burgundy with gray interior.....and I still own it! Tuned port, fuel injected 5.7 liter, 350 c.i. and unlike this one, it’s never been hacked up. 51,000 actual miles, never driven in the winter, never in an accident. Unfortunately, due to health reasons, I’ll have to sell it this summer. Great car, great memories, going back to my youth. Thanks for the video.
I love these cars. I had a really nice IROC-Z come into the shop. No dings or dents and the red interior was in mint condition. He asked us to replace his oil filter housing gasket. I could feel the steering wasn’t right when I pulled it in and when I put it in the air, I saw the driver side wheel shift a good inch or so. I shook it down and told him, “Hey man, you desperately need to replace that tie rod end.” He said he only had enough money for the gasket and I told him he should wait on the gasket and do the tie rod immediately. At some point in the conversation, I told him that the tie rod could let go in a day or in a month, but that it would certainly happen VERY soon. He told me to just replace the gasket, and so I did.
After we closed up that night, my coworkers and I walked right to the bar next door. We walked back to our cars at around midnight and there is the Camaro on a flatbed being dropped off, with the entire drivers side smashed up and the driver side wheel just dangling free. What a shame that was. The owner and his wife were unharmed, luckily. But the car was banged up big time. It was totally avoidable.
They are fairly tough cars. This kid in college was trying to race me on the highway with his new Celica around 2001. I gave a little run and then let him fly by me. The next turn, was a 180 degree gradual turn, rated for 55mph for good reason. The kid was going at least 90....flew up on a car quick in front him almost rear ending it, panicked...slams the brakes...locks them up...hits the cement middle median...bounces to the right and lucky hit a semi dump truck...but luckily...he hits the legs of the trailer nearly going under it...bounces back to the left and hits the median again..like a pin ball. I am watching the whole thing unfold in front of me but I am approaching quick. His car after the second median hit is now sitting sideways on the highway right in my lane..I down shift and slam on my brakes but can't avoid him...I hit him in the rear driver's side...pushed his bumper WAY up into the middle of the car. I then coast off to the side. It crushed my core support but the car still ran. I would of drove it home but the cop that showed up, took my license. Good stuff...to be young and stupid again?
That honest ethic is rare, and appreciated.
I graduated high school in 1987. That car stirs up so much nostalgia. Never had one but I had friends who did.
Same here. Class of 87. All the rich kids and these cars, and 5.0 mustangs, and a few corvettes, and the trans am GTAs. And the Mitsubishi conquest TSI. Great times.
I was class of 89, and I too had friends that had these cars.i wanted one so bad, but at least I got to cruse around in them.
Class of 87 also. I always liked 4wd trucks better but seeing this one here makes me wish I had it. As you said, the nostalgia of it. Tbh, I preferred the 79-81 Z28s.
Class of 02, and a few of my friends had them too 😅
@@ford_probe_garage_studio Lol. Sounds like we grew up in the same town.
Almost at 500k wizard. Great work.
Wizard deserves millions of subscribers for helping save us all from getting ripped off
Definitely deserves more than scotty, but i guess it's because the wizard is so honest he doesn't clickbait.
@@FoodyTunes exactly right. I know a lot about cars as they are my passion. This is why I love wizard and Mrs. Wizard. Hard working passionate people about what they do.
Need a 500K subscribers special. Maybe a documentary while on your boat.
26k subs in 2 weeks thats nuts
High performance IROC obviously got a low performance previous mechanic. Glad the customer finally took this car to someone who knows what they're doing. Great job Car Wizard!
I still have the '87 IROC's more beautiful first cousin, the '87 GTA... both cars saw the return of the bigger 350"/5.7L V8 mid model year in Jan. 1987 to go with the 4?, V6, and 305" V8:
i.pinimg.com/originals/0a/6e/92/0a6e925d76ea7b8a50b40ef04eb7a4b5.jpg
@@BuzzLOLOL 85 was the last year for the 4 banger. Be neat to find one, even if they are dangerously slow.
I think with the owner of that car arcing out AC with the battery doesn’t want to put shock hood shocks. The owner would be low performance obviously when I open the hood.
I bought a 89 RS with a 305 back in 1998 when i was in high school. Still own it to this day and every year its getting harder and harder to find parts to keep the old girl running and working. Thanks for giving this one the attention it needed. No one took care of these things back in the day and they are very fun summer drivers that deserved better.
That's really cool that you kept your car.
My dad owned 2 '69 dart swingers in highschool, he bought the second one for parts. He sold them both before joining the air force in 1980.
He brought those cars up at least once a month my whole existence and he is almost 60, I'm 25. Never sell your car. I actually tracked the owner down of one and he won't sell it to me he is the original guy my dad sold it to in 1980. I figured my dad would stop beating himself up if I got his car back
You will regret it until the day you die if you sell your first child.
Hey Nick consider making your IROC parts. Consider it as a hobby taking cad and cam software lessons, you can copy existing parts or designing new ones for small cnc or 3d machines, while you go to work it will be printing for you or expect to be paid in case you do it for rare cars.
Had one in high school 87 350tpi iroc, traded it for a truck for work. Found the car a few months later completely destroyed with huge dents, a blown motor, and busted t tops. Was heart broke. Recently some 20 years later I picked up a 86 305tpi iroc in rough but fixable condition in the original blue color of this car. Looking forward to doing my best to bring it back to life :)
I saved a mint IROC, that my neighbor wanted to trade in for “Cash for Clunkers” in 2009. Sadly a lot of good cars were destroyed in the stupid program.
Not only that but it made used cars go up in price because of shortage. Heard they want to bring it back
@@CeeZee001 of course they do. All the Democrats want to do is hand out money.
@@CeeZee001 They’re trying to add into the so called “Infrastructure “ plan. Pushing people to get an electric vehicle.
Same here in England. I went on one of ourhundreds if abandoned WW2 airfields that are used for storage when the Cash for Clunkers was in fashion after the financial crash and no lie, I saw things like Sierra Cosworths , I saw one Escort Cosworth, Evo 3, 4s and 5s, Impreza WRXs, BMW 328s, 540s, RX7s and some Audis like S1 and S2s. We didn't have any American cars besides Jeeps back then so fortunately no Americana was seen. Heartbreaking enough as it was. I spoke to a guy there and he said the owners were usually pretty old and just didn't know what they had. The Sierra Cosworths were a prime example.
@@realMaverickBuckley that's crazy. Kill for any of those cars you mentioned.
Those IROC Z-28s were the cat's meow back in the late 80s!! Good times! The Wizard in his blue and black uniform shirt blends in with that IROC quite well, too.
Yeah it was either IROCs or Mustang GTs.
I bet you don't know what IROC stands for......NO googling!
@@muskokamike127 I've known since I saw the first IROC Z-28 what it stands for. It was a GREAT name/acronym for a car!
International Race Of Champions!
@@maxcactus7 But it was a totally boring race. Take a bunch of famous drivers from NASCAR, CART, IMSA, etc and put them in cars that were exactly alike. No one could modify the cars they were given. The races turned into parades of everyone drafting everyone else for the entire race. Eventually Chevrolet dropped it and Dodge picked it up for a few years.
We ran my brothers stock 1987 5.7 IROC with no AC or power options against a stock 1989 Mustang GT and beat it handily. Then we put 3:73 gears and advanced the timing on the Mustang and it was and even race.
@@muskokamike127 International Race Of Champions
When I was a little kid our neighbor had a yellow Z-28 of this year. She had a crazy led foot. We’d be playing out front and you’d hear her from around the block. You ran from the street!
Damn that's a beautiful iroc. I have one too and I have had to do a lot of work to get it to my standards. At least when I'm done with it, it will be as fast as it looks. Cherish these cars as they are becoming the new muscle car classics.
I'm 60 now I had a red 86 Brand new I loved it so much !
I love that color blue on the IROC....the color scheme kinda matches your shirt Wizard 👍👍😁😁
I'm from the uk.. and ever since i first caught glimpse of the iroc z.. ive loved everything about them.. such a beautiful looking, stylish car..
Advancing the TPS is a common mod on Corvettes of this vintage. It makes them jump off the line and seem faster, and is supposed to trick the computer (speed density system - no airflow meter) into giving it more gas if the O2 sensor is negated by a 160° thermostat (hence the huge radiator) so it never goes into closed loop.
Funny, though. This is an '87. They had a MAF until '89.
I tried every trick that came along on a Mustang of that era. None of it really accomplished anything. What did work was setting the car up to use the 300 ft-lbs of torque rather than turning rubber into dust and smoke.
@@rposton919 I did a few of the cheap fox mods. I remember bumping the timing to 14 degrees and removing the front sway bar. Don't understand how a missing front sway bar would help with weight transfer but it did.
It's possible the snorkel, mass air flow and air boxes are gone. Unless they are just off for working on it.
I have a 92 z28. It was my dream car in High School. ( I’m 40 now). It’s soooooo hard to find a honest and common sense mechanic like yourself to work on these cars.... Keep up the great work. Damn I wish you were in California
Wizard...you are following the laws of Troubleshooting 101. 1. NEVER assume anything. 2. Always diagnose objectively as if it's the first time you have seen the problem. 3. All owner\user input is informational only and can add NOISE to your ability to properly diagnose and solve the issue. 4. Validate and verify the issue by reproducing the problem, executing the solution, and then validating the problem is verified as solved. 5. Process of Elimination is your best friend. 6. Sometimes repair is your only option over replace.
It nice to see a business that has principles and ethics, kudos to you Sir
I miss my '88 IROC-Z, such a fun car.
I had an ‘88 IROC back about 1999 or so. So many problems, but so much fun 😍
A 17 year old crashed into me and totaled it, but it will always have a place in my heart ❤️
Great to know there's still honest mechanics out there. Kudos to you Mr. Wizard.
First vid i’ve watched of this guy, i’m subbing immediately, always love to see good honest mechanics that are there to help.
If I lived in Kansas I would definitely throw him some work. The Wizard is a rare breed for sure.
He shares some good information but his personality is a little snobby and dry for me to watch him all the time.
1979 Berlinetta Camero was my favorite. Burgundy color. So many cool styles of cars built in the 70’s. You couldn’t wait to get your drivers license.
My cousin's girlfriend had a brown Berlinetta back then and my cousin described it as a Z28 for girls.
I graduated in 1988. Worked for the local Chevy dealership after graduation. The Lordstown Plant was a few miles away. Seemed like everyone around here had one at the time.
This was my 1st GM sports car. Thanks Wizard for sharing with us the IROC Z28
I LOVE your videos exactly like this one.. please don't ever change this format and style.. Calm, focused, detailed... It's soothing and entertaining for people like me who love cars and are constantly wanting to learn more. So please don't ever change the way you do these videos... This, and the Buick 3800 video are my favorites.
Checking out your channel I can tell your attention to detail is impeccable. Nothing better than a mechanic whom takes pride in their work.
I had the idle problem on my 89 and remember changing several parts trying to fix it. Spraying the mass air flow sensor with carb cleaner solved the problem. A $2 fix.
Sweet! Back to the '80s Saturday night in a beautiful blue IROC. NGL, I like GM cars. It's good to see you, Hoovie, JR (&Jay Leno!) among others appreciate them, too.
Except that Jay Leno spreads false info, like WS6 means "wide suspension 6 pieces" (it doesn't).
I remember having one. I loved it but I was young and didn’t know what I had at the time.
In high school I wanted an IROCZ so bad. After high-school I rescued a 1983 Z28 from the junkyard, replaced alot of hoses, belts, pulleys, changes carburetor to a Quadra jet 4 barrel, and took off all the stupid emissions stuff. It was a fun car. I will own an IROCZ sometime in the future as a project. Maybe I'll keep the TPI or swap a 383 stroker. This IROCZ in this video is so nice.
BARK!! The correct term Mr. Wizard is Bark, the kids today don't call it wood trim anymore. I love the wood trim as well but that is from the 70's when the wood trim was the top line model. I still add just a bit of it to my modern cars, but the grandkids called it bark, and it makes me laugh every time. THANKS for restoring my faith in honest mechanics and be safe and healthy sir!!!
I looooove the cheesy intros .... i genuinely do! Been a subscriber since the beginning of this channel and it keeps getting better!
@Joe Smith I wouldn't say "lame." He's just soft-spoken and a little awkward. However, I believe most of us have immense respect for him. But THAT'S what makes him so entertaining---apart from the content. He certainly has presence. And Mrs. Wizard is a perfect match.
These cars even had a unique exhaust sound back in the 80's. The muffler mostly was what made it sound different and cool
That bad low flow muffler tucked up behind the rear axle? Definitely sounded decent but not a great design. Exhaust shops were rich from swapping these for true dual exhaust haha.
My friend bought one around '86 give or take a year. He was all excited as we took windy roads at speed. It was exciting at an innocent time. Fun car!
Back in '92, friend of mine had a red 87 IROC Z/28, and we were doin over 120mph on Highway 680 in Milpitas, Calif..a couple of mins went by, and he says "wtf?! Look behind us", and there was a car catching up to us fast, thought it was CHP at first, but nope....it was a little white dude is a 5.0 Mustang GT, so my buddy hit the throttle, hard, but it didn't matter, cuz it sounded like that Mustang chirped a gear as it went by us at the about 125mph....he was so pissed off, he traded in that IROC for a '93 Mustang GT, a car his oldest kid, a freshman in college, is begging to get every time he talks to him....🤘🏻🇺🇸
15 yrs ago, I was in HS and my brother had a red iroc. So freaking cool, I’ve always loved the look.
I had an '85 V6 as my first car. Loved that thing.
I remember these third gens used to burn up the secondary relay for the cooling fans quite often back in the day.
I went through two radiators before I caught on to that.
Hard day at work I come home and watch The Wizard and I'm instantly relaxed . Thanks Wizard !
Informative video, I spent a few grand on my 85 Iroc trying to get my cooling fan to come on regularly. GM couldn't fix the problem, I tried an after temperature sensor part cost $23.00 plus labor and had a repair shop next GM put it in. Problem solved until the end of time! Wish I knew sooner. PS transmission shift kit and beefed up suspension really made my car fun to drive. Chirp the tires at stop light. Lol miss you IrocZ! 💯
My grandad was a mechanic for 50 plus years and was always honest..I do all my own work growing up around cars but good honest mechanics like this are a dying breed..Kudos to you sir
Man wish you were my mechanic!! Great work as always!!
for the past year i've watched and liked every video and definitely cannot say that about any other channel. if wizard sees this, congrats on your empire expansion.
Love these cars. I've owned two and had a lot if fun with them. Never any big problems
Great video, man! As a huge third gen fan and owner of 4 of them, currently, I am super happy to see that you know how to properly lift one! Most people would just try to lift them on the pinch welds, which folds them over and bows out the front fenders, lol.
I also noticed the hood struts are installed upside down on that car. I've owned probably 40+ third gens over the last 30 years, and I have actually never seen anyone do that before.
I wish you were closer to me, I would definitely send some work your way!
Hey, I'm currently fixing up a 89 RS and I'm lifting on the pinch weld, is there a better location to be doing it from, thank you.
I love those 3rd gens! I've owned an 82' Z28 with the 305 Crossfire Injection, an 88' Trans Am GTA with the 350 TPI and a 90' Z28 with the 305 TPI
Omg yes! Finally you got a third gen camaro on the channel. I love these cars so much. Mine is an 89. And not an iroc just an RS 305
Manual?
@@rhull3939 no sir.
@@Mr.Noisewater still cool.
If you plan on keeping it try and find a Helms service manual. These are not the
manuals sold in auto stores. This is the manual that the guy who can fix
everything would have.
@@hockeyhelps3910okay I'll check that out. Whats funny is I just recently bought a Haynes book and even the camaros they were fixing had cracked dashboards. Lol
I had the same exact car. The color is called Electric blue. The wheels look better stock, rather than painted to match. Cool car!
I love 3rd Gen Camaros... miss my old '89 RS
"No not me.. Well, that car rocks."
The way you said that so innocently is making me hysterical
This was a trip down memory lane. I miss the '89 IrocZ convertible with the 5spd standard. I'm 6' 6" and she fit me perfectly. Not to many cars like that do.
Wizard is spot on about Hot Rod shops: If the engine's power is mostly stock, focusing on getting the car to operate the way the factory intended will give you better results than doing aftermarket "upgrades"
I can't believe how good of shape that car is on the underside. You would never see something like that in my state.
Used to see a lot of these back when I was in high school. Takes me back to the days of Zubaz pants and mullets
...Z Cavarrichis...Girbauds...
I understand the pain of not finding parts. I'm currently rebuilding my 79 iroc and it took me months to find a new condenser. And I lucked out and found an aftermarket one that's an exact fit. When I say lucked out I mean it since the company no longer makes them.
Holy shit!! There's another honest guy who works on cars!
Beautiful car grew up seeing them everywhere
But the wood trim....I don’t know about that
In 1987, the color on the IROC Camaro was called Bright Blue. It fits.
I all ways called it IROC blue, I like the stock looking silver or gold wheels! I’ve never seen blue like this on wheels!
You are correct! Bright Blue metallic code 23U.
I'm more of a Foxbody Mustang fan, but these 3rd generation Camaros are nice. Very nostalgic.
@@ZboeC5 I never see any Foxbodys or 3rd generation Camaros on the street anymore. They were everywhere when I was in high school. The Foxbody prices are skyrocketing right now. Camaros are probably going to follow.
I love 80s camaros and that one is incredible. An IROC z28 in that good of condition is definitely hard to find.
Brings back alot of high school memories. What you said about teenagers in the late 90s and early 2000s with 80s and 90s cars like this one is 100% true.
Now it's going to be harder to relieve our glory days lol
I had an 87 IROC T-tops,
factory 350 tuned port injection, not the little 305. Thing was fast for the day. Same engine as the 87 Corvettes. Only mods I had were 2 inch drop, mild cam, headers, true dual exhaust and k&n filter. Those mods really woke that car up. Wish I never sold it, but needed something to haul kids around.
Wow, I was wondering when the supply chain issue of new parts was going to start taking effect on these older cars. I was always amazed at how you could get parts for seemingly any car, any year, any model, any trim level, even when they were getting scarce on the road. I guess we’ve hit that point where they’ve decided to stop making parts. Because if they’ve quit making IROC parts then you know you’re screwed if you’re looking for Baretta parts or some other less famous model.
Berlinetta
@@marlattmotos I was referring to the Chevy Beretta.
@@tylernewton7217 who's restoring 90's cavaliers?
@@marlattmotos I didn’t mean restore. Just repairs.
These always looked good. B4C cop & 1LE versions are now quite rare. You can still do a lot to wake these up
Loved these cars. Remember the heavy doors would sag
G code 350cid...
Had a 1991 5.0 5 speed that had both the G80 and G92 options so yeah it wasn't a 1LE but could have been. Sucker was a rocket ship never really drove it that much had the same problem with the radiator but ours was stock tho never figured it out
@@ericspecullaas2841 Nice, had to special order my 91 1LE, took two Months. It was blue too. Only non-perf. option was leather seats. It was 5.7/700r which I figured could shift kit it later. As u said, quick. Beat Mustangs all the time. Where it is, have to ask ex-wife
My brother had one of those brand new in 1987. It had the 5.7 liter and no power options or AC. It was fast.
@@snackler6102 I remember the day we went to buy it. He didn’t order or anything they just happen to have a blue one with a 5.7 and no power options on the lot. Had the ugly louvers on the back. He paid $18,500 out the door for the car.
Yup, a few had the 5.7 but most had the 5.0 305ci.
@@67NewEngland there was as many made with the 5.7 as they was the 5.0 the only problem was you could not get a 5.7 and t tops together so if you got the 5.7 you got a hard top because gm would not put those two options together
@@67NewEngland Yes, 12,105 IROC's got the 5.7 in '87.
@@jonathanlawson4667 couldn't get the 350 with a 5 soeed
My dad gave me an 86 IROC for graduation from high school. Loved the car. It had the 5 liter tpi, but would still roast the tires & do donuts at will. I was young & dumb & wrecked it. How I wish I had that car today. I now have a 2007 corvette, but still miss that car.
Great show Mr. WIZARD ! This generation of Camaro and Firebirds are my favorites. I was 16 years old in the 80s and wanted one but my insurance was way too high so i ended up with a 81 Chevrolet Caprice .
Okay, now I Really like the Wizard. He knows a good car when he sees it. I have a big love affair for 80s cars. Especially the Camaro Iroc.
I’ve always loved IROC’s. Growing up in the 80’s and 90’s they were definitely the car to have. Although I’ll admit I never understood why people would buy an automatic when manuals were available from the factory.
it was because you couldn't get the 5,7 350 with a manual, auto only
@@joexbt I’ve seen several in my life. They may have been swapped I don’t know.
@@MrBilldo426 yep commonly swapped. none from factory.
Joe It's just disappointing to me to see a car like that with fun written all over it and then see that it's auto😔 A good 5 speed would make it so much fun. I guess the factory slipped up on that one.
@@MrBilldo426 - The small rear end they used couldn't handle the jerky torque of the 350" with a manual... just the 305" came with a 5 speed manual and nearly as fast as the 350" with 4 speed automatic... I still have the '87 GTA:
i.pinimg.com/originals/0a/6e/92/0a6e925d76ea7b8a50b40ef04eb7a4b5.jpg
Whenever I see an IROC in the wild it makes me think of that song Teenage Dirtbag
Renegade by Styx for me lol
When I see on I always sing “bitchin Camero” by the Dead Milkmen.
I can't unthink that now that you said that.
Love that song.
Came here to say this
I remember when the 2012 Camaro ZL1 came out...I saw it in burgundy with black stripes and I’ve been in love with them ever since.
I bought a new black 1989 IROC-Z (factory decal delete), drove it that summer then up on jackstands. Learned to polish aluminum and worked on it about two years. Ceramic coated Edelbrock Tri-Y, stainless cat-back, billet pulleys, stainless screws and washers wherever possible, extreme detailing. Entered a lot of car show, always took a trophy. Sold it after 8 years with a little over 13k miles on it. Another one I should have kept.
Fair winds and following seas to all.
Flash forward 25 years: "What do you mean you don't have any intelligent cruise control sensors left?!"
yeah, try making or fixing one of those yourself.
The good ol F-body rattle traps, worked on many of them back in my GM days
Yes
The rattles just help you learn to appreciate smooth roads.
This video made my mullet grow back. Rad!
Wow that's original
These cars bring back memories of the '80's/'90's. I would love to own one, but that's not likely to happen.
Thanks for sharing this jewel with us!
You can just tell he’s not acting and he’s just a genuinely good guy. That’s why I sub here.
My mom had a Z28 in the 80’s, poofy hair whipping around in the T-tops and louvers on her glasses and back window 😂
Mine too
My mom drove a Dodge Aries K.
@@orchids3332 my mom had a Malibu station wagon. I gained a WHOLE new appreciation for station wagons when I got to high school and started dating and driving.
we have to go back!
@@SandyNickk *engages the flux capacitor*
Not American but I just love that body style has Mr. Wizard said!
it is american
Yes it is American
@@TFD1982 yes I know...I'm not American....sorry for may bad English..
When I see one of these I immediately think of one with a cow on it's roof from the infamous Top Gear Florida/deep south special..
Ha. Me too. That was an RS with a 305 and a manual for a grand. Crazy.
Had a red IROC with t-tops and the 5.7L in my younger days. Ton of fun, the girl who would later become my wife loved it. I later picked up an all-black 90 Formula Firebird 5.7L (no t-tops) with the WS6 package that with relatively low-effort mods was a gorgeous, sleek beast for the time, but those t-tops (leaks and all) on the IROC made for great times cruising.
I graduated H S in1985. My buddy had a new black one with t tops. Love those cars
3rd generation. F bodies are absolutely 1 of my favorites of all time
They have to make you a fresh condenser like when you're at McDonalds and they're out of nuggets so you gotta wait for those beautiful fresh hot nuggets
Damn it. Now I have a craving for McDonalds.
I guess Wizard trying to order the AC hose assembly is like trying to get a shake at McDonalds - "Nope. Machine don't work."
Eat them 2 at a time when they're like that
when it comes to nuggets, chick fila > mcdonalds
@@jy5960 When it comes to food, 3 week old moldy bread > McDonalds.
i thought you were gonna say my uncle had a really long nose also!
I love these camaros. Was fortunate to drive many of this generation camaro when working at a Chevrolet Cadillac dealership when in college. Very cool and a lot of fun.
Little shroud action would probably help as well ....no vroom vroom upgrades no need for big rad....good catch mighty wizard
That fake aftermarket wood trim inside would have made me tell the customer to beat it and don't come back until you get that crap out of there 😂
There was a lot of that "peel-n-stick" woodgrain being done in the mid 90s on all types of cars. It sure made it look cheap in a hurry. And it was cheap to buy too.
That wood still looks beautiful
@@BuzzLOLOL Must be your Camaro in this video 😂
@@BuzzLOLOL "wood" lmaoooo
@@AgaetiAlex - Holds up better than real wood...
And then when those cars start fetching higher prices, someone is going to think, "Hey, that's a nice niche spare parts market", and start making spares for it that almost fit.
I see you too have bought 2nd gen camaro or firebird parts from year one? LoL
Nope, but I have a VW Beetle that has had its front wings replaced one by one. Now the headlights aren't at the same height any more. I just treat it as part of the car's history (hitting a deer and whatnot), but more discerning people might be upset by such things.
2:28 , damn that killed me :(
MY friend and me were checking out a Red Iroc at night at a dealership in 93 or 94 that happened to be unlocked and started by just turning that ignition! We took it for a quick spin down along the river and did a few burnouts and brought it back. Also, when I was about 18 this 30yr old married lady let me drive hers around in the backwoods areas a little bit... Also in 96 I had that 383 Stroker FireBird Sleeper doing burnouts in my Cars playlist
Love that car in blue! My dad had a copper ‘87 IROC-Z with a 350, t-tops, and a Kenwood aftermarket stereo. I loved to ride with him in the car and have classic rock blasted out of the stereo. Sadly, both him and the car are long gone, but I definitely still have the memories!
Wizard hoovie bought a bunch of cars looks like that new building is gonna get packed soon
You wish buying new parts was so easy……
You have to go to those magazines you see for the classic cars
It already is. That space is rented out.
I'm really surprised Wizard didn't grow a mullet standing so close to an IROC
Also surprised he didn’t wear a wife beater and the Italian horn on a chain.
Wow that's a good one, never heard that before...
Car Wizard: "I rock!"
Mrs. Wizard: "No, you don't."
Wizard fans: "Yes, you do." 😎
My dad bought the original back in '85, in black. He purchased it on preorder(I think there was an actual waiting list to purchase it back then) with the Chevy dealership near us months before it was even rolled out to the dealerships. My senior year in high school('93) it became my car to drive everyday. Unfortunately, the car had a bad ending in a rain shower accident(car was totaled being too expensive to repair) when my sister was driving it home because we had just purchased a good conditioned used Acura Legend. I loved that car with it's big loud engine, t-top, sporty seats and the big fat wide front/back tires. Got a speeding ticket(state trooper pulled me over going I think 80, was lucky cuz I had slowed down from going 100+ before he got me) coming home from Ocean City Beach, MD. Now coming across this I have to dig up pictures we have of the car.
Never clicked so fast. Dad had a black IROC with a 350TPI...I later had a '88 305HO/5spd Hard top red IROC....both died honorable deaths...black one threw a rod and my red one got smashed racing on the highway...I miss you TPI. Today my Honda Van's engine puts out as much as these cars....but like Wiz....Not nearly as cool looking or sounding. I have one seen on in town running....very rare to see on the road. Plenty for sale for high prices though.