Very clean and well-maintained early third-gen F-body. Original paint in great shape. Numerous upgrades under the skin: 350 V8, 5-speed, Hotchkis suspension, 4-wheel discs, and more. Affordable early Camaro with more bite than bark!

We’ve learned in this business that people collect the cars of their youth, and there are a whole lot of us at a certain age (say, in their 50s) who grew up with the third-generation Camaro being the top dog on the street. 1982 was the first year for the all-new car and boy, was it ever all new! Long, low, and wide, it was everything the Mustang wasn’t. This bright red 1982 Camaro Z/28 is a super clean car that has always been treated as something special, and with just 41,528 original miles, it has definitely led an easy life. There are lots of upgrades—we’ll get to those in a moment—but externally, it’s just a nice, original 40-year-old F-body. The paint is factory-applied and in good condition, with the only notable issue being some buff-through on the deck lid. Otherwise it shines up nicely and red always looks great on the Camaro. The decals are likewise original and the stripes are showing a little bit of wear along the doors, but reproduction decals are available and inexpensive if you need perfection. Oh, and maybe search E-bay for a replacement rear wiper (a rare option!); we tried, but they’re apparently tough to find. No T-tops means this F-body is a bit more substantial-feeling than its open siblings and there’s no question that the design has aged rather well. This is still a great-looking car!

WE believe most of the interior is original save for the gray cloth inserts on the front seats, which add some welcome contrast to the otherwise monochromatic driver’s compartment. The Camaro has a great low-slung driving position and the early cars have big, easy-to-read gauges that really work well. These are all functional, and look great through the spokes of the leather-rimmed steering wheel. Notable options include power windows, a tilt steering column, A/C (inop, but the system is complete), and the aforementioned rear window wiper. The original Delco radio is gone, replaced by a modern Alpine AM/FM/CD/USB unit that’s a big improvement. You’ll also note cool details like the twin pods on either end of the instrument panel, the remote hatch release on the center console, and the big cue ball shifter for the 5-speed manual gearbox (the original transmission was a 4-speed). It’s all in very good condition, making this a car you can get in and enjoy right away. There’s even a good-sized trunk area out back outfitted with custom speakers (we don’t believe they are hooked up) and a hidden cargo bay underneath.

The real upgrades are found underneath, and the list is long. The most critical item is the fresh 350 cubic inch V8, a massive upgrade over the wheezing 305 that was originally in place. With a 4-barrel carburetor on top, long-tube headers, and an upgraded camshaft, it’s probably at least twice as powerful as the factory motor. Of course, being a small block Chevy, it slots in there like it was born there and aside from the open-element air cleaner and chrome valve covers, it looks quite OEM. There’s even Chevy Orange paint on the block itself. All the A/C equipment was transferred to this new engine, so it should not be difficult to get that system back online, and you’ll note a lot of new hardware throughout the engine bay. Underneath, there’s a 5-speed manual transmission feeding the original rear end, which we believe has 3.73 gears inside—this sucker is quick! The floors are extremely clean because this is a low-mileage car that has never seen winter weather, so no worries about hidden structural issues. Look a little closer and also you’ll see numerous upgrades like an upgraded front sway bar with reinforcing brace, 4-wheel power disc brakes, a UMI tubular torque arm with Hotchkis trailing arms and panhard rod. There’s a rumbling stainless exhaust system that feeds a single Magnaflow muffler with twin outlets, so it looks and sounds right. And that stance is exactly right thanks to 16-inch alloys from a later Z/28 which wear 245/50/16 performance radials all around.

We believe cars like this Camaro are the next generation of collectables as those of us who remember how awesome they are get to the point where we want a fun toy to enjoy on weekends. With a long list of upgrades and a clean ownership history with none of the usual issues, this Z/28 is a great choice if you’re on a budget. It’s not perfect, but with a little bit of elbow grease, this could really be something special. Call today!

Harwood Motors always recommends and welcomes personal or professional inspections of any vehicle in our inventory prior to purchase.