Are 3rd Gen F-Body Camaros & Firebirds About to Soar In Value?
Asking prices for third gen cars are currently rising, and after a bit more research, we think this might indicate a future trend.
There’s always that one car that makes you think “Just a few years ago those things were cheap!” We even said so last year. But did we speak too soon? Even though some third gen cars are very cheap, some of them have been raising eyebrows. Perhaps a price boom is coming? Most recently and notably, that trend has been applied to the Toyota Supra. But we think the third gen F-Body is on the cusp of a huge price increase. Perhaps not to the point of six-figure selling prices, but certainly more than they are listed for now.
Our interest in this phenomenon started with a search of eBay. You know the type of search; first checking the listings for absurd cars you can’t possibly convince yourself to buy, then narrowing it down to more reasonable running cars and mild projects. But when we started restricting the asking price filter, we were noticing a lot of third gens were disappearing. That led us to this unique example.
This listing is now expired, and we want to stress it absolutely did not sell for its asking price of $45,000, but it did end up with a high bid of $36,300. In recent memory, that’s one of the highest priced third gen cars we have ever come across. Granted, it is a very low mileage example, with under 2000 miles. But it is not exactly a special edition. It’s just a 1987 IROC Z/28 with a Tune Port Injection 5.7-liter and and T-tops.
To make sure that was an anomaly, we checked other sales sources. It was not an anomaly. Hemmings, for instance, has a slew of low mileage IROC Z/28 coupes and convertibles all in the $30,000 dollar range. Those cars all appear to be in immaculate condition. But if you want a 9/10 car simply to drive and enjoy, many are now found in the $20,000 range. That’s a price that has elevated over the years as well. Try and save any more money than that and you’re looking at a very imperfect car, a roller, or a “project” combination of both.
If you’re on the selling side of this equation, it is mixed news for you. Do you sell knowing you’ll get a decent deal right now, or do you hold on and wait for prices to soar ever higher? How about from a buyer’s perspective? Do you buy now? We’d love to hear from those who are in the market.
Photos: eBay
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