Is this Squeaky Clean Third-Gen Camaro Worth $36K?
The condition, color combo, and transmission all make this third-gen Camaro look like a winner–but then there’s the price.
The streets of Los Angeles make for some of the best car spotting anywhere in the world, and it’s one of the reasons I love living here. From old-school muscle, to modern exotics, to weird — think the Daihatsu Charade — imports, everything is on the road in this rust-free haven. But until I spotted this listing for a 1991 Camaro Z28 on Craigslist in New York, it struck me that I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen a Camaro of this vintage in the wild.
Of course, the other thing that struck me was the price. Because even in this wildly inflated market, $36,000 sounds like a whole lot of coin for a third-gen Camaro. In the owner’s defense, however, this does seem to be an excellent example of the breed, for a few reasons. First off, it’s rocking the 305 V8 with Tuned Point Fuel Injection, and a five-speed manual transmission. As someone who loves to row his own, that alone is a big selling point.
The owner also claims that the red exterior and gray interior combo is rare for this drivetrain. And while that could very well be true, it’s not really moving the needle for me here. More impressive is the overall condition. While the photos aren’t great, and bear a 2021 timestamp, everything aside from the driver’s seat — which is wearing a cover — seems to be squeaky clean. Even the factory radio is intact!
There’s also the matter of the mileage. According to the ad, there’s just 80k on the clock, which averaged out, comes to just around 2,500 miles per year. That’s low, but not so scary-low that I’d be concerned all the rubber bits have atrophied from lack of use. It also makes me suspect that this might have been a spring and summer car, and thus stayed protected from the salty roads of the northeast.
That said, having owned a Pontiac Grand Prix with a 305, I can attest it’s something of a boat anchor when it comes to the legendary LS mill — though the Camaro platform obviously makes for an attractive LS swap. And even with prices the way they are at the moment, you can get a lot of performance in this price range. So even if you’re a fan of the third-gen, like I am, that’s a hefty premium to pay for Camaro vintage that hasn’t achieved the same level of desirability that its first-, and even second-gen siblings have.
But what do you think? Do you think we’ll eventually see third-gen values climb enough to justify this lofty asking price? Hit me up and let me know!
Photos: Craigslist