Photo: WD Detailing | YouTube
This 1985 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z has been trapped under cardboard boxes and whatever the family threw on top of it for years. The detailer found it online and couldn't help but want it. It has the original hood and gold wheels. But it won't be easy to get out of its trap.
RJ from WD Detailing dreams of getting his hands on a 1985 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z. But you know what they say: be careful what you wish for. Will he regret it? First, he has to be able to stand around the car to get it out of its trap. But there’s so much dust and debris on the floor that his sneakers slip and he has to slide around the car to keep from falling.
First, he has to move tons of cardboard boxes that are on top of the poor Camaro. The garbage has buried it alive. The owner is helping out. They try to pull it, but it doesn't work. They try to push it, but it doesn't work either. So, the next attempt is with the help of a Snatch Block pulley. And finally it works. The Camaro is out in broad daylight for the first time in over 20 years.
RJ drove all the way from Cleveland to West Virginia, which is at least a five-hour drive away, to get this Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z, but he didn’t expect such a high price for a car that’s been sitting in a barn for 23 years. The owner, John, is asking $7,000 for it. But RJ plans to make a final offer of $5,000. However, he’ll start low. Very low.
Photo: WD Detailing | YouTube
The Chevy, however, has sentimental value to John. It was his school project. He rebuilt it with his dad and friends. It was originally red with gold trim. But John hated everything about that color scheme, no matter how special it was at the time. You know, teenagers have their ways…
The 1986 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z went from red to black
So, he chose to paint it black and put a gray interior, with many of the parts donated from a later-model Camaro, but he won’t say which one. They also retuned the suspension and put in a new automatic transmission. The IROC-Z was already 5 inches lower to the ground than the standard Camaro. So, the aggressive styling is something that made both RJs want one of their own.
But John later had a family, kids came along, and the car wasn’t family-friendly. He parked it in the barn in 2021 and never took it out again. John also delivers the bad news to RJ. The 350-cubic-inch V8 caught fire once because the fuel pressure regulator was leaking. In the good old days, the V8 pumped out 220 horsepower (223 metric horsepower) and 320 pound-feet (434 Newton meters) of torque. The owner says it still ran after the fire. But he hasn’t started it, much less driven it, in over 20 years.
With this bad news in mind, RJ starts negotiating at $2,500 and ends up with the car paying $4,500. The hood raised on the wall is included in the price. He pays cash and leaves.
Photo: WD Detailing | YouTube
Once at their detailing studio, RJ and Mike find a lot of surprises. First, the front wheels are marked “FRONT.” As expected, the rear wheels are marked “REAR.” The wheels are where the detailing begins. Next comes the pressure washing. It will reveal all the problems that have appeared on the Camaro's body over the years.
They remove the insulation under the hood. Since it was in a fire, they no longer need it. However, the interior is a bit of a mess. The seller told them that there were parts from a newer Camaro, but didn't say which ones. The speedometer that read 115 mph (185 km/h) could be one of them, as could the CD player. The odometer reads 14,445 miles (23,247 kilometers), down to 46. The low mileage confirms the 23-year parking period.
They want the Camaro IROC-Z up and running
The seats are terribly dirty, but the stain remover works wonders. The leather center console cleans well and there are almost no signs of wear that you would normally expect from a car that rolled off the assembly line almost 40 years ago. That's because it hasn't been driven, of course.
Photo: WD Detailing | YouTube
The IROC-Z is missing its wheel hubcaps, but RJ and Mike have already ordered four. The original hood is finally back on the car.
Once the detailing is complete, RJ and Mike take the 1985 Chevy Camaro IROC-Z to the experts to have all the mechanical components repaired and made to run smoothly. The best case scenario is to bring it back to their detailing shop. The worst case scenario is probably paying more for the repair than they paid for the entire car.
Once lifted, they see rust everywhere, loose wires, holes in the floor, and a few leaks. The best part is that they didn't run any power to it. The last thing they wanted was for it to catch fire again. They'll leave the car with Adam and his team and come back for it when it's ready. Ready for the best case scenario. An engine swap is out of the question for now.
