3rd Generation
1982 - 1992 Third-generation Camaros were the first built without front sub-frames or leaf-spring rear suspensions. Now the front end was held up with a modified McPherson strut system, and the hind end relied on a long torque arm and coil springs. These were also the first Camaros with factory fuel injection, four-speed automatic transmissions, five-speed manual transmissions, four-cylinder engines, 16-inch wheels and hatchback bodies. In January 1982, the Camaro was, for the first time since 1967, truly all-new and slightly smaller. But the 1982 engine selection was hardly the stuff of legends. Base sport coupes started with a 90-horsepower version of GM's lethargic 2.5-litre "Iron Duke" four and could be optioned up to a 112-horse 2.8-litre V6 (base engine in the Berlinetta) or a four-barrel carburetted 5.0-litre (305-cubic-inch) small-block V8 rated at 145 horsepower. That V8 was the Z28's base power-plant; buyers could opt for a Z28 "Cross-Fire Injection" (throttle body-injected) version producing 165 horsepower. The carburetted V8 could be had with either a three-speed automatic or four-speed manual, but the injected engine was automatic only.
1982/3
A Camaro paced the Indianapolis 500 again in 1982, and the silver and blue replicas of that car are probably the most attractive of the '82s. However, the T-top Z28 that actually paced the Memorial Day classic that year used a highly modified 350 (5.7-liter) V8 for motivation that, sadly, wasn't available to the general public. The three-tier Camaro line-up continued into 1983 with minimal visual differences. However the Z28 got a nice power bump with the introduction of the "L69" engine option. With a Corvette-spec camshaft, revised exhaust and a healthy four-barrel carb, the 5.0-litre L69 "H.O." V8 was rated at 190 horsepower and could be backed by a new five-speed manual transmission.
1984
For 1984, availability of the L69 improved on Z28s (the junky Cross-Fire engine died) and the four-speed "700R4" automatic was adopted by most Camaro models. Because in the 1980's anything digital was, of course, good, the Berlinetta sprouted a funkadelic/dreadfull digital instrument panel and overhead console. The instrumentation was probably more entertaining than the V6 that powered most Berlinettas.
1985
The great leap forward in third-generation Camaro performance came with the introduction of the 1985 IROC-Z, named after the International Race of Champions, which was contested with Camaros. The IROC featured big 16-inch five-spoke wheels and unique graphics. Carburetted versions of the 5.0-litre small-block V8 were still available, but the big improvement came with the fitment of Tuned Port Injection (TPI) to that engine to produce a flexible 215 horsepower. Sadly, for some, the TPI engine could only be had with the four-speed automatic (in either the IROC or the regular Z28). Beneath the Z28, the sport coupe and Berlinetta wheezed through 1985 unchanged, except for a new fuel-injected version of the 2.8-litre V6 that now pushed out 135 horsepower.
1986
The 1986 Camaros were easy to spot because of the goofy blister fitted atop their rear hatches to accommodate the federally mandated centre high-mounted stop light (CHMSL). Beyond that, there was a new exhaust system for non-Z28 cars and a new base-coat/clear-coat two-stage paint system. 1987 Big engines returned to the Camaro for 1987 with the good old 350 (5.7-litre) V8 making its way into IROC-Zs as an option. Capped with the TPI system, the 5.7 was rated at a full 225 horsepower � the highest horsepower in a Camaro in 13 years and with vastly better drivability. While the TPI 5.7 came only with the four-speed automatic, the TPI 5.0 litre was finally available with the five-speed manual. Equally good news was the comeback of the Camaro convertible � the first Camaro convertible since 1969 � and the consignment of the four-cylinder engine to a well-deserved appointment with the scrap-yard. The high-output carburetted 5.0-litre V8 also disappeared, and a new 165 horsepower carburetted 5.0-litre V8 became the standard Z28 engine. Also gone from the '87 Camaro line were the Berlinetta (replaced with an "LT" option package), and, on any Camaro with a rear spoiler, that ugly CHMSL housing on the rear glass. The CHMSL was instead built into the spoiler and Chevy would simplify its own production for 1988 by making the rear spoiler standard on all Camaros.
1988
So that brake light blister was gone entirely from the 1988 Camaro, but so was the Z28. Since Chevy had firmly established the IROC name, all high-performance '88 Camaros became IROCs. Base '88 Camaros, meanwhile, inherited the elegant 15-inch five-spoke wheels from the Z28, as well as the Z28's lower body skirting. Also, the Z28's 5.0-litre V8 was now optional on the sport coupe; it gained a throttle body fuel-injection system to make 170 horsepower. The rarest and most intriguing '88 Camaro was the 1LE road racing package optional on the IROCs with both the 5.0- and 5.7-litre TPI engines. Featuring oversize disc brakes, an aluminium driveshaft and a well-tweaked suspension, the 1LE was built to win showroom stock road races.
1989
Proving that no name is forever dead in the world of Camaros, the old "RS" (but not Rally Sport) designation returned for the 1989 model year. Looking much like an '85 Z28, the RS was a basically a trim package atop the base sport coupe and was powered by either the V6 or a throttle-body-injected 5.0-litre V8. Although the 5.7 TPI V8 now boasted 240 horsepower, about the only way to tell '89 IROCs from previous years is to look at the ignition key and see if has the "Pass-Key" theft deterrent resistor embedded in it.
1990
The IROC breathed its last breath during the short 1990 model year, as Dodge picked up sponsorship of the International Race of Champions. The big changes that year were the growth of the base V6 from 2.8 to 3.1 litres, with a bump in output from 135 to 140 horsepower and the fitment of driver-side airbags to all models.
1991
Chevy jump-started the 1991 model year by re-introducing the Z28 in the spring of 1990. Sure, the '91 Z28 got a tall rear wing, new lower body cladding, new phoney hood scoops and new five-spoke wheels, but it was otherwise still an IROC and now the top engine was a 245 horsepower 5.7-litre TPI V8. All other '91 Camaros were pretty much '90 Camaros with revised ground effects that featured fake air inlets. Law enforcement got its own Camaro in 1991 with the introduction of the Camaro B4C pursuit vehicle. Basically, a B4C was a Z28 that was badged as an RS and equipped with most of the good stuff developed for the 1LE race package. Very few B4Cs were ever produced.
1992
With an all-new Camaro coming for 1993, the 1992 model was barely changed from '91. The big change was that they all sported a "25th Anniversary" badge on their instrument panels. Further, a $175 "Heritage Package" of stripes was offered for any '92 Camaro. It was time for another new Camaro. 1,585,262 Camaros were produced from 1982-1992
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