Vehicle Description
If you're of a certain age, say closer to 40 than 30, cars like
this 1983 Camaro Z/28 convertible are the vehicles of your
childhood. This is the same market force driving the values in
earlier muscle cars, and the day is probably not far off when
these, too, will be highly sought collectibles. This one in
particular should attract plenty of interest, as it is a rare
convertible conversion done by Autoform Corp. out of Elkhart,
Indiana. Autoform produced less than 1,000 F-body conversions from
1983 to 1986 at a cost of $5,500. They were built to order and drop
shipped from dealers to be converted and sent back. With so few
produced, it is truly a rare piece indeed.
This Z/28 is still wearing its original paint and it shows very
well today. The Z/28 was the top-of-the-line Camaro in '83, and
these were the days when ground effects and stripes were the height
of muscle car fashion. In fact, the Z/28 had extended and
redesigned ground effects, a new hood, new taillights, and a new
rear bumper to accommodate the valances. The NACA-style hood ducts
aren't functional but they sure look cool, while the taillights
were tri-colored to showcase a more European influence. Contrasting
lower body stripes on the Z/28 accentuated its long, low profile
and separated the bodywork from the urethane ground effects. The
convertible conversion preserves the F-body look and may even hint
at what the factory ragtops might look like. The custom deck lid
replaced the original hatch and tilts from the rear, although there
is a trunk opening that makes it a lot less cumbersome. Overall, a
very good effort that works well and looks great. Wax it up and hit
the road, and watch how many appreciative glances you get along the
way.
The interior is 100% original, and is remarkably well-preserved for
being more than 30 years old and reaffirms that the 47,608 miles
are authentic. The blue cloth upholstery is still quite nice,
without any rips, tears, or other noteworthy damage and the foam
underneath is firm. Z/28s usually came loaded from the factory, and
this one includes things like functional A/C, cruise control, power
windows and locks, and a tilt wheel. Fortunately, a console was
standard equipment, unlike the good old bad old days when even the
basics were extra cost, and there's a full array of interesting
gauges with dual needles separating MPH and KPH. There's also a
modern AM/FM/CD stereo that sounds great and under that unique rear
deck, there's a nicely preserved trunk with original carpets in
excellent condition. The unique top is manual, but stows easily and
fits well.
There is no way anyone can complain about the engine, however. The
305 cubic inch V8 used the famous Cross-Fire fuel injection system
and its strong point was torque. For old school guys, it meant the
end of the carburetor era, and today it means that it remains
reliable and easy to drive with no carburetor fussiness. Virtually
indestructible, these engines deliver solid torque numbers that
move the relatively light Camaro with ease, and rumble with that
typical American V8 sound, and recent maintenance includes a rear
main seal and valve guides, so it's ready to rock. Gear swaps are
handled by GM's reliable 700R4 4-speed automatic driving a set of
3.08 gears out back, which make the Z/28 a comfortable high-speed
cruiser. Unlike its Mustang competition, the Camaro received better
brakes and a more sophisticated torque arm suspension that made it
one of the best handling cars of the era. Wheels are traditional
Torque Thrusts wearing 245/50/16 Kumho radials.
Clean 3rd generation Camaros are becoming increasingly difficult to
find, and early Autoform conversions like this are a cool footnote
in F-body history. Get in, turn the key, and I can almost guarantee
you'll feel like you're 16 years old all over again. Call
today!
