Those of you that have been around these pages for a while will know that I’m not exactly a fan of gen3 F-Bodies (1982-1992 Camaro & Firebird). An ’89 Camaro graces my GM Deadly Sin #6 – “46 trips to the Dealer in the First Year”. No, that title is not an exaggeration, but based on an account of a former owner of a 1985 Firebird. If you don’t believe me, click on the link. It eloquently sums up my feelings about these, in a way I never could quite find the words myself, no matter how hard I tried. And I did try hard.
But that’s all in the past now. The endless battles we fought on these pages over my GM Deadly Sins feel like they were all a bad dream. I’m awake now, and when I spotted this Camaro sitting at Monroe Park one early spring day, I was entranced. Who wouldn’t, given the fine art original work that its body displays. I’ve been documenting the Painted cars of Eugene for years, but now it’s time to celebrate the Unpainted Cars of Eugene, starting with this Camaro.
I’m not a body work guy, so I have no explanations. I just look and take it in, and marvel at the random designs that are unfolding on Jerry Palmer’s handiwork in our long rainy season. I’m sure he could never imagine this.
Maybe the owner was working towards a polished DeLorean look?
Just look at the various hues that have appeared. This artist has elevated this lowly Camaro to MOMA levels of artistry.
One could lose oneself in those patterns. Don’t stare too long!
As a lover of patina, I was bowled over when I encountered this. It just needs a coat of clear coat to preserve it, but that would eliminate the serendipity of future surface and color evolution. A living piece of art.
The other side is evolving along a somewhat different pathway, perhaps due to it facing towards the prevailing storms from the Pacific. I love the juxtaposition of the blue plastic mirror. Brilliant!
The real genius is that the artist has apparently managed to make the plastic front fascia rust. Did he hand build a steel version? Isn’t that incredible? The transition from the solid blue to the hood is variegated in such a way as to not create an overly jarring effect. Subtle, in its own way.
Sadly, the interior has not benefited from any artistic improvements. Of course that would be much more challenging. Maybe impossible. Or perhaps the artistic statement is just to leave it as is, as many younger viewers will find it as equally visually challenging as the exterior.
I can honestly say that this was the first time I was genuinely attracted to one of these. With another rainy season or two under its belt, I’d actually be willing to be seen in it. Now that’s saying something; perhaps.
Postscript: After a long hot day fixing up a house and a long evening hike, this is all I can come up with. I’m sure some of you will add something actually relevant.
This Camaro belongs in the Smithsonian American Art Museum. One of its best elements is the bold and distinct demarkation line in front of the fuel filler door.
It was an ’89 IROC that really enlightened me about GM Fanboi Syndrome. A former college friend owned it and he was always defending the car. Blowing blue smoke upon start-up? All 350s do that. The incessant creaking of the plastic interior? That’s because the body structure is so stiff.
The day he was married I drove that Camaro to the church for him (I was best man). I discovered three things. One, the tailpipes were the perfect diameter for being covered with condoms. Second, the depression on the sun visor, where the mirror was held, could hold an abundance of birdseed. Third, if you were on wet pavement, watch out. The rear end was the squirreliest I’ve ever experienced in wet weather driving.
After his subsequent divorce and then graduating, he went to work for GM Truck Division in Pontiac. During some GM crisis he was laid off. He then did the most traitorous act imaginable for someone having GM Fanboi Syndrome – he went to work at Ford.
If it smoked on start up I would wager it was the all mighty 305 not a 350. The 305 smoked when first started far more so than the 350…until the cam lobes wore out.
Say what you will………I count these Camaros as the second sexiest body style made behind the Jaguar E type convertible. Like the Cavaliers of the period…..these cars get hacked and slashed yet still you see more of these running around than their foreign and domestic competition. And it still looks great today!!(well not this paint job)
I mean…. even the plastic parts look rusty!
But I’m amazed that GM figured out the formula for getting paint to remain adhered to the plastic…well, mostly.
Too bad they (and other domestics of the era) hadn’t yet figured out how to do the same for paint applied to metal. 😃
yep, the paint has probably fallen off from age.
The paint fell off because the primer and the paint had different bases. (Mineral primer vs. water based paint. Then cleared coated with a acrylic clear coat later on.) The paint in the 70s was no better…chalk based?
Yes, this was the year that RS stood for Redi Strip. Someone clearly wants to eliminate everything that stands in the way of appreciating the pure design. Like paint.
This car is plainly an import as the driver’s side door panel is intact. My theory is that it had no paint at all when it came to Oregon, but that a shiny factory finish is slowly reappearing due to those healing rains we keep reading about.
Actually I have always been intrigued by the idea of taking a car down to bare, polished steel and then clearcoating it. Don’t ask me why.
Redi Strip. Snort! That’s funny.
I admire the dedication to the artistic vision. If this was a Boston car would it have been seen in front of MOBA?
http://museumofbadart.org/
The old instant patina trick, strip the paint and a light wash with acid theres a few cars around here with this fake finish plus a few that have been wrapped in rust one local Mazda XR8 is just too perfectly rusty no need for a clearcoat that way either.
Now offered as a wrap!
https://www.wrapdirect.com/red-rust-style-wrap-with-adt/
Fortunately my ’88 IROC-Z 350 looks nothing like this poor 3rd gen car! I have always been a fan of their looks and with the F-41 suspension combined with the 350 c.i. engine: a fairly entertaining car to drive on curvy roads..:):)
She is only for sale now as I don’t need my recently purchased 50th Anniversary C5 Corvette and the IROC. (on Hemmings) DFO
I owned an 87 Iroc Z28 and I am HORRIFIED that anyone thinks this is an example of the maginifice of what a Camaro should be. The author must be a fan of Ford
Here’s my favorite “accidental art” car …..
It’s not technically a ‘curbside classic’ though. It was in a shop, awaiting repair?
I find it somehow beautiful, in the same manner as this magnificent Camaro
In this form, it looks like something bent up and put together from sheet metal scrounged from behind my local HVAC fabrication shop.
A very amusing morning read.
Looking at the first photo, though, it helps drive home the dichotomy of these F-Bodies (both Camaro and Firebird): knockout-gorgeous styling, combined with indifferent engineering and assembly. It’s a darned shame.
Two friends (a couple) just purchased a 25th anniversary Camaro RS (triple black w/ T-tops) last year, and it’s in gorgeous shape, but I’m just glad that he can wrench on it if need be. (I can’t wait for them to take me out in it… total HS throwback! 🙂 )
Hi guys. I have a dumb question. Why do I see edit and cancel buttons on Joes post above? I could even click them. Server issues?
I see that occasionally on other people’s posts as well.
It’s rare, but there. Sometimes even “Click to Edit” and “Delete” buttons.
“Looking at the first photo, though, it helps drive home the dichotomy of these F-Bodies (both Camaro and Firebird): knockout-gorgeous styling, combined with indifferent engineering and assembly. It’s a darned shame.”
A perfect summation of these cars. Actually, you’re being generous about the indifferent engineering since the bean counters slayed these cars. Anyway, I loved my ’82 Z28 in spite of its low-po V8, and abysmal durability. It worked well enough when everything was right, looked great, and I found it to be very comfortable on long trips (if one was courageous/foolish enough to attempt that). I’m not blind to the many shortcomings these cars had, but mine was a huge improvement over my previous car, which I couldn’t trust to get me across the street w/o some kind of drama.
Looks like the cassette player still works
what kinda car do ya’ got?
I’ve got a bitchin’ Camaro
Bitchin’ Camaro, bitchin’ Camaro
I ran over my neighbors
Bitchin’ Camaro, bitchin’ Camaro
Now I’m in all the papers
My folks bought me a bitchin’ Camaro
With no insurance to match
So if I happen to run you down
Please don’t leave a scratch
I ran over some old lady
One night at the county fair
And I didn’t get arrested
Because my dad’s the mayor
Bitchin’ Camaro, bitchin’ Camaro!
Classic Dead Milkmen reference.
You forgot the “Donuts on your lawn/Tony Orlando and Dawn” verse though.
😂
+1 on the Dead Milkmen. It is things like this that keep me coming back to this site. I have nothing to add about the Camaro; they were once as common as dirt and now not so much. This is my least favorite iteration of the F body, as always YMMV.
Sadly, the interior has not benefited from any artistic improvements. Of course that would be much more challenging. Maybe impossible. Or perhaps the artistic statement is just to leave it as is, as many younger viewers will find it as equally visually challenging as the exterior.
How many interior colors were available in the Camaro of that generation? You could make a harlequin style interior by mixing and matching interior parts from several cars of different interior colors.
(just sayin’)
I see “Work in Progress until there is enough money left over after beer and recreational pharmaceuticals to go the next step but it’s been quite a while.”
Paul sees art.
A buddy of mine back in 1985 or 86 had an IROC Z in the same color…
…ok, let me clarify that. It was the same color as the mirror and ground effects. 😉
His was an earlier one with the 305. I found it fun to drive, and didn’t notice any of the issues you guys talk about here, but the car was new at the time, so it likely didn’t have time to develop the problems with which these were plagued.
The most vivid memory of this generation Camaro was on the short, circle racetrack ‘Sportsman’ class. Cheap, plentiful, and with a suspension that could be buttoned down tightly, they were very popular.
Otherwise, trying to keep one of these running and looking presentable on the street was a challenge only the most loyal Chevy fans would endure for very long.
I have never liked the styling of these. Or the build quality. I test drove a almost new ’82 back in early ’83 for a female friend of mine, 305 powered. The cowl shake at 75mph was downright scary. But as far as styling goes, a lot of people didn’t like the first gen Fox Mustangs either.
Nicely written, Paul. Aesthetics aside (which I do like), I actually identify with the way this car has turned out, whether intentional or not. I detest dents or major scratches, or other exterior defects, but rarely wash my cars and haven’t done (or paid for) any exterior detailing or even waxing on a car for decades. But I like the interior clean, not necessarily polished and detailed, but I sit there for hours, usually in clean clothes, and it should be like my house. My Tacoma has floor mats and front seat covers which get removed and cleaned regularly, and I keep a big towel over the back seat for dirty mountain bike gear – or mountain bikers. Unfortunately, with modern Toyota paintwork it may never show an exterior patina like this Camaro, at least not in my lifetime.
I think that these are great looking cars. The enthusiast mags presented these with a lot of fanfare and while they delivered on looks the build quality and reliability were a huge disappointment. My opinion is that the owner has chosen to present their car in this state. The “rust” on the front bumper is just the color of the base plastic. More interesting than rattle can black primer.
I didn’t mind the early Gen 3 Firebirds, with the optional ‘bowling ball’ wheel covers. Along with the headlight treatment on the 6000STE, Pontiac created some attractive and tasteful design elements during this era.
That’s Elliots car! Known him for years. Looks even worse in person than in photos. (The car, not him.)
Honestly, the ‘82 Camaro and Firebirds are arguably the best designs of the Irv Rybicki period at GM. They lost 500lbs and rebranded the f cars for the next 10 years, without giving up on rwd, which must have been a huge internal battle. With so much garbage design coming out of GM in the ‘80’s, these were appealing cars that kept current their offering in the pony car segment, one of the few they continued to lead, and keep alive as a sales channel (with a gap) to the present day.
“One could lose oneself in those patterns. Don’t stare too long!”
That’s some funny stuff!
I’ll bet there’s still a half-empty bottle of Jaegermeister and various cassettes featuring the musical talents of Billy Squier and Thin Lizzy rolling about the floorboard! Ah, the memories!